Inertia Guild Policies

Inertia is a social Australian based PvE raiding guild. We intend for our members to have a fun and enjoyable experience playing the World of Warcraft end-game together.

The guild policies are a guideline to help in interactions within the guild and between the guild and the in-game community.

Recruiting

Our current recruiting status may be found in our public forum. An application is required for all members.

Internal

Alternate Characters

All Alts must be a member of this guild. Alts are a great way to spend time learning different tactics in the game and can at times be useful for balancing raids, we insist that your main and alts are members of this guild to encourage a stronger community within the guild. We also ask that guild members restrict their activities to the one server. Attempting to regularly play both a character on Aman’Thul in lnertia and a character on a different server will result in the removal from the guild. We expect you to be a part of the guild, not just a cog in a raiding machine.

Event Planning

Membership on the website is a requirement of membership in the guild. As a site member you are able to participate in raid planning and provide input into one of the ways that the wider game community is going to experience our guild. Initially you must, at the very least: Register on our guild forum, submit an application, and accept these policies.

Guild Chat

Be reasonable in your use of the guild chat. Please treat the guild chat channel with respect. Please also treat it with some common sense and courtesy:

• Please don't spam the chat with macros, this is guaranteed to annoy anyone in a party trying to communicate.
• Please don't link items from the AH or drops unless offering them to the guild. Only link an item you inspect off of others or your own items when you need to ask a question about them. Spamming guild chat with loot links is annoying and obtrusive and makes you look like a jackass.
• If you didn't get an adequate response to a question you asked, please consider using a website for more information. The person who knows is either offline or busy. Or maybe no one knows - in which case it's time for you to do the research and become the expert!  View the guild's Links page once you are logged in for a list of the top sites for this kind of information.
• Be polite when making a post. Have a thick skin when reading it. Be cool. We're a diverse group of people from around the world, and what may be harmless to one may be confusing or rude to another. If in doubt, just remember to be cool.

General Chat Channels

Treat the general chat channels with respect. It will generally be better for all concerned if you ignore or turn off the chat channels than get involved in a pissing contest with the latest hothead in /1. The same expectations we have for guild chat apply to public chat channels. Our behaviour in general chat can directly affect the guild's reputation as well as the members involved.

Selling/Trading Items in-Guild

Although there are no concrete rules related to item trading, we use the following conventions for handling items in the guild:

• High level materials you don’t need yourself go to guild crafters for banking. This allows us to continue to provide free and/or low-cost services to guildies. For example, Green armour that no one can use will go to the guild enchanter. We don't expect (but don't mind!) green weapons however since these can sell for reasonable cash it's understandable that they may be better off funding repairs.
• We do not sell items to the guild. If a guild member needs an item and you have bought the item previously, you're entitled to resell it, however this should be carried out in private, rather than in guild chat.
• The guild maintains several banks alts as well as the in-game guild bank in order to service item trading in an offline way. They are checked periodically (at least once a week) and items can be requested by in-game mail. See the forum for full details.

We like to keep our guild fitted out with good items, which is important for raiding successfully and enjoyably. Which brings us to loot...

Loot

Everyone Loves Loot. It's always nice to have some great armour, weapon or trinket on that great character. But let's be realistic about it - there are more important things than loot. There's no point in upgrading your existing epic armour for a little extra stam when your team mate is playing with an old green item from 10 levels ago.

For non-guild PuG runs make sure that the loot rules are clearly understood at the start of the run. If in doubt assume the guild rules apply until proven otherwise - better to take the high road than have someone coming to us complaining about Inertia. Loot will drop again.

Non-Raid Loot Rules

In guild groups the following looting rules will apply. Exceptions may be made and if this is the case it will be discussed at the beginning of the raid/group. In general preference should be given to a player's main character over an alt, however this can be discussed on a case by case basis when required.

Bind On Pickup (BoP) Items

BoP items usually be rolled on with the normal need/greed system. If the item is an upgrade for you, roll need. If it’s a close thing, or for an off set, discuss it before rolling, and pass if someone else wants it. A disenchanter will roll greed and will dust the item if no-one wants it.

