Is Ghallanda raiding dead?

[valorik]

chat channels are horrible, people like me are always sneaking in...

also on teh guilds you mentioned

THAC0- still around, seen a couple of raids by them on the lfm, they're pretty big so I don't think they pug that often
Ravensgard- still around, and raiding often
Plague- you can see the rare member around still. but a lot of the members have left
Valiant Accord- still around
Vegas- still around, and as active as ever
The Old Timer's Guild- still around, though I've never thought of them as a raiding guild
White Council- been gone for a while
The Knights of Myth Dranor- not around as much as ever
Sun War- collapsed LONG ago, been coming back apperantly
Face Stabbing Misfits- don't know what happened to them
Shadowblade Assasins- still around, I consider them similar to the OTG
Sabbat- still around, though I don't think they pug very often, to avoid bad pugs
Runs with Scissors- still around, but small
New Outriders- still around, not raiding often at least
Evilempire - still around
Eutopia- still around and raiding


I have found myself putting up my own raids lately, because there's not much in teh afternoon, in the evenings there's usually plenty going on.

[ReeseFlamelocks]

Are raids dying? Christ I hope so!

Never liked raids. They tend to the follow the mentality of: "Lets-get-through-this-as-fast-as-possible-then-break-out-an-inane-strategy-which-usually-involves-standing-around-in-a-corner-until-something-very-large-dies." It's just not fun, and only rarely does it justify the massive repetition required to get good loot.

Raids require very little skill. The only skill required is for one person to be a good competent leader. I'm sure the loot is worth it, if you get any, but I've never been a huge loot person. My char is stocked pretty well with non-raid loot.

[Junts]

Are raids dying? Christ I hope so!

Never liked raids. They tend to the follow the mentality of: "Lets-get-through-this-as-fast-as-possible-then-break-out-an-inane-strategy-which-usually-involves-standing-around-in-a-corner-until-something-very-large-dies." It's just not fun, and only rarely does it justify the massive repetition required to get good loot.

Raids require very little skill. The only skill required is for one person to be a good competent leader. I'm sure the loot is worth it, if you get any, but I've never been a huge loot person. My char is stocked pretty well with non-raid loot.

You've been gone a long time; the dragon and titan were particularly poorly designed raids, but you might want to try the newer ones before you make that statement.

[smatt]

I'm scared

[ReeseFlamelocks]

You've been gone a long time; the dragon and titan were particularly poorly designed raids, but you might want to try the newer ones before you make that statement.

Perhaps you're right. Though this has been a theme across MMOs, hence my lack of enthusiasm for raids.

[Sirea]

You've been gone a long time; the dragon and titan were particularly poorly designed raids, but you might want to try the newer ones before you make that statement.

Poorly designed? At least they're something other than one-room beatdowns

I'd rather do a raid like Titan or Dragon where people have to split up and do different things like huge puzzles and mazes and simultaneous pulling-of-switches and using the environment to beat the boss rather than brute strength, makes it more interesting. Yeah, it might make it a little harder to learn, and even harder to bring PuGs in there lest they screw something up, but there's an element of teamwork in there I like, too. Being able to trust in your teammates to split up and be able to get the job done. I wish more of the newer raids were more like this, TBH.

I was actually talking to Cerial about this the other day. Raids like Titan and Dragon actually *look* like some dev spent weeks planning it all out and what the puzzles would look like and what the objectives would be and what kind of party you'd need, etc, etc. There's detail and depth and it looks like someone really put their heart and soul into those quests. Some of the newer raids look like something they just slapped together over a caffeine-fueled weekend. Walk in, beat down, loot. Bo-ring.

So I'll have to respectfully disagree that these are "poorly designed"

[valorik]

Poorly designed? At least they're something other than one-room beatdowns

I'd rather do a raid like Titan or Dragon where people have to split up and do different things like huge puzzles and mazes and simultaneous pulling-of-switches and using the environment to beat the boss rather than brute strength, makes it more interesting. Yeah, it might make it a little harder to learn, and even harder to bring PuGs in there lest they screw something up, but there's an element of teamwork in there I like, too. Being able to trust in your teammates to split up and be able to get the job done. I wish more of the newer raids were more like this, TBH.

