I. ABOUT NATURAL ORDER

1.1 We are a Casual Guild

We are a casual guild, not a raid guild. This just means that our first priority is to have fun in a fun environment. If you wish to join us you are not required to raid a certain number of nights a week, or be a certain level. All are welcome, as long as they're willing to follow the rules, and have fun.

1.2 We are a Serious Guild

While this is a game, we take it seriously.  We expect people to treat the guild as if it were analogous to say a club soccer team you were on in real life.  This isn't a solo game, it's a group game. We're here for fun, but treat each other with respect, and play to win. If all you do is log on and solo quest, this is easy to follow. If you wish to raid, then it's important to respect people's time, and take the game seriously.

1.3 We are NOT a Raiding Guild

While we raid, frequently, we are not a raid guild. We do not have set teams. We do not have set requirements. Anyone who has an interest in raiding will have opportunities to raid.  Nobody is required to raid a certain number of nights a week, and will not be punished for not raiding. It's just a part of the game, and if you want to participate, we want to help you participate.

1.4 We are NOT a Roleplaying Guild

We do not role-play. Our guild chat is real world. Generally we use our character names or main character names, rather than our real world names. This stems back from the origination of the guild as a Roleplaying Guild, but we are no longer one. If you wish to use your real world name, let people know, however we will for the most part be going by your main characters name. If you are interested in joining a roleplaying guild, ours is not the place.

II. PRIMARY RULES

2.1 Don't be a Jerk

If you're a jerk, you won't last. We're a group of people here to enjoy a game together, not act as your punching bag or therapy session. We're looking for people who want a fun and positive environment (that doesn't mean we don't talk about gross things though. We just do it politely).  We expect our members to be civil and accommodating and considerate and respectful. We're a community and we like to think of ourselves as more than just pixels on a screen, but a group of online friends. Treat your guild members as if they were your real life friends (unless you treat your real life friends like shit). Calling people out on their skill level, or lack thereof is not tolerated. We also have a strict harassment policy.

2.2 An Open and Welcoming Guild

We welcome people of any race, sex, gender, sexual orientation, or anything else that you feel is worthy of defining yourself as, and hence we have a zero tolerance policy for racial, homophobic, or similar hate speech, even on a jokey ground (other than anti-Belgian stuff). Plenty of things to make fun of each other for, no need to poke fun at what we can't change.

2.3 Real Life Comes First.

If you have to leave an instance or raid suddenly because the baby is crying, or if you can't help someone out on Thursday because you have a hockey game, then that's more than cool.  We don't want people putting game before real life. However at the same time, see rule 1. If you know in advance you can't make a raid that you signed up for, let someone know.

2.4 Treat Us Like People

If you're not scheduled for anything, then do what you want. However if you sign up for something, treat it like you've signed up to play with us in real life, and that we're counting on you. If 10 people sign up for a raid, and you don't show up, then 9 people may have changed their schedules to play that night, and you disrespected their time. This is a game, and we're here to have fun, but when we do things that are group activities, you are expected to respect each others times. Treat it like you would a club sport team in real life. If you sign up to play on Tuesday with your soccer club, and Tuesday afternoon a hot girl asks YOU out, then by all means go for it, just let us know first you won't be making it that night. If you parents show up at your doorstep to surprise you for a visit the night before, and they're staying all week, then nothing you can do about it, just let us know. At the same time though, if it's 20 minutes before game time, and you're planning on playing in the soccer game, and your friend comes over and asks you to play X-Box, and you bail without a word, leaving us at the field with a man down, and either having to play the game a man short, or trying to find someone else at the last minute to play for you, then what kind of teammate or friend are you? Real life comes first but treat us like people too. If you think this is idiotic and "it's just a game" then don't bother applying. We all have busy schedules, and not all of us can do whatever we want whenever we want, and scheduling things is sometimes the only way we can guarantee we do stuff. If you can't respect that, then this isn't the place for you.

