I just finished my 3rd GKP run. I had to miss last week due to other commitments, so it was with eager anticipation that I logged onto my hunter 20 minutes before start time...
This was to be my third time in a GKP run - the first time I purchased a BoE necklace for 11k which I later sold for 14k. I've bid on a couple of other items but bottled when prices hit 10k. At the end of the run I walked away with little over 4k gold from the split - so overall made just over 7k. We cleared 4 bosses and had a good try at the council.
The following week I didnt bid on much (a bad DC when the tier token was being bid upon saw the end of that) and walked away with 2500g, four bosses were cleared and one of the ICC quests was completed. Rotface was attempted a few times and we almost dropped his ugly ass.
Last week I missed - but evidently they dropped the Council. I didnt discover this until this week - but this just piqued my interest even more - progression!
Following my mid week revelation of being discovered as the author of this post - I admit I have been even more up for todays run.
The raid started bang on time - and after 90 minutes saurfang was being carried off by daddy. We headed off to The Council and I'll admit the fight passed in a bit of a blur, my DPS sucked, I ended the fight looking at the ceiling but the orb didnt hit the floor once - so I must have done something right. One shoting the Council seems impressive to me.
We spent the next two hours dealing to Rotface and Festergut. Rotface (Grobbulus on steroids) seems s simple enough fight - but I understand it which helps (I must go and review The Council again this week). Alas we didn't quite get it coordinated - to Ugly Twin survived this week.
We went off to see Festergut after 6 or so tries on Rotface. My first time with this boss - but for my part it seemed simple enough (pew pew run to spore pew run back to position pew pew - rinse repeat). But 40 million is a big health pool and we didn't quite have the numbers to get the job done. I was happy enough though - my DPS for that las try put me mid table - and I was the 6th worst gear scored person in the raid.
Gear/Loot
Woot - actually made my first purchase to keep. I got 'Zod's Repating Longbow' for 6k! Thats less than half of what I nearly paid three weeks ago - its a HUGE upgrade and worth every copper.
I also bought two Ring's of Rotting Sinew - one for 7.6k (lol I overpaid I actually won it for 7.4k but forgot because we were mid gunship battle at the time) and the other was 7.2k. They sell on our server for 10k.
The cut at the end of the run was 3824g - so if I sell both rings I will have made 3k and got a awesome bow.
The Group
GKPs are funny things. If your reduce it down to its most basic form, its a core of talented geared players (many of whom are alt toons) running a part pug group through end game content for gold.
Pugs are a random lot at the best of times - there is saying on my server "When the going gets tough, the Pugs get going'. I can't count the number of times that your have pugs in a group and they bugger off at the first wipe. EoE 25 this week is a classic example - we started with 5 pugs - and when we downed it on the third time only one pug remained.
This has always made me despair at some players - the 'gimme gimme gimme' players who want everything 'NOW' and aren't willing to fail a few times to reach the joy point of succeeding.
GKPs are different though. If you leave GKP run you don't get a split of the final pot - so people don't leave.
The result is - you get progression. And you get to experience parts of the game you wouldn't otherwise get to see.
This was to be my third time in a GKP run - the first time I purchased a BoE necklace for 11k which I later sold for 14k. I've bid on a couple of other items but bottled when prices hit 10k. At the end of the run I walked away with little over 4k gold from the split - so overall made just over 7k. We cleared 4 bosses and had a good try at the council.
The following week I didnt bid on much (a bad DC when the tier token was being bid upon saw the end of that) and walked away with 2500g, four bosses were cleared and one of the ICC quests was completed. Rotface was attempted a few times and we almost dropped his ugly ass.
Last week I missed - but evidently they dropped the Council. I didnt discover this until this week - but this just piqued my interest even more - progression!
Following my mid week revelation of being discovered as the author of this post - I admit I have been even more up for todays run.
The raid started bang on time - and after 90 minutes saurfang was being carried off by daddy. We headed off to The Council and I'll admit the fight passed in a bit of a blur, my DPS sucked, I ended the fight looking at the ceiling but the orb didnt hit the floor once - so I must have done something right. One shoting the Council seems impressive to me.
We spent the next two hours dealing to Rotface and Festergut. Rotface (Grobbulus on steroids) seems s simple enough fight - but I understand it which helps (I must go and review The Council again this week). Alas we didn't quite get it coordinated - to Ugly Twin survived this week.
We went off to see Festergut after 6 or so tries on Rotface. My first time with this boss - but for my part it seemed simple enough (pew pew run to spore pew run back to position pew pew - rinse repeat). But 40 million is a big health pool and we didn't quite have the numbers to get the job done. I was happy enough though - my DPS for that las try put me mid table - and I was the 6th worst gear scored person in the raid.
