guildwatch

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  • Guildwatch: We're over applications, too

    by 
    Mike Schramm
    Mike Schramm
    12.16.2009

    The image above is a little tough to read, but you can probably get the gist: someone posts on the forums that secretly, he's been taking things from the guild bank and selling them off on the AH to make money for himself. He posts on his alt, supposedly, but whoops: he leaves his forum signature up. And the very next post is someone from the guild saying he's been caught red-handed, with a gkick imminent. Moral? Steal if you want, we guess, but never, ever tell. Or at least don't use your forum sig when posting on your alt. Much more drama, downed, and recruiting news in this week's Guildwatch, which starts right after the break. We are super low in the buffer for tips, so please be sure to let us know about your guild's action in Icecrown, any recruiting you're doing, or any drama you see on the forums by sending us a quick email at guildwatch@wow.com. Thanks! Enjoy this week's column.

  • Guildwatch "makes a potion out the QQ"

    by 
    Mike Schramm
    Mike Schramm
    12.09.2009

    The story here is all about sweet, sweet ego: Aliana had a sense of entitlement while raiding -- she was angry that items she would really like to have were going to someone who could only do 4k as opposed to her 9k, thanks to a lousy so-called fair DKP system. We'd like to think Grator is a true Guildwatch fan: we just sit back, listen in, and make a delicious potion "out the QQ." Lots more QQ potion in this week's Guildwatch, along with the last downings before Icecrown and recruiting notices from around the realms. If you have something to send us (and please do -- the coffers are running a little low, probably because guild business has slowed down pre-patch), throw us an email at guildwatch@wow.com. Hit the link below to read on.

  • Guildwatch: "You guys raid like little girls"

    by 
    Mike Schramm
    Mike Schramm
    12.02.2009

    Ok Blizzard. We give up. Patch 3.3 can come out now, please. Guilds are cleaning up even the Tribute achievements in Trial of the Crusader, and pretty much everybody is just sitting around waiting for Icecrown to drop. Even drama is taking a break -- with plenty of loot to go around and everyone getting what they want, nobody is actually fighting any more. Where's our crazy ninjas and raiding breakups? We need to get some new progression content, and soon! Way too much "good" drama (including a daring emergency Vent call) in this week's Guildwatch, alongside the usual downed and recruiting notices. If you don't see something you like, you can help: send your tips about drama, downed (hopefully we'll see lots of Marrowgar downs next week), and recruiting news to guildwatch@wow.com. Meanwhile, this week's GW is after the break.

  • Guildwatch: Analyzing the situation

    by 
    Mike Schramm
    Mike Schramm
    11.25.2009

    If there's one thing you can take away from this week's GW downings, it's that most guilds are ready for Icecrown. We're seeing lots and lots of guilds finishing off the Trial of the Crusader, and quite a few of them are even starting to nab the Tribute achievements. For endgame raiders, Icecrown can't show up too soon. Fortunately, while you wait, there's lots of guilds looking for more and drama to read through as well. You can click the link below to read this week's Guildwatch, and don't forget to send us your tips: drama, downed or recruiting, we want to hear it all at guildwatch@wow.com. Enjoy!

  • Guildwatch: "these guilds in which this game is revolved around"

    by 
    Mike Schramm
    Mike Schramm
    11.18.2009

    There's a distinct lack of crazy drama on the servers lately, and I think it's not necessarily because the raids are easy (guilds are still hitting hardcore achievements as they should be), but just that there's no guildbreaker raids out there right now. If you can beat ToC, you beat it, and if you can't, you can go back and do Ulduar and heroics, gear yourself up, and move on. I will say this: it seems much easier for a guildleader to avoid drama and issues later in the expansion cycle, when gear is plentiful, rather than right away. That said, there's still lots of good drama, downed, and recruiting news in this week's Guildwatch. Click on to read more, and don't forget to send us your tips (especially drama) via email at guildwatch@wow.com.

