01. Handbook

• 01. About Us
  Created on July 23, 2008, Chance is a World of Warcraft guild playing Alliance-side on Baelgun, a PvE server. We strive to be a relaxed, family-oriented,drama-free and stress-free guild. We would best be categorized as a "casual raiding guild"; many of us feel raiding is merely one aspect of the game.
  
  
• 02. Rank Structure
  Administration
  

  Together the council members and chancellor, hereafter known as "the council" share the administrative tasks of the guild. Though Chance has no formal democratic structure, the council will take the wishes of the members into account whenever possible.

  
  

  Ranks Detailed

  Chancellor

  The chancellor is the person in charge and oversees the guild. He casts the deciding vote and has veto power in any major decisions. The chancellor serves as long as he desires, and a successor will be named only when the chancellor decides to resign. The chancellor does not have any special rights or privileges, beyond those necessary to carrying out his duties. Blizzard does not give guild leaders the ability to limit their own access to the guild vault.

  
  

  Banker
  

  The banker is a unique rank reserved for the banking alt of one of the council. The banker is responsible for keeping the vault organised and for selling or disenchanting surplus or worthless items in the vault, at his discretion.
  

  
  

  Council
  

  The council are the primary stewards of the guild. They are responsible fo major guild decisions and carrying out the day-to-day administrative tasks. They may have secondary roles based on their individual strengths. Council members must be active on the forums. Council members may serve on the council as long as they desire and will only be removed from their position for grevious misconduct or inactivity. New council members are appointed by the chancellor with the approval of the guild. Serving on the council does not grant any special rights or privileges, beyond those necessary to carrying out their duties; their extra guild vault access is to remove items for guild members when their needs exceed their withdrawal limits. Council members will never receive special treatment. If anything, they will be held to a higher standard than the rest of the guild.

  
  

  Alt Council

  Alts of the council.
  

  
  

  Exalted
  

  Exalted is a special honorary rank reserved for those who have obtainted exalted reputation with Chance.

  
  

  Member
  

  The majority population of the guild.
  

  
  

  Alt Member

  Alts of members.
  

  
  

  Bad Puppy

  The penalty rank, a "time-out".
  

  
  

  Initiate
  

  The newest members of the guild. This is where we get to know you and you get to know us. The initiate period is approximately two weeks and can vary depending on the amount the initiate plays and how well we feel we have gotten to know them. No initiate will be promoted until they register and verify.
  

  
  

  All players are important to Chance, regardless their rank.

  
  

  This chart offers an overview of permission levels, by rank:

  
  

  	Initiate	Bad Puppy	Alt Member	Member	Exalted	Alt Council	Council	Banker	Chancellor
  Guildchat Listen
  Guildchat Speak
  Officerchat Listen
  Officerchat Speak
  Promote
  Demote
  Invite Member									;
  Remove Member
  Set GMotD
  Edit Public Notes
  View Officer Notes
  Edit Officer Notes
  Modify Guild Info
  Create Guild Event
  Gold Withdrawal								100	Unlimited
  Deposit
  Withdrawal, tabs 1-5				2	4		5	10	Unlimited
  Withdrawal, tab 6							2	10	Unlimited
  Applications forum

  
  
• 03. Recruiting and Applying
  All applicants must register on our website and complete an application. The entire guild decides on new applicants, please give us two days to reach a consensus.
  
  Friends and Family Disclaimer
  The council has the right to deny any applicant that we feel would not be a good fit for the guild despite their affiliation with our members. In other words, having a friend or family member in Chance does not guarantee entry into the guild.
  
  
• 04. Conduct
  We want to be known as a guild filed with good people and players. We place high value on honor and integrity; we expect you to treat your fellow players with respect, in game and out. Your conduct reflects upon the entire guild; any misconduct or disrespect of fellow players will not be tolerated.
  
  General Conduct
  The following are not tolerated and may result in disciplinary action, including removal from the guild:
  

  • Racism, sexism, bigotry or promotion of real life violence towards another person.
  • The use of slurs or derogatory comments based on race, color, creed, sex, or sexual identity. This includes any variation of the phrase, "That's gay".
  • Harassment of fellow players, whether in guild or not.
  • Linking meters in public channels, including say, party, raid, or guild chat.
  • Spamming.
  • Begging.
  • Being a jerk.
  • Being a "High Maintenance Member"; a member who requires an extraordinary amount of administrative time or resources.

