Raid Guide

 

Lesson 1: Getting Started

When a raid leader posts a raid, they will normally post a time and place to assemble. It is of the utmost importance that you be at this place at the time specified to start the raid. Many raids depend on reaching a certain objective within a limited time frame. For example, Lord Nagafen and Lady Vox are normally killed within 3 hours of having popped on many servers. In order to reach the objective of your raid before others do, you as an individual must be on time to start the raid.

In order to do this, it is critical that you be aware of the time and how long it will take you to get from wherever you are to wherever the raid is supposed to start. A good guideline is to start on your way towards the assembly place an hour before the raid is supposed to start. This gives you time to bank, buy supplies, be bound, and still be on time before the raid begins. Remember that everyone else attending the raid will be waiting on you if you are late.

Once everyone has arrived, the Raid Leader will assign groups. To help the Raid Leader out, when you arrive, disband any group you're in and turn on LFG. This allows the raid leader to do a quick /who LFG to see who's not grouped yet. Sometimes groups may be revised two or three times before the raid begins to account for last minute additions to the raiding party.

The most important thing you can do during this time is staying QUIET. The raid leader will communicate either through chat channel, /say, /ooc, or /shout at this point, but any kind of text messages on the screen can easily drown out what he is saying. You should refrain from talking in say, from doing many emotes, or from casting spells. Remember that not only are you having to read this information, many others are too. The raid leader will give you time to buff, etc. before you start fighting, so do your teammates a favor and hold off on these actions until it's time.

Once groups are formed, the raid leader will go over the objective and rules of the raid. Most raid leaders have a certain style, which you'll learn after you attend several of their raids. Remember that the raid leader's word is final, and don't argue with them. You're on the raid to do a job, and to have fun, and that won't happen if you are "backseat driving".

Lesson 2: Communication

During a raid, it may seem easy to ask a question of the raid leader. However, you should never ever do this. The reason why is that the raid leader is also being sent tells by every other member of the raid, as well as people who didn't make the raid for some reason, and other people in the zone. They're probably also trying to think, fight, and plan on an ongoing basis, and every /tell they receive is one more thing to sort through.

To solve this problem, raid leaders assign group leaders. You should always funnel your questions through your group leader. Odds are that they'll be able to answer it for you, and if not, they'll send it on to the raid leader. You need to be patient when waiting for answers. Sometimes it may take a minute or two for the raid leader or group leader to get to your question.

Raid communication is always over /ooc or /shout. You need to keep these channels clear during the raid, only use them to call pulls and mezzes, report mana, or so on. You don't want to miss the shout that says that the entire raid is moving, or the one telling you the puller is coming with death on his heels. Likewise, the raid leader relies on these channels to keep an idea of what's happening - for example, which groups are low on mana. Keeping these channels clear helps him make sure that he's got all the information so that he can make the right decisions.

Lesson 3: Chain of Command and Professionalism

About 60% of Everquest is built for single-group play. This means that you and 5 of your friends get together and go slay monsters and gather treasure and fulfill quests.

The rest of Everquest requires slightly more than one group.

When you start getting more than 6 people together in one place, making decisions and acting on those decisions becomes increasingly more complex. Therefore it's very important to respect the chain of command.

The raid leader is in charge. In a sense, during the raid, you are there working for him or her. It is imperative that you do whatever he or she tells you, without stopping to ask why. Remember that the raid leader's primary responsibility is keeping you and everyone else alive long enough to finish the raid. They are doing everything in their power to insure not only the survival of the raid, but to make sure that you get experience and loot as well. In return for this, when they tell you to move, you need to MOVE. Don't question, don't argue, don't ignore them, just do what they say. If you don't, you may very well cause your raid to be wiped out.

The raid leader will normally have a second, who will help out with directions in combat and will take over if something happens to the raid leader (like death). You should follow the second's directions in the same way as you should follow the raid leader's directions - as if your life depended on it.

