Congrats to our newest Peacekeeper, Iolo'pax!

[Iolo'pax]

The application submitted by Iolo'pax is as follows:

Quote:

***Please look over this >>>> thread <<<< before starting your application.*** Before we get started, did you read the "How to Join PR thread" (linked above), and do you understand our application/Trial system? (It is mandatory to do so to be accepted!): Yes Age?: 39 Gender: Male Where are you from?: Elgin, IL What is your main character's in-game name?: Iolo'pax Which is the AC for your main character?: Guardian What level is your main character at this time?: 60 What interests and activities do you enjoy spending your time on both in and out of game?: In game, I like to experience the story, and all of the settings that they take place in. I go through spurts of exploring and achievement hunting. I enjoy flashpoints, but have never done any HM or difficult OPs. I ususally spend my time in PVP/GSF warzone queue or group finder. Outside the game, my primary passion is playing ice hockey. I love being outside as well and usually do a fair share of bicycling. How did you hear about Pax Republica?: Saw players online and SWTOR Forums What was it about Pax Republica that encouraged you to sign up with us, rather than with another guild?: Well you are the first guild I have ever tried to join in any MMO I have played. I wanted to join a guild that has active members in all facets of the game. On almost every night I play I have seen at least one Pax Republica player doing what I was doing. I lurked for awhile on the website, and I am hoping to join a group of mature and respectful players. Do you consider yourself a hardcore player, casual player, or somewhere in-between?: Somewhere in between. I go through spurts depending on things have gone both in and outside the game. Are you currently a member of any SWTOR Republic guild? You can not join us if you're in another Republic guild.: No Have you ever been kicked from a guild for poor conduct, unruly behavior, or inactivity?: I have never been in a guild, but I have never been booted from a group. Which of the following interests you most?: PvE Which of the following interests you second most?: PvP Which of the following interests you third most?: Exploring When you've been in a guild a long time, do you usually stay a regular member, or do you end up in/aspire to be in a leadership position?: Regular Member The following questions are to provide you with a quick insight regarding the trial requirements. Do you acknowledge that activity is key to our community and that failure to contribute to the community(every week unless on leave of absence) could result in possible removal from the guild?: Yes Do you promise to act with maturity, friendliness and courtesy towards all Pax Republica Members... and other SWTOR players?: Yes Do you acknowledge that you must complete all the trial requirements given to you by the Pax Republica Officers to become a full member?: Yes True or False: You will re-visit the forums often over the next two weeks as you go through the Trials.: True Is there anything else you would like to include as to why we should accept you as an applicant to Pax Republica?: I dunno if I can sell myself on this. I really don't know what to expect being my first guild application and all. I will say that I have never quit a PvP/GSF Match no matter how bad we were getting smoked. I have never quit after getting wiped in flashpoints as long as the group was willing to try again (even when it was well past bedtime). I just recently helped someone from a GF pug that needed was going through the Shroud quest. After we arrived, the Mission wouldn't let me do it with him and I told him I solo'd it. It took like an hour for him to beat it but I stayed in the group and stayed at the entrance, chatting him through what he needed to do, and even cheering him on through chat when he was fighting stuff. That ate up all the time I had to play that night, but seeing him type 'I DID IT!!!' as he beat the boss made it a better night for me than any decoration drop I have had to date. Are there any questions about the guild you would like answered?: Well, I know Teamspeak is heavily used, and I have used it before a couple of times, but I tend to be quiet and private with strangers. Once I know you, I probably won't shut up. I am nervous that I am gonna be 'weirded out' by a voice interview from someone I don't know. I am more comfortable over chat/text. I know part of the application process is to go through missions using teamspeak, I am just hoping you all will be patient as I warm to the waters. (oh and I hope you don't hold bad typing against me hehe) Once again to ensure you know how things work: "I read the "How to Join PR thread" (linked above), and I understand Pax's application/Trial system, activity rules, etc.": True

[Nwahs]

Hello!  Thanks for the application!

