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The Summoner's Guidebook: Cutting your losses in League of Legends
When a team loses a teamfight in League of Legends, it's fairly common for the losing team to have a chance to back out, frequently with near-empty health bars and several dead teammates. Sometimes a fight can't be won, and it's important to identify when a fight is won or lost as soon as possible and take the appropriate actions to minimize loss or maximize gain. Additionally, it's important to know how to confirm on a play a team member has made. It's easy to see a Lux binding land and want to go all-in. However, sometimes that's not a good play, especially if the enemy has counter-initiation available.
Hyperspace Beacon: Ready to face the Trials
We are often inspired by the Star Wars: The Old Republic videos released on Fridays. I'm not exactly sure why the community team started these weekly treats, but I'm going to speculate that it's a way to show the future players that the team will be there for them when the game releases. It's a kind of comfort. Many newer MMOs have increased community involvement in post-launch game design. Maybe the SWTOR team is looking to tell us, "We want you actively involved in our game development now and after the game is released." Good for the team. This week's video of Jedi progression definitely inspired my colleague on Gamebreaker, Gary Gannon, as evident in Sunday's broadcast. I thought he was going to jump out of his chair. I have to agree with him that there is a lot of stuff packed into that two-and-a-half-minute video; for example, we were shown some of the armor progression milestones for the Jedi Knight class. This inspired me to investigate the story side of Jedi Knight progression. After all, BioWare is all about story, right? So follow me after the break as I set a side my conscious self and let the Force flow through me.
The Daily Grind: What are your guild inclusion criteria?
Sometimes the difference between staying in a game and leaving it is the company you keep. Even more so than in Second Life, where if you don't find a friend within the first 3 days you're likely not to return, joining or creating a guild is arguably the most important step in developing a lasting relationship with the game, and getting access to all the content a game has to offer. Sure, you can solo for a long time, probably even to 'end game', but you'd be missing out on all the opportunities that only running with a pack can grant.For those of you who run a guild, how do you choose who gets to join? Recommendation by a current member? Extended invitation to a particularly funny/knowledgeable forum poster? Do you put the initiate through tests? How does the process work?
Finding your way into a good guild
There's no question-- if you want to be successful in WoW (arguably for the whole game, but especially in the endgame), you need a guild, and you need a good one. I've gotten three of my 60s into great guilds (on three different servers-- don't ask), and I've /gquit a few times as well (although I've never been /gkicked-- maybe you guys have some good stories about that). My experience is your gain. Here's five tips on how to get into a guild that will get you where you want to be.1. Don't be a jerk. Obvious? Don't ninja, ever. Don't play in a way that routinely gets you put on ignore lists. Don't beg. Don't make the game all about the gear-- either bragging about all the stuff you got, or whining about all the stuff you don't have. In short, to get into a good guild, you have to first be a good player. That said, it'll help you to...2. Have the level and the gear, or at least know what you're aiming for. If you're trying to join a guild that's raiding MC, it'll help a lot if you've already got tons of fire resist. If you're wearing greens and trying to join a guild that's doing Naxx, you're barking up the wrong tree. Guilds are around to help-- the best gear in the game can't be gotten without them, and any good guild will help their members hit 60 and move beyond. But if you can't handle the heat (or frost), don't be surprised when they don't let you into the big kitchen.3. No LFGs. I bet there's all kinds of evidence (and guildmasters) that will prove me wrong on this, but I'm standing by it: a guild you want to join won't be broadcasting a recruit in the LFG channel, or even in the GuildRecruiting channel. Your best bet is to know someone-- a rl friend or someone you've grouped with. Short of that, watch the players on your server (and guilds on GuildWatch, ahem), see who's good, and look them up on the web. If they've got a website and forums, they probably have an application form. The more hoops you can jump through to join, chances are the better off you'll be in the long run.4. Take a trial run. Lots of guilds invite people on a trial basis-- either with recruiting runs or inviting them with a rank of "Initiate" or "Recruit." But feel free to join the guild on a trial basis as well, and see if they're compatible with you. Are there people of your level on when you are? Is the guild doing what you want to do-- if all you want to do is PVP, it won't help you much to join a guild that only runs PVE. Don't be afraid to /gquit if you don't think things are working out-- but see #1, too, and don't be a jerk about it. If you part ways amicably, there's a good chance they'll invite you back anyway when they are doing what you want to do.5. Participate! Staying in a good guild means being a part of the group. When you sign up for raids, show up on time, repaired and ready to go. When guildies ask for help, help them. When they need items farmed from whereever you're headed, get it for them. Even if someone in the guild offers to pay me for something I'd put up on the AH for a few gold, I give it to them for free. The more you invest in a guild you like, especially when you're starting out with them, the more you'll get in return.The one thing I've never done (in WoW anyway) is run my own guild. Any guild officers or GMs out there with more advice for players looking to join a good guild?
