Raiding Etiquette for EQ2 Raid Progression

Raids, no matter your level, are a big social undertaking. It takes a good leader to wrangle anywhere from 24-50+ players to achieve the common goal of defeating a boss. However, leaders can’t do much if their members are uncooperative or inefficient. When everybody works together well, that’s when everything becomes fun! After all, that’s the whole point of playing the game, right?

Whether you’re in a guild or a pick-up group (PuG), you’ll want everything to go smoothly. If you’re an effective raider, chances are you’re a desirable member. In turn, you’ll have more opportunities to further your EQ2 raid progression.

Here are some guidelines to raiding etiquette so you can be an effective raider. How can I be an effective raider and advance my EQ2 raid progression? Here are some questions you need to ask!

Do you really know your class?

This deals with knowing what your class can do, as well as when and where they can be most effective. It’s also dealing with the little decisions as you battle. When you’re a healer, who do you prioritize healing? As a DPS, where should you position yourself to be effective? When should you use your best skills?

Use your time leveling to understand your class before raiding. Practice in small groups to figure out your timing. Remember, a player who knows what their class can do (and do it well) is much better than a less experienced one with better gear.

Have you amply geared up?

You shouldn’t be under-geared for raids. Get the best equipment you can to the best of your ability, and try to get superior adorns for every slot. The bottom line is that you want to be able to survive to do what you need to do. You’re of no use if you keep on dying, so get your defense up to survive! The next question will also help in that regard.

Did you remember to stock up on supplies?

Sometimes, healers will be busy and won’t be able to heal you, or remove that pesky debuff on you. Do you wait around until they get free? No, you should have brought potions to deal with it yourself. That also goes for food and drink stat buffs as well as power and heal potions. Figure out the best ones beforehand and stock up on those. Ditto goes for curatives (at least one stack of each kind), even if you’re a healer.

Then there’s also ammunition for those classes that use them. Bring along a full quiver of the best ammo there is. Do so even if you’re tanking, so you can do some damage even when pulling. Bring enough to last you the entire raid!

Bonus: if you’re the generous sort, you can bring along a quiver to give to teammates who run out of ammo

For classes who use poisons, stocking up on those before the raid will help. Figure out the best poison to use on the enemies you’ll encounter. Befriend an alchemist (or be one) to get a steady supply.

Get resurrection signets from city merchants or your guild hall vendor. There might come a time when you’ll have to resurrect someone, especially your healer!

Get a ‘Call of the Tinkerer’. You might get lost in the raid, and this is an easy way to teleport to your group. Do it as a courtesy to the other members. They might not have enough time for you to figure out a way back to them.

Remember to use your manastones! They’re actually a good source of help when used correctly.

Have you made the necessary research about the raid?

While you or your group may have their own strategies to deal with the raid, it would be good for you to brush up on those as well. Plans rarely survive contact with the enemy, so adapting and changing those plans on the fly is a good skill to have. Besides, information regarding what you can expect while doing the raid is already valuable by itself. It will also let you figure out which are the most effective poisons/curatives/ammo to bring. EQ2 raid progression guides are good starting points.

Are you ready to communicate?

When you’re in the thick of a raid, it’s hard to type up things in the chat. Use a VOIP to make things easier for you. There are many applications and programs you can use for this. Remember that communication is two-way and you’ll need to listen as well instead of just talking.

Are you being polite?

It doesn’t cost much to be polite. In fact, it doesn’t cost anything! That goes beyond saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. When rolling for loot, make sure you absolutely need the gear for your current character or your alternate one. Be consistent with the class of your alternate character. Your team will figure out you’re just getting the gear to sell, and that doesn’t fly too well with some groups.

Is that all for my EQ2 raid progression?

Sometimes, guilds have their own rules on how to distribute loot or other more specific things. Read up your guild’s house rules or ask your leader if they have them. Then there are the basic rules such as ‘don’t loot while the battle is ongoing’, ‘tell someone you’re going to get shinies’, etc. Ask around or run with some PuGs to get a feel for those.

Looting is a bit of a serious business so don’t roll unless you absolutely need the item. Depending on the group, you can give back an item you mistakenly rolled for. Although, you should be prepared to get booted out without a chance to explain.

Experience is the best teacher for your EQ2 raid progression advancement. There are some things you can only learn outside of reading. Practice your etiquette and your class so you can be at the top of your game. Enjoy EverQuest 2!