DAWN OF THE DEADFounded November 29th, 2004, Dawn of the Dead is a raiding guild with a focus on end game raiding. However, our foremost goal in the game should be to have fun, and we should all realize that there are many things that take priority over a game.
GOALSOur goal in this game is to have fun. I think it is of utmost importance that we keep in mind that this is just a game. I hope that we all realize we should make real life our priority, and that a game should come second. Once everything is in order and it’s time to relax, I think we all come here to have fun. We should all push ourselves to be the best we can, but within reason. I don’t expect us to spend so much time farming consumables and working on new content that it affects our lives. But neither do I expect us to sit around content to move at a sluggish pace or be happy with mild progression. Like I said before, we are a raiding guild, and we should all expect to want to push new content at a fast pace. This does mean that we should all be skilled players, put time and effort into our characters, and do what we can as individuals to make the guild as a whole the best it can be. I expect us to make progress each week, or have a very valid reason otherwise. I expect us to continually improve and progress. I expect us all to put effort into our characters in multiple ways. We should all work to improve our gear and skills not just in raids, but also in heroics, other groups, and through trade skills, PVP, consumables, and reputation grinds.
RAID TIMESWe raid 25 man content Sunday to Wednesday, from 7:15 to 11:00 PM EST. We raid 10 man content on Thursdays at 7:15 PM EST, with additional weekend raids. Only 25 man raids are required.
STRUCTUREDawn of the Dead has eight ranks. Three are officer ranks, Two are membership ranks, two are limited membership ranks, and one is a recruitment rank.
- Guild Leader: The leader of Dawn of the Dead.
- Officer: Officers of the guild. Entrusted to help run the guild with strategic decisions and general leadership.
- Officer Alt: An Officer rank useful for administration of the guild, yet distinct from the officer rank.
- Veteran Raider: Everyday raiders who have been with us for over a year.
- Raider: Everyday raiders.
- Initiate – Players being considered for raid slots.
- Member: Non-raiding rank for former members who have had a priority shift and can no longer offer the dedication necessary to raid nightly.
- Alt: Limited membership rank reserved for alternate characters of members or initiates.
Promotions: Advancement is at the discretion of the officers. This is a subject under continual monitoring. Feel free to discuss your current rank and any changes you wish to see with an officer, however constant nagging will not help you progress. Initiates require a minimum of one month in the guild to prove their skill, dedication, and attendance to the guild. Personality and fit within the guild are also strongly considered. During your initiate period, all current members have a vote to determine membership status. Veteran Raiders will be promoted based on time in the guild. Officers will be promoted based on demonstration of leadership, knowledge and acceptance of their respective classes, maturity, and by officer decision.
Demotions and Removal: Once membership is obtained, members will not be removed for skill or attendance reasons. Initiates can be removed for any reason, usually for failing to meet the criteria required for membership. Anyone at any rank will be removed for misconduct. Our goal is to have fun, and progress as fast as we are able to. This does not mean we accept any cheating or exploits. Anyone, of any rank, who uses cheats, hacks, exploits, or leveling services will be warned or removed based on the severity. Also, generally rude or unacceptable behavior can be cause for removal.
Alts: Both members and initiates are eligible to have multiple characters in the guild. Alts are alternate characters, which receive secondary attention and dedication. You are allowed to have as many characters as you play in the guild. However, characters that are not frequently played will be removed after one month offline.
RECRUITINGOur guild is not static. People come and go, and our priorities change. We recruit players based on these needs. At times our need for certain classes is greater than others. It’s human nature to have a shifting schedule, and there are times when due to holidays or other reasons we’ll just find ourselves lacking a certain element we need. If this deficit continues, we look to recruit people to fill our needs. Also, we keep our eyes open for dedicated players even if there is no immediate need. However, just because we lack a certain class for a short period of time, this does not mean we will recruit players to fill it. If we have issues with attendance of a certain class, I want to make sure we recruit the best players of that class we can. Recruiting more players of a class who are not up to the standards of the guild does us no good. Recruiting anyone is not the issue, recruiting the right players is what we need.
Applications: Our needs can be seen
here or on the home page. If you are interested in joining, please read about our current needs and requirements. If you meet the requirements and are interested in membership, then I would encourage you to fill out an application. If your class is not currently being recruited, I would encourage you to speak with an officer in game.
Initiates: Upon applying, a player who meets all of our requirements, and also fulfills a need that we have, will be given an invite to the guild. Additional time may be spent if necessary, but we feel the best way to get players involved is access to guild chat and the opportunity to group with us.
Membership: The goal of any initiate should be to achieve membership. Achieving membership is no easy goal. There are many things we look for, but they can broadly be classified as performance, attendance, and fit. Performance involves how skilled of a player you are. Some people are just exceptional players, while others are not as good. A large part of this is your situational awareness. We need players who stay alive to fulfill their role. Attendance involves how often you are available. We look for players who can make almost every raid. While there are many skilled and dedicated players out there, if they can’t make our raid times, then they will not be able to help us progress. Not every player may be a fit for the guild. We’re a mature group of players focused on end game progression, but we also certainly have fun and relax at times. The initiate phase lasts a minimum of one month. Membership is not guaranteed at the end of the month. An initiate can be removed at any time, and is eligible to be promoted to member only after they have met the time requirement.
RAID INVITESInvitations to raids are done by the raid leaders. They are generally done to ensure that we have an optimal group that gives us the best chance of accomplishing our goals for the evening. First we consider class balance. In general each raid will need a certain number of tanks, DPS, and healers. Further breakdowns may be done by class and by spec. Invites can also be based on skill. We want to give ourselves the best chance to succeed, so we’ll take the players that give us that chance. Sometimes you may be passed over for a different player on some content. Invitations are also based on rank. Our core raiders are much more likely to get an invite than initiates. As we learn fights and they become easier, we will make the effort to rotate players so that people are not constantly sitting or passed over. We infrequently ask people to sit.
ATTENDANCEWe expect raiders to maintain attendance over 80% attendance. We also expect to know where you are every night. To maintain a small roster, we need to know ahead of time if you will not be around. We have an AFK forum to post when you will not be available, or recurring weekly commitments.
LOOTDawn of the Dead uses an officer vote system to determine loot distribution. When an item drops, the raid will be asked for tells. Please pay attention and respond to the person asking for tells in a timely fashion. Simply saying you are interested or replying with your name is fine. It also can be helpful to mention set bonuses, your current item in that slot, or other relevant information. However, please be sure that you don’t spend so long on an explanation that you do not send a tell in time.
After asking for tells, the officers will then vote to determine who receives the item. The decision is based on many factors. Our system allows us to consider nearly everything that players do while voting, and each officer may value different attributes differently. Some things we may consider include attendance, skill, contribution outside of raids, how large of an upgrade it is, passing on other items, helping farm consumables, and seniority among others. Loot also follows our rank structure. There are certain tiers to our system. Main-specs are on the top tier. Players who maintain a raid ready secondary spec are classified as dual spec status, and have next priority. The third tier is for off-specs which are not used in raids. Full members will receive loot over initiates. If no player in the raid wants an item, it is disenchanted or sold. Passing is acceptable, however you cannot pass an item to a specific player. We are smart and considerate players, and do not have disagreements over loot.
We do our best to make fair decisions, and do not play favorites. In smaller raid zones, where multiple officers may not be present, the loot decisions may differ. We generally use a /roll system with main specs receiving priority.
INTERESTED IN JOINING US?Our current needs can be seen
here or on the home page. If your class is not being recruited, I'd encourage you to speak with an officer or submit an application for future use. To apply,
visit this thread.
