Darkwind’s Blue Post by Shadram
Posted by 2020-09-16 in NewsHey Darkwind,
Changes have been a-comin’ in Darkwind. Bakey’s already began revamping our Discord to specialize more channels and give some dead channels new life. We’ve killed the bot-spammed self-promotion channel, rebirthing it as the new #creativity channel. Post your art/photoshops/screenshots/etc here. Promote your work; we’re here for it! Have a new earworm you’d like to share? Post in #music. Our Discord now dedicates a channel specifically to your pets: #paws-and-claws. We want to see more cute pictures of the floofers that enhance your lives. We’ve married the memes channel into #good-vibes. Keep sharing the good vibes, and a good meme is always welcome.
A few months ago, we asked for feedback about how Darkwind can improve. Our Elders wanted to share the major points of feedback with you, and what we’re doing to address these things in Shadowlands. Consider this our “blue post,” similar to what WoW Developers develop:
PVP (RBG’s?)
These requests started to feel meme-y, since they flooded in. Darkwind has struggled to maintain PvP organization in previous expansions, but we’re hopeful with the increased interest that this will not be the case for Shadowlands. Jonny is one of our newest officers for Shadowlands and will be overseeing the PvP Program. We’ve also revived the #pvp channel. If you’re interested in RBGs or general PvP organized events, he’ll be your contact person for this facet of Darkwind.
MYTHIC+
We’ve received inquiries about why M+ groups run regularly but seem exclusive. That’s the thing: in order to be successful in higher M+ keys, you need to start developing chemistry and consistency with a set team. We have heard the requests for those who have not found similar success with this. For Shadowlands, Byakuei is our Mythic+ Coordinator tasked in helping our members create teams, training leaders in how to bring their groups to success, & teaching routes and general tips for each Shadowland dungeon. He plans to host regular events for those who also want to try dungeons with ramping difficulty.
PERFORMANCE ASSISTANCE
A few people mentioned more accountability in raid situations, and Q&A sessions for people who want to get better at their class. On top of his other roles, Soranai is officially moving into a PvE Specialist role where he spends time assisting those who would like to improve, or connecting you with the right people & resources. Bloodshox is also always willing to review logs and give you detailed breakdowns of what you can do better. Darkwind promotes self-motivated activity & personal improvement; you still have to reach out if you’re looking for help!
EVENTS
The popular sentiment shared was that when Darkwind throws guild events, they are well-received. But there just aren’t enough of them, and raid events do not count. Midway through BfA, Darkwind moved in a direction of giving our members independence in hosting their own events and this will remain the structure for Shadowlands. If you want to host an event, put it up on the in-game calendar and advertise in #events. Our request is to try not to schedule events during Darkwind-sponsored events (anything ran by a Darkwind officer). If you need help with logistics or advice, reach out to Shadram. More coordinated ventures outside of Darkwind-sponsored events such as DnD/Raid/M+/PvP should be discussed and guided through those specific officers (Aredawg for DnD, Bloodshox for raids, Byakuei for M+, Jonny for PvP). Darkwind still will host its annual traditions, and our intention is to create more monthly guild-wide events during the downtime. Shadowlands launches during the holiday season; these first several months will be busy!
INCLUSION
The inclusion topic comes up regularly. It is our pleasure to introduce another new officer to the Recruitment & Onboarding Team, Graenah. Our recruitment team spends a lot of time creating initial touchpoints for new members, and points you in the direction of interests you may have in WoW. Our leadership team watches over our members and tries their best to be inclusive. However, inclusion is a two-way street. Simply put, “you get what you put in.” Darkwind has multiple avenues for you to get involved. Chat in /g or utilize Discord regularly. Post in the #meet-and-greet or connect with a guild officer if they oversee something you enjoy. Attend a Darkwind event! There is incredible potential for you to create lifelong friends here in Darkwind; you just have to spend the time fostering those connections.
Did you make it to the end? If so, I applaud you. Here’s a cookie! Our leadership team appreciates your dedication to our guild, and providing us feedback to continuously make Darkwind a better place. This is how we hope to do so. As always, if you ever have any feedback at any time, we have an open Feedback Form on our #welcome page, or reach out to a Darkwind Elder (Bakey, Bloodshox, Karensa, or Shadram).
Darkwind has become a home for so many of us and we’re approaching 12 years as a guild this coming February. As we move into Shadowlands, I hope you gain a recharged vigor in taking part in social and organized events, and continue finding ways to enjoy this game we all play together.
–Your Darkwind Elders
PC: Pepe of <Gnomeregan Forever>