Forming a 15 Raid PUG in 2005

As a Tank pre-Guild Raiding, during Classic, on old main Atain, I had one job. Stand in Orgrimmar and ask in LFG for 15 people. On an American Server at 8pm Australian Time. Oh, also one of them had to have the UBRS key, the [Seal of Ascension].




A 100% authentic screenshot from 2005...

But there were plenty of other Oz/NZ or Nocturnal Americans on at the same time so we'd made a group then take the Zep over to Grom'grol then fly up to UBRS. You had to fly each leg of the trip, no automatic flyover either, so no AFK in flight. Even if we had a Warlock, then NO, you can't just wait around Org you lazy jerks! It is a soul shard per summon.

This spot was usually crowded one Alliance Group and one Horde Group waiting for the rest of the group to get there.

To begin with, I was a rubbish tank. No +Def Gear, didn't sunder or understand threat. Since I was the tank in a bad timezone people had no choice but endure and I had to improve. The smaller 10 player raids like Scholomance and Undead Strathholm.were a good place to practice and get my skills up.

I hit 60 on 15th Aug, 2005. Before I hit level cap, UBRS was 20 Player and Scholo/Strath was 15 player. I was in Khagar's very last 15 Player UBRS just before the sever shutdown for patch 1.10.0. when it became a 10 man.

Atain, put on your sheild! The next wave is coming!

In this era, Tanks were the leaders. Priority Loot over everyone, organised the PUGs, got the keys. Non-tanks who tried to form a group on LFG channel were mocked for looking for a tank.

How was loot handled? We passed on everything, then I would link the item and people would /roll. I would have masterlooter on to prevent ninjas.

Also we died. Plenty of times, but just rez up and go back in. Very few times would a group fall apart over only a couple of deaths. The repair costs for a run usually were larger than the loot from mobs. However we travelled all that way from Orgrimmar to get to this instance, we were invested. A little too invested...

Gildawg in this October 2005 picture at LBRS had died so much he had broken gear and was wearing instance greys. Only 5 of us here because we were trying to do the Worg Pet quest which couldn't be done 10 player.

There was still drama. Like when Orgrimmar Outcasts started on Khadgar, their guild leader needed the [[Seal of Ascension] so they could do UBRS. I ran a group to LBRS, and since it was only a 10 player, I didn't have Master Looter on. However someone in the PUG, someone picked up one of the drops needed to make the key, a person who didn't even have the quest. Those parts of the Key weren't 100% drops either.

Boy howdy, I really do prefer the way it is now. The Loot having inbuilt 'need' and 'greed' options. The LFG ability to form groups anywhere and just teleport to the instance. No keys! It is so much simpler.