Master App Thread - All apps must read!!!

[Keliae]

I'll precede this post by saying that I will not apologize for the length of it. If you are an app of this guild (and some current members could probably stand to read this too), you need to read every word of what I'm about to say.

General:
- Apps receive a Troops of Doom tag, and full access to all ToD member forums. Send Keliae a tell if you need forum/dkp access.
- Please register at http://www.thelorespot.com/dkp for DKP access.
- Vent info is: jolt.typefrag.com port: 9401 password: xvd78qs
- Apps do not receive a cut of the monthly ToD plat split unless they were tagged for the entire previous month the split is for.
- Apps can tag as many alts as they like to Troops of Doom as long as the alts are level 80. Apps are NOT allowed to bid on loot for alts.
- If you run ACT (which is highly preferred), see our ACT Trigger thread and plug those triggers in.

DKP/Loot/Applicant bidding procedures:
- Apps receive the same DKP amounts as regular members. See DKP Rules here.
- Apps are allowed to go negative DKP IF AND ONLY IF an item reaches the sell/mute stage and no other app is bidding.
- If multiple apps who are both negative DKP wish to bid on something, the officers will decide who will get the item.
- Loot is done via open bidding in guildchat. A link will be posted in guildchat and members will start to bid. If no FULL MEMBERS bid, alts will be called to bid. Some alts have "raid alt" status and receive priority over non-raid alts. (See raid alt policy here.) If no one bids on an item for alts, apps will then finally be called to bid. If you wish to bid for an item, simply put the amount of your bid in guildchat. (Most minimum bids are currently 5 - the minimum bid will be posted with the initial link at the beginning of the item being bid off.)

As an example, here is what you, as an app, would need to see before you can bid for an item.

Keliae tells the guild, [Random Item 001] 5 go
Keliae tells the guild, alts
Keliae tells the guild, apps

Applicant01 tells the guild, 5

Master list of items all apps (and members, duh) should have EVERY RAID to be fully prepared:
- At least 3 power roots, all 6 preferred. (Power root recipes can be found here.)
- A good supply of all four cure potions (nox, elemental, arcane, trauma).
- Power potions.
- Regular heritage quest reward manastone.
- If tinkerer - overclocked manastones. (FD items, call of the tinkerer, repair bot, and pacemakers are also nice tools to have.)
- Any gear you can obtain which procs power for you or your group (for fights like Anashti and Zarrakon).

And the following items, all of which can be purchased from the status merchant in the guild hall:
- 2 Redemptions of failure
- 2 Power replenishment signets
- Relic/Symbol of Stability
- Relic/Symbol of Clear Voice
- Signet of ethereal form

Things NOT TO DO as an applicant:
- Don't tell us when something drops that you need it. We don't care. Don't tell us when something drops that you already have it. We don't care. That may sound harsh, but honestly it just clutters the process and typically does nothing but confuse yourself when we start the bidding process and the item doesn't even reach applicant bidding in the first place.

- Oh, and don't tell us that it's stupid we give stuff to alts instead of you, or sell it instead of letting your alt have it. We really don't care.

- Don't make an ass of yourself in open channels or pick-up groups. You're representing the guild as a whole, and your actions may be held accountable for by a swift boot out the door.

- During fights don't clutter vent with unnecessary info. Some fights require a lot of required communication such as AE timers, cure rotations, etc. and it's hard to call that information if people are chattering away about something that really isn't important (like purple vision on Gynok!).

- Don't NOT speak in vent when we need you to. Some fights we'll specifically say "call in vent if XX happens". Make sure you are paying attention and know if you're supposed to speak up.

- Don't ask us to go to a certain zone just because you need loot from it. Especially zones that typically aren't even on the schedule. We don't give a flying fuck. Need a WoE earring? Join a PUG or start a group yourself on off nights - there are usually people willing to tag along.

What we DO expect from you:
Plain and simple, we expect you to know how to play your class, and play it well. Be willing to accept advice on how to play it better.

If you're a DPS class, we expect you to DPS. What does this include? If you say hitting buttons, then please leave now.

It includes researching gear choices to know what combination is best for you. In some cases this means you'll be mixing and matching and maybe not even wearing 6 set TSO - just because SoE sucks and the set doesn't maximize your output as much as throwing in a few well-chosen other pieces would. It also includes playing with your spell/CA order to maximize the DPS that way. It includes making sure your gear is all adorned properly. It includes consistently using temp potions and scrolls to boost your stats. It includes being fully mastered, which most people should already be by this point of an expansion. If you changed mains or took a break from EQ2 you should be working on being mastered and maxed on AA's.

Some of that is DPS oriented, some of it any class can benefit from. Regardless, if you're not willing to take these steps to fully optimize your character, we don't want you.

As an app, we also expect you to be willing to go above and beyond. Not only do we want DPS toons DPS'ing - we want them doing it while also maintaining other jobs of their class. Whether you rez, debuff, power regen, etc., you need to do that while also knowing how to put up DPS numbers at the same time.

Healers need to know where to find the damn cure buttons and USE them. We don't care if a healer can put out 2k dps - if it's done by sacrificing cures or heals or loss of focus to your group, then we don't want it. I'll reiterate - we don't give a flying fuck about healer DPS.

Anyone in the raid needs to know how to use cure potions if the healer in your group tells you to.

Etc, etc, etc.

Lastly, you need to know how to multi-task. Some fights we need you watching for detrimentals that can kill the entire raid. Some fights we need you to swap targets often and know how to assist (not just lazy assist). Other fights we'll tell you not to use group stuns because mobs reflect them onto your group - you'd damn well better know which of your spells/CA's to not cast. And again, we want you doing all this at the same time as actually putting out numbers, keeping your group alive, keeping aggro, whatever your primary job is.

We need fast thinkers, fast learners, and people with the drive to play their toon to the max. We need people who don't have the attention span of Dory (if you haven't seen Finding Nemo, FAIL). If you pay attention, push the limits of your class, and aren't easily offended (since vent can include lots of (mostly) good-natured teasing), you should do fine in ToD.