  • Guildwatch: The waiting game

    by 
    Mike Schramm
    Mike Schramm
    11.11.2009

    More and more guilds are becoming just like Zen, above -- they're downing Anub in Trial of the Crusader, and then wondering just what's next? The answer, of course, is Icecrown, but even our best estimates have that release a month away still. Not that anyone's blaming Blizzard yet -- quite a few guilds are still working on hard modes, and more people are worried just what'll happen after Icecrown (though I wouldn't be surprised if Blizzard still has a few cards up their sleeve for that one). But still, at this point, guilds are reaching their limits, and we're starting to see the calm before the storm of raiding in patch 3.3. That doesn't mean Guildwatch isn't busy -- we've got the usual downed, drama, and recruiting notices from around the realms. And if your guild is still active, be sure to tell us about it: send a tip to guildwatch@wow.com, and you'll see it here in the future. Read on for more.

  • Breakfast Topic: Would you ninja the Onyxia mount?

    by 
    Mike Schramm
    Mike Schramm
    11.06.2009

    We mention a ninja of the Onyxia mount in this week's Guildwatch, and while researching that, some other forum threads came up, including these two, both from General, where people say with conviction that given the chance, they'd take the Onyxia mount and never look back. They have a point -- it's one of the rarest random mounts in the game, on a raid that's definitely PuG-able. Chances are low that you'll ever see it, much less win it on a random roll, and so for a lot of people, it'd be worth the namechange and the server transfer you'd have to pay to escape your new ninja reputation. Personally, I wouldn't do it, but that's really only because I know there are lots of rare mounts in the game that I'll never get (sigh, Red Proto-drake, I covet you), and one more isn't that big a deal. Not to mention that I like the guilds I'm in and the people I play with, and who knows what they'd think of me if I stole the mount from them or someone else. But not everyone feels the way I do, I'm sure, so let's ask: if you had the chance, in a PuG or a guild run, to steal the Onyxia mount as your own, would you take it? And if you would, is it just because it's so rare and special?

  • Guildwatch: No tabard, no loot

    by 
    Mike Schramm
    Mike Schramm
    11.04.2009

    Some stories of drama on the realms aren't directly guild-related, but they're just too good to pass up. The one above is just such a story -- one of our tipsters was just flying around Azeroth one day when a conversation in General caught his eye. One unlucky Time-Lost Proto-drake seeker ran into his very own Griftah, and ended up with 425 less gold and a very "unusual" toy item. That story and more in this week's Guildwatch, which starts right after the break. If you have downed, recruiting, or drama news for us, feel free to send a tip in to guildwatch@wow.com, and you might see it here in the future. Read on for more!

  • The best of WoW.com: October 20-27, 2009

    by 
    Mike Schramm
    Mike Schramm
    10.28.2009

    It's a great time to be a WoW player -- Hallow's End is in the air, patch 3.3 is being tested, and the Cataclysm expansion is slowly revealing its secrets to us. Heck, Eliza Dushku is playing World of Warcraft, why aren't you? After the break, ten of the most popular stories from Joystiq's Azeroth-obsessed sister site, WoW.com. If you haven't ever visited the biggest MMO around yet, now might be the time to finally take the leap.

  • Guildwatch: "Enjoy the Soviet Union"

    by 
    Mike Schramm
    Mike Schramm
    10.21.2009

    Oh my -- we've heard about undercutting prices on the AH before (and everyone knows that when you get undercut on the AH, you just buy the lower sales and bring them back up to your prices), but I don't think I've ever seen someone get quite so angry about it. Blueroot was just chugging along, selling Runecloth at what his Auctioneer claimed it should be, and all of a sudden Crunkya showed up, angry that he'd been undercut so much and had to invest so much money in someone that was clearly an Obama voter. Wait, what? Yeah, we're not sure how he got there either, but you can see the result above. Lots more drama, as well as downed and recruiting news, in this week's Guildwatch, which starts up right after the break below. If you have a tip for us, from your guild or just a guild you've been following on your realm, please do take a second and email us about it at guildwatch@wow.com. We get a lot of tips and it takes a lot of time to sift through them, but as long as you make it look like what you see below (keep it short and sweet, include all necessary guild info), you'll see it here.