  
  The following are not tolerated and will result in your immediate removal:
  

  • Applying to another guild. We consider an application to another guild to be an official resignation notice. Be aware that many guilds read each others' application forums and share information.
  • Threats will not be tolerated.
  • Unethical play. Those caught using exploits, hacking, ninja'ing, intentionally wiping a group, or otherwise playing unethically will be removed.

  
  The "No Drama" Clause
  We have a zero-tolerance policy for drama. In this context, "drama" is defined as a state, situation, or series of events causing unnecessary angst, irritability, disharmony, whining and arguing. All those participating in drama may face repercussions, be it a temporary suspension of guild participation privileges, loss of guild rank, or removal from the guild.
  
  Chat
  Please be sensitive to everyone and refrain from the following:
  

  • The use of profanity and R-rated material. This is a family guild. Please keep all communications rated PG.
  • Discussions on politics and religion. These two topics are extremely volatile and are best avoided.
  • Arguing in public. Most people do not want to be embroiled in arguments during their leisure time.

  
  Forums
  Our guild forums are information central for Chance. It is here we will post information we need to get out to the entire guild and is important you check the guild forums frequently to stay up to date. The forums also offer a sense of community and a place to kick back and discuss game and real life events, schedule and plan events, leave messages for one another, and have fun.
  
  While the council does monitor the posts, we will try to avoid censorship. Even heated discussions can bring change and results. It is a process of communication and issue resolution, and we respect that.
  
  While we welcome all players to post in our public forums, we would like to remind our members that guild issues and information need to remain in the member-only areas and to behave yourselves regardless of where you're posting. This includes outside forums.
  
  /gquitting
  We want you here. We aren't a stepping stone for you to gear up and move on to a hardcore progression guild. If you have issues that are keeping you from enjoying your time gaming with us, we strongly encourage you to discuss these with one of the council members to see if we can resolve them.
  
  If you choose to leave the guild, we ask that you talk to one of the council members. If we have already talked to you about resolving the issues to no avail, or if you just feel that this guild is not a good fit for you, we will wish you the best of luck and see you on your way. We would expect you to /gquit during your normal play times and let the guild know you are moving on; your fellow guild members may like the opportunity to say goodbye and add you to their friends list to keep in touch. We expect those leaving to take their alts with them.
  
  We aren't a revolving door, so please keep this in mind when you leave. If you have a Dorothy complex ("There's no place like home") and wish to come back to Chance, you will need to reapply to the guild. Everyone is reviewed on a case-by-case basis. However, in most cases you have a better chance of being struck by lightning than getting re-invited if you /gquit.
  
  
• 05. Inactivity
  Inactivity means that we have not heard from you and you have not recently logged in and played regularly. Logging in momentarily to reset your inactivity timer is not being active in the guild.
  
  Removal for inactivity
  

  • Initiates and bad puppies: 2 weeks
  • Members and council members: 1 month
  • Alts: 3 months, providing the main character is active

  
  If you need to take leave from the game for a period of more than one month, please let us know and we will make a note on your character and retain your place in the guild. If your leave is open ended or you have failed to return within two weeks of the return date stated we will consider you inactive.
  
  If you are removed for inactivity, you may reapply at any time and, depending on your status pre-inactivity and your reason for inactivity, you may be readmitted. However, readmittance is not guaranteed. If your alt is removed from the guild for inactivity, we can always add them back to the guild when you're ready to play them again.
  
  
• 06. Guild Vault
  All guild ranks are welcome to donate. To protect the vault, initiates, bad puppies and alts may not withdraw from the vault. Main characters are welcome to withdraw items for their guilded alts.
  
  Guild Property
  All items and gold in the guild vault are considered property of the guild. Should a member leave the guild or be removed, that member will not be reimbursed any donations they made to the guild vault. If a member donates an item to the vault, and would like to have it back at a later time, he or she may withdraw it.
  
  Items donated to the guild vault may be disenchanted or sold at the banker's discretion. Gold obtained from sales and donations will be retained by the guild vault for guild use.
  
  Withdrawals
  Withdrawal limits are detailed in the Rank Structure section of the handbook. Items withdrawn are to be used by the member. This means withdrawals should be class and level specific for one of your guilded characters. Any member found selling an item from the guild vault is subject to disciplinary action, which may include removal from the guild.
  
  Reciprocity is a good rule to follow in WoW and life.
  