Bind On Equip (BoE) Items

BoE items should be rolled as normal (Greed for selling, Need for an upgrade). Since they are not soulbound, further discussion about who may benefit most from the item can be entered into later. Items that are not needed by the group should be considered for the guild (and sent to the guild bank) before being sent to the market or disenchanted.

Looting Etiquette

• Do not loot during battle, unless the entire group is about to wipe and you can't come back. Otherwise you should be helping out in the fight.
• If a player rolls on a BoP item that is being passed on for discussion as above, the group should discuss an appropriate solution to the matter. This may include paying the group a share of the vendor value of the item, however it is up to individual groups to decide on an appropriate outcome.  Repeat offenders WILL be removed from the guild without hesitation, and in some circumstances we will remove someone on their first offence.

Raid Loot Rules

As we are now focusing on 10man raids, and we are all mature people in the guild, we no longer see the need to run a DKP system, as we have done in the past. Loot in raids is simple. Pass on all loot while raiding. Loot will be discussed over vent. When prompted, /roll for an item, highest roll will win. While we don’t enforce any special loot order, we expect people to be reasonable. Pass if someone else really deserves it. With only 10 people in each raid, there is going to be less competition over each item that drops. Our system has been revised for WotLK, and is revised on a regular basis as situations change, so the information in these documents should be considered a guide only. Any updates or changes will be announced in the forums.

Voice Chat

The use of the Ventrilo voice software is a requirement for the guild. Using Ventrilo allows for quick communication between members so that they may discuss the best possible way of doing things. This service costs real money and is here for your benefit, so please use it. Please visit the links page to download the latest client, and the forum to get the connection details and information for making donations.

General / Non-Guild

Much of our social interaction in the game takes place outside the guild, and as such is one of the main ways other players will learn about the sort of guild we are. In general, show the same courtesy to people outside of our guild as you would to those of us within the guild.

• Treat the general chat channels with the same respect as the guild chat channel.
• In conflicts, take the generous side when possible - if someone is offending the group you know who not to group with next time, and the other group members may remember you as someone to group with instead. Remember that retaliation is going to escalate the conflict, making it worse for you, your reputation and that of your guild.
• Only play your own characters, on your own account - we're counting on you being there, for tradeskills, instances and general discussion. Except in certain circumstances this is also a violation of the Blizzard terms of use:
• Although it should not need to be said, Respect the Blizzard Terms of Use. Do not buy or sell gold, items or power-levelling with real money, transfer accounts, scam, harass, etc and so forth. Breaking the ToU can result in removal from the guild, after consultation with guild officers.

Guild Ranks

An Inertia rank reflects to a certain extent a member's accomplishments and reliability within the guild. Guild members are promoted or demoted based on the criteria listed below, as well as their acceptance of guild policies.

Note that the officers reserve the right to remove a member for the guild at their discretion and without notice. It is not a right we exercise whimsically but we will do what is required to protect the interests of the guild and its membership.

Trial Member

All new members are automatically Trial Members after accepting the guild invitation. A member remains on trial until they have

• Accepted the guild policies (requires registering on the website and submitting an application in the forum)
• Connected to Ventrilo and talked with a member to verify that they are Ventrilo ready.
• Been promoted by a Gnome Punter or the Guild Master following a review of their membership.

If a new member remains at Trial member status for an extended time without having completed the above tasks, it will be assumed that they do not accept the guild policies and they will be removed from the guild. We will make temporary exceptions if they are (a) registered on the site and forum, and (b) having trouble getting Ventrilo to work, providing we can see some way of working out (b). They must be accepted by the rest of the guild and pass a review of their membership application by the officers. We reserve the right to remove a trial member with little or limited warning.

Alt

Alts of both raiding and casual members are given this rank.

If you wish to make an Alt your Main, please let an officer know so that we can discuss swapping your Main/Alt ranks. As we recruit to maintain a suitable class balance for raiding it is not always possible to change Main characters immediately. It is therefore fairly important that this sort of move be discussed well ahead of time so that further recruiting can help fill the position you will be leaving if required.

Officers' Alts will also appear with an Alt rank (although they have access to invite/removal privileges and officer chat).

