How-to Get The Most Enjoyment Out Of Family Events, And Help Out Your Raid
By: FairybellaFawny
[This guide is for Rift.]
An event led by the Family is not just a few players (leaders) dragging everyone else along for the ride. A Gaiscioch public event is a cooperative effort by every single Gaiscioch member that participates.
In order to ensure that everyone gets the most enjoyment out of a large-scale event, everyone has to play their part. There are several things you can do that will help out not just the leadership but all your raid-mates and yourself as well.
1. Stay with the raid leader.
(Raid leader does not mean event leader.) When players run ahead or fall behind while traveling from one objective to the next, this causes those players who are of lower level to be left vulnerable to attack. Try to stay close together while traveling. This way not only can you protect yourself and your friends, but sometimes the raid leader will ask you to halt, and/or change directions. If you have run too far ahead you might miss this instruction and get separated or even lost, and that leaves you vulnerable, and it isn't any fun trying to find your raid in unfamiliar territory. By the time you reach your raid group the objective might be completed and you lose out on loot, experience, and fun. Or you died along the way and no one is near to rez you. That can lead to you having to release which could port you even farther away from group. Also, healers have a limited range in which their heals can reach you.
You can recognize the raid leader in the crowd because they will have a number over their head. If you know the raid leader's name, you can just check their green box in the raid panel and see a number in the top-right corner. So look for that number and stay close!
Recognizing other raid leaders in an event in case you get separated from your raid group will help you find temporary safety until you can rejoin your group. These leaders will also have a number over their heads (if your raid leader set that up, I always do). Just remember you cannot receive any heals until you join your own group. Your raid is all the little blue dots on your radar and map. If you feel you cannot reach them safely it is best to stay with another leader. Ask them if they have room, and if they do, then leave the raid you are in and join theirs.
2. Bring Rally Scrolls. (see my guide How-to Use the Guild Rally System)
Be prepared. This is one way to ensure you can rejoin the guild event for major objectives like the boss, and also to join for the start of the event in an area you do not have a porticulumn for. Also if you are late coming to an event sometimes your guildmates will drop banners to port you to the event in progress (this is not always the case though).
3. Be prepared to die if you are of lower level, and to ask for help.
Unfortunately aggro consists of damage numbers that we just can't outheal sometimes. Call attention to your death before we run too far ahead by asking for a rez. Remember that most players cannot rez in combat, so be patient. If you feel you need extra protection to stay alive, ask for endurance buffs, shield buffs, and for your group to keep an extra eye on you. We are happy to do it so don't be shy!
4. Be prepared to abandon an objective.
Sometimes the leader will ask you to stop fighting a rift mid-stage and follow them to another objective. This is usually done to ensure victory during zone-invasions. Be prepared to skirt around roaming invasions, ignore rifts and footholds along the way, stand still in one spot, and otherwise do baffling things. Trust your leader.
5. Offer advice!
Your raid leader is just a player like you, and does not know everything. If you have some important information to contribute please speak up! In the end however, go with the leader's decisions, even it it leads you off a cliff. There is something at the bottom of that cliff they want you to see. Something shiny.
6. Get in vent if you can.
You do not ever have to talk in vent. But please enable it to just listen if at all possible. It will make it so much easier on you and your leaders. I myself try to type everything that I or Fog says in vent, but this is not always possible for all leaders all the time, including me. You also are missing out on some fun comments and camaraderie!
7. Stop chatting in vent if you hear a raid leader start speaking.
Simply stop mid-sentence if you have to so that the raid leader can give instructions, some of which must be given immediately. They are not interrupting you to be rude, or to make jokes, but because it's important. So please don't take it personally and give-way, because you will want to hear what they say also!
8. (amended May 15, 2011) During Gaiscioch public events only:
There have been some hard feelings about people rolling need, but I assure you that this is not because your guildmates are being ninjas. We leave our raids as public, so during rifts, others can join in. Now, in pug rifts, someone will usually or inevitably roll need on the puresources. If you also want this item, go ahead and roll need also, but if you do not feel comfortable rolling need, then don't. But you never know for sure that someone will not roll need at the last. That is a chance you take when you roll greed. Also, please feel free to need on any potions you will use, any upgrades to your gear, and critter tears you still need. Otherwise consider rolling greed/pass.
LOOT RULES:
NEED: on gear that your current character build can use RIGHT NOW (within 5 levels). Do not roll Need for things for an alt please.
GREED: on gear that you can use on an alt or for breaking down or is more than 5 levels away.
Corrupted Souls, Malformed Souls: Please roll PASS so that the Raid leader can collect all of these and open more Rifts for you at the next event. Or if you win one of these put in the guild vault.
Sourcestones, Crafting Items, other General Goods like potions, and critter tears: roll NEED if you need it.
Level 50 Items are to be rolled NEED by level 45+ only.
These are Foghladha's rules (for this event type only), please follow them, thank you.
(During non-Gaiscioch public events traditionally there is a "Unspoken Rule" that says that all general goods (Souls, Sourcestones, Crafting Items, Potions, Etc.) should be "GREEDED". Gear you NEED for your current character Roll NEED. If you want this gear for an ALT or to break down Roll GREED.)
9. Have fun but show respect.
Our events are a chance for us to come together as a Family, to meet each other "in-person", and to connect with our server-mates. These events are casual parties and are also serious meetings.
The serious part is that we really do need to pay attention to those leading the event, so that is can run smoothly, and also that we want to make a good impression because we are wearing the Gaiscioch tag. Please refrain from yelling profanities at passerby (opposite faction and trolls), or chasing lone players who are flagged for pvp who have no chance against an army such as ours. Let them go. Be proud of being Gaiscioch and display behavior that will make our server-mates proud to have us with them.
The casual part is relax and enjoy the company of your Family! If you simply do your part we can all have more time spent having fun and less trying to recover and regroup from misadventure.
In closing:
I also want to take this opportunity to send kudos to players who have taken it upon themselves every event to always look out for the welfare of their guildmates. We have taken notice and salute you.