Update 4.4.2016

  Hullo, my name is Tidesroyale aka Tides, GM of Jealous Sky. I am returning to the game after a hiatus of about six months or so. Many of you reading this are probably new recruits and have been directed to this blog either by an officer in guild or by the guild message of the day. Please refer to the post just below this one, Questions for Jealous Sky New Recruits. In it you can find out a bit more about what we are looking for in new guild members and what we hope to achieve as a guild.

  Also, I should mention that though I'm originally from San Diego, California, I have been living and teaching English in South Korea for two years now. I plan to go back home to the US at some point but for now, I will be here for at least one more year. Due to the significant time zone difference, the majority of you may only see me over the weekends during raid nights. The only time you'd be able to catch me online during the weekdays is if you stay up super late. If you have any questions and I am not available, feel free to send me snail mail in-game or ask any of the officers that are online: Karacticus.

  I am still recruiting for our raid team, and I have scheduled our first raid for Friday 15th (or for you all, 16th? sorry, the time zone difference is misleading). I did schedule a potential one for Saturday of this coming week but it's not set in stone as I still need time to recruit at least several more guildies. Also, I had real life plans already set beforehand so I won't be able to raid Friday night of this next week. I and the other officers will keep you posted.

  If you have any like-minded friends interested in joining our guild, feel free to invite them. Although, it is my responsibility to maintain a guild that is mature, respectful and family friendly as well as one that doesn't harbor elitists so if you do have friends that may not fit in our setting, I ask that you don't invite them just to save us all the trouble.

 That being said, I'm a very friendly person and I'd hate to end this post on a serious note. If you are ready to raid (have the gear and know the boss intel) please be sure to sign up for our raids in the guild calendar. The times will always be the same (Fridays and Saturdays, 7:30 to 10:30 PM Pacifice/Server time) unless there's a holiday or something comes up. I look forward to raiding with you all! 

Call me Tides! GM of Jealous Sky

Questions for Jealous Sky New Recruits

With the new Legion expansion a few months away, World of Warcraft is starting to see a significant increase in returning players. Many like you are looking for a new guild to call home and are looking for a group of mature, family friendly, amicable people to raid with on a regular basis. Enter Jealous Sky. Due to the unbearably long absence of new content in WoW until the pre-release of Legion expansion, much of the guildies have left the game to play other games or focus on real life obligations. However, now that Legion is around the corner, the guild is ready to get back into raiding regularly.

Here with us today, we have Tidesroyale, GM of Jealous Sky, to tell us what they are looking for in potential recruits for the guild Jealous Sky.

Can you tell me a bit about Jealous Sky?

Sure. Jealous Sky started raiding ever since the end of the Wrath of the Lich King. Since then, we have raided every expansion to date. We have been on a few servers and even played on Horde side for a year before moving to our current server, Proudmoore. We have done Highmaul, Blackrock Foundry and the first half of Hellfire Citadel (current raid tier) before much of the guild took a hiatus. After taking a break, we are now ready to rebuild our guild and raid team.

What size guild are you aiming to be, and what raid difficulty would you like to be engaged in?

In my experience, small and medium-sized guilds have always been favorable. Despite the smallness factor, there's more room for camaraderie and really getting to know the people you raid with. Back in Cataclysm we had three 10-man raid teams and in Mists of Pandaria we had two 10-man raid teams raiding regularly at the same time. It was a lot of work managing multiple teams, but it was really a great experience seeing the uniqueness of each team. I think going forward, having at most two 10-man raid teams (and or one mythic) would be a favorable size.

As for raid difficulty, I foresee our guild definitely raiding heroic mode raids. At some point, I'd like for us to get into mythics, but in all honesty the 20-man limit can potentially bring a lot of stress or arguments and before we get to that point I'd like to at least get a solid raid team or two set up and make sure that all our raiders are at a point where we not only enjoy raids with each other but more importantly we enjoy each others' company.

What are your raid times, and how strict are you on attendance?

