Wildfire Riders

I haven't got enough sleep, so I won't be verbose, but I promised a post, and here is a post.

Gabby's internet situation has worsened significantly to a point where she can no longer raid. This also precludes her from leading a raid, obviously, and one half of a two person hivemind leadership is not a hivemind at all. I <3 you folks, but I'm not going to lead Totally Mind. That's not fair to me. However, it's also unfair to the rest of the raid for me to simply pronounce Totally Hivemind to be Dead, Jim without some discussion first. Therefore:

Option 1: The raid decides not to continue, folks take their chances, and we give Totally Hivemind a quiet funeral.

or

Option 2: Somebody else takes up the Hat of Authority, Totally Hivemind becomes <new brand name here>, and I help in what ways I can to make sure things transition smoothly.

If Option 2 is chosen, here are ways I can and will help: strategic advice, raid composition advice, cheerleading, general tips on loot management, raid management, and how to wear the hat, being a warm body until a suitable replacement can be found. Ways I can't and won't help: putting together an actual roster, wearing the Hat of Authority.

I would like to see Hivemind go forward, even if it is no longer led by the hivemind. Given the difficulties we've faced I'm proud of the progress we'd started to make. Option 2 is vastly preferable to me.

Discuss.

Quick and partially coherent thoughts for the mix.

As WFR folks know - since Jolly posted in your Guild area - my uncle passed away two weeks ago. While I wasn't close to him, it's still been a shock to the family and the system. I've not been able to get the energy or desire to play WoW since then. (This is also part in due to my computer going a little screwy.)

I would be sad to see HiveMind go, but if someone else continues, I will at least sign on for Raiding. I would want to raid with you guys only, but I know that any other groups folks have going on here, I've no chance of getting into another raid of anyway, so my time would be free for any alt-HiveMind.

I would stick with y'all, even if only coming online for raiding, but there's just no way I could handle helping to lead, I'm sorry to say. Right now, the two e-mail RPGs I GM are exploding with activity and there's a third positioning to launch, so I've just not got the time/energy or experience to lead. But if someone else does, let me know and you can have my Mage or my Pally to help the cause and I'll do what I can.

<3s to the HiveMind for the raiding so far. It's been fun. ::tired smile::

I know Chel is willing to lead, and I am as well, so if you're comfortable leaving it in our hands we could do that.

I of course would need a bit of help getting on my feet as a raid leader as I've never done it before, and haven't even been in a regular successful raid since Totally MC back in vanilla WoW.

Of course I believe there are a few others in the raid who are more experienced at this kind of thing than Chel and I, so I'd like to see if they have anything to say.

To be sure, I have never led a raid. Like ever.

That said, I'm tossing my hat into the ring anyway. If Chel and Shai are also doing so, that makes three of us having charge. That would not be a bad thing.

There's already been time invested in this, and I see a lot of incredible potential in the groups we've had so far (plus, at the moment it's still my only option for regular raiding at all. I am not going to give this up without a fight).

We'll need to buckle down, of course, and solidify a permanent roster: Me (as Norvallen or the newcomer Korin), Shaila, Chelody, Jolstraer, and Nykkolaia are a start; the remaining five (in which we'd need to bolt down two full-time tanks and two full-time healers) are up in the air--I dearly hope that Cabby can join us by way of one of her alts, of course!

Bricu, Haemon, Galedorin, and Beltar; if you're reading this, how do you feel about becoming permanent members, as tank, healer, tank, and DPS respectively? We've had you in the past, and your abilities here are not to be denied.

Naturally, I'd be looking to keep everything mostly in-character, and avoiding the use of voice-chat if it can possibly be helped. I'm pretty much certain even trying to use it on this current computer of mind would be disastrous anyway. Furthermore, our prior schedule of Saturday nights 5pm-9pm server time shall remain intact.

Regardless of what responsibility I end up taking in the end, count me firmly in.

I'm still only going to be on late-nights during most weekdays, sadly, but the more we can communicate via this forum, the better.

I do apologize greatly for this. It's not really a thing that just suddenly hit me, but it's really been building up for a while now. Just the past few weeks have been really rough with me, and after logging in to do a 5-man today and being spam booted off on the very first fight, I decided it's time I step back from the PvE part of the game before I blow a gasket.

I'll be very glad to help folks out in whatever way I can though, so if you can't catch me in game, piddling around, feel free to shoot me a PM here, and I'll do my best for y'all. <3

I am willing to do whatever it takes to see Totally hivemind actually make it. Not sure if its a hive really anymore, but we can be like angry buzzing bees, swarming around Kel'thuzad until he finally drops our loot. As with what Shaila said, I have little in the way of experience as far as leading a raid is concerned, let alone with raids in general (YOU CAN TOTALLY TRUST ME!) But I am more then happy to learn, and do the research needed to steer us through Naxx. *Salute*

I prefer to approach this from the Bob the Builder standpoint.

Hey Chel, what was the name of your husband's character, again? And do you think he would be willing to sign for this full-time himself?

The simple fact that he allegedly was successful at FFXI means he is not a force to be trifled with.

I am fairly certain he would be. As he kept asking all weekend what was happening with the raid. Now, one thing I must bring up is the fact that Hinote is trying to get a Rose raid together for Naxx. Our problem was having people. I've talked it over briefly with Hino, and I think combining our efforts oocly and icly would be a lovely idea if no one was opposed.

I think we should first see how many people from Hivemind would like to stay on. I am hoping we don't lose anymore than Gabby and that Cabby decides to stay on if not in a leadership role.