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Andeon
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re: Fellowship and Raid Leader training runs

I had a few hours to log into LOTRO today (work schedule gets a little more generous during the summer), and while chatting with people (mostly about how much I hate when people change systems on me), we talked about the need for leaders for fellowship groups, and how we had several people who would very much LIKE to lead instance groups, but don't feel comfortable doing so.

So, in the interests of helping to expand our population of group leaders, so we can provide even more group content for all our kinnies, friends and allies, at all times of the week, I'm willing to run a few "practice" sessions for those of you that might be interested in leading groups.

Now, because there are so many different concerns about what would make a "good" group leader, I'm going to try and keep the curriculum focused around a few basic principles.

1 - Many people don't feel comfortable leading an instance until they *know* the instance. While an excellent thing to be concerned about, taking potential group leaders through every instance, while fun, would be very, very time consuming. Especially because one time often isn't enough to really lock it down.

So, while I will happily lead people on a few of the key and popular instances during our training, learning the specific instance is going to be slightly less important, than learning the principles of understanding ANY instance, adapting to new situations, and approaching the unknown with at least a basic plan and the confidence to adjust, fail, retry with better plans, all as part of the procedure of LEARNING an instance.

2 - I'll also go over some of the more advanced strategies in managing a group. Knowing which classes to look for certain support from. Knowing some of the really vital skills that each class can use to help out the party. Teaching people how to choose targets for mezzes, and not break them, and so on...

3 - I'll spend a good deal of time going over the basic design principles of most of the top-tier instances. The kinds of tools bosses have at their disposal. The kinds of adds that get summoned. How to track health bars, how to move your group around environmental dangers while keeping them from scattering like a barrelfull of cats.

4 - I may, if we have the time, go over some of the basic build principles for characters and classes. Traits, trait-lines, virtues, gear. I'm not familiar with everything, but KNOWING that a captain CAN tank build for a tank line, and knowing what his limitations will be like when he does, learning how to substitute a hunter if you haven't got any "proper" tanks, etc...

I'll be happy to add more items to the curriculum if people can think of things I've missed or overlooked. These runs STILL won't really be HARDCORE in any sense - but they will cover more advanced tactics and principles - still, even if you're relatively inexperienced, if you're willing to lead people and just need the skills, come join us - I'll be happy to add whatever I can, because trust me, we need people with *willingness* to lead far more than we need the actual skills right now. The skills you can pick up in time - the willingness we can use as soon as you can bring it.

hope to see anyone join us - I'll make this my priority over the next couple of weeks. I'm not available THIS saturday, but starting with this Sunday's SNS, and late nights throughout the week, and next weekend, if you have a time that would be best for you, pipe up in here, and I'll try to form up a team and we'll see what we can manage. Otherwise, maybe I'll just take the 2 or 3 of us, open up a skirmish, and chatter on about what I know while we kill some orcs, or spiders, or bandits, or whatevers...


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featherfur
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re: Fellowship and Raid Leader training runs

I hope I get to attend some of these!

I have a commitment this Sunday at 5:30p servertime, so no SNS for me this week. I am often on late at night, though.


Class comprehension:

complete: Runekeeper
competent: Hunter, Minstrel
challenged: Loremaster
clueless: Guardian, Burglar, Champion, Captain, Warden


Last edited by featherfur on 2013/08/10 12:11 pm; edited 1 time in total


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Nevanna
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re: Fellowship and Raid Leader training runs

A list of some instances I know fairly well, but it has been a long time since I've done any grouping:
School
Library
Sword Halls
Warg Pens
Halls of Crafting
Fil Gashan
Great Barrows
Garth Agarwen
Vile Maw (I've participated many times, yet not sure I could lead (just yet)
Rift (I've participated many times, yet not sure I could lead (just yet)


The following I would need to do a run thru once to remember everything in order to lead:
Barad Gularan
Carn Dum
Urugarth (I may remember all of this one)
Forges of Moria
Grand Stair
Sixteenth Hall


The following I have done a couple/few times, but have not enough clues to lead:
Annuminas (all)
Fornost (all)
Dark Delving
Skumfil



These I have done never or only once:
Dar Nagarbud
Dungeons of Dol Guldur
Sammath Gul
Lost Temple
Sari Suma
Northcotton Farms
Stoneheight
Draigoch
Fangorns Edge
Foundry
Pits of Isengard
Tower of Orthanc
Roots of Fangorn
Ost Dunhoth
Flight to the Lonely Mountain
Battle for Erebor
Fires of Smaug
Bells of Dale

Also, class skills I know about and don't know about:
classes that I have lots of experience with: Warden, Minstrel, Burglar, Hunter
classes I have a little experience with: Champion, Captain
classes I have no experience with: Guardian, Loremaster, Runekeeper

and by 'experience with' I mean classes I have played...not classes I have grouped with.


