Is there a "Everything you wanted to know about Raiding but were afraid to ask" document?

[ismik]

Hello all, I've been playing for a short time now but haven't done any Raids yet.  However, it's likely that I will be involved in them in the short term.  Is there some kind of a "Everything you wanted to know about Raiding but were afraid to ask" document?  I'm looking for something that would tell you how a raid is different from a regular group, suggestions for tactics, etc. <div></div>

[Thesp]

<DIV>Everything you need to know about raiding can be summed up in just a couple sentences:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Listen, listen and listen. Don't talk and do what you're told when you're told to. The worst thing you can do is miss important directions and information and cause the raid to wipe or otherwise screw up that wastes everyones time.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Other than that its just playing your class like you usually do.</DIV><p>Message Edited by Thespar on <span class=date_text>04-04-2005</span> <span class=time_text>04:30 PM</span>

[SGrim]

I'm assumming the OP is actually asking for advice on what songs he/she should expect to use in a raid vs. in a group rather than basic rules fo raiding.  If that's the case, there's no simple answer because it's going to depend on: - which group you're in.  The group with the main tank is probably going to want you putting up every single defense increasing or agi increasing song you have while other groups that should only be taking peripheral damage might want you to focus on adding a proc and increasing str or using haste. - what other bards are in the raid. You need to coordinate with the other bards which debuffs each one will be using so you're not wasting your effort being overwritten by someone else. - what type of mobs you'll be fighting.  For instance, you may need to be playing resists if you're in the main tank group or if you're fighting something with a particularly ugly AE. That's really both the challenge and the fun of playing a bard... figuring out the best combo of songs to use to optimize your usefulness to a group/raid. One thing you will definitely want to be doing if you don't already in groups is draining power from any mob that's going to take more than 15 secs to kill such as anything that's flagged as epic.  With 2 or 3 bards in a raid draining power from the big guys, the damage the tank takes drops very noticably once the mob is unable to use combat arts, heals or nukes.  And if there are mean AE mobs, draining them asap to stop that AE can save a raid. <div></div>

[ismik]

Perhaps I should clarify.  I'm one of the "leaders" of a small friends and family guild.  Your response assumes that I would not be the leader of said raid.  Since nobody in the guild is an experienced raid leader yet I'm looking for some distilled wisdom in hopes that it might help us to not make to bad a mess of things our first time out. If no document exists then I'll just have to muddle through. Thank you for your response.  <span>:smileyhappy:</span> <div></div>

[SGrim]

Ah.. then you probably don't want to pose the question in the troubador-specific forums as any question here is assumed to be specifically about troubadors plus you're artificially narrowing your audience.  It's quite likely that a non-troubador has the answers you seek.  I personally haven't seen any raiding guides for EQ2 yet but I haven't actually been looking since I was a full time raid leader in EQ1 and have just adapted to the differences in EQ2 as needed. <div></div>

[Jordinn]

<P>Here are some of my thoughts on raiding, not Troubador specific but just the usual "what to do or not do" stuff.</P> <P>1)  Know the zone and mob as best you can going in.  Read web pages, scout the area several times before the raid, get maps.  This will allow you to attempt to pick "safe" spots for a large group to move to and settle for the fighting.</P> <P>2)  Don't be afraid to die, and experiment.  The best raid tactics aren't always obvious, and most usually can be improved by trying new things.  </P> <P>3)  Communicate, Communicate, Communicate.  This goes to another poster's "listen" comment.  Everyone in the raid must listen, but as a leader you must also be sure you communicate.  Tell people what is happening, give advanced warning of movements to avoid leaving AFKs behind, remind people of the main tank, main assist, etc several times at the beginning of the raid.  </P> <P>4)  I suggest you always state the looting policy up front if not a standard guild policy and always do this if anyone from outside the guild is in attendance.</P> <P>5)  Have 1-2 assistant raid leaders for your first few raid to help communicate and organize groups etc.  It sounds easy, but in the first few it can be quite daunting to get 24 people together and focused in a single task.  Eventually you won't need this, but to start it is great to have that help.  This also covers if you die in the raid and someone needs to take over until you are ressed.</P> <P>6)  Know your objective and have fun.  Really it's all about having fun, so do that.  If at first you don't make it, no worries regroup and try again.  The victory is that much sweeter when you have to work for it a bit and you eventually overcome what at first seemed impossible.</P> <P>Hope that helps some, though most are probably obvious.  Good luck!</P>

[Claritin]

<DIV>Yeah it pretty much boils down to research and communication.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>People should be quiet when raid leader is giving directions</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>People should listen to all directions... and when it's done if they have an idea... communicate it via tell... </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Group leaders should ask thier groups or do a headcount before you move or engage to make sure everyone is in the same area and not AFK... group leaders then report this info in raid channel "Group #2 all here"</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>If you have more than 1 type of a player of a given subclass... they need to talk to each other to figure out who does what.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Power draining is a must on almost every mob</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Power regen is pretty important also</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Having shaman/druid/cleric all with main tank is pretty much a must also on any group x4 mobs.... to get the most out of the stacking reactive heals.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Keep buffs up... manage your aggro.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Everything after that you pretty much have to figure out on your own since it will be mob specific tactics and that's something most of us will not discuss <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></DIV>

[ismik]

Thanks everyone.  I've gotten used to reading this forum and so just wasn't thinking about the fact that my post was off topic.  Thanks for the info and for being gentle.  <span>:smileyhappy:</span> <div></div>