Knights of the Shattering — An Everquest 2 Raid Guild on Butcherblock

· Yes, we all have quests and items that we need/want help with. However, before you expect you guild mates to drop what they are doing and come help you, keep a couple things in mind. First, be courteous to what they are doing already. It may be that you should go help them instead. Second, if you expect help from guild mates, then you should be one of the FIRST people constantly asking what can I do to help and one that is always willing to help. It is rude and unbecoming of a Knight to expect someone to do what you yourself will not do.

· We have some very generous guild mates who sacrifice time, loot and masters to benefit their guild mates However, it is presumptuous if you expect an item to go to you when you are not in that group. Unless you are specifically in that group, then you should wait to see if that individual OFFERS the item to you or guildies. ONLY at that point should you consider taking it. It rude and selfish to expect that merely because you can use an item that it is yours by default. Do not impose upon the generosity of your guild mates Allow them to be generous to those who were FIRST generous to them. If you choose to be generous, then your guild mates will be generous in turn.

· Feedback, input and even criticisms are expected and desired to help the guild grow. Please offer these in a courteous and respectful manner. Profanity and ranting will NOT be accepted. This includes personal tells to the Lord Commander and any officers, and especially in a channel. Often it is not the content of what someone is saying but HOW it is said that is offensive. It may be personally offensive or it may be an intended slight upon a decision by the officers or raid leader. Often there is more information than which you are aware. Ask respectfully and we will gladly share this information and reasons why in our reciprocation of that respect.

· Raid attitude. If there is an issue, please politely address it to your class leader first. Often we may not be aware of a conflict and we DO make mistakes. Ranting in group chat, general chat, or on Ventrilo will not be tolerated. You are welcome to disagree with an issue, but disagree respectfully. Additionally, any habitual and history of extensive AFKs/auto following/inattention to raid will result in a reprimand and potential demotion.

· You may not agree with every rule or decision and that is to be expected, but we do ask that you in general be respectful of your officers and guild mates. ANYTHING that we as officers deem disrespectful or damaging to the guild will be addressed. Public and/or Private flaming of a guild mate is not acceptable. Pressuring people to back out of loot bids is not acceptable. Inability to play with a sense of fairness, common sense or respect for your teammates is not acceptable. Part of this warning may even include a temporary demotion in rank till such a time as you exhibit a sincere change in attitude.

· For individuals who exhibit attitude/play problems, we will also be denying anyone who was demoted the ability to roll or bid on items. Only until such a time as they are promoted again, will they be allowed to get loot from raids.

· People who demonstrate disloyalty to the guild and to their guild mates will not be tolerated. This guild is not a stepping–stone to something else and requires the dedication and commitment of everyone as we continue to build our guild and our success together. Anyone found to be using our guild for personal gain while making attempts to join (or form) other raiding guilds will approached by an officer; the respect we have for our guild mates and their loyalty to each other demands that we deal with this behavior swiftly, and we will remove the offending person from the guild immediately.

Mikaelan

The Authorization Code for registering is shattering. We ask that you enter this code to prove that you are not a bot!

Anyone can join the KotS public forums, though members of the team also have private forums. Some guests will not be able to read our Raid forums for example. In order to register, please click on the ‘forums’ link at the top of the page or click here. Once inside the forums, click the ‘register’ link at the top left of the page.

Mikaelan

Our Ventrilo server has the following settings:

vent.knightsoftheshattering.com
port: 4020

If you are a guest we ask that you enter your main character's name as your username and leave the password blank.

Regular guests and all Knights have their own accounts with their own unique passwords. If you forgot your account information see the next section.

Mikaelan

If you are having trouble logging in to any ‘out–of–game’ tools you need to talk to Mikaelan. You can reach him in–game on either Mikaelan, Shyntlara or Malice
— or you can send an email to mikaelan@knightsoftheshattering.com.

Mikaelan

After being approached by guildmates in 2005, the officers were asked to consider opening KotS to all alts and Squires members. (Squires was our guild for newbies until they reached lvl 30 and lowbie alts a long time ago…) This was asked so that those with alts could chat in guild chat, and so that any guild exp would go to benefit KotS. The officers were in unanimous agreement that it was time for us to move forward with this, rather then keep separate guilds. This inflates our numbers somewhat, but everyone has really enjoyed the change so far. Please keep the great suggestions coming, and we will implement the policies formulated by your officers.