Finally, your group leaders are responsible for coming up with whatever tactics your group uses in combat. It's important that you listen to them and follow their directions too, because if your group is not working together, they aren't helping the raid at all.

In order to do a raid properly, you must at all times approach it in a professional manner. Of course, the objective of the raid is to have fun, but unless the raiding party is working like a well-oiled machine you're not going to be having much fun. Casual players CAN do raids, but they can NOT play casually during them. Things you would normally do during single-group play, like going afk for long periods, or talking on the phone while playing, or even just looking away from your screen and watching TV for a minute or two, are unacceptable. Worse, they will get you killed. At all times you must be focused on the raid, where you are, and what you're doing. Not to say that you can't go afk during a raid, but you must wait until you have the raid leader's permission to do so. If you object to this, put yourself in his shoes. That raid leader is responsible for keeping anywhere from 12 to 100 players alive, happy, and working towards a goal of some sort. He can't do that if every two minutes, one or two people just suddenly go afk.

Being in a raiding party is equivalent to being part of a military unit. You must respect the chain of command, and you must devote yourself entirely to the greater goals of the raid, rather than your own personal goals. This may mean modifying your schedule so you don't have to go afk so often, or letting the answering machine pick up that phone call, or even just simply waiting a few minutes for the raid to get to a safe spot before you go to the bathroom. Professionalism is key. The raid leader will take your needs into account, but you must also take the needs of everyone else on the raid into account. Breaks will be scheduled when possible.

Remember though, any Real Life emergency is more important than, EQ, but if you just need a drink wait until it's safe.

Lesson 4: Roles

Every raid is different, and demands a different approach in order to succeed. However, there are some standard roles that are used in the majority of raids.

Main Assist

The main assist is usually (although not always) the highest-level "tank" available. This person is responsible for picking which monster dies next. All other raiders should be assisting this person, thus the title "main assist". Main assists are needed on some raids, but not all raids.

Secondary Assist

The secondary assist is basically the backup main assist. This person takes over when the main assist is down, or if there are two mobs being fought simultaneously. Everyone should have an assist key for the secondary assist as well as the main assist. Like the main assist, secondaries are used on some raids, but not all of them. Member of the secondary Assist's group should assist them. This person is also commonly known as the tank mezzer.

Puller

The puller is usually the highest-level monk or shadow knight on the raid, but other classes may also fill this role. The puller is responsible for pulling out rooms in the dungeon, splitting the spawns, and bringing them back one or two at a time for the raid party to destroy. Pulling is an art, and it is very difficult to pull a high level dungeon properly. Pullers will sometimes double as main assists, but not usually. Not every raid will involve pulling, as many dungeons are built to discourage it.

Master Looter

The master looter is responsible for coordinating all dropped loot on a raid or for their group if the raid is using group ML. During a raid, this person will loot any and all rare drop items and distribute those, either on the spot or at the end. This person will also distribute no drop items. Looting is a big part of any raid, and normally the master looter will not participate in fights unless absolutely necessary, in order to keep up with the corpses. On raids, the master looter should be the ONLY person looting kills

Lesson 5 Aggro Control

So how can you control aggro in fights? Here are some tips for each class.

All Classes - USE ASSIST

Warriors - ONLY use taunt when you are the main assist. It's that simple. If you find yourself getting hate when you're not the main assist, then stop attacking and back off slowly until the mob has been back on the main for a few seconds. Only the main assist should break mezzes. Make a hotkey that says "/shout Taunting %t". Hit this hotkey, and then taunt the mob 3 times. Have another hotkey that says "/shout Breaking mez on %t". Use this, and then attack the mob. Doing this will save your enchanter's life and your cleric's mana.

Paladins - See warriors above. Refrain from flashing or stunning the mob unless you have to (example: The mob is healing/gating, etc). Remember that mobs really hate being stunned and blinded and WILL start hitting you, so be careful. Only root for crowd control and to keep a mob from running or force aggro. When you lay hands on someone, expect that mob to come after you with a vengeance.

