Group Roles/Positions
First, for those who are newer and may not know, here are the various roles for members in a group.
- The Tank. Usually a Warrior, but could be another character class, if the player is a high enough level for the boss.
This player will usually take the brunt of the bosses attacks and maintain aggro. This player should be one who can take as many blows as possible. Dealing a decent amount of damage is nice, but not a requirement. The Tank should use the Taunt skill to help maintain agro. Tanks can work well with most of their points on Vitality. In addition, this player may, at his or her own discretion, use Resurrection Idols and Pots to help win the fight. This is not a requirement and group members should not expect this of the Tank. - The Healer. Almost always a Druid.
This will most often be a druid whose sole job is to keep the Tank alive (at least as long as possible). If the boss is not terribly difficult, the healer might also heal the other members of a group. - The DPS'ers. All character classes can be DPS'ers.
There will usually be a number of these in a group. These members deal damage. Their job is to help deal damage to the boss, protect the healer at all costs, and help keep mobs cleared away. In some cases, they may also need to help heal the Tank with whatever first aid skills they have, or to boost the tank with applicable skills. For instance, a rogue could apply poison weapon, or a mage could apply cloak of fire, to the Tank.
In Stonvale, a large number of weak attacks will have more value than fewer large hits. So, faster weapons and lots of low levels helping hit the boss, which interrupts the boss' ability to cast skills, is better. If the boss is unable to cast, a good druid and tank need never die in a boss hunt.
If your group is going for a particularly difficult boss and you will be relying on one person to do most of the work, it would be a good idea (it would be courteous, anyway) for members of the group to offer up, to the lead tank player, resurrection idols at the start, before combat begins. This helps keep the lead tank player from spending too much real world money on things, such as idols and pots, just to support everyone else. This is not a requirement. It is a suggestion.
For example, the player Slydps, from the clan Mafioso, often uses a large number of resurrection idols in the course of a single battle against one of the Stonevale bosses. Since many players from many clans use Sly as their main tank against a lot of these bosses, it seems only fair that people who wish to group with him should, in turn, offer up some idols to make that job easier. I have observed Sly being taken advantage of, as people just assume that he is willing to use up a lot of idols and get little or nothing in return.
Boss Drops
Regarding item drops from boxes after a battle has completed (such as Disc Fragments)... There are several things that all players should keep in mind:
- It is inappropriate, when you receive a drop from a kill, to then turn around and offer to sell that item to other members in your group. After all, they spent just as much time, effort, and, in some cases, money, while helping to defeat the boss from which you got the drop. True, lower level members may not have contributed much to the fight; however, they were still there, fighting and dying beside you, and it is appropriate that they at least be offered the drop every once in a while. Remember, low level players will eventually be high level players. One day, they may save your butt in a battle.
Here is what I suggest, for when you win a drop that you dont need or want...- Offer the drop to the group for free. If you are in a scenario where one person did most of the work (or used a large number of idols, offer them the drop first.
- If that person does not want or need the drop, offer it to the rest of the group.
- If nobody in the group needs or wants the drop, make an offer to other players who were not grouped with you, but who still helped with the kill. Many times, high level bosses take more people than will fit into one group to kill. If that is the case, it would be polite to offer them the drop. As to whether the drop should be offered for free... this is a gray area. For now, I will leave that to your best judgement. I would only encourage you to be fair in your pricing.
- After exhausting all of that, you should feel free to sell your drop to the highest bidder. The game does work on the concept of free commerce, so sell away. Your drop, your price. All we are asking is that you give your fellow group members first right of refusal on any drops they helped earn.
- If you receive a drop that you do not wish to give away to group members, then you should then offer to help the same group members in another boss hunt. It doesn't have to be immediately following the kill. I know that some boss fights take a lot of time and many people may have to go offline after completing a kill. However, make the offer to help the others in another hunt whenever you have the time to do so. After all, they just helped you get something you really needed, so it's only fair that you return the favor at your earliest convenience. Otherwise, you may find that they will be less and less likely to group with you again.
Kill Stealing (referred to as KS or KSing), is absolutely forbidden. If another group (from our clan or another) is already engaged in a battle, ask before you jump in. If they would like you to help, remember you are supporting them, not trying to take the kill. In these cases, your entire group becomes Healers and DPS'ers. Heal the lead group, keep the mobs off them, help deal damage (controlled amounts damage) to the boss. It is entirely possible that you will KS unintentionally, especially if you have members that are significantly stronger than those in the lead group. If this happens, you should *immediately* apologize and offer the lead group whatever drops you obtained. It is the only acceptable course of action. If you KS from another group and do not apologize and give them the drops, and clan leaders have to get involved to resolve the situation, the penalties to the offending players may be severe.
If you find that you're having a problem with another clan or another group of players, you should first consult with your clan guardians and your clan chief, before you start taking action. Just starting to KS another group or clan will not be tolerated. Remember, there are two sides to every situation and very often, it is easy to misinterpret another player's or group's actions as being malicious. In those cases where you feel that you have been maliciously wronged by another group of players or even another clan, it's still a good idea to get with your clan leaders and try to work things out in a peaceful manner.
Only the clan Chief may declare a state of war with another clan. I will always do my best to protect my own clan, but I will not tolerate anyone undermining my efforts to keep the peace with other clans.
Group Rules
Ultimately, I think it is up to each group to set their own set of rules and guidelines for their group participants, as long as those group rules and guidelines do not conflict with established clan rules. If all members in the group agree to a certain set of rules before combat begins, then everybody goes into it with a better understanding of what to expect once the kill is achieved, everybody has more fun, and nobody is left felt feeling slighted at the end.
And, that is precisely the point of all this. We all want to have a good time. It is a game, after all. Keep it fair, keep it fun.
~aROgue