Alts will always take 2nd priority when it comes to filling raids and for loot unless the Raid Leader decides otherwise. Switching mains at any point incurs no dkp penalty, but in the interest of the guild the new main should be able to contribute effectively, and will impact your chances at attending should your new main not be a class we need and/or ready to raid with us.

Mikaelan

We currently have our ranks labeled from highest to lowest in the following: Lord Commander, Lord, Knight Captain, First Knight, Knight, Guardsman, and Recruit.

We keep the very lowest rank for our alts, thus upon first joining the guild all members are promoted to the rank of Recruit. The rank of Recruit does not have access to guild bank and you will not be allowed to invite your alts to the guild, but upon promotion members will be granted these privileges. We do this in an effort to protect the guild bank from people who may desire to clean out and take advantage of our guild. The next two ranks upward are Guardsman and Knight.

Those that have attended 75% of events are promoted to First Knight in recognition of their dedication and contribution.

It is generally, but not always, from those that are First Knights that we choose and promote as officers which is the rank of Knight Captain. There are only 2 Knight Captains at this time, both long term members of the guild: Sandora and Joal.

The rank of Lord is given to only one at this time, Mikaelan, our former guild leader and current raid leader.

At any point in time we only have one guild leader — our Lord Commander is Azemach.

With regards to promotion, we strive to be diplomatic and at the same time recognize those that have gone above and beyond for the guild. We truly have so many deserving guild mates that could ably serve as an officer, but to have all as officers would be self defeating. Thus, we only promote new officers as the need arises within the guild, rather then based upon merit alone, as merit alone would have most guildies as officers. Additionally, officers must have the heart and attitude of putting their guild mates first. If someone were to desire a higher rank in order to feel important, or have absolute control, then this individual would likely never be an officer. Officers set the policies and standards of our guild, so we desire that only those that put the guild and their guildmates first be asked to serve in this position of responsibility and trust.

Our Raid Council is made up of some First Knights, and all Officers, our Lord and our Lord Commander.
Currently serving on the Council are:

• Kinesis — Illusionist
• Onibasu — Coercer
• Upek — Ranger
• Sineran — Assassin
• Joal — Monk — class leader (fighters)
• Sandora — Defiler — class leader (healers)
• Azemach — Guardian — Main Tank
• Mikaelan — Dirge — class leader (scouts) — Raid Leader

These people are some of the most knowledgeable guys and girls on the team. We try to maintain a balance between classes on the council, and these are the people that help make decisions when it comes to raiding.

Appointment to the council is based on ability and need, and done by the Lord Commander: Azemach. Class leaders are appointed by the Raid Leader: Mikaelan. If you feel like you would like to take on this sort of responsibility please talk to Aze or Mika.

As always, these are our general guidelines but we reserve the right to exercise discretion in our promotions. Thus, if in the judgments of officers a need arises and someone is deserving of a promotion, then we may still promote that individual at our own discretion. This FAQ is merely to provide helpful guidelines for the guild.

Mikaelan

In order to use the guild bank you must be promoted beyond your initial rank of Recruit. We do this in an effort to ensure that no one would attempt to join our guild temporarily just to clean out the guild bank. With regards to what items can be left, we ask that guildies use their discretion. Many items such as masters, rare recipes and scrolls, armor, gear, rares, etc. are currently in our guild bank. Please note, that due to limited space after a certain amount of time if an item is still in the bank, then that item will be sold and converted to cash to be deposited back into the guild bank.

As to what you can take from the guild bank — we are blessed in that none of us have been greedy and all want to share and give. Thus, our mentality has been that if you can us it, then please take it. With regards to cash in the bank, it is there for two primary purposes. One is so that in the case of an opportunity to make a purchase of, say a master spell at a discount, and you need a little extra to help pay for it. Then in this case we ask that you reimburse the bank at a later date. Two, we ask that all tradeskillers, whether provisioners, sages, alchemist, armorers, weaponsmith, tailors, etc. please make sure that they at least cover the cost of their efforts when done on the BEHALF of guild mates. Most tradeskillers in the guild are kind enough to donate their time for guildies and as such it is only fair that they be reimbursed for their costs. For any other questions regarding the guild bank, please ask any of our officers.

