Competition for Gear

I consistently see groups searching desperately for a component to their raid- a tank, a healer, sometimes even a dps. And yet, when they receive pm's from geared and experienced players, the raid leader turns them down and continues to spam trade chat. When this first happened to me, I was baffled. A nearly full raid that is sitting around, ready but not able to begin because the raid leader is refusing to bring along one or more people who are biting at the bit to go.

It seems a waste to me. Common sense states that the longer a group is actively not full and not raiding, the more likely it is that people will leave. But then again, common sense never was that common.

I finally uncovered the reason behind a raid leader holding up a group of people. One would think, maybe we need a super specific class for a certain buff or ability- a shammy's bloodlust, a mage's spellsteal, something along those lines. Something that would benefit the group as a whole and increase the likelihood of a successful group. Something like that is certainly an acceptable reason to turn down offers that don't fit the needs of the group.

Unfortunately, more and more often, encounters with the phenomenon of turning down ready and willing pugers has nothing to do with benefiting the group- the reason is *much* more selfish.

Raid leaders are refusing to invite people who will compete against them or their butt buddies for gear.

......

I'll say that again.

Raid leaders are refusing to invite people who will compete against them or their butt buddies for gear. Granted, it is nice to have evolved beyond raid leaders simply inventing an excuse to place everything shiny in their inventory and suddenly, inexplicably, developing an issue maintaining a connection.  However, keeping a group waiting and waiting. and waiting. and waiting so that one person can have everything they want essentially reserved? It's not only wasting time of 9 or 24 other people, but it's also exceptionally greedy and entitled.

While it is beyond annoying being turned down for groups because I was deemed a threat to loot, I have been on the other end of the spectrum as well. I have been in a group that was held up for an incredibly long time while the raid leader looked for another tank. After a while of observing the raid leader spam for another tank and observing a paladin tank spamming for a group for the dungeon I'm in, I asked the raid leader why he wasn't grabbing the guy in  trade. He told me that he wasn't sure if I would be "ok" with it. I'll have you know that I squared him away, we grabbed the other pally tank and blasted through the run, with me and the other pally rolling on gear and neither of us getting hurt feelings when we were out-rolled.

Regardless.

This practice that has come about is, in my opinion, no more than a combination of reserving items and ninjalogging. The raid leader has essentially reserved "their" items, but without telling anybody else in the recruiting pool or group that it is reserved. But because there is nobody else in the group to ninja it from, they're saved the inconvenience of having to log out of the game after their first piece of free loot that they get without having to roll against anyone else. A group with a raid leader who does this is simply put- carrying them, whether they can hold their own or not.A raid formed with the purpose of gearing up a single person is a group that is carrying said person. And, wether they say it or not, nobody actually likes to carry anyone else. Especially in a pug.

So. Raid leaders. Form your pug. Get the people you need and don't be such a sissy. If you just *have* to have a specific piece of shiny purple gear, don't block out the competition just reserve the item. You'll form the group faster and won't have to turn down so many people. Besides, a little competition is good for you. It makes actually winning the gear more wowgasmic.