  Loans
  Vested members level 20 and up may request loans from the guild vault, interest-free, if the funds are available. Loans may not exceed 50% of the total available gold in the guild vault. Loans for members between level 20 and level 69 may not exceed your level in gold (no more than 20 gold for a level 20 member, no more than 69 gold for a level 69 member). Loans for members between level 70 and level 80 may not exceed 1000g. Loans must be repaid to the guild vault within 30 days. Loans may be discussed by the council prior to approval. No loan requests will be considered while that player has an outstanding loan. Each member is limited to one loan per 30 days. To submit a request for a loan, contact the council.
  
  
• 07. Grouping and Raiding
  Unlike other guilds, we have no official groups, no official raids, no official loot system, no "core" raiders, and no required addons or third-party software. Anyone in the guild is free to make a group or raid, take whomever they choose, require the use of specific addons or third-party software, and distribute loot in whatever manner they decide.* If you want to group or raid, step up and lead. If you don't like how someone else is handling their groups or raids, step up and lead your own. You are responsible for your own happiness.
  
  * Loot must never be disenchanted if it would be used, and loot distribution must be imparial.
  
  It's purely optional, but we highly encourage anyone interested in leading a raid to create a Raid Charter and post it on the forums. The ideas and planning that go into creating a Raid Charter are beneficial to even the newest raid leader.
  
  
• 08. Changelog
  07/29/08: Handbook completed!

  
  

  10/15/08: Rank Structure: All ranks but Bad Puppy given the ability to create guild events (new in-game calendar function).

  
  

  10/24/08: Handbook moved off the forums for easier maintenance and editing.

  
  

  11/19/08: Updated the Required AddOns section.

  
  

  11/24/08: Handbook moved to the FAQ for easier maintenance and site simplification.

  
  

  01/02/09: The Handbook has been condensed. The following sections have all been merged into a single section, "Conduct":

  • 06. Conduct
  • 07. The "No Drama" Clause
  • 10. Guild Removal and /gquitting
  • 11. Guild Chat: Forums, In Game Channels and Voice

  
  

  01/17/09: The Loot Distribution section has been drastically shortened.

  
  

  01/25/09: The previous content of the Raiding section has been copied and pasted to its own page: Raid Charters, and the Raiding section has been completely re-written to be as clear and concise as possible.

  
  

  03/22/09: Removed the Required AddOns section.
  
  06/01/09: Removed the Crafting and Tradeskills section, and added the AddOns section.
  
  06/26/09: The Handbook has been drastically condensed.
  

  • The following sections have been merged into a single section, "About Us":
    • 01. Preface
    • 02. Guild Charter
  • The following sections have been merged into a single section, "Recruiting and Applying":
    • 04. Recruiting and Applying
    • 05. The "Friends and Family" Clause
  • The following sections have been merged into a single section, "Conduct":
    • 06. Conduct
    • 08. Inactivity
  • The following sections have been removed:
    
    • 07. Conflict Disputes
    • 10. Character Spec Philosophy
    • 11. Alternate Characters and Swapping Mains
    • 15. AddOns
  • The following sections have been merged into a single section, "Grouping and Raiding":
    • 12. Grouping
    • 13. Raiding
    • 14. Loot Distribution

02. About Chance

• 01. How long have you been together?
  Chance was formed on July 23, 2008, though many of us have played together in other guilds and games.
  
  
• 02. What's the atmosphere of Chance?
  Friendly, fun and casual.  We can be silly at times, and may tease each other.  We have numerous parents that play and ask everyone to keep all communications rated PG.  We don't use much, if any, l33t5p34k.  Everyone is encouraged to participate, whether they're a founding member or new, whether they're level 8 or level 80.
  
  
• 03. What's the average guild member like?
  There really is no "average" Chance member.  We have a variety of ages in the guild ranging from 5 to 50, though the majority are in their mid 20s to 30s.  We have many spouses and families.  We have a diverse membership comprised of a variety of sexual orientations, races, and cultures.
  
  
• 04. You run hardcore raids, right?
  Our primary goal is focused on fun and friendships above all else. Many of us enjoy raiding, but that is merely one aspect of the game and will never be Chance's raison d'être. We have a unique raiding structure, providing you the tools to form your own raids. If you want to create hardcore progression raids, you are welcome to do so.

  
  

  We would define "hardcore" as: raiding several nights a week, required attendance, talent spec control, and/or the only focus of the guild.

  
  

  Though we are not a hardcore raiding guild, we do expect that once someone commits to an event, they will treat it seriously by showing up on time and prepared (repaired, have consumables including flasks, potions, stat foods, oils or sharpening stones, ammo, etc).