Often, we are willing to loan money out to guildmates in order to purchase hard–to–find items. It is each guildmates responsibility to pay back that money as quickly as possible so that others may also have that opportunity.

When using the guild hall's harvesters, please refer to the forum post regarding current needs.

Sineran

We currently raid primarily five times a week, with the occasional sixth raid night/day offered. As we have a growing demand from guild mates that desire to raid, then we will offer more options for raiding. Our attempt is to balance the demands of several hours of raiding (and the über loot) with the laid back grouping, questing, and tradeskilling that is prevalent throughout the game. Our raid leader is Mikaelan — if you have any specific raid related questions feel free to chat with him in game.

Our current primary times for raiding are Mondays at 8pm est, Wednesdays at 8pm est, Fridays 9pm est, Saturdays 9pm est, with x2 instances on Tuesday at 8pm est and Saturdays at noon est, and the occasional extra raid being scheduled at a different time. Raids generally last 3 hours with a short break halfway through.

Mikaelan

Everyone raids because they want the awesome gear or master spell that really helps to set them apart from others that play the game; however, raiding is not as simple as getting 24 people together, picking a target and killing it. The key to raiding is teamwork and communication. Of course, we love to kill those really tough mobs on the first try, but even if at the end of the day we have learned better tactics and teamwork that enable us to do a better job then we have accomplished our goals. Our goals are not just to get the great loot but also to learn how to work well as a guild and raiding force as we do so, and in the process have fun along the way.

These days we tend to run a train over zones that we know to be familiar, and we work hard at beating new content. And challenges remain! Only working together as a guild can we hope to overcome those über challenges. Look to your raid leader if you have input to give — Mikaelan is our primary raid leader. Or feel free to give input to anyone on our raid council: Joal, Upek, Sandora, Azemach, Kinesis, Sineran, Onibasu and Mikaelan.

Mikaelan

Earning Points

DKP is earned on a nightly basis in a number of ways. They include:
· Letting the Raid Leader know at least 30 minutes before raid time that you want to raid AND being present at the pre-designated assembly location 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start time * = 1 point
· Participating in the raid = 1 point
· Present when the Raid Leader concludes the raid = 1 point
· Killing a named encounter = 1 point
· Clearing a zone = 2 points

*Occasional exceptions can be made with prior notice to and approval by the Raid Leader.

One–time bonus DKP can also be earned by participating in a raid that accomplishes one or more of the following:
· First time killing a named = 2 points
· First time clearing a zone = 5 points

Please note that the one–time bonus points are for our accomplishments as a team, not as individuals. Those not participating when these events occur will not be eligible for those points on future kills or clears of the same content.

Ongoing bonus DKP points can be earned, as well by:
· Clearing a zone without a wipe = 2 points
· Clearing a zone in record time = 2 points

In order to reward our guild for their willingness to consistently tackle newer and more difficult targets which may yield little to no points–in, a minimum of 5 DKP will be awarded for each raid. Should the points accrual system yield more than 5 points, the larger of the two amounts will be applied.

For ease of tracking, all DKP is attributed to your main character, even that which is earned by an alt. Similarly, when purchasing items for an alt, all DKP is subtracted from your main's account.

People on stand downs earn 100% of the raid's points.

Raid Seating

Raid seating is based primarily on class makeup for a particular zone and is solely at the discretion of the Raid Leader. Mains take priority over alts unless a specific need has to be addressed.

Alts are welcome on raids on an as–needed basis. If you wish to raid on an alt on any given night you must receive approval from the Raid Leader.

You may play someone else's character for them in order to get a quest update should they be unable to attend if you receive approval from the Raid Leader.

There are no restrictions to or penalties for switching mains. However, depending on the need for that class, current numbers of that class already on the roster, etc., swapping mains may severely impact your chances of being seated.

Bidding Min/Max:

KoS/EoF: The minimum bid for a Fabled item is 10 DKP. Legendary items start at 5 and Masters at 5. The maximum bid for any item is 100 DKP.

RoK/TSO: The minimum bid for a Fabled item is 20 DKP. Legendary items start at 10 and Masters at 5. The maximum bid for any item is 100 DKP.

