Ah drama. How we loathe it. Well we like watching it as long as no one we know is involved, including ourselves. But once it touches us, it’s kinda hard to get rid of it. Once upon a time ago, I was a guild leader in another game. It was formed to be casual friendly and full of people that were drama free. We had a couple of people that might go for some drama, but as a whole, they were kept in check. Within the guild we rarely had fights over loot (actually I can’t even remember one instance of loot fighting), and almost all of the “drama” was directed towards external influences, like people who trained mobs onto others for fun. Yep, in a pre-WoW world, that’s how some people got their non-PvP kicks (morons). No we weren’t perfect: we had spats with each other, names were occasionally called, but over all, we were a pretty good group of friends.
Cut to today’s WoW: yes, I read WoW Insider and yes, I read the weekly guild drama recaps. Some of the time I giggle cos it’s so silly, and sometimes I just sigh cos it’s so pointless. But for the most part, I read them with a sigh of relief that “it’s not me”. But then I have a brush with the drama llama and I’m reminded to not get cocky. That it happens to everyone and when you least expect it.
The problem with raiding with another guild as a guest is that sometimes drama over loot happens. We’re all human. We all want that “omg shiny!” item. Hey, I admit it: I’ve had my moments of avarice and loot whoring over the smallest thing. Hell, I have the Baron’s Cloak from Strath still in my bank as a “war trophy” (god I hated him). The group The Boyfriend and I are running with is doing okay in SSC and TK. The whole time I’ve run with them, I’ve never seen anything that made me stand up and put my name in for loot when they’ve called for loot council. Wednesday night that changed when I got the Rift Stalker Gauntlets. Last night, Bands of the Celestial Archer dropped off of TK trash. As I was still wearing Stalker’s War Bands, once again, I figured wth and tossed my name in. I was given them, but apparently that caused drama with some people in the guild. At this point, there’s little that I can do. I put my name in, they checked my gear. But, to make peace, I now have an alt in their guild, as well as The Boyfriend. It’s light drama, and something that’s handled, but it’s still drama. ::sigh::
So how do you handle inter-guild raiding loot drama? Avoid it and not take anything? But then you gimp yourself and not help the raid which means there’s no point to you taking a spot in their raid. Ignore any snarking that occurs? Never been fond of the hide the head in the sand approach (even if I occasionally practice it). Confront it headon? Well then that’s where fights can break out. Yeah so not happening.
I will say this: I’ve deliberately not taken loot before if someone else rolling on it needed it more. I’ve waited and checked others’ gear before putting my name in. I try to be a good guest when I’m not in a group with my guild. So I toe a fine line: being a good guest, getting geared up, not gimping myself but trying to not step on toes. ::sigh::
Tonight? I get interviewed by Breana and Fimlys for a podcast after hopefully doing Kara. Tomorrow, I’m off with friends for an evening of Real Life fun. 
Sunday, Mount Hyjal! Monday, … I pass out. >.>
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You can do everything in your power to avoid the ever-ambiguous “drama events” and they’ll still crop up regardless. If the loot rules are clearly outlined at the start of each run and you are able to roll on a piece of gear that’s a significant upgrade to you, then there’s nothing you can do about things if their own guildies start crying about it–and I wouldn’t start feeling bad about it either. It’s their politics. That being said, if loot rules are not clearly outlined, perhaps you can request that the raid leader make a point in doing it. As long as it’s okay, take what you need: you’re helping them get where they want to go as well.
As an addendum, for awhile we were doing bear runs for people in our little guild, and every once in awhile we’d have to take some randoms along–and even if they weren’t good, they still came and they therefore had the right to roll on the bear. My fiancee still hasn’t gotten one because of that, but we all acknowledge that that’s how it is.
@Runycat
The good thing is they did actually implicitly state the rules up front. I think it was more of a case of me having never spoken up for anything before, so it was a shock when I finally did speak up for some. Kinda a “Oh… yeah, someone else might want that. Dammit!” moment more than anything. The raid leaders took it in as good a stride as they could and life shall go on. It was just kinda… jarring after being drama free in that area for so long. ::grin::
The only way that I can imagine avoiding loot drama is to not raid. Even if you were to pass on every piece of loot unless it was thrust upon you, someone would either get upset when you were awarded an upgrade or someone would start championing on your behalf, thereby causing loot drama in proxy. It’s basically a given in any sort of environment where you are competitive and are awarded for your efforts. There’s always someone who will feel slighted, even though it might take months for it to occur.
Runycat has it right: the best way to avoid drama is to make sure that the rules are explicitly stated up front. Go further and post them somewhere too where they can be date/time stamped as well just to let people know that it’s been a long-standing rule. The whole raid should know who is on the council, what they use to judge who gets what loot, and have that clearly listed somewhere in written format. This way, you can avoid the drama that arises from lack of understanding of the loot rules.
That said, it’s disappointing that people got upset when the rules were clearly known and followed. You won an upgrade; your fellow raiders should be pleased for you. It’s good to see that you’re trying to remain politic with the whole ordeal. You shouldn’t shoot yourself in the foot by avoiding future upgrades, but trying to smooth things over, become more involved, and let everyone else know that you’re in it for the long run will probably help.
This just points out the inherent horrendous flaws in the way loot works in WoW (and most MMOs).
The Badge of Justice system represents a far more equitable and sane system. Everyone who kills a boss earns a token. When you earn enough, you get an item. Every time you participate in a kill, you make X% progress. None of this lootwhoring or anything of that nature. Also, if the tokens were specific only to an instance rather than specific only to a boss, you’d get people more interested in fighting ANY bosses in a dungeon rather than only wanting to raid on the nights the boss they need is scheduled.
WoW’s loot system is horribly flawed. They do nothing about it, and make players soak up the drama, the pain, the suffering, and the discord.
-Cambios
Blogging about Online Gaming and Virtual Worlds:
http://www.muckbeast.com
I agree that there are loot problems but without the really random way that loot is generated now, then people will have incentive to keep running certain instances over and over again. Progression will go faster than Blizzard wants it to as there will be more pressure to make more content for those that already blew through it.
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As a side note, the neato thing about your posts now? I can hear your voice talking in my head as I read along, thanks to Twisted Nether.