2.5 Zero Drama

This one is a little subjective. Basically, we're sick of recruiting people into the guild who cause drama. We don't want drama in the guild. We like having a friendly atmosphere, and we find that there are certain people that no matter whether we like them or not, just cause drama and unpleasantness. More often than not those that do so aren't even aware that they do it. Some people are just drama magnets. They thrive on it, and unconsciously create it in everything they do, so they don't understand that it's not normal. We're not going to put up with it anymore. Will there be disputes and arguments? Of course. We just expect people to handle legitimate disputes maturely, and not in guild chat. If there is a problem that can't be resolved directly between two guild members, escalate it to an Elder. If the Elder can't adjudicate the dispute, or they are involved, elevate it to a Loremaster, and if they are involved elevate it to the Guild Master. If you piss off the Guild Master you must be loco, but then talk to a Loremaster about it. If you elevate it to the Guild Master before it's gone through the Elders and Loremasters, you're causing drama. If an Elder talks to you about something, your behavior, a dispute, whatever. Assume that even if they don't say so, that they've been delegated to talk to you about it and the matter has been discussed in the officer channel. We give warnings to people who we feel are causing drama, and you're free to take them to heart and change your ways, or leave the guild, because if we've talked to you, and you don't change your ways, you're probably going to get kicked from the guild sooner rather than later.

2.6 Age 18 and Over

Currently we're only accepting members 18 years or older.  We're not making a judgement based on the maturity of players as individuals. We know that a 16 year old is perfectly capable of leading a raid, or tactically controlling an Arathi Basin in a pre-made, or laughing about Mung in Mumble. Sometimes far better than anyone over the age of 18. The problem is that we do talk about Mung. Or weird scientific terms for cephalopod penises. Or have sexual innuendo about leather and spankings. We don't need a parent coming on Mumble and yelling at us. We don't need Chris Hansen showing up at our door. We don't need someone complaining about their child's experience in the game because of our guild and getting our accounts banned because we talked about Mung or something and some prissy parent gets annoyed. You might have the coolest parents in the world, but we don't know that, and we just can't take someone's word for it.

III The Important Number

The important number to Natural Order is  e. What? Did you think the most important number for us would be a rational one?

IV RAIDING

3.1 Raiding Schedule

We raid regularly, with generally at least 2 nights of guild/progression raiding every week, and an additional 2 nights of secondary/alt group raiding. Sometimes it's current content, sometimes 1 tier down. On the other 3 nights, sometimes we have raids go, for raid weeklies, or old content, or we have nothing scheduled.

3.2 WOW - 25 Man versus 10 Man content

If it's very important to you to be progressing through all 25 man content, this probably isn't the place for you. Sure we're going to run 25 man content, but we can't guarantee we'll do it every week. It all depends on who can go on certain days. We WANT to see all the content, and we will see all 10 man content, but 25 man content all depends on our members and who shows up on certain nights.
 

3.3 Signing Up for Raiding

If you're a new guild member, and want to raid with us, be sure to sign up in the appropriate thread in the raid organization forum if there is one, as well as checking the in game calendar, and responding to any invites there. If you don't sign up for a raid, you pretty much won't go.

3.4 Scheduling Raiding

If you see free nights within 7 days of the current day, and want to schedule a raid, and you are high enough rank to do so, please schedule and lead one. We like it when people take the initiative for their own fun. Just try not to step on the toes of otherwise scheduled raids, and don't get pissed if you don't fill the raid up. Also don't schedule a raid more than 1 week in advance without speaking with the Guild Raid Leader or Guild master.
 

3.5 Taking It Seriously

That said, when we do raid we take it seriously. We like people to show up on time, not afk out for extended periods, or to just drop out with no warning. Real life happens, and comes first, but regular disrespect for other people's time will probably result in that person being invited to fewer raids and instances. We pride ourselves in being good players who help each other to be better and improve ourselves as individual players and a team as a whole, and pound by pound we're proud of our skills.....we just want to keep the basis of the whole thing relaxed and casual as far as scheduling goes, yet maintain a semblance of order as well.

