Two Raid Groups

We have enough players signing up now - both in guild and our friends in iRaid signing up but under a different guild tag - to consider the move from one raid group to two raid groups imminently. This could be a period of change and tumultuous path forward, so let's ensure we maintain a high degree of communication and frank openness to avoid any smarted feelings or correct any misunderstandings.

We also should take this moment to recognize that we are exactly at that point early in an expansion where some players are ready to clear 4/6 bosses in 4 hours of raiding and some players are ready to clear 2/6 bosses in 4 hours. After 6 years of experience, we know that binding those two sets of players together only results in major issues and a subsequent return to one raid group as many depart.

To take these concerns head on, we are forming two raid groups effective immediately. To be very clear, this is not an 'A' team and a lesser 'B' team.

Nor are players being assigned to a specific roster.

Raiders will sign up for the raid group that specific week that they can both contribute to (it is way too early in the expansion for anyone to be carried) and that has the level of performance/attention to detail demands that they are interested in meeting that specific week.

Granted, players that have characters presently that it takes them 3 hours to clear one boss, should be signing up for the 2/6 bosses in 4 hours raid and not the 4/6 bosses in 4 hours raid. Obviously. Players that have characters that presently can clear 4/6 bosses in 4 hours can sign up for either raid depending on whether they want a more demanding raiding night or a more casual one.

Just because you are raiding one week in the 2/6 bosses raid group does not mean you won't be raiding in the 4/6 bosses raid group the following week.

Please use common sense and respect for others and sign up for the appropriate raid group. i.e. Don't sign up for the 4/6 boss kills in 4 hours raid group if you consistently have an active time under 90% and dps under 40k, or your healing throughput isn't quite there  yet, or your tanking gear and active mitigation reaction speed is still be learned -- all that does is hold back the other people from moving efficiently through the raid instance.

If we find we consistently have open spots in either raid group, we will recruit determinedly to fill those spots with new guild members. In the meantime, we will place friends and friends of friends as often as possible in those empty slots to maintain the reliability of the raiding groups.

I think we all know that not too far in the distance, everyone will have around the same gearing levels and experience with the fights at which point the two raid groups become a lot more 'at par' and it will be the case that both are "planning on clearing 5/6 or 6/6 in 4 hours" and so the question becomes, where do the new alts or new members go if they are only geared / performing to down 2/6? Most likely by then, we can carry 1-2 people. Or, we can start a 3rd raid group. Or, some of the mains will shift out for their alts to take their raid seat. It's a problem we have successfully navigated for over 6 years - let's not worry about that at this time.

Right now, we want to focus on making sure everyone gets a chance to raid each week if they so choose and that they get to experience all of the content that they can experience based on their gearing and personal performance. We very much want to avoid having 6-8 fun raiders sitting on the sidelines each week.

Hmm... now, what will we name these two raid groups ... hmm ... (Hint: taking suggestions and they have to in NO WAY even remotely infer that one is 'better' than the other.)