Confessions from a Server First ex-guildee

This is in response to the excellent article on Snarkcraft about getting into a top guild.

Factors for successful applications.

I was in a raid guild for a year and we all saw every app that came in. 90% didn't get through the door. It has as much to do with the app's attitude as it does gear and what the guild needs.

If the guild doesn't need anyone, you are probably SOL. We denied dozens of great people just because we had full rosters. So do your homework there.

If you have a bad attitide, forget it (this shows up when people ask questions about your spec and gear. Always say "I did X because I think Y, but I'll try what you said and see if that works better" (and then do that)).

Networking

If its a guild on-server, you are best off doing PUGs, forming friends, getting to know people in good guilds. What really stands out is when a guildie said "i puged X with them and they were pretty good". If you had an off-night, they are going to use that judgement and say "don't take this guy".

The more I get into the real world the more i see how getting into a guild is alot like getting a job, its a relationship with the guild but you also get in 80% of the time through knowing someone.

Fit

Most importantly, make sure you and the guild are a good fit. That's a huge part of the application. In my guild, we tend to make off-color jokes (not racist or anything, just dirty i guess you could say). That's how the guild is, and if you are easily offended, you just not going to fit in.

Make sure you can raid when they say they are raiding. If you can't do the 3 nights a week they are raiding, why are you bothering to apply?

Gear

Also if you are looking for a top guild, make sure like Seri said that your gear matches their progression. People who are doing T8 raids are not going to want to have you come in heroic gear, your dps will be half of what it should be. Run Naxx PUGs, even if they are painful, get that gear. Run Vault when you can. Run the daily heroic. As dps it's hard to get gear, but its doable.

Consumables Expectations / Time Commitment

If you are in a point of your life where you can't devote all this time to raid, don't apply to a hard-core progression guild. They are going to want 3-4 hours 3-4 nights a week, un-interrupted. Sure, stuff happens but generally if you are in the raid team but not raiding, then you are taking up a slot for people who can raid and are willing to do all of that.

Top guilds make you burn through money like crazy. You are expected to flask on everything, even naxx10. Bring consumables, etc, basically everything you can to increase your performance. Everyone else is doing int, why shouldn't you. Don't expect the guild to fund anything for you. In my old guild we had 30k in funds, but it was deemed that the raiders needed to farm for their own consumables.

Sacrifices/Attitude

Know what you are getting into. Top guilds run 3, 4 raids a week, 3-4 hours each. That's all that plus your dailies to bring in enough revenue to cover repairs and consumables. When you get a piece of gear, people are gonna want to see you get it gemmed and enchanted with the best enchant asap. Don't be stingy on epic gear, it really shows your attitude.

If you want into a guild which is the best on the server, expect sacrifices. Yes, everyone has lives outside of the game, but, just to give an example. In my guild, almost all the raid team took 4-5 days off work and leveled to 80 within a week (within a week, just to emphasis). Within two weeks they were in naxx10. Within 3 weeks they cleared naxx10 and were in naxx25. Within 4 weeks they cleared naxx25. This is on a 3 night/4 hour each schedule. You can guess that during the first month they played 80 hours a week. This is insane, but what a top guild does. It was at this point I decided this guild was way too much for me (so did about 25% of the previous raid team). I fully expect when Ulduar hits, if they don't have server firsts on all the bosses, they will be neck and neck with one or two guilds.

Attitude

Speaking of attitude, lastly don't be intimidated by the guild's attidude. So what if it's the best guild on the server. They have bad nights. The thing about top guilds is that they are willing to spend weeks in game and out learning strats, memorizing, gearing up their char as much as possible, so that you get to the raid, everyone is on top of their game, and your performance is maximal.


The Gkick

We never used to kick people because they couldn't show up, but often people were alted if they only make 1 raid in 5 (for example if 26 people showed up, the alt would have less priority). We only kicked people on the spot if they were a poor match for the guild ideals and doing asshat behavior. If they turned out to be true idiots then they were benched. This happens alot. I heard it over and over 'players who don't perform will be benched'. This has as much to do with not dying than what your dps actually is.

The Heroic/Raid Trial

Almost every guild will make you do trials before you can roll on loot. This is to make sure that their investment isn't wasted. For your trial run, absolutely do not slack off. Do it when you are ready. My trial occured right after i transfered server, everything was a mess, i couldn't get on vent (didn't have it set up - relax, it takes 5 minutes to download and config it). I don't know how i got in (it was a new guild). I ended up ninjaing the first piece of loot from the heroic (They didn't bother to explain their loot rule of passing on everything then rolling). I got alot better, but I wouldn't have been accepted as the guild is now (they are much more hardcore now).

Main thing, be sure you are ready for the heroic. Your gear enchanted, gemed. Your consumables. Everything repaired (this is extremely important)