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Lindorieh
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re: Fellowship and Raid Leader training runs

I volunteer! I enjoy grouping but I am a bit hampered by my lack of knowledge...

Sunday Night Siege is usually a good time for me. I can make a weekday night if I know to plan ahead of time.

Lindorieh


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CGriffin
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re: Fellowship and Raid Leader training runs

featherfur wrote:
Class comprehension:

complete: Runekeeper
competent: Hunter, Minstrel
challenged: Loremaster
clueless: Guardian, Burglar, Champion, Captain, Warden



I like that format!

Class comprehension:

complete: Warden
competent: Hunter, Runekeeper
challenged: Captain, Guardian
clueless: Burglar, Champion, LM, Minstrel


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Bellcari
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re: Great Idea

I'd like to do this, also. My biggest issue is lack of 'knowing' the instances.

Class comprehension:
competent: LM, Hunter
challenged: Minstrel, Warden, Guardian
clueless: everything else

I am happy to lead lower level runs (GB, GA, GS etc) but would appreciate a run through to kind of get ready.

Looking forward to this.

Bel
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re: Fellowship and Raid Leader training runs

I too am interested...

competent: Burglar.
challenged: Minstrel, Loremaster, Hunter.
almost clueless: Guardian (level-17).
completely clueless: everyone else


I wonder if it would help to do various lower-level runs to 1) learn how to lead an instance, and 2) learn how to play "challenged/clueless" characters better in a group setting? Of course, learning two things at one time may not be such a great idea, so maybe the new-leader plays a character they are totally familiar with (even if vastly overleveled) so they don't have to think about that part of what they are doing, while the others play chars they aren't as familiar with?


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Nevanna
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re: Fellowship and Raid Leader training runs

I am all for all of us leader-wannabees going into instances vastly overleveled and together to

1. relearn/memorize the instances.
2. get a good feel for being a leader.
3. Trade useful class information.

I can play every evening from 4/5pm until 10/11pm central time. All day and night on weekends.


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Andeon
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re: Fellowship and Raid Leader training runs

we had, I'd like to say, a pretty good night this sunday, with a very enthusiastic nascent leaders group that fought there way through an unexpectedly difficult Sammath Gul (there have been some boss changes, especially to urchir)

one of the things that came up, was that we have some lower level people that would like to lead groups, but are limited both by their inherent level, and would like some grouping/leading experience first.

so, THIS sunday, I'm going to plan around leading a lvl 20ish group leader introductory run. I'll try and cover a lot of the basics like I did last week, but I'll also try to include several of the things people have been asking about now, like learning more about how classes interact, useful class skills, how classes advance, and so forth

I hope people will be patient with these introductory training sessions. Putting together a *curriculum* for this particular training has been...challenging. There are lots of very specific things to cover, like class abilities and boss tactics, and lots of fuzzier topics to cover, like confidence and keeping people on task and problem solving skills and so forth, and I'm still sorting out the best ways to transmit these ideas

but so far, people have been very enthusiastic, and very supportive, which I greatly appreciate! thank you all

so, people that want to *continue* their training, or people that would like to start, this sunday, I'm going to start at the very beginning (it's a very good place to start), and run a great barrow fellowship group at the low level range - time to dust off your alts!

and we'll try round two of group leadership training

I *may* also be on this saturday, willing to lead another group of would be leaders - my saturdays are kinda hit and miss, and I'll have chores to do, early or late, but I'll see about logging in around 5pm server time (that's EST), and see if there are people around that would like to participate - if not, I may actually get some hytbold questing done :) or maybe I'll just do more laundry. oh, and grocery shopping - I need more triscuits.

and dew - lots and lots of dew.


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featherfur
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re: Fellowship and Raid Leader training runs

hm. what if we have no alts near that level?


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Andeon
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re: Fellowship and Raid Leader training runs

featherfur wrote:
hm. what if we have no alts near that level?


well, to be fair, it's only tuesday after all. Plenty of time to build a character and take them to 20 :)

but, seriously, of course I'll tailor the final run depending on who's there, available, and willing, and work my way out from there

sadly, there probably won't be a day where *someone* doesn't get left out - there are just soooo many variable that have to be juggled when trying to get a group together - but I'll do my best to accommodate the largest number with the strongest interest


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