Gear/Loot
Woot - actually made my first purchase to keep. I got 'Zod's Repating Longbow' for 6k! Thats less than half of what I nearly paid three weeks ago - its a HUGE upgrade and worth every copper.
I also bought two Ring's of Rotting Sinew - one for 7.6k (lol I overpaid I actually won it for 7.4k but forgot because we were mid gunship battle at the time) and the other was 7.2k. They sell on our server for 10k.
The cut at the end of the run was 3824g - so if I sell both rings I will have made 3k and got a awesome bow.
The Group
GKPs are funny things. If your reduce it down to its most basic form, its a core of talented geared players (many of whom are alt toons) running a part pug group through end game content for gold.
Pugs are a random lot at the best of times - there is saying on my server "When the going gets tough, the Pugs get going'. I can't count the number of times that your have pugs in a group and they bugger off at the first wipe. EoE 25 this week is a classic example - we started with 5 pugs - and when we downed it on the third time only one pug remained.
This has always made me despair at some players - the 'gimme gimme gimme' players who want everything 'NOW' and aren't willing to fail a few times to reach the joy point of succeeding.
GKPs are different though. If you leave GKP run you don't get a split of the final pot - so people don't leave.
The result is - you get progression. And you get to experience parts of the game you wouldn't otherwise get to see.
_________________________
OK taking a step back a mo - I'm in a casual raiding guild. As a guild we are 4 bosses down in ICC 10 and havent tried 25 man.
I'm one of the main tank heals in the guild - and my hunter is one of the top DPS. I thoroughly enjoy my guild - and love running with them.
I play my hunter better than I play my priest. On the hunter am a 'good' player - I can pump out the DPS - and regularly out DPS better geared players than myself. On my priest I can hold my own but find healing more difficult to coordinate with movement etc. But at the end of the day, I feel I am reasonable at WoW on my two level 80s. My specs are 'cookie cutter' everything is gemmed and enchanted, I put in the effort to be the best I can.
However I move with my arrow keys - but I don't keyboard turn - but I am not an 'uber' player. I would be booted from a raiding guild because I am not 'top 2% material'. I mean in a stand and shoot fight I am right up there - but in fights like 'The Council' today I stuggle with working out what exactly is happening straight away. I need to see a fight once or twice and then I get it.
My guild concentrates on 10 man content - and I love 10 man runs. However 25 mans are a different beasts entirely and I enjoy being part of them (I so regret not being around for 40 man raids).
Raiding Guilds generally dont take pugs - they are big enough not to need to - and if they do they have people they know who fill the gaps. Our guild's the same - but at a different level of raiding.
So to see 25 man end game content you have to pug. And pugs suck. I hate them with a passion because they usually disintergrate after the first wipe and you stand around for another 30 minutes waiting for spots to be filled. You drop a boss and you are screwed.
Take ToC 25 for example - I'm yet to see Anub in 25 man - they usually fall apart at the faction champs. A couple of wipes and people drop out and no one will come in with two bosses down - who can blame them.
GKP runs are therefore the perfect answer - because as I said - no one leaves.
Tonight we wiped on rotface six times - everytime we got closer. Next week his loot is ours. Festergut too quite possibly. And all because the lure of the pot of gold at the end of the run keeps everyone involved
This would not happen in a pug.
The Organisers
The guys who run the GKP runs have an interesting backstory - having moved the entire guild to my server in 2008. I have always found them courteous and patient, and seem to really enjoy these GKP runs. They obviously know each other well, and as we all know, what makes a good raid is players who already know each others habits - and their trust in each other is very obvious.
However they are willing to take others under their wings as well. There are many on the server who are idiots who wouldnt do this.
I don't know their motivation for the GKP runs - the gold, the gear, the variety - the list goes on. But they seem to enjoy themselves, whatever their motivation.
And remember - we dont pay them for the run - every person gets their fair cut - they aren't ripping anyone off here.
I look forward to next week - I enjoy running with everyone in these runs. I was briefly in a 'higher' raiding guild on my priest but left when asked to change from disc to holy spec. I found them standoffish, almost arrogant - but the GKP runs aren't.
More Conclusions
GKP runs are the pug runs you always dreamed off. No standing around filling spots, no people bailing at every wipe. And you get paid 1k an hour for running them to boot. I cannot advocate enough for these runs.
Throwing my business streak on top and you can easily earn 2k an hour if you are willing to invest and have decent auctioneer data.
One last point
Someone commented when I brought the first ring that 12k wasnt an accurate price for the sell price of the ring - because auctioneers weakness is that the market prices dont adjust for such big ticket items which have a low frequency but suddenly become more available as guilds gear up and delve deeper into ICC (and thus more trash epics get picked up).
In its standard set up this is true but by having the more detailed stats on view, with a decent knowledge of what the numbers show, you can pick through and ensure you don't get stung on your purchases.
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