I was actually talking to Cerial about this the other day. Raids like Titan and Dragon actually *look* like some dev spent weeks planning it all out and what the puzzles would look like and what the objectives would be and what kind of party you'd need, etc, etc. There's detail and depth and it looks like someone really put their heart and soul into those quests. Some of the newer raids look like something they just slapped together over a caffeine-fueled weekend. Walk in, beat down, loot. Bo-ring.

So I'll have to respectfully disagree that these are "poorly designed"

/signed

[Twerpp]

Where are the big raiding guilds on Ghallanda now? We used to have:
THAC0
Ravensgard
Plague
Valiant Accord
Vegas
The Old Timer's Guild
White Council
The Knights of Myth Dranor
Sun War
Face Stabbing Misfits
Shadowblade Assasins
Sabbat
Runs with Scissors
New Outriders
Evilempire
Eutopia

And those are the recent ones. I'm sure I missed a few really good ones.

My question is: What guilds are still raiding hard? Are any of these actively recruiting or are they just now small groups of friends?

The only really active groups I see now are :
Souther Tenant Farmers Union - weekly schedule at 7pm est
GRR - All but Tues and Thurs in evenings
DDO Korea Season II - mostly during the day EST

Please don't flame me here. I am making no judgements, just looking for information on where the long time players are playing and what they are running.

We're all on timers. We'll be ready in 2 day 3 hours 45 minutes 29 seconds.

[Justicesar]

Where are the big raiding guilds on Ghallanda now? We used to have:
THAC0
Ravensgard
Plague
Valiant Accord
Vegas
The Old Timer's Guild
White Council
The Knights of Myth Dranor
Sun War
Face Stabbing Misfits
Shadowblade Assasins
Sabbat
Runs with Scissors
New Outriders
Evilempire
Eutopia

And those are the recent ones. I'm sure I missed a few really good ones.

My question is: What guilds are still raiding hard? Are any of these actively recruiting or are they just now small groups of friends?

The only really active groups I see now are :
Souther Tenant Farmers Union - weekly schedule at 7pm est
GRR - All but Tues and Thurs in evenings
DDO Korea Season II - mostly during the day EST

Please don't flame me here. I am making no judgements, just looking for information on where the long time players are playing and what they are running.

There is a tactic(LOL) that requires ranged toons for TOD. Until this quest is changed don't expect many LFMs with balanced classes to be posted. Most running the quest this way are very selective on who they include.....don't know why though hmmm...

[MissErres]

We're all on timers. We'll be ready in 2 day 3 hours 45 minutes 29 seconds.

Only for Tempest Spine tho.

[Galbbatorix]

Runs with Scissors is still around, but yes we have slowed down on our raiding, along with being a small guild, a few players had to take breaks due to real life issues, getting laid off etc. I'm still on, but a little less often than before because I just recently started college.

We still do the occasional raid, but the little we play, we normally just short man a few quests. Look for us on weekends, we try to get at least a couple shrouds, etc in. Hopefully we will get back to our regular raiding schedule soon.

As for most of the other guilds on there, they also are still around, but the number of raids they run have gone down, at least the ones they pug on the lfm, from what I have seen.

[Sirea]

As for most of the other guilds on there, they also are still around, but the number of raids they run have gone down, at least the ones they pug on the lfm, from what I have seen.

Don't assume that we don't run raids just because we don't PuG Many of the larger guild have had members come back from extended breaks, so there is no need to PuG as often.

[Galbbatorix]

Don't assume that we don't run raids just because we don't PuG Many of the larger guild have had members come back from extended breaks, so there is no need to PuG as often.

Must have typed what I meant poorly, the number of pug raids from the big guilds have gone down from what I have seen.

[Junts]

Poorly designed? At least they're something other than one-room beatdowns

I'd rather do a raid like Titan or Dragon where people have to split up and do different things like huge puzzles and mazes and simultaneous pulling-of-switches and using the environment to beat the boss rather than brute strength, makes it more interesting. Yeah, it might make it a little harder to learn, and even harder to bring PuGs in there lest they screw something up, but there's an element of teamwork in there I like, too. Being able to trust in your teammates to split up and be able to get the job done. I wish more of the newer raids were more like this, TBH.

