<Balance> is a friends and family gaming community focused on progressing together while maintaining an adult environment and "balancing" real life with this game. That being said, we're NOT a "casual raiding guild". If you feel some people take raiding "too serious" then this is not the guild for you. We're a friends and family gaming community that happen to raid, and we raid well. If you're a social butterfly who suck as a raider and have an excuse every time you fuck up, we're not the guild for you. However, we're also not a fun sucking guild that expects perfection on every raid boss either.

We're a guild that strives to clear progression content ("hardcore" to some) yet enjoy the company of the guild on off nights by socializing on alts, goofing around, or spending time with our families. We believe that it is possible to experience ALL major endgame raid content without spending a majority of our week doing so. However, that means our raids MUST be focused and get the job done in the time we allot per week; it's a constant battle for us to raid hard yet not turn into assholes. Basically we have fun together and get things done in 9 hours per week.

While friendship is our top priority, we pride ourselves on raiding well as we realize it's a necessity in this game. Therefore, it's important for us to tip toe that fine line between a social guild and one that is dedicated to raiding. This means we don't "carry" people through content, so for folks who don't take time to watch videos, know your class, and the ability to get out of the fire don't bother applying. Conversely, "hard core raiders" need to know that they'll be expecting too much for this guild to be "perfect" and focus solely on clearing progression content week after week. If you're this type of "serious" raider and clearing progression content is why you enjoy this game, we're probably too social for you and it's best if you looked elsewhere; we need folks who know when to be social and serious.

So what makes <Balance> different from all the other "casual hard-core raiding guilds" out there that have popped up since Wrath of the Lich King?

1. We were formed in Feb 2007, and we have been successful raiding 9 hours a week since then from Karazhan to IceCrown Citadel.

- What this means to you is we're not a new guild. We're the original guild on Bronzebeard who pioneered the notion beginning in TBC that it WAS possible to spend less time raiding but achieve the same results. As you can see, other similar guilds have mirrored their raid/guild approaches to the model we've created through trial and error over the past 3.5+ years. Despite building the guild from scratch and starting SSC/TK 25pp one year after TBC was launched, we've managed to clear Karazhan, Gruuls' Lair, Vashj, Kael'Thas, Archimonde, and up to RoS in Black Temple pre 3.0 before the WoTLK was announced in September 2008, all while raiding 9 hours a week.

2. We have defeated all 25pp encounters (with the exception of Algalon) including Arthas in WoTLK.

- What this means to you is we get things done. Initially the new released Xpac content was super easy and there were so many new guilds popping up which made recruitment very difficult. We managed to clear 3D, Yogg, and up to HTwins in ToTGC before the release of ICC. With our nine hour weekly raid schedule it's been a challenge to find sufficient learning time for hard modes and unlocking Algalon, but we wanted to be able to complete ICC in this expansion.

3. Immediate goal at this time is to relax and enjoy the game since we have achieved our goal of defeating Arthas in this expansion.

- What this means to you is we've killed Arthas. We didn't want to fall behind content pace and not have a realistic shot at Arthas before Cataclysm. As you know, once that happens raid motivation takes a big hit, which is what happened to some of our key raiders in our guild during Illidan in September 2008. We have cleared Heroic ICC10 and Heroic ICC25 encounters remaining are Deathwhisper, Putricide, Sindragosa, and Arthas, but we have since stopped raiding in late June to give our members time to enjoy the summer and come back refreshed for Cataclym.

4. Our median age for this guild is from 25 - 35.

- What this means to you is that there are adults leading and playing in this guild and we place a HIGH emphasis on accountability and communication. You are treated with respect, and likewise we expect our responsible members to not act the fool in public and to communicate weekly. Any displays/proof of douchebaggery will be handled appropriately despite "skill".