Softcore

The Softcore rank (in the past known as both Casual and Friends & Family) applies to members who are, due to time commitments or other circumstances, unable to raid with the guild as often as Hardcore members. Softcore members are entitled to all benefits of Hardcore with minor distinctions related to raiding and the formation of raids. We do not consider a Softcore rank to be a lower rank than Hardcore.

Softcore members are entitled to sign up for raids, however if a Hardcore member of the same class is also signed up, the Hardcore has preference to the raid position, at the discretion of the raid leader. We encourage members to use their class channels to discuss raid participation and try and work out a class rotation where possible. If a Softcore member is able to attend a large number of raids their rank may be changed to Hardcore.

The distinction between Softcore and Hardcore is intended primarily to assist the officers with recruiting for their class and managing raid invites.

As a member of the guild, a Softcore member has accepted the guild policies and meets the requirements for attending raids.

Hardcore

To begin, a Hardcore member is, in essence, an individual who has both the time and patience to engage in Progression raiding. For Inertia, Progression raiding is constituted by our scheduled 10man raids. Hardcore members must be willing to go beyond the time commitments of a Softcore member to further develop both their individual toons and aid in guild progression. This requires not only effort, but also patience. Grinding for gear, mats, consumables and of course wiping on encounters are all things that a Hardcore member must have the ability to deal with on a long-term basis.

A prospective Hardcore member must be subjected to evaluation via the following criteria:

1. Preparation
2. Attendance
3. Performance

1. Preparation

PVE Viability
-A possible Hardcore’s spec must be appropriate to the needs of PVE raid content. If they desire to spec for PVP they must do it during non-raiding times, and by their own means. Please contact an officer and do a little research if you have questions about appropriate/raid beneficial specs.
- An Hardcore’s gear must also be appropriate to the needs of PVE raid content. PVP gear is often not effectively balanced for PVE efficiency.

Gear -An Hardcore’s gear must not only be appropriate to the needs of PVE raid content, but it must be the best available to the member. Greens and Blues are rarely acceptable for Progression raids, epic-quality gear is needed and the acquisition of such is facilitated by the guild each week. Crafted epics, heroic drops and Badge rewards are also appropriate to progression raiding. For help regarding gear please get in contact with an officer. Don’t be afraid to make good use of the forums as well, a lot of the technical discussions tend to take place here.

Raid Preparation
- A Hardcore member must come fully prepared, repaired and on time to the raids they choose to attend. In addition to being fully repaired they must bring all appropriate consumables with them (health/mana pots, buff pots, bandages, buff food, reagents) and enough to last for the duration of the raid.
- A Hardcore must be familiar with all applicable encounters and instances. This includes posted strats on the forums and possible individual research.
- Hardcore's are responsible for their own repair bills and any other costs incurred. Whinging is not acceptable; we are all subject to gold woes.

2. Attendance

- In addition to being prepared and on time for raids, a Hardcore member must be available for at least 2 nights of raiding a week, preferably 3. A Hardcore member’s raiding must be consistent unless special circumstances arise, which will then be reviewed by an officer.
- A Hardcore member must sign up on the Guild Events tab for their chosen runs by 8PM server time. This aids raid leaders in organizing well balanced groups and prevents raid start time delays.
- Hardcore member’s must be able to stay for the full duration of the raid. If you cannot, you must contact an officer in advance and organize a replacement that is waiting outside the instance at a pre-designated time, fully prepared as described above.

3. Performance

- Hardcore member’s will be held to a certain standard of raid performance. You must:
A) Have good knowledge of your chosen class and be prepared to listen and take advice
B) Perform in a manner that is both consistent and focused
and C) be willing to put forth 100% effort on a raid night towards learning your role and the instance.

The main focus of Inertia’s raiding is still to have fun, but Hardcore member’s must be willing to step up their game each night in order to achieve this. We all know that there is no worse damper on a raid than someone who is not putting forth their best effort and making the other 9/24 raid members /facepalm because of it.

Veteran

A veteran knows their class, plays it effectively, and has demonstrated a willingness to help others in the guild with playing this class. Veterans are also expected to provide help and advice outside their class. Veterans may be called on to organise raids on occasion and so will attempt to have a good general knowledge of the game instances.