To keep things as simple as possible, bids are placed in multiples of 5; we don't want anyone bidding 21 DKP.

The Raid Council reserves the right to override any purchases (or rolls) and assign an item to our MT, providing that s/he having that item is especially beneficial to the raid force as a whole. The MT's DKP will be adjusted based on the maximum existing bid for that item.

Who can bid:

We will ask for bids in order of your participation in our raid events.

1. Tier one is anybody above the rank of recruit with over 70% participation over the last 60 days.
2. Tier two is anyone with less than 70% participation over 60 days, and all recruits. This will include guests.
3. Tier three is for alts.

If the raid leader requests of someone to play an alt on a particular raid in order to make the raid more successful that person is afforded "main" privileges for their alt.

Any main, alt, or person playing someone else's character for updates in the raid can bid on any item for their own main.

People on stand down get 2nd shot at loot if the people raiding pass, and are free to bid if no person in the raid wants an item.

If there is a specific item you'd like to get from a raid but cannot attend, you may ask the Raid Leader in advance to bid in your place should no one else, including alts and people on stand down bid on the item.

No other player but the Raid Leader is allowed to use another players dkp to outbid someone else — under any circumstance — as we do not ever allow people who are not participating to take loot over those who are. Each player has only one dkp account, and is responsible for spending their own dkp.

Any unclaimed loot gets posted on our forums, and if you see something there that you would like to claim please speak with Joal.

Bidding Limitations:

If you have positive DKP, then you may only bid either up to the amount of DKP you have earned (rounded up to nearest multiple of 5) OR 100 DKP, whichever is of lesser value.

If you have negative DKP, then you may only bid the minimum amount allowable for that item.

Few examples:

I have 47 DKP. That means I can only bid max 50 DKP.
I have 476 DKP. That means I can only bid max 100 DKP.
I have -12 DKP. That means if an item worth 10 DKP drops I may only bid 10. If an item is worth 20 DKP, then I may bid 20. Thus, I've been allowed to bid, but should anyone else with more DKP than me bid, I lose out. Anyone with more DKP than I have does not need to beat my bid, they only need to match it.

In the event multiple max bids, the person with the highest total DKP is awarded the item.
To clarify, only max bids may be matched.

In the event that 2 or more people with negative dkp bid the minimum for an item, then the person with the most dkp (least negative) will be awarded the item.

In the event of an exact tie, then it will go to /ran 100.

Should a player have excessive negative DKP then the leadership can choose to dismiss their bid.

How we bid:

In the loot channel. This is an open bidding system.

Time Limit:

30 seconds for initial bid, with a maximum time for all bids of 2 minutes.

Unclaimed Loot

If a NOTRADE item drops that nobody wants or can use it will be transmuted, with the adornment components available for purchase with DKP.

If TRADEABLE item or a master spell drops that nobody on the raid wants, it will be held for 5 days. Screenshots of the items will be put in the Knights Raid Lounge — Loot Up–For–Grabs post (stickied). If anyone needs or wants a particular item at a later date, and it is still available, they can talk to Joal in order to claim that item. The appropriate amount of DKP will then be deducted from your account. If an item goes unclaimed for the allotted number of days it will be sold and the funds used for repair kits, potions, etc…

Purchasing Stones for Veeshan's Peak Fabled Gear

If you purchase a T8 pattern in Veeshan's Peak for dkp we will provide the stones along with your pattern.

If you purchase a pattern outside the guild in order to gain an item, and you need the stones for the recipe, you will be charged the minimum that would be usually charged to a member that requires those items — 20 dkp.

Special Rules for Ward of Elements and Kurn's Tower

T3 Fabled upgrades are different than regular loot in that we prioritize them to people who need the upgrade and have put in the effort to get the required number of Void Shards. It is also our practice that raiders who regularly attend events (that is having 70% or greater participation) will take items before those who do not regularly attend in order to properly equip our raid force.

It is expected that you will be knowledgeable enough to know which items you NEED and which items you will use as SITUATIONAL gear, as well as the progression of shard armor and the amount of required Void Shards.

NEED

An item you need is one you will use all the time.

SITUATIONAL

An item is situational if you will only use it occasionally.

