An Essay on Alternate Methods of Encouragement and Rating

This is not an essay. This is just a fancy title.

Anyways, the concept is to reward raiders in methods other than the usual.

When a raider enters a raid, they expect to get a small amount of gold and perhaps some loot. In some cases, when the raid is on farm, they can get some disenchant mats.

However, if there are promises of other rewards, they may attempt to perform better, especially if rewards are linked to performance.

Standard practices include:

1. Reward the Best DPS
2. Reward the Best Healer
3. Reward the tank that takes the least damage.

However, those methods all have their weak points. The 'best' dps may just target the boss the whole way through- even when you're supposed to be focusing on the adds. The 'best' healer may just stand there and heal themselves and the tank- ignoring their other utilities and players. The 'best' tank may just be the off tank and only have to fight occasional adds that are burned down quickly.

However, there are alternate methods.

You can reward the person who takes the least amount of damage. This is good for the raid because then healers can focus on the tanks, rather than that hunter that is standing in the fire.

Give a reward to the tanks for most damage taken with fewest deaths. This indicates that they held threat on the most damaging of enemies, but managed to survive.

You can give rewards for bad-assery, creative strategies and other unique things.

Bad-assery awards include:

1. Solo-tanking Marrowgar when the OT died at about 95%.
2. Doing the most DPS- while your fishing pole is equipped.
3. Tanking the boss- as a mage.

Creative strategy awards include:

1. The "Maybe we should try CC this time" technique.
2. The "Lets have our healers not be in dps specs" tactic.
3. The "Lets not let Righteous Fury fall off in the middle of the fight" strategy.
   
4. The "Doctrine says CC and single target. WotLK says AoE is teh best!"

And be creative with your rewards- give out gold, pets, pet rocks, monocles etc...