Attendance requirements and raider ranks in Black Sheep work as follows:
Core Raider is the rank at which you were recruited for this guild. This is our equivalent of a full-time raider. In order to qualify for this rank you make 70% of our monthly raids (about 3 raids per week). Core raider ranks are at the top of the loot priority food chain. When an item goes up Core raiders get first dibs.
Support Raider is a secondary rank of raider created in Black Sheep to reflect the nature of our guild. We're busy working adults and everyone can have a "bad month" so to speak. This rank is for anyone who in the previous month made 50-70% of the raids. Because you were unable to make the raids you are now part of our "backup" raid force. You may raid as needed when you are available (those of an identical class at Core raider may have preference over you for a raid spot should there not be enough space in raid) but you will not have priority over Core raiders on loot, you will be last in line. The determination of both Core raider and Support raider ranks are determined month to month. So as a support raider if you show up and are available 70%+ of the raids over the course of the month, you will have earned your way back to Core raider the following month. It's not the intention of Black Sheep to have folks sitting at support raider status long-term unless arrangements are made with management, and with the understanding that should your schedule change and you are suddenly able to meet the demands of the Core raider status, it shall only be allowed should we have room for you to rejoin that roster.
How is Attendance Calculated?
You are expected to attend 70% of raids...so what exactly does that mean..how do we keep track?
You are counted as having attended any given nights raid if and only if you are present and/or available to raid during 75% of that raid night. Raid nights are either 3 or 4 hours. So this means that on a 3 hour raid night you need to be online for all but 45 mins of raid. 4 hour raid nights require a total 3 hour commitment. In order to make sure you are counted, if logging in late or needing to go early..make sure you convey to the attendance officer that you have just logged in, are about to log out, etc. While we use ACT login info to track specific attendance times if you left your character logged in for some reason this tracking method fails. Also keep in mind anyone late or leaving early will take huge dkp penalties to discourage such habits in general.
Where do recruits fit in?
For the purposes of loot priority, anyone at recruit status in Black Sheep will fall at the same priority level as Support Raiders. Anyone at Support raider status probably have accumulated more dkp than a recruit, therefore will likely take loot over a recruit should they really want it. Recruits earn dkp at the same rate as every raider in guild and by allowing them to get gear at a support raider rank we can get them loot during the recruit phase that may be badly needed and often times are not needed by Core raiders.
Excused Absences
Under the Black Sheep attendance policy we allow for certain "excused" absences that might otherwise jeopardize your rank of Core raider. Each month you are allowed one excused absence from your total attendance count for certain RL events. Valid excuses for missing raid include but are not limited to: Birthdays, Wedding, Child play/recital or other special events. Invalid reasons for excused absence include work (its assumed that your work schedule needs to fit well with our schedule in the first place). Prior notice either in private, via an in game mail or forum message to Arieva, or AFK post on our open forum will allow the date provided to be excused assuming the reason provided is deemed valid. Obviously a complete list of valid reasons is impossible to compile so it is at my (Arieva) discretion as to whether or not yours is!
Vacations often last more than one raid night and are one example of when more than 1 raid may be excused. It is assumed that the average person takes one vacation a year and for Black Sheep that is an acceptable reason to miss raid. Therefore vacation may be excused under the caveat that it is a rare event.
Medical emergency or other RL tragedy is another thing that sometimes can't be avoided and we don't believe in penalizing for it. Communication here is key. If we know whats happening in a bad situation we will do our best to work with you as far as membership and attendance goes. However realize that while RL always takes precedence to a game, the game keeps going and certain requirements have to be met. At some point should RL tragedy or medical emergency take you away from the game, we'll need for the good of the guild to find a replacement raider. This isn't because we don't empathize or care about your RL situation, but the game must go on so to speak.