  
  
• 05. What times do you raid?
  We do not have "official" raids as in other guilds where a single individual or a special committee dictates when the guild will raid and where all raiding efforts will be focused. Instead, our raids are formed by the guild members, and will take place whenever it's convenient to get the requisite number of people together. We hope to become large enough to field several raids at several times, for those who want to raid.  Again, raiding is not Chance's raison d'être.

  
  

  Currently, the majority of our raids take place around 6pm server. However, if someone wants to step up and lead a raid earlier or later, they are free to do so.
  
  
• 06. Why don't you have a raider rank?
  We strongly believe a raider rank creates unnecessary division in a guild by creating privileged members and second-class citizens.  We created the absolute minimum number of ranks necessary to function successfully, and see no need to create artificial stratifcations within the guild.  A raider rank is antithetical to the principles of Chance.
  
  
• 07. Why did you make this guild?
  Chance was formed as an alternative to the ubiquitous "raiding guild". We believe our unique structure will allow us to truly be the "casual guild that raids" which so many other guilds aspire to. Those who want to raid should be able to see that content and have fun doing so. We were tired of guilds telling friends and applicants, "We're full" or "You can join but you'll never be able to raid". We saw an opportunity, a chance, for a different kind of guild. A guild with a prospect, a chance, for stability, longevity, and success.
  
  
• 08. Your website is really cool! Can you make one for me?
  Thank you!  No.
  
  

03. Recruitment

• 01. What do you look for in guild members?
  We are an open guild that accepts members of all genders, creeds, colors, and orientations. Our guild chat policies favor tolerance and openness, and we do not tolerate bigoted conversation of any kind.

  
  

  We look for people who will fit our community environment. Our players are quick witted, and fun loving. For the most part we are very laid back. The majority of us are in our mid 20s to 30s and have families. We look for people who know their class and play it well, but more importantly we look for people who are pleasant to be around. We want to have fun and build lasting relationships.

  
  

  We look for guild members with some independence. While we are here to help you, we are not here to give you complete "freebies" without some investment in return. While we want to help you play the game, we also want you to enjoy the experience of levelling your character, learning a profession, learning how to grind for items or money, learning how to play the auction house, forming your own groups, etc.

  
  

  If you're looking to join a guild that will run you through every instance in the game while you do nothing but follow behind looting the corpses, we are not the guild for you. If you are looking to join a guild in which you expect to go on every dungeon run or raid, we are not the guild for you.

  
  
• 02. How can I join Chance?
  Complete an application.

  
  
• 03. Why do I have to fill out an application? Other guilds just spam trade chat and invite on the spot!
  Chance is not other guilds. We pride ourselves on being a community of relaxed, friendly, mature players. We want to see our ranks grow, but only in a manner in which we are able to minimize drama and maximize fun. Your application gives us time to check your character history to make sure you're not a guild hopper or guild vault ninja, and gives us a chance to read any posts you've made to the official forums. It also ensures that all our members know where the website is and how to use it. If you're not willing to take the time to answer a simple 20(ish) question application, we're probably not the guild for you; there are tons that will invite you "sight unseen" in trade chat.
  

   
• 04. How can I apply when there's no form for me to fill out?
  To apply, you must first register with WowStead and you must be logged in.

  
  
• 05. I applied and no one contacted me, why?
  The entire guild decides on new applicants, and we generally like to take two days to reach a consensus.
  
  
• 06. I applied and was rejected, why? Can I reapply?
  We turn people down for various reasons. It may simply be a feeling that you would not be a good match. Depending on the issue, we may ask you to reapply in the future. Not everyone who applies will be a good fit here but that does not mean you would not be an excellent addition to a different guild. We wish you the best in your travels in WoW.
  
  

04. Chance Reputation

• 01. Why don't you let the public see your guild quests?
  Our guild quests and guild reputation are unique to our guild, something that make us stand out from everyone else. A lot of time and thought went into our quests and rep system, and we don't want other people copying them. Feel free to borrow the idea, of course, but the implementation is up to you.

  
  
• 02. Isn't this just a cheap ploy to get people to participate and donate?
  Yes.  People enjoy it though, and it gives us the opportunity to recognise those who "donate" to the guild vault through the quests. It also allows us to give back to those who donate.

  
  
• 03. What happens to my reputation if I leave the guild and come back?
  The moment you leave the guild, you lose all previously gained reputation. Should you come back, you can of course start earning it as any other member.  However, you are not eligible to complete any one-time only quests you may have completed previously. One-time only quests are, of course, marked with ain the Quest Log.