We raid Fridays and Saturdays from 7:30 to 10:30 PM server time (Pacific Standard Time). As for attendance, if you are joining the guild as a committed raider, we would appreciate it if you were able to make most raids. If you have a real life obligation that doesn't allow you to make certain raid days/times, or if you must miss a raid for any reason, just let myself or an officer (Altocumulus rank and above) know.


What are you looking for in a recruit?


I'll start out by telling you what we're NOT looking for. That way, I can make it clear upfront what we don't want in our guild. We do not wish to take up arms with people who have an elitist mentality. What I mean are people who:

• insist there is only one way to down a raid boss
• nag fellow raiders and insist that they choose X talent
• rage after wipes in a raid
• try to control the raid

The reason why we don't harbor elitists in our guild is essentially because we want a guild of members that help one another and are willing to either teach raid strategies or skills to both new or returning players or learn these together as a team. Everyone was a newbie player in WoW before, and no one appreciates being treated like an idiot or being disrespected. We are looking for members that are able and willing to build each other up, encourage each other and help foster camaraderie in the guild rather than put others down. Elitists, in my experience, are generally selfish and like to flaunt their knowledge or shove their opinions down others' throats. They are impatient and unwilling to contribute to a raid team or guild in ways other than trying to outperform others in a raid, which to me, isn't much of a contribution.

Now I'll tell you about the qualities in a raider that we think set them apart from others and make them truly shine in a raiding guild:

• respect for others
• maturity
• amicable and sociable either in ventrilo or guild chat
• makes an effort to learn how to effectively play their class
• invests time in researching boss guides
• makes an effort to optimize their character (enchants, gems, flasks, pots, etc.)
• commitment to raid times (reserve raiders exempt) 
• patience

Could you tell us about your raiding philosophy?

We want to provide an environment where everyone feels welcome and we want the raiding experience to be an enjoyable one, not one in which you feel nervous and are prone to getting yelled at for making a mistake. We want to have fun whether we're downing a boss or dying alongside your comrades. Overall, we want the raiding experience to be a creative team-building experience and a rewarding, learning experience. 

There are two WoW terms I'd like to discuss that although are very embedded in WoW raiding guild vocabulary, are two words I would like to not apply to our guild, and it is for the meanings that the majority of WoW raiders derive from them:

1) casual ~ Most WoW raiders think this term refers to guilds who want to have more fun and not properly execute raid strategies just because they don't have absurd four-hour long raids that spans four days a week. I like to say that although we don't harbor elitists in our guild, we still do expect everyone on our raid team to always try their best, to constantly challenge themselves while at the same time keeping in line with an atmosphere in which the true reward is the joy of defeating a boss as a team, not the loot.

2) core ~ Yes, we are building a "core" team, but I do not agree with this word. Instead of recruiting for core slots, we recruit for committed slots. When someone sees the word "core slot," they think of a slot on an elite team that outperforms, outshines, and gets treated better than "casual" or reserve raiders in the guild. In our guild, just because your real life work and family obligations don't allow you to commit to our Friday and Saturday 7:30 to 10:30 PM server raid times, we don't think you should be treated any less. Everyone that makes a contribution to the guild (whether through daily questing, trade materials, feast, flask, etc. donations, dungeon runs, guild chat conversations, etc.) is valued in the guild. 

Jealous Sky. Could you tell us the meaning behind the guild name?

Absolutely. It's two words from an old Sting song, Fields of Gold. The name––like the song––is a very sad and intimate one.  Beauty through melancholy.  Most see the word "jealous" for its negative connotations.  The way it is used in the lyrics of Sting's song and in our guild name is much different.  There are many ways of interpreting Sting's song and by all means, the song isn't the only reason I chose the guild name but it sure was an inspiration.  The sun can be seen as jealous because he is the most prominent being in the sky and the manner in which he rules the skies is what makes the sky jealous and out of this jealousy we get a beautiful skyscape. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, jealous can be defined as:

Zealous or solicitous for the preservation or well-being of something possessed or esteemed; vigilant or careful in guarding

Please refer to this older post, Jealous Sky for more info. 