  • Guildwatch: "My laywer is processing a subpoena"

    by 
    Mike Schramm
    Mike Schramm
    10.14.2009

    Isn't weird how, though they always promise there's a lawsuit or a subpeona on the way, it never actually appears in the mail? I've made my share of people angry in game (though not on purpose, never on purpose), and it's amazing how many players have cousins who happen to be lawyers or attorneys, ready to sue for the smallest thing at a moment's notice. If you all ever do get sued for something you do in-game, be sure to let us know -- it'd be a pretty historic case.In the meantime, you can always let us know about any drama, downed, or recruiting news you see on the forums or ingame -- just drop us a note at guildwatch@wow.com. Hit the link below to read what we've got on offer this week.

  • Breakfast Topic: How to be realm-famous

    by 
    Mike Schramm
    Mike Schramm
    10.08.2009

    I like this post on the General forums about being "realm-famous" and how to get there. World of Warcraft has a gigantic community around it, but sometimes my favorite part of the game is that there are all sorts of little micro-communities in that big one. There's the player base at large, and then groups of people who read WoW.com or other sites. Then you've got the realm forums denizens, and that's a different group than the factions on either side of each realm in-game. And then you've got your guild, and then within that, your raiders and maybe even your friends list. We're all part of one big group -- we all play the game together -- but there are all sorts of little identities in all of these little micro-groups as well.And people can become "famous" in these groups. It's tough for us at a macro level to cover all of that stuff, though I like trying to keep up with some of it in our Guildwatch column (and the picture above shows what happens when someone can become "realm-famous," or realm-infamous as the case may be. What's your experience with realm-fame -- can you name people on your own server, or have you ever gotten "famous" for nabbing a realm first or earning a reputation?

  • Guildwatch: Redemption

    by 
    Mike Schramm
    Mike Schramm
    10.07.2009

    Many whelps! Handle it! Oh wait, you did. In the Wake on Zul'jin (as you can see in the video above) was just one of the many guilds to take down Onyxia since she returned to the game in a more powerful form, and while obviously there wasn't much new to this fight, most guilds give it a thumbs up: it was a little old-school raiding taste in a new-school difficulty level. Not that it's too hard (c'mon, it's Onyxia), but it's nice to see the fight pretty faithfully recreated. Makes you wish for more, doesn't it?Lots more raid downings, and of course the usual drama and recruitment notices in this week's Guildwatch. If you've got a tip for us about your guild or just one you saw on the forums, please send it along to guildwatch@wow.com, and please do your best to make it look like the ones below -- if you send us five pages on the entire history of your guild, it probably won't show up here. Read on for more.

  • Guildwatch: Have a nice day baddie

    by 
    Mike Schramm
    Mike Schramm
    09.30.2009

    I live a good part of my life on the Internet -- I work on the Internet, and throughout the years, I've learned to play quite a bit on the Internet. So I realize that once I post something everyone can see, it's not necessarily mine any more -- once I share it with the public at large, I can't really lay much claim to it being mine and mine alone. That said, I understand Ravenmeow's problem above -- Deathlymorg of Endless Fury on Nagrand purportedly stole her tips off of her guild's website and reposted them (without credit, we assume) on his own. Sure, they were on the Internet, and nothing you really post on the Internet, especially in a forum, can ever be locked down again. But I see the complaint, especially when Deathlymorg isn't even the least bit grateful for the information, not to mention that he is pretty condescending to boot.That drama and much more in this week's Guildwatch (which you really shouldn't go reposting in full on your guild's forums, but hey, can I really stop you?), along with the usual downed and recruiting notices as well. To share something from your guild (or a bit of drama you've noticed elsewhere), send us an email at guildwatch@wow.com. Read on for more.

  • Guildwatch: Beware of tourists

    by 
    Mike Schramm
    Mike Schramm
    09.23.2009

    This Guildwatch is running a bit late, and apologies for that -- your narrator is slightly out of pocket lately, and clamboring as quickly as possible to get back in. But the guilds featured in today's GW have no such problems -- they are rolling through content like nobody's business. From Yoggy (above) to all the modes of ToC, it's a downstravaganza in Azeroth lately.Drama and recruiting notices after the break as well. If you want to see your guild (or a sweet forum thread full of drama -- please make sure it's guild-related, no random ninja whining) right here next week, send us an email at guildwatch@wow.com. Hit the link below to read on.