3.6 Participation is Up To You

If you don't sign up for raids, don't read up on raids, don't participate in our forums, don't sign up for gearing raids, don't run heroics with people in the guild, etc, then don't be surprised if you don't ever go on anything. If you want to raid, and feel like you're not getting to go, talk to an Elder about it. We want to get everyone raiding that possibly can, and usually we can work something out.

3.7 Raid Rules

3.7.1 Be Ready At Start Time

Be at, or ready to be summoned to, the instance at the raid start time. If you're not online at the raid start time you will get bumped for someone else, if there is a replacement available. If you show up a minute late and we've already added someone to the raid, but haven't started the raid yet, it doesn't matter. You've lost your spot. If you sign up, be on time. (If you know you're going to be 5 minutes late and can communicate that via text or something to someone else, we can hold a spot for you. Just try not to have it be a regular occurrence)

3.7.2 Stow Your Pets

Raids can be computer intensive for some players, so be respectful of this.  Please leave the vanity pets stowed. We like fun stuff like fireworks, the dancing statues, the disco ball, etc, but these are things obviously for pauses in play, not during active combat.

3.7.3 Eliminate Spam

Eliminate macro and raid spam. Please do not post the dps numbers in raid or guild chat, unless it's specifically requested. If you want to show someone your dps, post it in a whisper to them. Please do not use addons that spam loot roll results or anything that isn't your specific role in the raid. Turn off spell macros you may have created etc. The only macro texts that will be allowed are those directly connected with a boss mod, or boss fight.

3.7.4 Use Voice Chat

Be on Mumble, and be able to hear Mumble. Being on Mumble does no good if you can't hear anything. If the voices are too quiet, there are ways you can amplify the voice via Mumble directly, just ask someone. The whole point is to have better communication in fights and out of fights. You don't have to talk, but you have be able to hear. Mumble information is available online in the guild information tab, or you can ask and someone can tell you. Have Mumble working BEFORE the raid starts. I recommend installing it and getting it working the instant you sign up for a raid, well before the raid start time.

3.7.5 Pay Attention to Loot

Pay attention to the loot. When the loot is linked, if it's something you might want, but are unsure, say something in Mumble, or better still post in raid chat, that you're checking if you want to roll.....That way we know you're looking at the numbers. If you want it do a /roll on it. If you don't, type in pass.  Non-response will be taken as an automatic no, and the loot will be sent to someone else, or disenchanted. We want to speed up loot distribution and we can't see you if you're checking things out, so let us know if you might want something, and let us know if you don't want it. Otherwise you won't get it, and we'll loot it out fairly fast.

3.7.6 Be Self-Sufficient

Bring your own flasks, potions/elixirs, food & water to the raid.  We can't always guarantee that we'll have a mage available for a refreshment table, nor is it fair to always rely on someone else to keep the pantry stocked.  9 times out of 10, raids are posted several days in advance, so you have plenty of time to farm/beg/AH what you need.

3.7.7 WOW - Raiding Addons

These add-ons are not optional!  If you are not running them, the raid leader may, at his/her discretion, remove you from the raid group.

Omen3 - Managing threat is a "skill". The Blizzard threat aspect is nowhere near as good as Omen. Get it. Don't pull aggro from a tank!

Bigwigs  or DeadlyBossMods - Boss Timers and whatnot help keep the raid alive.  Either one will do, different people prefer different ones. The Guild generally prefers DBM.

Mumble - You are required to be in Mumble, though we're not going to require people speak (unless you are leading the raid). Once you are a member we have instructions on how to set it up in our member section.

EPGPLootmaster - Helps speed up looting with the EPGP system.

3.8 WOW - Raid Loot Rules

3.8.1 Don't be a Douche Re: Loot

Don't be a douche...follow the rules, but don't stick to them like they're the code of fucking Hammurabi. Try and help your guild members. If you're competing in a roll against someone wearing a blue or green, and you have a slightly side-grade item, but this one has a couple more stamina so you'll roll on it....that's douchey. If it's a side-grade/minor upgrade it's a good idea to mention the fact and see if it's a bigger upgrade for someone else, and if so, let them have it.  If you've already gotten something from a boss that drops multiple items, let someone else have a crack, k?

