The "increased movement speed"-speech

I'm a Guild Master of a relatively small guild that sports two raid teams. We have an application-system where people can apply to us either publicly in a forum thread or privately in a PM. No matter how the person applies, we open a forum thread in our internal hidden guild forum where the entire guild is encouraged to give their feedback, being it pure class theorycrafting or "hunches" about personality etc. There are several reasons why I'm stopping the guild from making comments publicly.

The initial reasoning was that I've seen enough of these threads on other guild sites; either of guilds I've been in myself or of guilds I've been pondering about joining. The replies can be so cruel. And you can have 10 different people asking the applicant about 30 different things. And then there's the people that know the applicant and feel they have to boost the application cause of the friendship. Not to mention the realm trolls. Don't feed em. If someone made the time and effort to write us an application, we're gonna treat them with respect.

Secondly, an application is not a negotiation. To join my guild there is no "I made all the changes you asked for, now give me an invite". You are supposed to be ready already when you write the application. When we decline someone we decline them. If they ask for reasoning, they'll get it in a PM. If we want them to apply again later cause their application was good, but we didn't have room for them now, we'll tell them so.

When we accept someone into the raid team, we're giving them a trial period of 3 weeks. In this time, they should have high attendance, high spirit, be social and just "match" us well. And if they're smart, they assess the guild as if we're the ones on trial. :) Do the raid times fit them well? Do they like the people? Will they be able to feel like home here? Are they happy with the raids?

I'll explain why I have so high standards when it comes to applications and trials. When someone had an accepted application, and then passed their trial as well, I'm 95 % confident they will stay with us and raid forever, and their skills and mindset matches the rest of us very good. Which is good, cause I'm really a "softy", and problems with guild members after this point stresses me incredibly, far far into real life. I find it awful to have "the talks" or having to remove someone from the guild that has stayed for a long time. With this strict application/trial-system, I don't have to do this as often.

Of course, my 95 % confidence is a bit high, which is why we find ourselves recruiting almost all the time. :)

Anyway, this was supposed to be about something else. In these "comment the application"-threads, I have a reappearing speech about "pure gems are godlike" (often provoked by DPS-ers having orange and purple gems in RED sockets). This week I found myself having a new speech which I think I'll repeat until everyone's sick of it:

The "increased movement speed"-speech

We have a question in our application template; "Do you use an improved movement speed enchant? If no, why not?" Correct answers to this would be "yes", "yes, of course" or "no, but I have an ability or talent that gives me increased movement speed". I even let "no, but I can get one if you want" and "no, I went for the higher DPS one" pass on occasions where the rest of the application is really good, applications aren't meant to be flawless after all. The one I really laugh about is "I don't need it, my reflexes are excellent." MWHAHAHHHAHHAHAH, ROFL... And might I add; PFFFFFFFFFFFF!

What does movement speed increase not help you with? Reaction time. Only shock therapy can help you with that.

What does it help you with? Well, for example in Dragon Soul it helps you

Run to the crystals on Morchok x % faster

Run behind a rock in Black Blood-phase x % faster

Stack and spread x % faster on Yon'ozz

Stack and spread x % faster on Yor'sahj

Run to the middle when you're about to be icetombed on Hagara x % faster

Avoid the following ice-thingies* on Hagara x % faster

Chain the lightning x % faster

Get to the green/red/blue-crystal x % faster on Ultraxion

Move to big and small swirly* x % faster on ship

Move out of blue shit* x % faster

Move out of Shockwave x % faster

Get secured x % faster on Spine

Kite adds over to tank x % faster

Move away from Elementium Bolt impact area x % faster on Madness

*Sorry, that's what I call them in my raids. This is what happens when Raid Leaders (me) can't remember the name of stuff...

Tier 12 and tier 11 also have PLENTY of times where this could save lives. Only for Ragnaros you have Engulfing flames, Molten Seed, Burning Meteor, and of course getting to your assigned add before it spawns.

As a hunter, moving faster when you have to move, means you have more time to stand still when you're finally "there", which means more time in Aspect of the Hawk and less time in Aspect of the Fox.

If you're ignoring movement speed increase-enchant or talent, you're not doing more for your group with your higher output, you're letting them down by getting caught in shit. If you still think I must be wrong, what does Elitist Jerks say? And why are the default boot enchants at AskMrRobot speed increase enchants?

Laeleiweyn the draenei hunter soon to be meal of Stitches

Movement speed enchants

Vanilla: Enchant Boots - Minor Speed: + 8 % movement speed
BC: Enchant Boots - Boar's Speed: + 8 % movement speed + 9 stamina
BC: Enchant Boots - Cat's Swiftness: + 8 % movement speed + 6 agility
WotLK: Enchant Boots - Tuskarr's Vitality: + 8 % movement speed + 15 stamina
Cataclysm: Enchant Boots - Assassin's Step: + 8 % movement speed + 25 agility
Cataclysm: Enchant Boots - Earthen Vitality: + 8 % movement speed + 30 stamina
Cataclysm: Enchant Boots - Lavawalker: + 8 % movement speed + 35 mastery rating

Me myself use Assassin's Step for my raiding gear and Earthen Vitality for my PVP-gear (as it's cheaper and PVP not that important to me).

Movement speed talents

Paladin, Retribution tree: Pursuit of Justice 2 ranks + 8/15 % movement speed
Rogue, Assassination tree: Quickening 2 ranks + 8/15 % movement speed
Death Knight, Unholy Presence: + 15 % movement speed
Druid, Feral tree: Feral Swiftness 2 ranks + 15/30 % movement speed
Hunter, Aspect of the Cheetah/Pack + 30 % movement speed. With Pathfinding 2 ranks in Beast Mastery + 34/38 % movement speed. Lethal daze effect.
Shaman, Ghost Wolf + 30 % movement speed. With talent instant cast. With glyph + 35 % movement speed.
Priest, Holy tree: Body and Soul 2 ranks. Shield and Leap of Faith gives the target + 30/60 % movement speed for 4 sec.
Druid, Travel Form + 40 % movement speed
Mage, Fire tree: Blazing Speed 5/10 % chance when hit by attack to get + 50 % increased movement speed
Druid: Dash + 70 % increased movement speed for 15 sec.
Rogue: Sprint + 70 % increased movement speed for 8 sec.

The on-use movement speed increases aren't that helpful when you have to move suddenly and short.

There are also meta gems, on equip gear, on-use gear and potions/drums which provide movement speed increase, a good overview can be found at Wowpedia. If you're considering going for a meta gem with + movement speed; don't. The meta gem effects for DPS, healing and tanking are so much better for you than the extra stats you can get on your boots would be.

Lae