In addition to being able to use officer chat, veterans are able to invite members to the guild, and update the guild and officer's notes in the guild roster. Veterans are required keep up-to-date with the guild forum.

Officer

Two additional guild veterans may bear the rank Officer. These officers can promote or demote members on achieving a consensus with the Guild Master, and can remove members from the guild. The players of this rank are considered co-gm's.  If you have problems within the guild you may come to them for help or if you have a general question about the guild you may ask them.

Officers have administrative privileges on the guild forum and should be regular contributors. In the rare case of removing members, Officers must also make a forum post with details of why the action was necessary.

Guild Master

This position is reserved for the guild master. If any guild member needs to talk with me for any reason, please do so, but be aware that I occasionally have a lot of conversations going on and am simultaneously being beaten to death by an angry monster, so responses can be a little slow.  If I am offline you may send me an in-game or forum e-mail with your question/concern, and this is generally preferred if it is not urgent.

Absenteeism

The following outlines guild policies relating to absenteeism from the game and guild. It should be noted that we realise that real life happens. You should also understand the value of keeping active accounts in the guild roster. If you log back in after an unexpected absence and find yourself no longer in the guild, have a chat to us for a reinvite.

Being Absent Without Leave

A player that has been offline for 14 days or more without notice will be considered AWOL and may be removed from the guild without notice.

Absent With Leave

If you are needing to be away from the game, find problems with your account or internet or other issues, post in the officially marked forum sticky. Saying hello and posting in the forum costs nothing, but you must indicate approximately when you plan to return. If you are away after your expected return time you will be considered absent without leave.

Please note that officers who are Away or AWOL may have their position filled by an active member during their absence.

Raids

 

Raids will be organised in advance via the event page on the website. Signups for raids are compulsory, not signing up may result in missing out on the run. Raids will usually be led by an officer, but at times an experienced member will lead the raid. They are to be listened to as if an officer.

 

When more people are keen to attend a raid than the raid can hold, the selection of members for the raid will be done by one or more of the guild officers. There are a number of things that we take into account when doing invites and sorting out who can go, and who has to miss out. Not all in any specific order.

Raid Balance

 

This is always, and I mean always, the most important thing when forming a raid. We expect people to sit out when required. You don’t have to like it, but you have to lump it. From instance to instance, and even boss to boss, the optimum balance changes. We choose classes to fill roles, and usually build a raid from the tanks up. Tanks first, then healers, then dps.

Loot

 

This is a minor factor, which we trust players to sort out between them. If, for example, there are two warriors signed for Kara. One has all the loot they want from Kara, the second needs a lot from there. It is nice if the second can go, but not if it restricts the effectiveness of the raid.

Sign ups

 

The order of sign ups means nothing, but all raiders must sign up to get an invite to the raid. Officers work by both whispers and sign ups, so please do both or you may be accidentally missed.

Effectiveness

 

This is important, especially for new content where we can't afford to carry people who are either under geared, or not prepared to put in 100%. If you really want to raid, but can't get a spot, sometimes you just have to improve, simple as that. Maybe you need to respec, or grind 5mans for gear, or simply learn to play better. If you don't want to do this, then you don't want to raid enough. In instances which we have on farm we can sometimes afford to take people who have a slightly less effective spec (maybe for PvP) or less than fantastic gear, if they try hard and don't restrict the effectiveness of the raid. It's not fair if one person putting in a sub-par effort makes 9 others have a bad night.

Membership status

 

Hardcore members get invites before Softcore, and both before Alts. This can be overruled at the raid leaders discretion depending on the other needs of the raids..

Recent attendance

 

This we do think about, a bit. Attending the first night of a two night raid in no way makes you more eligible for the second night. In fact, if Person A has gone already and Person B had to sit out, then isn't it fair that Person B gets to go?

 

 

We expect a certain amount of co-ordination between raiders. If we have 12 people ready to go to a 10man raid, two people will have to sit out. If no-one volunteers to sit someone will be chosen by the raid leader to go on standby for the night.

The raid is always more important than any individual in it. We are a casual raiding guild, which means if you don't raid, well, that's cool, but if you raid we expect you to at least try your hardest.