The LFG Channel has an interesting history, having started as a player-created chat line to join and eventually taken over by Blizzard…

Now there’s an LFG Tool that you have to list yourself in, in order to subscribe to the “LFG line”. You could just “/join lfg” but you wouldn’t be subscribed to the same one as the tool - you need to have yourself listed as looking for a group or looking for another member for your group, in order to subscribe to the Global channel.

Often, I don’t really want to commit myself to doing anything in a group, but I want to hear what’s going on in general - what dungeon parties are being formed, what classes are required, who’s doing the call-outs, etc. Even more often, I’m not sure what toon of mine I want to hit a dungeon with - it often depends on what others on the realm are looking to do, especially in low population hours.

So, what do I do? I “lurk” in the LFG Channel, and I’ll show you how to as well.

What Is Lurking?

In short, to lurk is to prowl around, hoping to be undetected. Watching. Listening. But not actively participating in the activities at hand.

In this case, that means not listing yourself as available for a specific dungeon but still listing yourself in the LFG tool so you can keep up with what might be available for you to join if it interests you.

How To “Lurk” On The LFG Channel

Here’s how you do it - you list yourself as available in a ZONE instead of a Dungeon or Quest, and if you choose a zone that is ill-frequented, it’s quite unlikely anyone will ever do the proper search to find you there:

De-lurking To Join A Party

Sometimes I just subscribe to the LFG tool to hear what’s going on but know that I don’t have enough time to get into anything myself. Most times, however, I subscribe to the LFG tool and watch for something that one of my toons can do… and then when someone advertises on the LFG line for something I’m interested in, I whisper to them from whatever toon I’m on and offer to hop over to the other to join them. I’ve never been turned down, and find it’s a reliable way to burn off rest bonus on my pre-Outland toons.

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I like this game, I really do.

I like how powerful my Mage is getting - he’s at +706 frost damage unbuffed. I was second on the damage meters for an overgeared-team 3-boss Karazhan run that was put together after a Gruul’s run where we brought him down with only one wipe…

But now any progression with him is FUN, but feels like it’s “too much progression”, and I’m thinking it’s time to start spending some more serious time on the other toons I have, levelling and gearing them up.

I’m really not a raider, having played this game for 2.5 years and not having gotten into it yet. I have, however, enjoyed attending a few raids recently and like that I’ve seen the inner workings of at least one raiding guild that seems to have a low-stress, high morale environment in their progression team - and that would be a team that I’d love to join if I wanted to raid.

But, see, I have other aspirations with my Warcraft Gaming Time[TM]!

I like writing on the casual play topics, and the topics that are helpful to someone still seeking that great raiding guild to join (maybe just a “casual guild that raids” that would accept all of your friends and family members, no matter what level, while you raid with the 70s).

I believe there are many more players in this Casual category than there are in the category of folks who want to and are high enough level and gearing to get into a guild that has 10-man Karazhan on farm with multiple groups and is close to having 25-man Gruul’s on farm as well.

So, What’s The Struggle?

Seems like I have it all figured out, doesn’t it?

Too bad there’s other people in this story - other people who would like other outcomes. Other people who almost EXPECT other outcomes, because, well, most people who are geared up like my Mage is… want to raid. In fact, people who are way LESS geared than me want to raid, since a Raider’s Heart, I believe, is beating quite fiercely by the time a player reaches level 40 already, and hits overdrive when that player hits the level cap.

But me? I just wanna prove that gearing up to raid in 10 and 25 person dungeons while playing in a social/casual guild that does NOT raid, is an actual possibility for players. To prove that you don’t HAVE to leave your casual/social guild in order to dip your toes into raiding, and that maybe - like getting married or finding a company you stick with for years - it’s best to “try out” a few raid guild scenarios before making the tag-change leap.

It’s tough to do, however, because early commitment to a group or a cause seems to be the norm in today’s society, and carefully reviewing from afar is held in suspicion.

Personally, I find that odd when I really think about it - am I alone in thinking that the ones who would instantly jump into your guild with very little review would also be the ones jumping out with little more review?

*ponders more*

I guess there’s a line, however, as with everything… the line of “enough review has been done, you should be able to make up your mind by now” that either side may face.

Clarifying Goals/Availability/Intent With Raid Leaders

And that’s why I talked to the GM/MT/RL of the guild I’ve gone into Gruul’s twice with and Karazhan twice with in the last couple of weeks, and with whom I’m scheduled to go into Tempest Keep over the weekend unless a guildie can fit the spot better. I told him that while I’m very impressed with his guild progression team and his own leadership style in the guild, I just can’t get “into” raiding more than once in a while because of my own personal goals writing eBooks about the pre-raiding scene.

He probably thinks I’m full of myself, but (aren’t we all?) I will continue to do as I have said I would - gear myself up, bring proper consumables, sign up for and show up on time/early for the progression raids I can make it to, and have a great attitude no matter how many times we wipe. I will be happy for them on the day that they find a Mage that can start to take over my spot in the raid, and will continue to check in with them and cheer them on when they no longer need me because their progression team vastly outgears me (instead of merely outgearing as may be the case right now ;) ).

And in the mean while, I’m going to start to do some instance runs with my 70 Hunter to gear her up better, while I continue to level up my pre-60 Rogue and Priest toons, running with friends/guildmates whenever possible but still PUGging it up for skill building and Friends list amplification ;)

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