3.8.2 Master Looter

All looting is at the discretion of the Master Looter...They are the final decision maker. If you took 45 seconds to /roll, or you're a rogue rolling on lawlcloth robes, or the item is barely an upgrade for you, but would mean alot more to another character, or any other reason, it's at their discretion to loot the item as they see fit. Note that if you are the Master Looter and are looting everything to yourself, or purposely not letting a specific person have any loot, then you're in violation of Rule 0.

3.8.3 EP/GP Loot System

The EP/GP Loot System is now in use.  All loot will be handed out on a priority-basis, based on raid attendance/participation (Effort Points - EP) and the gear you have already been awarded (Gear Points - GP).  Your priority score is the quotient of the two numbers (EP divided by GP).  This system puts more raiding gear into the hands of those who raid more often without completely shutting out "occasional raiders" like traditional DKP systems do.  Conversely, it has mechanics built it to deter point hoarding, but still attempts to reward consistent raiders who have crap luck with drops.

3.9.4 BOE Epics

Please read the BOE Epic Loot Policy.

V WOW - Guild Bank

4.1 Community Property

Everything you place in the guild bank becomes community property. That is, if you put something there, anyone can then use it. It is not overflow for your stuff. If you need room, make a bank alt of your own. It is for items that may be usefull and/or valuable to our members. Do not get bitchy if someone takes something from the guild bank to use because you were planning on using it. First come first serve.

4.2 No Vendoring

If you take things from the guild bank, you cannot vendor them or place them on the AH. The items in the guild bank are NOT there for you to take and sell to increase your epic flight form fund. They are also not there for grinding purposes, unless with permission from Officers. No taking stacks of soulcloth out to grind your skill making crap items, etc, unless you get an ok.

4.3 For All Ranks

Even if you don't have bank privileges just ask an elder for an item and they can obtain it for you. The Elder Tab is just a bit of a control on the most valuable items so new people we're not sure of yet can't just steal and vendor them. If you're with us and ask for it though, you can probably have it. Certain items at certain times may be placed on restriction by elders for regular raiders, or crafters, etc. If you borrow a special material that is obtainable such as Primordial Saronite in Wrath of the Lich King, then any you borrow you must be repaid plus 20% rounded up. For instance if you borrow 10 Saronite, then you must repay 12 Saronite to the guild bank.

4.4 Gold Donations

Gold donations to the guild bank are accepted but not required.

4.5 No Repairs

Do not use the Repair from Guild Bank option, if it's available to you, unless you are a tank, and just mounted a huge repair bill to help your guild. Tanks when needing help repairing will get special dispensation to repair from the guild bank.

4.6 Gold Borrowing

If you need to borrow gold from the guild, talk to an elder. Gold that is borrowed, must be re-paid on a set schedule, with interest. Whether or not gold is lent depends on how long the guild member has been in the guild, and what the money is for. If you've been in the guild 2 days and want to borrow 10k to fund your Mammoth, then you will NOT be lent money. If you've been in the guild six months, and need 1k gold to help buy epic flying on your new alt, then likely you will be. It's a case by case basis, with no set rules. Any gold borrowed must be repaid PLUS 20%. For instance if you borrow 1k gold, you must repay the guild bank 1200 gold.

VI HARASSMENT POLICY

5.1 General Policy

If anyone feels the victim of harassment because of another player in the guild please see the Harassment post for our process. Harassment of any kind between guild members is unacceptable.

VII APPLICATION

6.1 Trick Question

On the guild introduction, there is a question asking who is the President of the United States. This is a trick question to make sure you've at least glanced all the way through these Rules. The answer for this question should not be the actual name of the President of the United States. Instead answer with the name of your brand of toothpaste. If you don't use toothpaste, then mention that, and explain why anyone would want to be in the same room with you.