Shadow knights - See warriors above. Don't tap or dot at the beginning of the fight! Wait until the mob has taken some melee damage before you start firing these spells. Don't chain cast either, always wait a few seconds between casts. If your pet is up, make sure you have him on a leash, and that he is only attacking what he is supposed to be attacking. If he's not where he's supposed to be, kill him. Don't ask, don't think, don't use /pet back off, kill him. The enchanter or the necromancer will take care of any adds. Remember that harm touch doesn't start fights - it finishes them. Never open a fight with a harm touch, save it for when the mob is under 30 percent health.

Rangers - See warriors above. You DO NOT want to be getting hit. Yes, you have pretty chain armor. Guess what, it won't do you much good. Your job is to be beating the snot out of the mob while it beats the snot out of one of those platemail-wearing fools. Always let the main assist pound on the mob for a moment before you jump in, to make sure he has its attention. If you find yourself getting aggro during the fight, stop attacking and back off or JOLT. We know you like to be in the thick of it, but there are other, safer ways to damage the mob. In open areas, back off and use your bow. You do have a bow, right? Rangers do more damage with bows than any other class, so use the damn thing. In close quarters, like in dungeons, use your spells. Only cast when you are not in direct melee with the mob, because it will decide it doesn't like you otherwise. Make sure you are snaring mobs that try to run.

Rogues - Like rangers, you don't want to be getting hit. Try and stay behind the mob so you can do the most damage, but keep in mind that when you land that huge backstab the mob is probably going to be quite upset with you. If necessary, stop fighting for a moment and step back to let the tanks build up some hate.

Monks - You remember that feign key? It's not just for pulling. If you find you have the aggro in a fight, feign. And stay feigned for a moment while the tanks build up some hate. The mob should never be hitting you, no matter how wonderful a twink you are - leave that role to the folks with lots of HP and AC.

Beastlords - Pet control! Be ready to kill your pet if he gets out of hand. You're in the same boat as the monk, only you don't get to feign, so if you get aggro, stop fighting and back off while the tanks regain it.

Bards - That shiny plate looking armor you get is just for show. Besides, the mob hitting it might scratch the finish. If you find yourself with aggro, stop fighting and back off. When in doubt, twist songs rather than melee.

Clerics - Try not to open a fight with a complete heal. If your puller or tank is in trouble early in the fight, hit them with a celestial line heal and then follow up with a standard or complete heal. Remember that chain heals will severely tick off the mob while eating away at your mana, so try to be as efficient as possible in healing.

Druids - Don't dot mobs unless the main tank is on them. Don't start fights with nukes. Remember to snare mobs that try to run. Only use roots for crowd control and not for actual combat (I don't care how much damage they do). When healing, try not to chain heal (I know it's hard).

Shamans - See druids above. You have some nasty dots; so know when NOT to use them.

Wizards - Don't chain nuke. Never, ever, ever chain nuke. You will quickly rise to the top of the hate list and be a very dead wizard. Don't over nuke - conserve mana. A good idea is never to blow more than 30% of your mana pool on one mob, unless it's a boss-type mob. Don't use AE spells when your enchanter is mezzing, or in close quarters where they could aggro something else.

Magicians - See wizards above. Also, pet control. Keep that pet leashed at all times. If your pet won't listen, kill it. Don't back it off, don't try to pull it back to you, just kill it. A lot of raid leaders don't even allow pets on their raids, and the reason that happens is bad pet control. Don't allow your pet to justify their reasoning. Know the pathing of your zone, and once you have that summon companion spell, never ever have your pet follow you. It doesn't matter how cool your pet is, it is expendable, and be ready to kill it at a moment's notice.

Enchanters - When in doubt, stun mobs before mezzing them. At the same time, announce (loudly) that you are mezzing that mob so that anyone on it can get off of it. See wizards above for advice on nuking. Remember your primary duty in a fight is crowd control. Don't blow your mana pool on one mob, and remember there are times when it may actually be better not to mez.

