Don't Panic: Raid Mechanics

One of the guild officers asked on vent yesterday, after I told him about the pug I was in going 10/12, why we can't do that on a weekly basis.  I explained that we have more DPS then the raid I was in did, we have quality tanks just the same and healing that can rock it as well.  It was one simple thing we are missing that they had.  Good reaction to mechanics.

It might be because it was a pug that people just seemed more relaxed.  A few had never done the fights as evident by all the achievements that popped up but they all responded perfectly (or near perfectly) to things that needed to be done.  Maybe it was because a pug, even more so on my crappy server, is not supposed to get past 6/12 and everyone was relaxed as they were not expected to succeed.

They did not panic.  They followed what I try to call rule one in all raid cases.  Don't Panic.  Just pay attention and do what you need to do.  There are enough warnings for everything that happens in the raid normally.  Deadly boss mods just gives even more.  No need to run all over worried.  When the time comes to do something you just calmly do it and all will work out well.

When people start worrying about what they need to do they start to rush it and that is where mistakes come from.  They Panic.  Another thing I seem to notice is hero syndrome which is a direct result of someone panicking.  They see someone not doing what they are supposed to be doing the instant that they should do it and they try to compensate for it. 

What happens in that situation is that the person that was supposed to do something sees a change to the playing field and now has to adjust on the fly which can cause problems.  If the person did not try to play the hero and compensate for someone not doing something and waited the 1 second needed for that person to react then everything might have been fine.  But they wanted to be the hero.  Being the hero because you panicked that someone would not do their job makes them not do their job.  If you just did your own job and let them do theirs everything would be fine.

This is the common pitfall that good players seem to fall into when mixed with average or learning players.  They try to compensate for them being they think they do not know what they are doing.  They Panic and while their heart is in the right place their mind just really isn't.  Not to mention, a new player is never going to learn if you keep saving their ass.  The best way for a DPS to learn to get out of the fire is to let them die in the fire.  If you always heal them through it they will think it is no big deal because they can get healed through it.

Nearly everything in the game gives you a small reaction time to work with.  Even the most extreme cases you will usually have three seconds to react.  Don't Panic.  Some people react preemptively, I know I do on fights I have done so often I know exactly when things are going to happen, so they are ready for what is about to happen.  Others wait and react.  The more you play with people the more you will notice how each person reacts.

Don't Panic.  Let people do what they need to do and you continue to do what you need to do.  Having good raid awareness is a good thing.  Being willing to jump in and fill in for someone else is a good thing.  Jumping in and filling in for them before it is needed because you panicked thinking they would screw up is a bad thing.

Don't Panic.  You do what is expected of you and let everyone else do what is expected of them.  If there is a failure somewhere the raid leader or co raid leader(s) will be the ones that yell out for Bob to help Mark out some.  Remember, if Bob was supposed to be helping Mark from the get go then who would be doing the job Bob was assigned to?  Don't Panic, just do what YOU are capable of doing and let others do what they are capable of doing.

Those that can not do what they are supposed to be doing will be found out and not invited back to the raid until they step up their game.  Bob trying to cover for that person makes it harder to notice who messed it up because now Bob is not doing what he was supposed to be doing either.  Even if Bob is one of the best players in the game because he panicked now he and Mark will not be invited to the next raid.

Don't Panic.  If Mark is going to fail at what he was supposed to do, let him fail.
Don't Panic.  One person dying might not cause a wipe, you dying while trying to help him could.
Don't Panic.  Just relax and follow the mechanics.  Remember, you have 3 seconds usually.
Don't Panic.  Raid mechanics can be learned even for a first timer if you let them.
Don't Panic.  The skill is there as long as you do not sweat the small stuff to often.