25pp guild sponsored raid progression
- Heroic Saurfang, Festergut, and BQL cleared 6/2/10
- Lich King cleared 4/28/10
- Heroic Faction Champs cleared 11/5/09
- Ulduar: Yogg cleared 8/9/09
- Sartharian 3D cleared
- Malygos cleared
- Naxx cleared

10pp optional raids:
- Glory hole cleared 5/11/10
- Heroic (Mad Skill) ToC cleared
- Ulduar: Yogg cleared
- Sartharian 2D cleared
- Malygos cleared
- Naxx cleared
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Our three raid days are:
Wednesdays/Thursdays 6pm-9pm
Sundays 430pm-730pm.
Invites are 30 minutes prior and all times are PST.
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As of 8/1/10 we're RECRUITING FOR CATACLYSM.

Please send Holymoley a private message on this forum for details if you're interested in joining the guild as a raider in Cataclysm, and how we plan to trial you and your role from now until the expansion. This is the best time to get to know our guild even though you may not be actively raiding.

Immediate goal for us is to help our guildie obtain Shadowmourne and to continue to field weekly raids until this has been accomplished. We will not be focusing on Heroic encounters. Applicants/recruits will not be trialed if we have sufficient existing raiders available, as we want to take care of our raiders first and foremost since they got us here.

After Shadowmourne is completed, some folks will want to take a break from raiding before the release of Cataclysm to screw around on alts, etc. This is where our new applicants/recruits will come in and start trialing if we manage to have enough interest to continue optional 25pp raiding, which has already started this month running once a week on Thursdays. If we don't have enough interest in optional raids or if we don't see what we need to see from our applicants/recruits, they will have to wait until Cataclysm to trial, meaning they will stay in our recruitment stage for months. For those who are content with being in a non raider status and just hang out, your trial/recruitment period will be 4-5 weeks minimum to give both sides sufficient time to see whether it's the right fit. This rank means you won't be eligible for guild sponsored 25pp raiding in Cataclysm, so please don't be confused that this is some "backdoor" to get into the guild.

We'd like to bolster the following ranged classes for Cataclysm, although at this time I'm not sure if anyone will be changing mains yet:

Warlock - 1
Mage - 2
Boomkin - 1
Tree - 1
Resto Shammy - 1
Prot Pally (DPS OS) - 1
Death Knight (Tank OS) - 1

We're full on Holy Priests and melee, but I'll consider exceptional applicants. If you fall into this group, please tell me why we should consider you despite the fact that we're already full.

Please understand that things are not firm at this point and until we know what will happen after the expansion drops, everything is still up in the air. This means nothing is set in stone. If you can live with this and feel you want to good place to hang out and get to know people, we'd love to get to know you. If you're looking for a "guaranteed raid spot" in Cataclysm, you should probably look elsewhere, because we've never guaranteed raid spots in the past 3.5 years here although we do have a "priority system" in place.

If you plan to apply as a raider, I don't care about your gear score if you've got an excuse every time you die to retarded things, but you should have adequate gear for final ICC encounters. Applicants should have solid attempts on Sindragosa and preferably killed her. I will need to see parses from your recent raids on Sindragosa, so please leave out the VoA and Ony stuff. At this point in the expansion if we do find ourselves recruiting we are looking someone who can jump right in and contribute versus "grooming" someone or waiting for them to gear up.
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Future preferred raiding applicants:

1. Will be able to raid a MINIMUM of 2 out 3 days per week; if you can't do this every week don't bother applying.
2. Have mid-T6+ raiding experience PRE NERF 3.0 at level 70 (Vashj, Kael'thas, Archimonde kills preferred). In WoTLK we expect you to have attempted or killed Sindragosa.
3. T9/10+ PVE raiding gear (i245+) and meet all requirements for our raider category (please review our policy regarding this).
4. Exalted reputation with Sons. This is important; if you don't have Son's rep, you won't be considered unless you're a Scribe.
5. Communicate their weekly status on our raid calendar. Don't slack on this; we gkicked people for not doing it.
6. Be a team player. This means be able to listen to instructions (sometimes not what you want to hear) from the raid leader and DO IT.
7. Be open-minded to accept constructive help to improve your play as needed and TO BE ABLE TO DO IT. Conversely, if you feel you're God's gift to raiding, you're not going to fit in here either.
8. Understand that "stand-by/subs" are a necessity for this guild. For clarifications on this please talk to Holymoley.