What time zone are you from?

Though I'm originally from San Diego, California, I have been living and teaching English in South Korea for two years now. I plan to go back home to the US at some point but for now, I will be here for at least one more year. Due to the significant time zone difference, the majority of you may only see me over the weekends during raid nights. The only time you'd be able to catch me online during the weekdays is if you stay up super late. If you have any questions and I am not available, feel free to send me snail mail in-game or ask any of the officers that are online: Karacticus.

Thanks for the chat. Are there any final thoughts you'd like to share with future guild recruits of Jealous Sky?

"Offer me your sword and spells, and I shall bring you victory.  Offer your companionship, and I shall give you loyalty.  Offer your service, and together we shall gain honour. We are Jealous Sky."

Jealous Sky Recruits for Highmaul Raiding and Beyond

Now that the latest expansion for World of Warcraft has been out for a few months, throngs of adventurers are relieved to have finally hit max level 100 only to find themselves with the grueling task of finding a group of mature, amicable people to raid with on a regular basis. Here with us today, we have Tidesroyale, GM of Jealous Sky. They are rebuilding their raid team after taking a break at the end of the expansion last. Tidesroyale tells us what they are looking for in potential recruits for the guild Jealous Sky.

Can you tell me a bit about Jealous Sky?

Hullo, everyone. Jealous Sky started raiding ever since the end of The Wrath of the Lich King. Come Mists of Pandaria, we started raiding late due to faction changing from Horde to Alliance and server transferred from Kil'jaeden to Proudmoore. We have cleared everything in Flex mode and as for normal mode, we have all downed Garrosh, but as a guild only group we have cleared Thok and all bosses prior. After taking a break at the end of Mists, we are now ready to rebuild our guild after losing the majority of our raid team to other games such as Diablo and Destiny, or to real life priorities. 

What are you looking for in a recruit?

I'll start out by telling you what we're NOT looking for. That way, I can make it clear upfront what we don't want in our guild. We do not wish to take up arms with people who have an elitist mentality. What I mean are people who:

• insist there is only one way to down a raid boss
• nag fellow raiders and insist that they choose X talent
• rage after a few wipes in a raid
• try to control the raid

Now I'll tell you about the qualities in a raider that we think set them apart from others and make them truly shine in a raiding guild:

• respect for others
• maturity
• amicable and sociable either in ventrilo or guild chat
• makes an effort to learn how to effectively play their class
• invests time in researching boss guides
• makes an effort to optimize their character (enchants, gems, flasks, pots, etc.)
• commitment to raid times (reserve raiders exempt) 
• patience

Could you tell us about your raiding philosophy?

We want to provide an environment where everyone feels welcome and we want the raiding experience to be an enjoyable one, not one in which you feel nervous and are prone to getting yelled at for making a mistake. We want to have fun whether we're downing a boss or dying alongside your comrades. Overall, we want the raiding experience to be a creative team-building experience and a rewarding, learning experience. 

There are two WoW terms I'd like to discuss that although are very embedded in WoW raiding guild vocabulary, are two words I would like to not apply to our guild, and it is for the meanings that the majority of WoW raiders derive from them:

1) casual ~ Most WoW raiders think this term refers to guilds who want to have more fun and not properly execute raid strategies just because they don't have absurd four-hour long raids that spans four days a week. I like to say that although we don't harbor elitists in our guild, we still do expect everyone on our raid team to always try their best, to constantly challenge themselves while at the same time keeping in line with an atmosphere in which the true reward is the joy of defeating a boss as a team, not the loot.

2) core ~ Yes, we are building a "core" team, but I do not agree with this word. Instead of recruiting for core slots, we recruit for committed slots. When someone sees the word "core slot," they think of a slot on an elite team that outperforms, outshines, and gets treated better than "casual" or reserve raiders in the guild. In our guild, just because your real life work and family obligations don't allow you to commit to our Friday and Saturday 7:30 to 10:30 PM server raid times, we don't think you should be treated any less. Everyone that makes a contribution to the guild (whether through daily questing, trade materials, feast, flask, etc. donations, dungeon runs, guild chat conversations, etc.) is valued in the guild.

