Doing the Dual-Spec Disco

I splashed out 1000g on dual spec'ing my Paladin yesterday.

He's only level 75, but I was going to spend the money at some point anyway, so why not now. I want to get a little healing practice in before the level-cap anyway.

The Pally will be a Tank for main-spec, and a Healer off-spec. I'm getting to grips with the Tanking business now. But still need some more dungeon runs to make sure I've mastered it.

I'm used to Pally healing, my last Pally was one of the main healers in the Karazahn days. But obviously things have changed a little since then.
I haven't had chance to test my healing skills yet, but the 'beacon of light' spell seems so overpowered to me. Unless things have massively changed, I remember being able to keep a group alive while mainly focusing on the MT. Now that you don't even have to really look at the MT as long as your healing 'someone' that's going to be even easier.

I still expect healing to be the equivalent of playing 'whack-a-mole' rather than watching the main action. But since it's only my off-spec I'm not too worried about that.
I do intend to mostly play as a tank, and I'm not the sort of person who's afraid to say 'no' if I'm invited only as a healer, too often. If I need to increase my gear though, and runs are a bit thin on the ground, I can always heal a run but collect the rewards as a tank.

Tribal Dance

I'm posting this here, and not in the main Munqui Tribe forums as this is my own thoughts on an issue and not, possibly, the right way for the GM of a guild to think.
But having said that, I'm the GM, and I do think this way, and I'm not often wrong, so maybe it is right?

(I know quite a few guildies read this blog anyway, so I'm sure word will get out quickly)

Anyway, we've had issues for the last few weeks with people feeling 'left-out' of the guild. To the point where they feel they're being mis-treated in some way, and have quit the tribe.
Their whole argument is about lack of replies to their requests in G-Chat. And being 'forced' to take a specific type of toon into a raid / heroic, when they want to play on another.

Now, personally, I think all this is a load of rubbish. Even when we have 30+ people online, you can type something into guild chat, and nobody will respond to you. It's because their busy, they're in a raid, or heroic, or AFK, or have gone to make a coffee, or put the kids back into bed, or any other of the million things that people do while they play WoW.
If people are generally just questing, or farming, or those simple sort of things, you'll end up with half a dozen replies before you can even blink. They might not all be helpful, or even make sense (depending who's online) but they'll still be replies.

As for bringing the toon you want, to the heroic / raid you want. Well that's in your own hands. It's simple. Just say "No Thanks". It's completely possible to gear up an toon to be raid ready these days using mostly Rep rewards, or by Pug'ing heroics.
True, I'd much rather play with some guildies than go with a PUG, but it's not always possible. Especially if it's an Alt, and the rest of the guild is all playing on raid-geared level 80's.
But freinds are freinds, and given time you'd always find the group you needed.

But if not getting a reply, or no one wanting to do the things you want at the time you want, upsets you to the point where you feel you need to leave. I'll thank you for your service to the guild so far, and smile and nod, and then I'll hold the door open for you.

But all this brings me to the real point of this post:

With the announcement of Cataclysm comes the new 'Guild Stuff'.
Details are still sketchy, but I've pulled this from Gevlons Blog (The Greedy Goblin). And I think he's got alot of valid points about it.

• Players get points for their guilds while playing
• Guilds can use this points to get "talents", that have effect to the players, like +7% money from monster loot
• Guilds can buy consumables and reagents from the points
• Guilds can buy heirloom items and recipes that are bound to the guild, player loses them upon gquitting.

Now if all this had already been in place, the guild members that were upset would almost definitely be making use of this stuff, as they are long-serving members.

Would they have been as eager to leave the guild if all of the above had been in place?

Gevlon thinks that it will cause a lot of guild drama. With people pointing fingers at others to try and save themselves from being kicked, or to try and get more from the guild by eliminating others. But I disagree.

I think these changes will be great for our guild. They'll help promote a sense of community. And, assuming the rewards can be accessed depending on your rank, will encourage players to contribute more to the guild to gain ranks, even if only to access those features. And by doing this they then commit themselves to the guild, with the added penalty of losing items / recipes etc.. if they up and leave.

The tribe is 'social', that doesn't mean we're a push-over. It just means that we're open to accepting all different kinds of players. And if we can reward those who deserve it, and have something for the others to aspire to, then it's all good.

I'm sad to see players leaving the guild, but it's sort of enivitable that people change over time. Their needs are no longer met by us.
I think the new expansion will help this quite alot. By promoting that community spirit. You might even see an entire army of Munquis all wearing their guild tabards, if that's the way points are collected.

Now if they can just sort out some guild housing, I'll might even pre-order myself a special-edition of the expansion for a change.