DoD Westside Raid/Event Etiquette

With the renewed interest and high participation we’ve had in raiding recently, we thought it would be a good idea to create a set of expectations and etiquette around running raids with clan members. 

Signing Up For Events

  • Please see the video in the pinned messages in the #raid channel to learn about how to create and sign up for raids.
    • If the raid is full, you can still use the + reaction to be added as an alternate that will be pulled in automatically if someone leaves.
    • If you create an event and cannot participate, don’t cancel the event.  Drop out and notify everyone who has signed up that you can’t make it.
  • All posted events are public and open to everyone, regardless of experience and skill level
    • If you have outside friends joining the run, use the “!lfg join {JoinId} {name}” command to add them or state # of spots open in the description
  • Make sure you are available on the day/time of the raid.
    • Be online or able to get online
    • Remove yourself from other later events if pulled in
    • Be cognizant of start times
  • If dropping out of an event, communicate to the group and alts that a spot is available
  • Be sure to double check the event right before the scheduled time to make sure the correct people are invited.
  • If you need to fill an available spot after the scheduled start time, alternates have priority in the order they appear in the event post.

During the Raid

  • There is a 10 minute grace period before replacing someone who doesn’t show up.
  • If new or inexperienced guys are in the fireteam, the focus of the run should be on learning encounters/roles.  Getting a clear is just an added bonus.
  • Please try to keep a positive attitude and your frustration in check.
    • Everyone learns differently
    • Everyone has a different skill level
    • We don’t know what is going in IRL with guys
  • Agree on roles and strategies BEFORE you start each encounter
  • When a sherpa is explaining an encounter, please don’t interrupt
    • If something is left out, wait til the end of the explanation to add
  • If running with sherpas and they are teaching new guys, please don’t suggest alternate strats
    • Sherpas have hundreds of clears and 1000’s of hours in the raids
    • Sherpas have put in the time and have had many discussions to develop/test best strats for those new to the raid
  • Try to keep trash talking/ribbing each other light hearted
  • If there is a disagreement on something, whoever created the event has final say

Sherpa Runs

If you don’t have a clear in a raid, you can sign up for a run with our trusty raid sherpas. Use the !sherpa help command in our Discord server to see the options for signing up.

  • Sherpa runs are done in the order of sign up, unless someone is not available
  • The most current raid takes priority over older raids
  • When the sherpas are ready, they will pull you in to our #sherpa chat and schedule a time to run with you.
  • The main purpose of a sherpa run is to teach you the mechanics of the raid, but we will do our best to get you a clear as well.
  • Please try to come prepared, so watch a video or two before your run
  • Like we mentioned above, the sherpas have put in a lot of time figuring out the best strategies for running new people through the raids, so what you see in a video may not be the same as what we will ask you to do
  • Don’t worry if you mess up or don’t remember something, we were all there at some point. You don’t learn unless you try!
  • Once you have completed your sherpa run, don’t be afraid to jump into any of the pickup raids that are posted and practice what you’ve learned. The more people we have raiding on a regular basis, the better!

Sherpas

    As sherpas, our goal is to get as many clan members as possible experience in the raids and grow the pool of experienced, reliable raiders.  We don’t do raid “carries”, we teach the encounters as we go, making sure guys understand the mechanics.  Sherpa runs are organized and run outside of the normal raid events. Sherpas also periodically do “sherpa only” runs to review strategies, try out new loadouts, and practice new roles.

Also remember, sherpas are just regular dudes like everyone else. Sometimes they don’t feel like signing up for that raid that was posted or had something else in the game they planned to do that night. Sometimes they get burned out and don’t feel like playing at all. Being a sherpa isn’t some kind of secret club, its just a bunch of guys that like to raid (a lot) and help people.

    Some have expressed interest in becoming a Sherpa.  Here’s the general criteria we look for in our raid sherpas:

  • Generally 5+ clears in the most current raid (preferably have multiple clears in all raids)
  • Has a history of jumping in to help in raids with clan members
  • Willing to perform any role on any character
  • Knowledgeable in the raid mechanics and strategies we adopt, willing to explain and teach those strategies in each encounter
  • Exhibits patience and positive attitude during “challenging” runs
  • Agreed upon by Admins, Regs, and existing sherpas that the candidate is a good fit with the rest of the Sherpa group and has the right temperament to be an effective guide. Simply being good at raiding is not enough to be a Sherpa in DoD Westside.