Say Wut... Go on, SAY IT!
The Basics
A F&F Raider is a pre-authorized Guild Member that is welcome to freely join any or all Official Guild Raids for both Normal and Heroic raid difficulties. Due to the flexible raid size, Vox is able to welcome a small handful of F&F Raiders that would like the opportunity to raid with the Core Raid Team, but are unable or unwilling to commit to the schedule and/or requirements that would be required of a Full-Time Raider in that position.
Rules and Requirements
Attendance Requirements
F&F Raiders are not required to maintain a particular level of attendance nor are they required to inform the guild of potential absences. Essentially, our Core Raid Team should be perfectly capable of completing a particular night of raiding with or without any given F&F Raider present. However, the flexibility of the Normal and Heroic raid difficulties allows us to include a handful of players above our standard team if those F&F Raiders are online and can commit for that night.
Normal/Heroic raids typically take place on the first raid night of the week for Vox (which is generally Wednesday). To attend a Normal/Heroic raid for a given night, simply be online and ready outside the zone 5 minutes before raid time and whisper the Raid Leader that is online that night (typically Kulldar) that you'd like to attend.
Changes to our schedule are typically posted on the Raid Schedule forum as well as in-game in the Guild MOTD, so keep yourself updated to avoid missing a raid.
Loot Management & Eligibility
Vox currently utilizes an EPGP system for loot management in our primary raids, and all approved F&F Raiders will be added to that system, but with two important caveats:
1. Unlike a Full-Time Raider or Trial Member, a F&F Raider does not need to meet a Minimum EP requirement to be eligible for loot. Loot can potentially be earned on the very first raid for a F&F Raider.
2. Since attendance doesn't matter -- and thus EP never changes naturally for F&F Raiders -- we do not want wish to "stack the deck" for a F&F Raider that isn't online for a long period of time (thus providing him or her massive priority over others). Therefore, all EPGP values for F&F Raiders are reset and randomized such that all F&F Raiders are near-equivalent in standings (thought slightly offset initially to break ties). This spreads the loot around among that group, but also means those that attend more frequently get a chance for more loot of course.
3. To avoid potentially hindering our Core Raid Team in anyway, a Full-Time Raider will always have priority over a F&F Raider when both players are bidding for a Mainspec upgrade item. In other words, a F&F Raider can only earn loot priority if there are no Mainspec bids from any Full-Time Raider for that same item. In that case, standard EPGP comparisons (i.e. highest PR) will be used to determine which F&F Raider wins an item.
The easiest way to think about the system is that higher priorities take precedence over lower ones, but only within each Bid Type down the chain. Thus the overall priority would be:
Raider: Mainspec > Trial Raider: Mainspec > F&F Raider: Mainspec
If no Mainspec bids exist, then the same process applies to Minor Upgrade bids (Raider: Minor Upgrade > Trial Raider: Minor Upgrade > F&F Raider: Minor Upgrade ...) and so on.
Please be certain you fully understand and agree to this loot distribution model before signing up to become a F&F Raider. While it may seem unfair to some, we are trying to offer the opportunity to see raid content (and the potential for loot as well) to those that might otherwise not see it or would be forced to do so in a weaker group/pug. In return, we must maintain the priority on loot upgrades for our Core Raid Team to prevent harming our ability to progress, as that has been the foundation of this raid group for many years now.
When in doubt about loot stuff, don't be afraid to speak up in Mumble or /raid chat and just communicate with others. Most people are nice and if you have a question about a drop or or are worried about something, feel free to speak up.
Gear Requirements
We do not have any "minimum required" gear standard at this time for F&F Raiders, and instead would just ask that F&F Raiders make an effort to prepare as best they can. When requesting F&F Raider status, feel free to add something about your current equipment if you think it is relevant or is worth noting. We will handle things on a case-by-case basis whether someone is too low to attend or not, but chances are if you have some gear from whatever the previous tier equivalent was, you'll likely be fine.
Consumables
The guild will generally be able to provide Flasks, Food, and Guild Repair Funds to all F&F Raiders. However, we cannot reliably provide F&F Raiders with potions, so please bring your own as appropriate.
Mumble & Required Addons
We require Mumble for voice chat, along with the addons: EPGP, EPGPLootMaster, DBM or Bigwigs, and WeakAuras 2.
While not all the rules will apply to a F&F Member, please see the information on setting up all of the above on our rules page here: http://www.voximmortalis.com/rules/
Becoming a F&F Raider
In most cases someone likely to be approved as a F&F Raider will not need to fill out an application, as that process is geared toward Full-Time Raider positions.
Instead if you wish to be recognized as a F&F Raider there are a number of options, depending on your status:
If you are already a regular Member of Vox and thus have forum access, make a simple post in the Zug Zug Private Forums stating that you'd like to fill a F&F Raider position, along with the very basic information about your WoW character (such as your class, the spec you intend to play, or anything else you may feel is relevant). Kulldar or another Recruitment Officer will approve or deny your request and upon approval, you'll be officially flagged as a F&F Raider.
If you are not a current guild Member but are a close friend or family member to an existing Full-Time Raider, ask your friend/family to make the private forum post/request on your behalf. After he or she posts and your request is approved, you will be eligible for a Membership tag in the guild and be flagged as a F&F Raider.
If you are no longer a guild Member but were an active Full-Time Raider in the past, then please contact Kulldar privately with your request and appropriate details.
If you do not meet any of the above criteria but feel the circumstances warrant it, please contact Kulldar privately with details of your request.
Preparing for Your First Raid
1. Ensure Mumble is working and all required addons are installed.
2. We have videos showing how we handle all manner of mechanics for the various bosses of that tier (if we've killed them before). Check the Guides forum for the most up-to-date videos.
3. If we are doing content that is new to the guild, we will often have strategic or tactical information posted in the appropriate thread in the Strategidiskussion forum. Please go there and read what is relevant.
Mythic Substitutions
On rare occasion, it may be the case that our Core Raid Team is short on players for a particular raid night. In such cases, we may choose to contact a F&F Raider privately before or during the raid, to ask if he or she is willing and able to substitute into our standard Mythic progression raid for that evening. This should be considered a one-time or temporary agreement, providing our Core Team with the extra player needed to successfully raid that night and allowing the F&F Raider the chance to experience content he or she may not be regularly exposed to, along with the potential for better gear upgrades.
