Restarting Salvage

This is more than likely a temporary forum, just a place where I can write up all my ideas and point people to, so that I don't have to explain them time and time again to every individual I tap for this.

I ran Salvage before, with a good handful of friends. We stopped after awhile, due to various issues - one of them was a lack of organization that was driving me mad and sucking the enjoyment out of the event for me. I really love Salvage and want to do it again with people, but this time it needs to be run better. That falls on me, since I plan to lead this endeavor again, so I shall see it remedied. First of all, we need a linkshell this time. I'll run a crappy free forum for us and once we get a name for a LS, I'll set up an official forum. But I figured this would suffice for now. Secondly, we'll use that forum for coordination.

First up - how I want to run it. Salvage can be done with as few as 4-5 people, if their jobs are right and their skills high enough. That being said, it's my feeling that an active Salvage linkshell can do Salvage every night of the week if the demand and desire is there. It's my goal in this shell to cater to both more casual Salvage-goers, more AP-conscious Salvage goers, and hardcore Salvage-goers. I want to have 3-5 "officers" who are the shell pearlsacks. I'll ask some people about it and find people who want to help lead this - they will have full access to all my Salvage strategy and I need them to be willing to lead Salvage runs. I will teach any officers how to lead a run. But it is main goal to have at least 4 or 5 people in the shell who can lead a run. That's key - if Salvage hinges on my presence, it will be slow-going... after all, we all suffer burnout and sometimes RL interferes.

So I want 3-5 people who will lead with me and be capable of leading runs (after being taught to, if necessary). After that, I anticipate the shell being larger than the old group. The old group had 6-8 people in it and if too many people were absent, a run was impossible. This shell will be as big as there are people interested. HOWEVER - runs will be capped at 8 people. Which is also why I want multiple potential run leaders - so that if we get big enough and one night has more than 8 people wanting to run, we can set up multiple runs. This is very important. This way there should always be enough people around.

Jhed, I can hear you saying, that's absurd - how will you manage it? Well, there will be a forum for "Scheduling" or something along those lines. I'll open a topic for each day of the week there, with a signup list of people in the shell interested in doing Salvage that night. Provided there's someone to lead a run that night and enough interested people, there's no reason a run isn't possible then. Besides that, I'll setup 2 nights of "official" runs which I'll -definitely- lead (I'll lead more than that per week if there's interest). The "official" nights will be the nights where I'll hope for higher attendence and likely be nights we attempt boss kills or otherwise more difficult objectives. But this is easy - everyone can tag into the forum and simply sign on for any days they're available and wanting to do Salvage. If enough other people are interested and a leader is available to lead that day (they sign up too, just as anyone else does - there'll be a special LEADER slot in the sign-up template), a run happens. This is necessary because 2/wk is simply not enough for serious Salvage farming. In the 3 months we ran 2/wk before, we got 2 lv. 35 pieces. Those who want to do more Salvage than that need to have the opportunity for it, and it my hope that this system will allow those who want to run 4-5 times a week the possibility, and those who only want to run 1-2 a week the same possibility.

So - to recap - I'll want 3-5 officer/leaders able to lead runs. A forum will be setup to organize runs, where interested individuals will sign up on a topics that designate specific days.

Now, how will loot work. That's the question. Basically, it'll be an attendence-based points system. Attend a run, get a point. Everyone will choose a set to lot from when pieces drop that go freelot. We'll call that their "freelot set". After that, everyone will choose a PRIMARY PIECE to lot. This is the #1 piece they want from Salvage. Runs will aim to be organized towards farming the necessary 35s for people's primary pieces. Points will go mainly towards lotting 35s, since they are the least common piece. Once a person obtains a 35, they automatically become entitled to the corresponding 15 and 25 when it drops (because odds are we'll see 1 35 in the span of time we'll see 10+ of the corresponding 15 and 25). Points are spent on 35s only. If a 15 or 25 drop and no one has the 35 yet, everyone lotting that specific piece will have an equal chance to lot it. Point-based priority is only for 35s. Points, primary piece lots and freelot sets will all be posted in a forum that I will keep updated, at the least, weekly. This way other leaders who lead runs during a week can post in that thread whenever a drop is obtained or points spent. All points will be spent upon acquiring a 35. Honestly, though, I doubt this'll be a huge issue, since 35s are so rare anyway. But the more you show up, the more points you get and the more chances you get to see your piece. I will do my best to ensure that when the more casual members come, we go to a zone that pertains to their piece. On a sidenote, your freelot set and primary piece may be different sets if you so desire.

So to illustrate, let's say myself and Bob are lotting Ares Mask. I have 20 points, Bob has 12. We kill the right Chariot Megaboss and the 25 Mask drops. We both lot it freely, since neither of us have the 35. We go to Arrapago the next few runs and farm the guy that drops the 35 Mask. It drops. I get priority on it even if Bob won the 25, because it won't be a huge stretch to go back and kill said Chariot boss again. Let's say when we go back to said boss, Joe has come along too and he's lotting Ares Mask also. When the 25 drops, I get priority lot on virtue of possessing the 35 (ideally, the 15 will have been acquired along the way at some point, since it's a guaranteed drop from something). It is also expected that a person will be able to obtain their primary piece, should they get all 3 pieces, within at least 2 weeks of completing the armor set. Some of them are fairly high cost, so I don't want someone hoarding pieces for a year from now if someone else can afford it (and wants it) now. But of course, I understand if can take time to get that kind of gil together, hence the time window. Please select things you can afford - unmade completed sets do no one any good and honestly, even the cheaper pieces (hands/legs/feet) are fairly awesome.

Sound good? Okay. Like I said, all the lotting and point information will be kept public and somewhere all can see and updated - at the least - weekly.

The LS will be invite only to begin with, possibly forever. I'll tap some people in Howitzer, Windshire and FantasyInsanity to see who's interested there beyond those in the original group. If anyone else knows anyone interested, point them here. If anyone is interested in being an officer, please let me know. There's no specific run per week requirement in being an officer, you just need to be interested enough to want to learn how to lead runs and be willing to do so should the need/opportunity arise.

I will also maintain a member list which needs to include every person's available job. So please, interested parties need to let me know their 75s. Please let me know all, or any upcoming, but feel free to tell me what is off-limits or not geared. For example, "I'm a 75 DRK, BLM, THF, PLD, WHM. My WHM is off-limits and retired; my PLD is ungeared and I prefer not to use it. My THF is geared but I prefer only to use it if we really need it. DRK is preferred but I'll bring BLM if necessary." Stuff like that will help keep things organized and help leaders see if the people signing up for a run comprise the right job set to make one happen (a run of all DD and no healers would be bad, after all).

I think that's it. Suggestions and comments and stuff like that are very much welcome - this is a work in progress. I'd like to spend a week or two talking about it with people and seeing how much interest there is. People from the old group - if you know folks I don't who'd be interested, send them to me or send them here, I guess. Either way, so long as I can maintain a list. Also, LS name suggestions are welcome, I'll create a forum for it.

On that note: I'll make a forum for prospective members. Everyone interested please post there, your name, jobs at 75, which ones are available/preferred/etc, how many times/week you're interested, and if you want to be a leader (if you were part of the old group). Also, if people need an Assault group to get points for this, I think we can set up some groups within the shell. It's not hard to farm with 3 people and get some solid points going if needs be.

I'll also setup a forum for LS name suggestions, please post in the thread there.

Thanks all - looking forward to seeing this happen, I think we can do it. If you don't want to register here, since this is a totally temporary forum until we iron things out and get an LS name, feel free to POL message me or tell me in game your member info or LS name suggestions and I'll post 'em for ya.