  • Guildwatch: Yesterday, WoW was such an easy game to play

    by 
    Mike Schramm
    Mike Schramm
    09.16.2009

    Writing all of this Guildwatch stuff this week has really had me pining for a hardcore raiding guild lately -- I don't know if I'd have the time or the interest to show up for all of the raids, but man, it must be a good feeling to roll up through Ulduar with nine other people and walk away with an awesome title and/or a Rusted Proto-drake like the folks above. Kudos to all the guilds that manage to pull it off, as reported right here on GW.If your guild has done something noteworthy (or you've seen a particularly juicy piece of drama over on the guild forums), please do send us a note at guildwatch@wow.com. Meanwhile, click on through the link below to see this week's drama, downed, and recruiting news.

  • The best of WoW.com: September 8-15, 2009

    by 
    Mike Schramm
    Mike Schramm
    09.16.2009

    The World of Warcraft is brimming with anticipation lately, from next month's anniversary activities (the game is almost five years old) to next year's expected Cataclysm expansion. Whether you're a Northrend veteran or still haven't seen Elwynn Forest, Joystiq sister site WoW.com has you covered. If it's in Azeroth, we can tell you all about it.

  • Guildwatch: It was my friend

    by 
    Mike Schramm
    Mike Schramm
    09.09.2009

    Of course the issue is supposed to be fixed now, but after getting booted off their mains in Ulduar, Dark Haven on Baelgun had had enough, and made a dancing line of cows to display their displeasure. Pretty funny.Lots more guild shenigans in this week's Guildwatch as usual, including some drama (both good and bad), some downed news, and some recruiting posts. Tune in after the break below to see what's going on around the servers. And if you have a tip, from your guild or something you saw on the forums, send it along to us at guildwatch@wow.com. Thanks!

  • Guildwatch: Into the Coliseum

    by 
    Mike Schramm
    Mike Schramm
    09.02.2009

    Word from the Argent Tournament front is that the Coliseum is being crushed -- we're getting lots of news here in GW that bosses are being downed, and with the last boss in this week, world firsts are happening already. Of course, for us, a down is a down, so we're happy to report on any kills, whether they be in Naxx, Ulduar, or the ToC. But from what we've heard, there's quite a few raiding groups out there that have trounced what the Argent Tournament has thrown at them, so we guess we'll just have to wait and see what challenges there are to come.Meanwhile, you can find this week's drama, downed, and recruiting news all after the break. Have a tip for us? Please do send us an email at guildwatch@wow.com, and you just might see it here next week. Thanks! Hit "Read More" for, well, more.

  • The best of WoW.com: August 25 - September 1, 2009

    by 
    Mike Schramm
    Mike Schramm
    09.02.2009

    We're still reeling from everything we saw at BlizzCon a few weeks ago over at WoW.com, from all the news we heard about the next expansion, Cataclysm, to everything else about Icecrown and the anniversary celebration in the upcoming patch 3.2.2. There's a ton of big news lately over on the site, but here's our most popular posts for you to browse through. Don't forget to hit the costume galleries -- we've got tons more pictures like the gem above. News Patch 3.2.2 Onyxia achievementsAchievements from the second go-round of the big bad dragon fight for the game's 5th anniversary. BlizzCon 2009: First impressions of Cataclysm racesOur staff breaks down their first impressions of the new races announced in the next expansion. BlizzCon 2009: The Guild's Michele Boyd and Jeff Lewis hands-on with the WorgenTwo stars of The Guild webseries take on the playable Worgen demo available at BlizzCon. BlizzCon 2009: The Cataclysm trailerThis is where it all began -- the expansion trailer revealed at BlizzCon's opening ceremony. Battle.net conversion to become mandatory soonWith the onset of the new Battle.net, everyone's going to have to move over eventually. Features BlizzCon 2009 Insider Trader: Cataclysmic professionsThis big feature (here's part two and part three) takes a look at what's new with professions in Cataclysm. BlizzCon 2009: Bingo failOur bingo card for BlizzCon fails again. We need to stop making these so hard. BlizzCon 2009: Costumes, part twoHere's a roundup of all the costumes we saw on the show floor. What does Blizzard have planned for an ingame launch event?We know there's going to be a launch event for the new expansion, but what will it look like? Guildwatch: "ur name is remembered"Here's our weekly look at guild drama, downed, and recruiting news from around the realms.