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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. >.>

I just have to say this…

OMGWTFBBQKITTENZ

DIABLO 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

/faints in joy

(Seriously, when this is released, I’ll not be playing WoW for at least 3 weeks. ::happy happy joy joy::)

One thing that I haven’t written about is a change that happened recently. Due to a sudden influx for Real Life vacations, moves, midterms, new jobs, illnesses, as well as good ol’ burnout, the guild got hit hard for getting a full group of 5 people online to do 25 man content. The officers all talked then gave the guild a heads up that we were going to hold off on raiding til further notice. There was just too much going on in everyone’s lives for us to actually make any progress on 25 man content, and it wasn’t fair to those that came out week after week to keep putting other things on hold, only to find we would have to cancel that night’s raid because we lacked people.

Pretty much, the whole guild agreed this was a good idea. I think everyone’s been getting frustrated at the brick wall we seem to have hit in progression. There an ebb and flow to MMOs: you’re either making progression or you’re not. You losing members or you’re not. And a lot of times, we see that those two flow hand in hand. As soon as a guild stops raiding, there are some that feel they have to move on to guilds that are still raiding. For our guild, I don’t think we’d hold it against them.

I know that I’m actually happy about the no raids other than the guild members throwing together Kara runs or 5man content. See, I’m about to do a Big Thing: a “life reboot”. I’m quitting my current job as a graphic designer, moving two states away (lucky Boyfriend, he gets to not fully unpack, then pack up what he didunpack and move all over again in less than two months), and starting a new life as an art store/teacher resource/bookstore manager for a brand new store opening in a town I’ve never lived in, only visited. I’d already known I’d have to put raiding on hold til the move was done and we were settled, but this way, I don’t feel guilty for not being there to help and (I’ll admit it) jealous at the Phat Lewt others are getting.

Of course, knowing my luck, they’ll start raids back up two nights before we leave Atlanta. :;sigh::

So what do the non-raiding folk do? For my part, it’s heroics, Kara on those nights people have it and I get picked, rep grinds, dailies (oh god lots of dailies), and… well… yeah. Oh and alts. Don’t forget about alts. Now I have the alts on my main server, and then there’s the ones on the About Last Night’s server. And then there’s the shiny PS3 that keeps singing it’s siren song at me from downstairs. Hmm, maybe I do have quite a bit to do.

(Bonus points to anyone who figures out where I bastardized my post title from.)