Thanks for the chat. Are there any final thoughts you'd like to share with future guild recruits of Jealous Sky?

"Offer me your sword and spells, and I shall bring you victory.  Offer your companionship, and I shall give you loyalty.  Offer your service, and together we shall gain honour. We are Jealous Sky."

 

Announcements 19 January 2014

Tides is back! After a two week hiatus, Tides is just about settled into his new flat in Korea. He plans to teach English in Korea for at least one year. Everyone be sure to thank Kira for doing a wonderful job tanking in Tides' stead.

New Officer

If some of you are just returning as well, you'll notice that we've a new officer, Alexisfire (Justin). From now on, if anyone will be missing a raid, be sure to give either Tides, Hidytwo or Alexisfire a heads up via in-game post or your offenses to our three-strike policy will be tallied. Remember, the three-strike attendance policy does not apply to our reserve/backup team members.

Loyalty Rank Ups

Just recently, we have ranked Belldandee, Florenceftw, Kira and Bizaha up to Altocumulus rank. Congratulations! This is our loyalty rank, and you will receive higher guild repairs and the ability to withdraw from our Raid Lunchbox tab in the Guild Keep. This rank is reserved for JSkies that have been consistent with raid attendance for quite some time and are active members in our community.

You are also able to invite people into guild. Please keep in mind that we do have an alt rule in which no one can bring alts into guild unless they have been raiding with us for at least a month.

Thok the Bloodthirsty First Flex Mode Kill

Good on ya! Such great efforts, everyone. Next kill shot let's aim to be more neat so we can see everyone's faces and names clearly!

"Let's make Jurassic Park our bitch!" ~ Alexisfire

Galakras Issues

So far we have shown great improvement in our deeps and in stunning the Bonecrushers and interrupting the Tidal Shamans. However, here are a couple of things we need to work on which will ensure our first Galakras Normal Mode Kill:

• People are still dying to Warlord Thranok's Crusher's Call as well as the tower bosses' Arcing Smash and Muzzle Spray. Please be sure to move out of these dust clouds ASAP!
• Our heals are still very low. It may just be a gear issue but most of us should be well over item level 540 by now so please set aside some time to read up on your class. Make sure you cover all bases, such as stat priorities, gems, enchants, rotation, etc. Keep an eye on Recount, we cannot rely on just one healer to carry the others. We do not want to turn away raiders, especially if they have been loyal and consistent so the only option we have is to make sure everyone is fully optimal and understands their class well.

Town Hall Meet Notes 3 January 2014

Oi, JSkies. Tides has requested an audience with all our raiders in an end-of-the-month meet. This post is mainly for new recruits that have just joined our guild recently and missed out on a mandatory meet for our raiders. Should you have any questions after reading this post, please contact Hidytwo or Alexisfire.

I. Tides' Absence
  A. Our guild and raid leader will be moving to Korea this Saturday and may not have internet set up for over two weeks, worst case scenario, a whole month.
  B. For more detail on why the Korea move, refer to previous blog post.
  C. A new officer, to be revealed tomorrow.
  D. Kira has been chosen to tank alongside Ken in Tides' stead. Show him all your support!

II. Progression
  A.  Where we stand ~ Flex: Wings I, II, & first boss in III. Normal: First four bosses.
  B.  Hindrances to progression and how to counter
    a.  cycling through bad spell of new recruits who say they can commit to raid schedule yet the majority of them we've yet to see join us for a single raid even after being in guild for over two weeks
    b. Attendance
      1. heaps too many no sign-ups, no-shows, no heads-up written letters delivered to officers via in-game mailbox, last minute heads-ups, leaving raid early
      2. too many people not ready at raid start, often doing battle grounds, instances or LFR
      3. Tides only recruits people that say they can commit to raid schedule, so most anyone removed from guild it is due to their not honouring their commitments
     4. if you are still unsure on our attendance policy or raid schedule, refer to Jealous Sky rules post.
    c. Not optimal
      1. must be able to pull at least 120K+ deeps for flex raids, 130K+ for normal
      2. must not be struggling to keep up with heals
      3. some people just simply don't meet gear requirements (refer to our Jealous Sky raiding requirements post.)
      4. boss intel, know them before coming in to raid night