Sounds like we are the kind of guild for you.  As far as the interview goes, I can see how that can be a little intimidating.  I assure you it is not meant to be anything too awkward or difficult.  The goal is to just talk one on one with people that are trying to join to make sure they are normal, that they will fit in, that they can carry a conversation.  You don't have to do that part until towards the end of a two week trial period if you don't want. 

 

I think otherwise we'll be what you're looking for!  

[Iolo'pax]

I hope so. Lurking around on the site...Seems like good folks reside here  :) Lots of activity too !!

[Swishiest]

Welcome to your trial process for Pax Republica! Let's get started:

During this welcoming period you will have 14 days to complete some tasks that will acclimate you into the guild and help you decide if we are the right guild for you!

Then, there will be three days for guild members to vote on whether or not they believe you should be allowed to join.  Virtually no one gets voted no... usually by then someone that doesn't fit in has already been asked to end their trials.

(If you need your Trial to be extended a couple of days due to a trip, or a serious emergency, etc., please contact an Admin and be sure to let them know when you'll be back.)

If you have any questions during any phase of your trials, a lot of helpful information can be found HERE.

Please post in your thread whenever you complete a task.

Here are your tasks:

Completed! 1. Update your profile here at Pax Republica with a forum Avatar. ***NOTE***- Your avatar cannot be one of the generic default avatars that GuildLaunch gives you. It should be something unique so that it's easier to associate your name with some kind of image, this allows us to get to know you better.

Completed! 2. Make an introductory post in your specified class forum provided below. Please use it as a chance to introduce yourself to the family, as this is a more permanent area for people to get to know you (your own "personal area" on the forums, if you will) than your application thread.

Trooper Barracks - Smuggler Cantina - Consular Library - Knight Praxeum

Completed! 3. Either your Guild Launch user name should be your "main" character name in SWTOR, or you should link your main character to your GL account. Here's how to do the latter:

•  Go to User Profile (Your name) at the top right of the forums.
•  Under Characters tab, go to Add Character, make sure you choose ToR for your game and The Galactic Republic as your faction. Create the name as your main character's name in SWTOR!
•  Now that your character has been created, go to the Sites tab under User Profile.
•  Under Forum Posting As Settings select your character and click Set Character to Post As.
•  Finished!

Completed! 4. Go over our Charter (our Rules and Regulations document) and be sure to post that you accept it. Please read it carefully BEFORE accepting. Click here.

5. Log on to SWTOR and whisper anyone of rank Justicar or above with your in-game name so we can add you to the guild. For a list of our rank structure and names of officers, please Click here.

6. Arrange and interview with an officer. The interview with be conducted in Teamspeak. The interview gives you the chance to meet with an officer and ask any questions you may have regarding your membership in the guild, and they will take the opportunity to get to know you better.

For a complete list of officers you can approach for an interview, Click here. It is YOUR responsibility to post in your trials thread that you need an interview and to let officers know what your schedule is so that they can offer to help you... or you can PM an officer to schedule your interview before Phase 1 is over. Please don't leave this until the last minute.

7. Group with Pax Republica members to complete 3 guild "missions". You must be in Teamspeak during these missions. A single mission is either:

1. Two GSF battles
2. Two Flashpoints
3. Two Warzones
4. Half a PvE Raid (In other words, one raid attendance counts as two of these "missions")
5. An hour of any other in-game activity (questing, etc.)

(Note: It is up to you to post here the different "missions" you completed and who was in the group(s).) The point of this step is to get in groups with Pax members to get to know them, and for them to get to know you!

► Voting Phase

8. Members will have 3 days to vote on whether you have passed or failed as a member, so sit back and relax!

While you wait to pass your trials, you should check out the entire forums if you haven't already.  If you're a raider, be sure to read all the PvE forums - raiding guidelines, DPS parses, etc.  You should post in the PvE forums a thread saying you're interested in raiding with your time availability, current gear level, class, talent spec, how many datacrons you've collected, if you have companion bonuses, etc. Same thing with PvP or GSF... post in those forums with similar information if you're interested!

This is also a time you can ask around about how to join our Pax Republica Facebook Group and our Pax Republica GroupMe Channels.

 

 

Good luck!

