Apparently, there’s a bit of a semantic problem many raid leaders are having. It seems that some raid members are unaware that when a raid leader notes that everyone needs to execute task X, that means…each individual member of the raid. That’s right. ALL members of the raid. Even if you think you know better. Even if you don’t want to do it, THIS MEANS YOU!
I’ve been bumping up against the THIS MEANS YOU monster a lot lately. The place wherein this seems to be happening most consistently, and most annoyingly, is in raid fights that require DPS to switch their focus from the boss to the bone spikes/beasts/whatever or to interrupt or cleanse targets. It’s not a lack of awareness on the part of the raid members.
When you say over vent, the expectation is all players need to swap to target X when it pops up, that is pretty clear. When you see said targets pop up and you remind folks over Vent and in raid to DPS those targets, at a certain point it becomes evident that some of your raid members have decided their meter humping is more important than executing the strat the rest of the team is performing. And when you see a DPS raid member standing right next to a fellow player who is spiked, and not landing even a single blow to help break them out, you’d need to be Mother Teresa to not be seeing some red. Because at that point, that player’s disregard has become rudeness/lack of respect for the rest of the raid.
So why does this happen?
Because, quite simply, some raid members seem to feel their personal performance, as measured by the shiny numbers on the DPS meters, are more important than being a team player. The reasons I’ve recently heard for why folks won’t switch targets have included:
- It’s too hard to maintain DPS in my spec if I swap out targets
- My spec is AOE based, and thus I can’t help being on the boss the whole time
- I’m on the phone/have someone here/am otherwise multitasking and it’s too difficult for me to switch
- I forgot
- I didn’t hear you
The problem with the above excuses is they are complete rot. And they all show a lack of respect and courtesy for the other 9/24 people in your raid.
Debunking the Excuses
It’s too hard to maintain DPS in my spec if I swap out targets
Please do not cry to me that your DPS suffers if you swap targets. I am a shadow priest. My primary damage involves stacking up DoTs to do damage over time. My DoTs don’t have much time to tick on adds. Thus I usually mind flay as much as I can ‘til they die. P.S. Taking a look at my 10-man logs last night, somehow, I was able to swap to bone spikes and adds and still come out on top for overall damage and DPS. Above even folks who decided to stay on the boss despite being asked to switch. Remember this is a team effort—your DPS dipping for a few seconds isn’t going to cost us a farm boss. I promise. You leaving a healer bone spiked just might.
My spec is AOE based, and thus I can’t help being on the boss the whole time
Wouldn’t that mean you’d do some damage at all to the adds right next to the boss? See also the raid team doesn’t care if your DPS dips for a few seconds for you to do your job.
I’m on the phone/have someone here/am otherwise multitasking and it’s too difficult for me to switch
If you are too distracted by what’s going on IRL you should not be in a raid.
I forgot. I didn’t hear you.
I lump these two together as they are both incredibly lame. Your first time here? OK, I will cut you some slack. But do realize that to be prepared for a raid, you should have read up on the strat and asked questions to ensure you knew the expectations. If you didn’t hear me the four times I reiterated that everyone needed to do X, either your Vent client/speakers are not working or you have some wax to dig out of your ears. Or you are doing something else while playing.
How Can You Tell that Folks Aren’t Doing Their Jobs?
Did you know that when I or anyone else in the raid looks at the logs after the raid, or skada/recount I can see:
- What you DPSd and how much (you see this on mouseover on recount making it clear when someone is not switching at all)
- How much activity you had on each target/with each spell (i.e. they did low DPS but casted on it a sufficient amount of times)
- Who interrupted or dispelled, and how many times
What’s a Raid Leader to Do?
Hold your raiders accountable.
You can start with polite Vent strat reminders mid-fight. If it continues, make yourself a RW macro that says “EVERYONE needs to switch to the adds. This means YOU %t”.
If, after those reminders, you still have someone not doing their assigned task, remind everyone in raid warnings before the pull of the expectation everyone must swap to target X. After the fight is over, call out the folks who did not execute the strat, and ask them to explain to you and the raid why they did not. Do not fill the silence gap if they don’t initially answer. Ask again if necessary. And be ready to boot them from the raid if they refuse to comply.
Raiding is a team effort. No one cares how well you do on the DPS meters. Especially if as a result you have people dying, or everyone else picking up the slack of whatever task it is that you would prefer not to do.