III. Not honoring other commitments
  A. If you are not geared for normal raids and you are working on alts, you are doing a major disservice to your teammates. You are holding us back because we could be progressing if you could bring your main character up to normal mode raid standards instead of us waiting on you to gear your main for normal.
  B. Often I see people signing up only for normal raid modes and not flex modes. By committing to our raid teams you must be there for both normal and flex raid nights. What are you telling your team mates when you show that you are not willing to help out on flex nights but normal nights you are eager to sign up? We are a team-building raid group. If you are in here just to pick up loot for yourself and don't give a damn about your team mates, this is not the guild for you. I'll understand if occasionally, you'll have to miss a flex raid night with the guild and pug into flex raids on your own, but if I see you doing this habitually, you will be removed from guild. Everyone committed to our raid schedule, so stick with it unless real life gets in the way sometimes.
  C. Tides does not recruit people if they cannot commit to our raid schedule or if they cannot agree to being apart of a friendly, mature, respectful and team-building atmosphere. We want everyone to feel welcome. Those of you who agree to help preserve this raid atmosphere and are showing otherwise (through whining, nagging, etc.), you are dampening our atmosphere and have failed to honor your commitment.

IV. Closing
  A. Ken mentioned that we are here to help you with what we can when it comes to enchants, gems, rotations, etc. All you need to do is ask an officer. Of course, if we see you constantly asking for stuff and you are not even participating in guild activities or not raiding with us even though you meet gear requirements, we will ask you to contribute effort into the guild first. You're either a team player or a selfish person.
  B. "Despite the overall negative/scolding tone of tonight's town hall meet, I really am a nice person. I am confident in saying that this is an awesome guild to learn raids with, merely join us for raids to find out for yourself." ~ Tides. The purpose of this town hall meet was to resolve issues that are holding the guild back from progression.
  C. Although we will most likely have to fall back to 10-M normal tomorrow since we don't have enough for 25-M normal, do still sign up and show up if you meet gear requirements for normal mode. Yes, we do give priority to early sign-ups and people who can actually pull the deeps or sustain the heals, but there is always the chance that someone does not show up. This is the case for every raid night, there may be a chance for you to join even if you just joined guild and weren't able to sign up in time.
  E. For those of you raiding with us tomorrow, be sure to be on time as Tides will have us do a quick team-building activity.
  F. Thank you for showing up to our town hall meet. We look forward to raiding with you! 

Announcements 30 December 2013

Mandatory Town Hall Meet

Venue: Dragonblight, Northrend
Date: 2 January 2014 (3 Jan. 2014 for our AU/SK guildies)
Time: 8:30 PM server time (Pacific Standard Time)
Notes: Must join ventrilo, no mic required

This will be an end of the month town hall meet in which we discuss raiding with our guild. All levels are welcome and raiders especially are expected to be there. If you cannot make the meet, you must give Tides or Hidytwo a heads up via in-game post, or you will be barred from raiding with the guild. Those of you who cannot make this meet must be able to meet with any of our officers in ventrilo at a later time.

3 January 2013 Raid

For those of you raiding with us this night, please be on time because we will be doing a quick team-building exercise just before the raid.

Tides' Move to Korea

Tides will be moving to South Korea to teach English at a private academy for a year. This coming Friday may be his last raid with the guild for a couple weeks, because a foreigner in Korea cannot get internet set up at home (or open a bank account or purchase a mobile phone) unless one obtains an alien registration card. This process usually takes up to two weeks but worst case scenario it may take a month. Tides' flight to Korea is scheduled this coming Saturday.

Tides' UI 2013 old and new

Tides' UI 2013 old server

Tides' UI 2013 current