[Iolo'pax]

Okay I completed:

1. Added Forum Avatar (May change it up later)

2. Introductory Post.

3. Guild Launch Username is my Main character. I tried linking, it appeared to link but wouldn't show it as an available character to 'post as'. Maybe when I add a second character.

 

4. Accepted Guild Charter with a post.

Tonight when I am on I will try and hammer out some more  :)

[Iolo'pax]

Had a great night.  Clakk put me in touch with Ashossa who added me in game to the guild. semari and I did quite a few pvp matches and then linked up with Jacen and later Frostt to get a good winning streak going.

so far so good :)

[Iolo'pax]

Another Great Day/Night! Grouped up initially with, Nwahs, Tiffs, and Eosque  and did lots of Ranked PvP with Brandon-jin, A-Town, Wylan and Scubax. Lots of Fun! In between pop's we did the Czerka dailies. Afterward Nwahs and Tiffs put the call out to do some conquest activities. We went to Tatooine to defeat the Imperial Commanders. We then cleared out the Cerka complex there to get that conquest achievement. We tried for the World Boss, but he wasn't up in either instance.  We then moved on to do Nightmare mode Tabarro's Courtyard. That was my first time doing a NiM Op and I had a great time. Afterward we tried some more Ranked PvP in solo queues to finish out the conquest achievement.

A very full day, and I enjoyed meeting everyone on TeamSpeak.

I can't wait for the next time  :)

Thanks to Everyone today!!!

[Nwahs]

Iolo is a great PvPer and PvEer!  So pumped to have you in the guild man!

You definitely have the "missions" requirement completed :)

[Scubax]

This guy...

Definitely a great PVP'er.  During Pax Ranked night, tried to focus him down, and that did not always work best for us.  We had to switch to the "Destroy Tiffs" strategy instead...

LOLO was a worthy adversary!

 

[Kayllek Veran]

Scuba_Steve wrote:

This guy... Definitely a great PVP'er.  During Pax Ranked night, tried to focus him down, and that did not always work best for us.  We had to switch to the "Destroy Tiffs" strategy instead... LOLO was a worthy adversary!

 NEVER FOCUS A GUARDIAN SILLY!!!  Sages are weak and easy if you net them at ~50% HP.

^^ Tips & Tricks

[Tiffs/Hugtastic]

yes I agree, I was impressed when we did pvp with him :)   and also, we did NiM KP ;)

[Iolo'pax]

You all are too kind, but I certainly appreciate the vote of confidence :) I have played a lot of PvP, but I learned SO much more about tactics in these first matches with PaxRepublica. We have some really good players and even more important really good Leaders. I was really impressed that there didn't seem to be any feathers ruffled or ego conflicts as we tried out different things.

I also enjoyed that there wasn't any grumbling or a ton of folks dropping out of the conquest runs as we were looking for the Tatooine WB. Two member even volunteers to sit in each instance to see if it would spawn while the rest of the guild continued on.

I am aware I am still in the 'honeymoon' stage with my perceptions, but man I really like you all so far!

Iolo

[Iolo'pax]

I know I have my missions completed, but I feel it would be fun to 'journal' the entirety of my trials and experiences leading up to membership consideration. Prior to applying, when I was lurking on the site, one of the first forums I went to was the Applications/Trial section to see who was accepted and who wasn't and why. I really enjoy the amount of thought and effort that has been put into this guild and I would like to embrace it as much as I can and I feel like this is one of the way I can give back. (yeah I am weird like that)

Last night was my first raid night with Pax, and my first with modern content, 8m SM ToS. I logged on a bit early and was squaring some things away before meeting up with the raiders. Lurking on Teamspeak prior to a raid is almost as much fun as the raid itself. Karaoke with Travis… nuff said. :)

I checked the website one more time to make sure I had the right start time. I was worried that we wouldn't have enough people as only 4 signed up. Once I arrived at the guild ship, I saw we were totally gonna be fine. In fact some folks wanted to join up right as we got underway, and two Pax members Nwahs and Tiffs, offered up their spots. Nwahs ended up staying in the raid and taking over Tiffs healing spot with an alt.