If you feel you're a viable raider with a mixed spec please specify the reason(s) in your application. We will always consider applications from people who seem like a good fit for our guild.

We look for adults 25 and older who are mature enough to understand the basic etiquette of WoW, however not so mature that they've forgotten how to laugh at sex jokes and bathroom humor. Our current membership is largely working professionals with a few college students and we have quite a few couples and families playing within our guild. Guild chat is NC-17.

Please DO NOT apply if you're not interested in getting to know your guildies (never talk in gchat), a raid logger (never see you except raids), a "1337 rayder wit skillz" looking for fast loot, an attention deprived drama-llama e-whore, a fucking idiot, or an social retard/asshole/douche. Also, while we're more casual regarding our raid schedule, it is REQUIRED from our players to improve themselves (ie: not carried) and are "raid professionals". If you're not sure what being a "raid professional" means, we're probably not the guild for you.

To find out more about <Balance> please read ALL the stickies in the "Rules and Information" section to ensure this is the right guild for you. Filling out an application means you've read them all and will abide with our policies & guidelines.

To speak to an officer if you have additional questions after reading those threads, please look for HolyMoley, Aranethon, Cylviana, Shawarma, Tenley, Excelsius, or (If you want to be abused, insulted, or yelled at) Kendral.

Three years ago, <Balance> was created by a group of friends who were tired of watching gear and skill take over the importance of people in this game. They saw how content progression took front and center and good people took a back seat. They saw secret channels being formed and players openly mocked for their "lack of skills" or whatnot.

<Balance> wanted to be a guild that could make room for people if they put in their effort and time. We would be a guild with the mentality of a 10pp guild and succeed as 25pp. (For those who are not certain what I meant by a 10pp guild mentality, think about it for a second.) Unfortunately during the last expansion we fell behind content pace as we swayed too far over to the "friendship aspect" of the guild. This meant we focused too much on just recruiting "good people" and not enough accountability in our raids. It is important that we "balance" (just for you Kenneh) good people and raiders if we want to accomplish our raiding goals, and this goal requires every single guild member understanding that we're not just about raiding, but it's all about the atmosphere of the guild during our quest to reach these goals.

Remember this one simple rule: We were all noobs. Take the time to pay it forward and help your guild members succeed, and help us create guild loyalty. This collective goal is beyond any encounter(s) that Blizzard can create, because we want people to care and CHOOSE to be here with us.

This Lich King kill is dedicated to friends over the past three years who have helped this guild along the way by creating that same friendly atmosphere and guild loyalty that I've just described. We hope that you will be able to return and join us in Cataclysm.

Practice, practice, practice.

With only 9 hours a week to raid and some folks who only started raiding in WoTLK, this represented a quite a challenge to them as they learned the REAL meaning of "personal accountability". Imo that term isn't just based on your "class role"; but instead I've learned that it's based on your role for each encounter, and smart players adapt that additional job to their "rotation" and excel.

This means that if you need to interrupt a cast/action, dispel/cleanse, remove curses, deflect spells, disarm, etc at the expense of your DPS or overall damage/healing, THAT'S THE ADDITION TO YOUR ROLE for that particular fight.

As many of you can attest, it's extremely satisfying to "earn" a kill. It's also very rewarding to do it on a mass scale, because there's an "epic feeling" when a large group of players colaborate and work together towards that common goal. I don't want to go back to 40pp raids, because that was simply too aggravating on an operational scale, but setting the stage for 25pp working to free Dreamwalker and then charging Sindragosa makes me smile.

I'm extremely proud of every one of you as you forge ahead and ultimately face and defeat Arthas.