  
  

05. Forums

• 01. I only see two forums, are there more?
  We have many more forums, but they are restricted to guild members only.  If you are a member, please make sure you've verified your membership by entering the guild password (look for a red "Notice" at the top of the website, click on it and enter the membership password which can be found in the Guild Information tab of the social panel in-game).  Once this is done you will have access to all the member-only areas.
  
  
• 02. How do I insert an image into a post?
  Click the insert image icon in the posting controls, as shown below.  Then enter the URL to the image and press the insert button!
  

  
  
  

  

  
  
• 03. How do I embed a video into a post?
  Click the insert embedded media icon in the posting controls, as shown below.  Then enter the URL to the video and press the insert button!  Note: a post requires some text.
  

  
  
  

  

  
  
• 04. I embedded a video into a post and it's not showing or it's showing this wierd string of code! What did I do wrong?
  This is a known problem with WowStead and some browsers.  To get around it, follow these directions.

  1. Click the Insert embedded media button in the posting controls. 
  2. Set the type to Flash
  3. Insert URL to the video in "File/URL"
  4. Set the dimensions to 425 X 344 and check "Contrain proportions" (this is a fail-safe as sometimes the video reverts to 100X100)
  5. Click the Insert button at the bottom
  6. Finish your post and uncheck "show smilies" at the bottom before posting

  
  

06. Gallery

• 01. How do I upload a picture to the image gallery?
  Only verified guild members and site administrators can upload to the gallery. If you're a guild member and you want to create your own album, first make sure you're logged in and selected on your verified guild member character.
  

  1. Go to the Gallery page
  2. Click "Member Albums"
  3. Click "Create My Member Gallery" or "Add Album"
  4. Choose a name for your album, your main character's name is convenient.
  5. Click "Upload Image"
  6. Give your picture a title, description and browse to the location of the file on your hard drive.

    
  This link may be helpful if you are still having trouble.
   
  

07. General Use

• 01. How do I get access to the guild's private sections?
  In order to get access to private forums and any other section of your guild site which is restricted to members only, you need to authenticate yourself.
  
  Look for a red "Notice" at the top of the website, click on it and enter the membership password which can be found in the Guild Information tab of the social panel in-game.  Once this is done you will have access to all the member-only areas.
  
  
• 02. Why haven't I been promoted beyond Initiate rank?
  Initiates remain Initiates until we get to know them and they get to know us. The initiate period is approximately 2 weeks and can vary depending on the amount the initiate plays or how well we feel we have gotten to know them. No initiate will be promoted until they register and verify.
  

08. Professions

• 01. How do I add my special recipes to my character profile?
  This is something everybody should do! By adding your special recipes, visitors of your guild site, or thousands of others, can search for a recipe and find your name. This can translate into more gold!
  
  To add a recipe to your profile, visit character management and view the Recipes tab.
  
  
• 02. Why are my profession skill levels outdated?
  While viewing your character profile page, click your character name anywhere it might be displayed and your skill levels will be automatically updated! A full roster update performed by a site administrator will also update professions.
  
  
• 03. Why can't I add some recipes to my profile?
  Some recipes, which are trained from your profession trainer, cannot be added to your profile. This is done because the recipe is available to all characters using that profession. In this case, the list of guildmates for the profession in question should be sufficient.
  
  

09. Roster

• 01. Why am I shown as the wrong level on the roster?
  The roster module updates every 24 hours from the Blizzard Armory. Sometimes guild roster details update slower than character profiles. Try viewing your character profile (click your name anywhere you see it displayed) to force a more recent update!
  
  
• 02. Why does my spec show as unknown and/or my professions are incorrect?
  The daily automatic updates to the roster only fetch basic details about guild members, such as names and ranks. In order for talents, professions, gear and more to update, a site administrator must perform a full forced update. Sometimes viewing the character's profile page can update these details as well.
  
  

10. Miscellaneous

• 01. Where does Chance stand on the issue of members being in different guilds?
  Chance discourages members from having characters in different guilds. We feel that being in more than one guild forces a member to split their playing time, loyalties and earned experience between their different guilds, to everyone's detriment. However, we recognize that there may be reasons why a member is part of more than one guild and so we have no rule against it. We do ask that you notify the council, on a voluntary basis, if you are a member of any other guild.

   
• 02. Why are the Banker and Chancellor always withdrawing gold from the guild vault?
  Gold may be withdrawn for a variety of reasons, including guild quest rewards, our guild loan program, or our Dividend Kicker Program.