Casual Raiding and Deliberate Learning (2015)

I like the idea of deliberate learning! I also really like the idea of focusing on how to maximize the amount of learning you do, and choosing when to strategically focus on that. So this is really cool general advice, and honestly the feedback that is outlined really could apply to any raiding guild, whether casual or not. Or also just, you know, people. Any people. It's good advice.

I had to set aside the framing device of a raiding guild, though, because the way it's used isn't realistic. It seems to me there's an assumption that learning is happening in a closed system, where learning can only happen through experimentation. That's not how MMORPGs work--people share experiences all the time, both inside and outside the game. People also raid outside of their own guild, which means that raid attempts can include people who've done this before, and can essentially help your guild by talking you through how it's done in-game.

So, in the general case, any attempt at learning within some reasonably closed system in which no learning can happen outside of experimentation, and when experiments are limited in quantity, certainly _must_ try to maximize what you can learn for every experiment. But casual raiding guilds do not fall into that category.

Ehh. It's a nice sentiment, but from my experience "casual" guilds fail at progression because they're carrying a lot of people who don't really care all that much. Usually theres no choice in the matter either for the guild, since you have to go with who you have available. They just perceive the responsibility and requirements differently from a "hardcore" player. They don't want a second job, or a second manager.

If you're not in a world-first-kill level guild, then it's pretty standard to expect people to watch videos on how the fight goes before any attempts are made. Feedback for failure is usually pretty punitive because more is expected of you.

I'm replacing "raiders" with "engineers" and using this to draw up some team codes of conduct:

> Receiving Feedback: Receiving feedback gracefully is a learned skill, so let's learn! To do this, raiders should...

> - Assume the person giving feedback is well-intentioned even if their feedback feels like an attack.

> - Hold off responding to any feedback until it's been given, even if you're feeling attacked.

> - If you feel attacked, it's worth acknowledging, but never in a way that assumes bad intent.