[Lilie]

Hey all-
You guys have taught me more than I can say. I respect your knowledge and investment in the game as well as your practical ability to look at situations objectively and issue sound advice (as you have done for me many times prior to this). So I put forth my situation anew:

I am leveling my first character in WoW through 69 at this moment (Auchindoun server) and am looking forward to 70. Of course, since the beginning I have had an interest in raiding and am fascinated by the idea of the dynamic. I love tanking, rediculously, and want to push myself into the hardest content I can. When my character turned 40 I started a guild and managed to get all of the most-enjoyable and respected people I had played with prior to join up with me. We have leveled together and remained a small, tight group to this point. Of course, everyone is starting the turn to 70 and we are being faced with a guild identity crisis. Almost everyone involved is interested in raiding yet we don't quite have a diverse enough group to begin Karazhan runs. I have wrestled with idea of recruiting, with the idea of merging, and with the idea of just letting people find their way. Most seem to like the idea of trying to do it on our own, but I have a few practical reservations that keep me from diving in head first.

If I commit to something it has to be done well. It has to be done with organization. We currently lack guild infrastructure (i.e. website, ventrillo, defined officer roles and class roles) because we haven't needed it to this point, being a small and friendly bunch. If we are to start raiding I know this has to be established. Also, though the players in my guild are some of the nicest, and most selfless I have met in game, most do not know their class the way that I endeavor to know mine. I don't necessarily think they are unwilling to learn, they just don't quite understand the need for the knowledge yet, or where they can get it.

I guess, ultimately, the decision regarding the future of this guild comes down to how much time and energy I desire to invest into this game. I like the idea of learning how to raid from the ground up. Granted, I am sure it will be a longer path progression-wise, but as a guild it would be fun to learn together. Do you guys have any advice in the midst of all this? I just want to make sure that I am thinking about it all right.

[nethervoid]

I can only tell you what I would do, and that is I would not invest into raiding with those people. The reason is I know the frustration to come would suck the fun out of the game for me. Not that I don't like nice people and value respect, etc, in guild members, but I think there's a necessary balance between niceties and the desire to be the best you can. Starting up a raid group from scratch with people who you aren't sure have the desire to be the best sounds like a bad investment to me, but I'm just not willing to commit to something I have a good feeling will a) not be fun and b) stand a good chance to fail.

I know it's too late for your guild, but the best advice I could ever muster on creating or running a guild is this:

Set your expectations in advance.

This very thread is proof why. The best thing a guild can ever do is fill itself with people of the same mind working toward the same goals.

My advice for you is to start recruiting the kinds of people that desire the same content as you, with the same frame of mind as you. You're the guild master. Set the vision for the guild, which would be to raid Karazhan and maybe beyond. I know it sounds selfish, but the worst thing you could do is spend a lot of time managing a guild which you yourself get nothing out of in-game. It is a game after all, and at the end of the day it must be fun for you, else what's the point? If most of the membership doesn't like the new direction, you can split or create a new guild, I'm not really sure what will happen at that point. I would expect at least some of your members to be a bit upset.

That's my advice, but I'm a strait-forward, honest as can be dude, which is a style most people find offensive. lol