Officers’ Quarters: Retiring from a Mythic guild

This week’s question comes from Twitter:

Hi, Brian. You’re not alone in this. It feels like many players are leaning away from Mythic these days. The 20-player requirement has been very difficult to sustain for so many guilds. Some of those guilds haven’t been raiding for months because they plowed through Heroic but lost too many to the content lull to continue progressing through Mythic.

The Mythic bosses have been appropriately challenging and with some really fun new mechanics, but a lot of players are asking themselves, “Is that worth all the hassle?” The tangible rewards outside of a few ilevels are mostly the titles and the traditional end-boss mounts, but those mounts drop one at a time, which makes for a lot of farming to get one for everybody.

Given that, it’s no surprise that some Mythic players are looking to retire to Heroic as their difficulty of choice. It’s a good challenge for an average friends-and-family type guild, especially for the first few months after release. Special rewards like the moose are available in Heroic, so you don’t have to miss out on those.

Best of all, Heroic is completely flexible so attendance matters a whole lot less. The population of WoW continues to age. Those of us who were in our teens or 20s when the game launched are dedicating more time to careers and families. It’s wonderful to have the ability to say to your raid team, “I can’t make it tonight” without feeling guilty that you’re putting the entire raid night in jeopardy.

But how do you say, “I can’t make it ever” to your Mythic raiding guild?

Preserve your bridges

The most important thing is not to burn any bridges. You never know how you’ll feel in the future. You might miss Mythic too much and want to rejoin. If you leave on good terms, they are likely to welcome you back with open arms. Plus, it’s always helpful to stay in touch with highly capable players to run with for world quests, Mythic dungeons, PVP, and other activities on the Broken Isles that aren’t as guild-driven as raiding.

With these types of transitions, it’s always best to begin by having a private conversation with an officer. If you just announce in gchat that you’re leaving, say goodbye, and take off, they’ll feel blindsided, perhaps even betrayed. They won’t trust you in the future. Instead, talk to the officer that you feel closest to. Be honest with him or her about how you feel. Tell the officer (unless it’s not true) that the guild did nothing to drive you away — that you’re just ready for a step back from the rigors of Mythic. Say that you have friends in another guild so the officer understands that it’s also about playing with friends. Make sure to say that you enjoyed your time with the guild and that you’re extremely grateful for the opportunity to raid with them. Offer your services in the future if there’s anything you can help with (that won’t get you locked out of your new guild’s raids, obviously).

The officer may try to talk you into staying. Don’t feel pressured here — take it as a compliment that you’re valued, but politely decline.

Making the transition

Give the officer a day or two to communicate your intention to leave to the other officers. Then make a farewell post on your guild’s forums/Discord chat/Facebook page (however you talk to each other). Write down the same things that you told the officer in private. Try not to say anything negative about Mythic raiding or make anyone feel dumb for wanting to raid at a Mythic level.

In your post, include your Battle.net tag and invite everyone to friend you so that you don’t lose touch with them.

When you actually gquit, be sure to say goodbye in guild chat and give people an opportunity to wish you well. Point them to the post you made if they start asking questions or trying to change your mind. You don’t want to get into a debate at this point and that’s the easiest way to avoid it.

When you actually pull the trigger, make sure an officer is available in the other guild to invite you. It may seem like a minor thing. After all, there’s no harm in staying unguilded for a day or two. However, this will reassure the officers that you were telling the truth — and cut down on the amount of people trying to convince you to come back — if you have a new guild tag.

After you switch

Once you’re gone, whatever you do, don’t try to poach other members of your former guild into joining your new guild. It’s OK to bring them over if they approach you about it, but if you approach them you’ll be seen as actively trying to destroy your old guild. That will turn them against you in a heartbeat.

Otherwise, enjoy your new, more relaxed raiding lifestyle. I hope it works out for you!

Legion is a fresh start for everyone — for the developers, for the community, for the guilds, and for every single player. This type of do-over only happens in WoW once every few years. This is a good time to evaluate where your own priorities lie moving forward and decide where you see yourself in a few months when Legion‘s endgame begins to ramp up in earnest. For some, Mythic dungeons will replace raiding as a viable and fulfilling alternative. For others, Legion‘s new honor system will provide the type of satisfying, long-term progression that only raids once offered.

A dedicated few will forge ahead with Mythic goals. It’s the ultimate in WoW teamwork, in pushing yourself and your character to the limit. For some players, nothing else will quite scratch that itch. Personally, I haven’t decided. I was able to down some Mythic bosses in Warlords with my guild, but the attendance struggles were real.

Where do you see yourself? It’s a question worth asking, and the next few months will be the time to find the answer.

Have a question for Officers’ Quarters? Ask it below or on Twitter.

/salute