On modern content that I haven't done before, I read up as much as I can about the op (thank you Dulfy) and usually have the details in front of me in some form or fashion. Many of the walk-throughs I find online however, are geared for HM and SM gets an inconsistent brushover. It is tough to determine the 'hard hitting' mechanics that apply in SM instead of HM. I came to the raid with the approach of treating all mechanics as if they were 'hard hitting'. I didn't want my first outing with Pax to be my last because I stepped in stupid.

Looking at the party roster, Nwahs was the only person that I had grouped with before. I wasn't sure if the rest of the team were hard core raiders or not. The first few mobs were no big deal, so it was still difficult to get a read on the skill level. But as we get ready to face Underlurker, I learned there was another player who for sure was new to the op.

Prior to the opening salvo a narration was given outlining the mechanics. In all honesty, with my research and notes, it took me a round of seeing it all in action before it all clicked together. I think everyone knew the first attempt was gonna be a wipe, but one wipe turned into more than a few.  A couple of times we got deep into the fight sometimes not so much. After each wipe it was pointed out what we did wrong, and guidance was given, however the constant was the new raider was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

It was at this moment that I realized this op was going to be a critical evaluation on my behalf. Not necessarily about my performance, but rather how this group reacted to this situation and treated this individual. It would for sure influence if whether or not I wanted to continue with them.

I silently questioned the amount of DPS I was dealing. I felt I was not burning the adds down quick enough or focusing enough on the boss. I began to think that because I wasn't good enough, the fight lasted longer and that contributed to the amount of mistakes the new raider was making. Each time he died, I felt as though he was falling on the sword (or saber) for me.

There was a sense of frustration building on the team, which I think is normal, especially if the expectation is more than one raid is supposed to be accomplished, and we couldn't get past the first boss on the first op. . The unusual thing was that the new raider wasn't asking questions or reacting to the feedback that was given. It was then we all realized his Teamspeak may not have been working. One of the team member whispered him and he rectified the issue and his voice popped in our headsets. He clearly hadn't been able to hear the guidance that was being given. The tension quickly diffused, and we faced the next round with a new sense of confidence.

And that is when I caused the wipe. *facepalm*

I had been so self conscious about my DPS and trying to be more aggressive to shorten the length of the fight, that I lost focus of where I was supposed to be. The new raider did everything right and I sacrificed his effort with a bonehead mistake. I owned up to it both on Teamspeak and in chat, and affirmed I understood the mechanic. Thankfully, the next round was a winner and the rest of the raid went without a hitch.

My only raiding experience comes from Pugs in groupfinder/fleet. I am positive I have at least 20x more wipes than clears using those mechanisms. There is usually name calling, and plenty of quitting leaving the team stranded. Then we spend more time looking for replacements rather than actually playing. Sometimes a player will even announce they are new, and after the first wipe the Vote to Kick prompt comes up. I honestly had given up on trying to do ops because of those experiences.

I would say Pax Republica handled itself well during that raid. At NO point did anyone sling insults, rage quit, or throw a vote to kick a player. I know I felt horrible for causing a wipe, as I am sure the other trainee did as well. The raid leader calmly took charge, questioned the specific players as to the mechanic they were having trouble with, and offered specific guidance. In addition, he gave multiple chances for us to get it right. I wouldn't have held it against them if they asked me to sit this one out. Everyone wants to clear the content, and we all have limited time each night. Tell me what I need to do, give me a chance, and if I fail, tell me what I can do to get better. Pax did all of the above for me and the new raider and we came out with a clear.

I spent the rest of the night doing the Yavin Daily with Brandon-Jinn and Nwahs in between PvP pops with Spetz'naz..

I also took away some parses from my fights that iIplan to use to improve my DPS output, even more so once I get some 192 sets. And wouldn't you know it…. Pax already has a gearing raid on the calendar for tonight. The twisted thing?? I am hoping for another shot at ToS. Like I said, I'm weird like that. 

[Tiffs/Hugtastic]

:)  you should sign up for raid tonight as well 

[Nwahs]

Thanks for that awesome "journal" entry :)  Mind if I post that on our recruitment thread (or could you, it would mean more)!?