We do not charge DKP for these upgrades, rather we use /ran 100 in a 3 tier process — see below:

1. NEED the item AND have enough Void Shards to have the item made.
2. SITUATIONAL item AND have enough Void Shards to have the item made.
3. If nobody rolls during either of the above, then it will be open to everyone else.

Loot from Kurn's Tower is handled with the same /ran 100 system.

DKP Costs of T8 Transmuted Items

Transmuted Items:
Mana — 10pts
Infusion — 8pts
Powder — 5pts

You may purchase transmuted items from Joal at any time.

New Recruits and Loot

During our evaluation period — generally 3 raids (at our discretion) of raiding as a Limited Guest, you will be allowed to earn dkp and loot items that are passed on by all Knights mains, provisional members, Guests, and Knights' alts. Players trying out may be awarded loot over alts at the discretion of the leadership. Upon positive feedback by the officers, the class leader and the applicant, then a guild invitation is extended. This is our chance to get to know you and find out on our end and yours if this is the right guild for you.

After this you will be invited to the guild and in the probationary period — 3 weeks (at our discretion) as a Provisional Member of the Knights. Provisional Members are awarded loot privileges above people trying out and any Limited Guests or Alts.

If you show the aptitude, skill and commitment we will grant you full status — where you are allowed to continue earning dkp and may now be allowed to bid on items as a full Knight.

Guests and Loot

Guests are players that we are friends with and occasionally attend our raids though they are members of another guild. Guests are allowed loot privileges the same as a member of the Knights. Shades of Destiny members are Guests for example.

Limited Guests

Limited Guests are allowed to earn dkp and bid on items that no Knights, Guests or Provisional Members bid on, and in some situations (at the leadership's discretion) they may also bid over Knights' Alts. Generally, Limited Guests are the lowest people on the totem pole when it comes to loot.

Mikaelan

Many will ask if there are any requirements necessary to maintain membership such as a certain amount of status, writs completed, raids attended, etc. The short answer is No. The game is meant to be fun, and thus, for some that may mean that you are only able to play one or two nights a week. We do not want anyone to feel that their time must be spent doing a specific thing in the game. Many of us have jobs and we do not need another job when we log in to relax and have a good time. However, having said that, we do have many guild members who love to contribute some of their time doing Heritage Quests, writs, etc. to gain guild status and help us progress along in levels. The bottom line is that everyone is unique and we want you to do what you find to be enjoyable.

We reserve the right that any inactive members exceeding 30 days of inactivity may be removed from the guild roster. However, if any player has previously informed an officer or guild leadership of any extended absences, then we will make every attempt to note this and keep that player on the roster. In the event of a mistake being made, then upon return to play, the player may contact an officer to be reinstated to original rank and privileges. We have enacted this policy so that our guild membership can be a true reflection of the active participants.

People with 0% raid participation after a 90 day span will have their DKP account reset, regardless of situation or membership.

Mikaelan

In order to become a member of the Knights of the Shattering, it is preferred that you are personally recommended by a current guild member. If you do not personally know anyone in the guild, then we invite you to group with us so that a mutual relationship can be established.

We also ask that you chat extensively with either Azemach or Mikaelan to make sure that any and all questions you have regarding the guild are answered adequately.

Upon recommendation to become a member of the Knights, your name will first be brought forth to the officers who must be in unanimous agreement to extend an invitation. At this point, your name will be presented to the guild members currently online to see if there are any issues that need to be first addressed.

Assuming that no issues are known then you will be invited to apply and try out with us. In the event that a specific issue is taken by a guild member, then the officers will discretely investigate the matter to see if it can be resolved. Our first loyalty lies with our guild mates, so we strive to preserve the core of our integrity and closeness.

Please visit the Recruitment section for more information.

Mikaelan

We've been lucky in that several people on our team are also IT professionals. We manage our own servers that run our own web site, dkp and forums — and the databases that go along with them. We also do our own custom design work, development and programming. Even our backups are done free of charge by team members.

Currently the only service we outsource for is our Ventrilo server, which all of us appreciate for it's reliability and quality. We currently lease our server from HostVentrilo.com and it is one of the best services in North America. We are not accepting donations at this time.

Mikaelan