I was actually talking to Cerial about this the other day. Raids like Titan and Dragon actually *look* like some dev spent weeks planning it all out and what the puzzles would look like and what the objectives would be and what kind of party you'd need, etc, etc. There's detail and depth and it looks like someone really put their heart and soul into those quests. Some of the newer raids look like something they just slapped together over a caffeine-fueled weekend. Walk in, beat down, loot. Bo-ring.

So I'll have to respectfully disagree that these are "poorly designed"

I should clarify

twilight forge and von5 are brilliant quests, unparallelled 12 man instances.

von6 is an abysmal failure of a raid fight, one in which there is no strategy needed or really achievable, and where most groups gain success either through taking advantage of a geometric oversight or pure brute force. It is the least interesting and worst-designed boss beatdown in DDO. Even Arraetrikos in shroud 4 requires more thinking, strategy and awareness ... Velah is a huge letdown in every way but graphics.

The Twilight Forge Core is a brilliatnly designed 6 man quest; unfortunately, it only has roles for 3 or 4 people tops; bottom pillars, laser, and crystal runners.

Everyone else spends the raid piking, staying alive and avoiding standing on the floor to move the Titan; the raid is a failure as a 12 man instance, because 50-75% of the raid party does nothing but watch.

It would be the best 6 man quest in DDO, if it were one, but as a 12 man instance, its a collosal bore.

[smatt]

There is a tactic(LOL) that requires ranged toons for TOD. Until this quest is changed don't expect many LFMs with balanced classes to be posted. Most running the quest this way are very selective on who they include.....don't know why though hmmm...

Well that particular tactic seems to be legit..... It's effective for groups with no sets of boots or melees to handle the big guy...... In fact I'd say it's far less cheesy than all the people who took the huge advantage of the bard shenanghans to take their time and figure out the quest. Which in turn gave a huge upper hand in general quest knowledge, which in turn made it far easier to master far quiker than many. The Devs knew about the perch prior to the first update, they put it there, they decided to leave it after 2 updates so far, when it would e a very simple quik fix.

I personally don't see anybody hiding the ranged method..... The big downside is that it takes a VERY long time. If a group has at least 2 or 3 sets of boots melee is far faster and more effecient. Some of the groups I've seen doing it are VERY caster heavy.

There's lots of raiding going on.... The larger guilds are raiding a lot together because many of the peopel need the same raid completions. It's not the mish-mash hodgepdge that happens when there's almsot a year between Mods, and people have toons that all need different things, which leads to far more pugging. Happens every after every new Mod....

[Truenuetral]

chicken nut bread still raids everything solo in complete secrecy.

[Justicesar]

I personally don't see anybody hiding the ranged method..... The big downside is that it takes a VERY long time. If a group has at least 2 or 3 sets of boots melee is far faster and more effecient. Some of the groups I've seen doing it are VERY caster heavy.

......which is why when big "H" does what he does...(______) fil in the blank....Peeps are asked to leave if they don't like it. I forsee the Red Willow Nerf bat swinging sooon LOL

[Thriand]

chicken nut bread still raids everything solo in complete secrecy.

Do you have a guild website? I'm very interested in joining your guild.

[smatt]

......which is why when big "H" does what he does...(______) fil in the blank....Peeps are asked to leave if they don't like it. I forsee the Red Willow Nerf bat swinging sooon LOL

LOL, there's already been 10 threads on the subject and no cube Don't be a big chicken

There's certainly a difference between causing Horoth to become unresponsive and not.... He can indeed still hit you on the perch, as can Suulo.... I'm not saying it isn't cheesy though, and boring....

Boots boots boots.....

[Kintro]

......which is why when big "H" does what he does...(______) fil in the blank....Peeps are asked to leave if they don't like it. I forsee the Red Willow Nerf bat swinging sooon LOL

I hear it's being fixed in the next update. Whether that's the one currently on Lammania (anyone tried it?) or the one after that I'm not entirely certain. Also whether that means removing the perch or fixing the unresponsiveness I'm not entirely sure either.

I know that's very vague but the fact that something relating to this tactic is being fixed implies exploit.