Kirk over at Priestly Endeavors has been pounding out awesome posts about guild management lately, and while leadership and team dynamics and such are always fun to talk about, what gets my brain sparking ideas is when I observe what a situation IS, analyze how well the existing system is working, and then try to imagine ways of improving it. Along those lines, I was musing over the last couple years worth of raid startups, wondering why guildies coming to raids without consumables seemed to be a never-ending woe, and what could I see as a painless way of changing that.
I have checked out quite a few guild websites over time, cause when I see recruitment posts in my realm forums, I can’t help but go visit their websites to check em out. Horde or Alliance, I ond’t care. Also, I’ve been fortunate to have my main and alts in several great guilds that had the range from either massive in-depth websites, to clean minimalistic links pages.
One thing that I have never seen yet, however, is one helpful addition that I’d like to take this opportunity to cry out for. In the spirit of Phaelia and BRK’s recent “What I’d like to see” posts, here’s mine… on Guild Websites.
Now, first, to define the goal. To me, the heart of a Guild is a group of players that have teamed up to tackle challenges together, to enhance fun with camaraderie and shared joys and pains, to share skills and knowledge and abilities to help everyone succeed at their chosen goals. Whether your Guild is based around having fun, PvP, Raiding, whatever, you’re in a guild cause MORE should be BETTER.
Now, the perceived challenge. Yes, I said challenge. It’s not a problem, it’s an opportunity for improvement. {Quick, someone call Schlock… lawyer-drone in the house! Shoot! Shoot!}
I have yet to see a Guild website that brought together three key elements… identified consumables that each class should bring to a raid, who makes the consumables in the Guild, and what mats they require.
This is my dream….
A simple (absolutely preferrably one page) section on a website that lists common and desired consumables for each member of a class to bring and use during raids….
The page should be broken down into sections by class, and include;
- Recommended Food
- Recommended Potions/flasks, both Guardian and Battle
- Weightstones or Sharpening stones if used by class
- Runes and Wards for Chest armor and Shields
- Wizard Oils and Mana Oils for casters
Next to each item should be a small list of what materials are used to make the item.
Finally, perhaps via a link on the item, there should be a separate list of who in the Guild both knows how to make the consumable… and has volunteered to make it for guildies for free, when mats are provided, either via live trades or mail.
I think such a thing would have the twin benefit of making sure every Guild member has an easy opportunity to clearly see what common consumables for their class they should seek out and be prepared to bring….
And provide a list for them, printable, of what to gather, trade for or buy themselves, and who exactly to ask, politely, to make it for them.
In a perfect world, each class captain could work on a proposed list for his class’ consuambles, and then produce the list in the class forums or via a pre-arranged guild class meeting and get suggestions from other guildies of that class, so that everyone has a voice and an opportunity for input. Even if someone likes something else, it would foster teamwork, cooperation, encourage that no one would get anything for ‘free’, potentially leading to some Guildies feeling ill used, and would, above all else, encourage Guild members to have zero excuse to come to a raid unprepared.
And now, gentle readers, this is where I invite you to come in and flood my comments… all 5 of you 
I’d like to get comments, ideas and lively banter from you about this!
- If your guild website already does this, please post the link and let us admire your awesomeness!
- Come on everyone, join in!
EDIT: Ok, that was fast work indeed. Kirk took my earlier suggestion about Guild webpages listing consumables, and ran with it, posting a list of his recommended consumables for Healing Priests and Shadow Priests over here.
And it’s a damn good list. I keep a stack of the Charged Crystal Focus in the bank against the day I’m called to heal (and can use Healthstones when I need them), and I used to carry a stack of Demonic Runes all the time when I was a Resto specced 40 man raid healer. Pretty much forgotten about those suckers. Over all, just an incredibly awesome piece of work. Thanks, Kirk.
So, you take Kirk’s lists of consumables for Healing and Shadow Priests, take the list I put together a while ago, and you’ve got some of the research done already. Woot!
So what I’m going to do is make a blog post specifically for class consumable links. I’m putting it here, and if you have a website or link to class focused/recommended consuambles, preferrably with commentary on why, or a materials list, just post it in the comments, either here or at the linklist post, and I’ll go check it out and update that post with proper credit given.
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