Necromancers - See the sections above for advice on nuking, casting, etc. Remember pet control, just like magicians. Watch your dots like druids and shamans. And follow the advice for wizards on nuking. When fighting big mobs, NEVER use a spell that turns them into a skeleton. This causes most of the tanks to stop hitting the mob, which will cause problems. It doesn't matter how good the spell is don't use it.

The key to aggro control is know when to use your abilities and when not to. Remember that you are part of a team, and that not every ability or spell is appropriate in every, or even in most situations.

If you find the MoBs ping-ponging when you nuke. Try to get close to the MOB before you nuke/slow/etc so if it does aggro you it won’t ping-pong and the MT can regain aggro easily

Raid Procedures

While these may vary slightly among Battle masters/Raid Leaders this is the general guideline that raid attendees are to follow.

Organization

Every raid will have a raid leader. This person is responsible for coordinating the raid as a whole. This includes coordinating groups before and during the raid, assigning no drop loot during the raid, and determining the course for the raid to take while its in progress. The raid leader will assign you to a group based on your class and level.

Each group will have a group leader, as designated by the raid leader. These group leaders are responsible for communicating the status of their groups to the raid leader, for making sure that the entire group is accounted for and together during the raid, and for master looting the group's kills during the raid unless a raid or group ML is assigned.

On occasion, the raid leader may assign a puller or main assist. The puller is responsible for bringing monsters for the raid to kill. The main assist, used when fighting difficult monsters, is responsible for targeting each monster, and choosing the order of the kills. The raid leader may also assign various spell masters to handle the casting of utility buffs (clarity, haste, sow, etc) for the entire raiding party. In some cases, the raid leader will designate a loot master who handles the distribution of looted items for the raid in lieu of the raid leader.

Communication

Communication during raids is critical. During the raid, all combat communication (this is mezzed, etc) will be done using the shout channel. Noncombatant communication, including directions on where to move, will be done using the ooc channel. Raid leaders will use their judgment whether or not shout & ooc are appropriate to use in the zones they are in.

Preparation

All posted raids will have a meeting time and place. Individual raiders are expected to be at the meeting place on time to begin the raid, or they risk forfeiting their seat on the raid. A good guideline is to begin moving to the meeting place at least 1 hour before the raid begins. Raiders are expected to have bound themselves as close by as possible to the raid location, and to have completed any necessary individual preparation (buying gems, etc) beforehand. It is not the raid leader's or the raid's responsibility to handle ports or binds for raiders, although most raid leaders will make efforts to arrange these things on your behalf if you ask in advance.

Loot

As noted above, each group leader or ML is responsible for master looting the kills for his group. Coin and common items (fine steel, bronze, etc) will be divided by the group leader at the end of the raid. Rare items, such as weapons, will be held by the group leader and given to the raid leader or loot master for distribution at the end of the raid. No Drop items should be immediately reported to the raid leader or loot master via tell, who will then distribute them accordingly.

Resurrection

During raids, it is likely that individual raiders will die. This is unfortunate, but it is part of the game and cannot be avoided. As the raid leader cannot control who does or does not come to the raid, individual raiders will not be guaranteed a resurrection of any level if they die. The raid leader will arrange corpse recoveries for people who die, and will always attempt to provide resurrections when they are available, but this is by no means guaranteed.

Behavior

At all times during the raid, raiders are expected to remain polite and courteous. They are expected to stay with their groups and to follow directions given by their group leaders and the raid leader. Communication to the raid leader should be filtered first through your group leader, to insure that the raid leader is not overwhelmed by tells. The raid leader will make every effort to insure that your group gets experience and loot, but repeated tells requesting better experience, better loot, or stronger kills can and will result in your dismissal from the raid. Please remember that your raid leader is doing the very stressful job of trying to keep multiple groups alive, moving, and happy, and be patient.

 































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