Raid Etiquette

Some guilds have raiding rules. For raids that I organise, these are mine.
Every 'rule' below has been included due to issues that have come up on previous raids that I have organised.

Raid sign ups

• No one is expected to sign up for an event. It generally takes 10 players to run a 10 man raid (certain achievements aside). It is OK if you are unavailable on an evening, or do not wish to run certain content at a given time.
  
• If you do sign up for an event, and can't make it, an apology ahead of time is expected. Real Life sometimes intervenes, but wherever possible send a message by whisper, mail, phone, or carrier pigeon.
• Turn up on time. If 9 people are waiting 5 minutes each, that is 45 minutes lost. If you think you might be cutting it fine, leave your toon at the raid entrance.
• Turn up equipped. This includes gems, enchants, flasks/elixirs, potions, scrolls, food, reagents, and being repaired. If you regularly run with me, gold isn't a problem. While I will badger you into making your own gold, if you "Need", then "Need". But please need well before the raid start time.
• Read up on fights. I expect that you have read up or watched boss strategies. Some guilds run 'blind'. I do not. I expect that you will read up on the next two bosses. I would appreciate you reading up on the next four. Some good sources include wowpedia.com and tankspot videos. Use the sources that work best for you.

During the raid

• Be polite. This means you. No swearing at (or in the general direction) of other players either in writing or via voice. No racism/sexism either.
• Fail better. I expect we will always be able to do better. I don't want to stay in a raid until we get it perfect.
• Lag happens (think of it as a special hardmode). Some of us do not have perfect connections. That's how we roll. It will sometimes cause wipes. Some of us have 200ms latency, I have average 550ms, and others have 1200ms. If you are willing to raid with your latency, I am willing to have you.
• Lag is not an excuse for wrong targets, or continuing to stay in the fire. Ideally you will respond in 400ms of an event (200ms latency + 200ms reaction time). I will normally respond within 850ms. Some of us won't be able to respond for up to 1500ms. Regardless, follow the instructions.
• Acknowledge that we don't all have the same skill level. Newbies are welcome, as are hc players going casual.
• This raid is not your other raid, it is not your work. If you need to kick something, there is a boss just over there, and is a more appropriate target for your frustration.
• Emotions are contagious.
• People's reactions are better when slightly stressed, but still in control and concentrating.
• Making people overly stressed causes them to freeze.
• Too much silliness prevents concentration.
  

Before a pull

• Ask questions, make suggestions, disagree (politely)
• Say what you will do/want done differently, simply and explicitly. Consensus is preferable, but not required. For examples
• PlayerA use tremor totem in phase 2
• Everybody move around the outside of the ring, not through the middle.
• Foo should heal PlayerB; HealerC should heal TankD. HealerE is on raid.

During a pull

• We probably are too chatty. I am as guilty as the rest of you. Cutting the chatter will leave room for more useful information.
• Call out things we are struggling on. 'Run to totems when you have snobalds'. 'All DPS on adds'

After a wipe

• Everyone run back. Healers need mana too, and it is just easier all round.
• Group together, it makes buffing that much easier.
• Eat the feast or your preferred buff food
• Buff
• Discuss the cause of the wipe.
• You have more time during recovery (buffing etc) to discuss than during a wipe.
• Everyone ask yourself 'What can I do better?'. It doesn't matter if you are carrying the raid, if there is something you can do better, then do it.
• If you caused the wipe, fess up. It makes it much easer for the raid leader. Either say what you are going to do next time, or ask for assistance.
• If someone did not do their role, call it, but with neutrality. If you are frustrated, you should whisper someone else (probably me). eg. If you get paralytic poison, you need to go to the player with bile.
• Everyone pay attention to how to prevent the wipe. Understanding is expected the first time. However, the group gets grumpy if a different player causes the same wipe.

After a success

• Smell the roses. Enjoy the moment.
• Congratulate the group if you have previously had problems. Congratulate anyone who specifically showed improvement.
• Allow others to enjoy the moment. If someone wants the screenshot, give it to them. People who don't are being unpleasant.

Giving constructive feedback.
Sometimes another player will need to do something different.

• They will listen better if you also provide positive feedback. Give this first; If you can't give positive feedback, talk to your guild master.
• Expect someone to learn one thing only at a time.
• If you think they should learn more than one thing, see the line immediately above
• If you still think they should learn more, see your guild master.

In the feedback you need to provide:

• What needs to improve?
• Why it is important.
• How it should be done better.

Giving destructive feedback.

• Any feedback given to a player should be constructive feedback.
• If you still need to be destructive, talk to your guild master.