Thursday, January 24, 2008

Raid Symbols & You!

Does everyone recognize those 8 symbols over yonder?

Good!

Now tell me what each of them means?

This is where things start to fall apart. Not each group uses them to mean the same things. I admit, I'm biased about what these things mean because I'm often the group leader in charge of marking. So I've decided what I think they mean, but let me tell you it is NOT universal.

Pretty much everyone uses the skull to mean "we kill this first." So far so good. Quite often the X (or cross) means the tank will hold this one and we'll kill it next. In the case where there is an off-tank, that's usually his or her symbol.

Next is the blue square. To me (and apparently a lot of other folks) it looks like an ice cube and invariably is assigned to the hunter.

Now, some real disagreement begins to set in. While the first three symbols are (becoming) standard, the other five are not really at all. Perhaps, the most consistent, is using the moon to designate sheep. I've used it that way from the beginning and I've begun to notice other groups doing the same.

The yellow star is sometimes used as the sap symbol. I like the alliteration of star=sap.

The orange circle (or condom or nipple) is what I usually mark patrols with. Strangely enough, I also use it to designate a mind control target.

The purple diamond belongs to warlocks in my mind. I think it is because of all the symbols it looks the most like a heart. And a seduced target has hearts rising up from its head. I know, "Bremm is a weirdo."

Lastly there's the green triangle (or panties as Owaru told me). I generally reserve this as a spare symbol in case I have more than one of a class that can CC (the second sheep, the second ice trap) or for the second warlock target if we need enslave and banish. In cases where I need to mark a patrol and mind control, or there is more than one patrol, I'll also use this.

I'm not sure how common my usage is, but I thought I'd share.

Note: Although these are called raid target icons, they are also used a lot in instances. In fact, I will often use them when duo-leveling just to highlight where things are. Don't be afraid to use them, they're not just for raiding anymore.

8 comments:

Unknown said...

In groups where we're having a lot of fun, I designate the Circle as the "Nipple of Shame" and put it over the member who just made a bonehead( but recoverable ) move.

Matticus said...

In our raids or parties, we generally designate the action we want with the colour of the symbol.

Example: Green triangle = Trap (because hunters are green on the Raid frames).

Yellow star = Saps

Blue Squares = Sheeps

That leaves us with a moon and a circle handy for extras.

Pike said...

In my typical group:

Skull = Kill
X = Off-tank/Next target to kill
Blue Square = Trap
Star = Sap
Moon = Some other form of CC (sheep/succubus/shackle/etc.)

We never use the others...

K said...

Skull = First, X = second
Triangle = Sap
Moon = Sheep
Diamond = Warlock
Square = Hunter
Star = MC, sheep, other.
SUN = Patrol, other.

And.. they've got me lucky charms!

Anonymous said...

*sigh*.

I run often with a guildy group. We've associated the symbols with specific people. So when Grimr's playing Blue Square is Grimr's target.. whether that's for ice trapping on his hunter.. or sapping on his rogue. Blue is Grimr.

I don't love the solution. It is especially confusing now that we have more than eight people in the guild ;) But it's what we have.

Nibuca
http://warcraft.fibergeek.com/

Siha said...

We do the same as Matticus's people: raid symbols match, in color, the class that applies that CC.

Skull = first kill
Cross = second kill
Blue square = sheep
Yellow star = sap
Orange circle = cyclone
Purple diamond = banish
Green triangle = trap
White moon = shackle, or second sheep

Anonymous said...

Not sure how we came up with ours (I probably am somewhat responsible, but I refuse to take ALL the blame):

Skull = Kill
X = Sap
Square = Trap
Moon = Sheep
Diamond = Mind Control (since one of our priests is quite fond of the color purple)
Nipple or Triangle = Second Trap
Star or Triangle = Off-tank

(In a five-man we can afford to be wishy-washy!)

Anonymous said...

I know this is an old post, but I found it interesting. I'm also on Alleria, and our guild uses an odd kill order compared to most:

Star
Circle
Diamond

etc etc. It follows the order as they are listed. :)