Observations during my time here

So, I've played this game on and off going back to vanilla. Outside of the BWL days, ICC was far and away my favorite expansion. Warmane's ICC server could be great, but it's the players and staff that make this server, well, less than it could be. I'm sure these same sentiments have been expressed multiple times over, and I'm also sure the response will be "lol noob cry on the forums," because after all, this is WoW.

Preface: this by no means is a plea to allow my undergeared character into anything. I'm geared enough to get into any raid here.

There seems to be some odd, collective mindset on this server where unless content can be absolutely face rolled with zero attention paid to actual strategy, then that means it's impossible. There's no middle ground here. I can only assume that the majority of the player base here either never played this game during retail at all, or started after raid finder existed. They seem to be used to being able to just hop into a raid and mashing until all content is cleared, so maybe that's why everyone expects to do it here too. The reality is that raids like VOA can be cleared with a group of 4k GS people. ICC doesn't require more than about 5k (sans tanks) to full clear either. It just means you need to do what you're supposed to instead of completely ignoring fight mechanics.

Another super odd thing is the mentality that one wipe ends raids. I can't even believe how often this happens. One person makes one mistake at like 4% on sindragosa and like 9 people quit. what? Is that a bi-product of the above mentioned or something? It's just crazy.

What is it about Ruby Sanctum that makes people pedistalize it so much? "Must have 6k and achievement!" It's so funny. Not only do people act like they were born with the achievement, but It's also one of the easiest end game raids in this entire expansion. People act like switching sides and moving things out of a group are like the most complicated ideas ever. Again, I can only attribute this to the majority of the server only playing when you didn't have to pay attention to anything.

Lastly, the staff. Most of the time they're great, but it would be really nice if they enforced their own rules. Things like changing loot rules mid raid being listed as a bannable offense, but then when you give them concrete evidence that it happened, complete with a flat out admission from the raid leader that he did it, and the staff doesn't do anything, it kinda makes the experience unappealing. In my particular case, the raid leader asked at the beginning for MS changes. No one spoke up. He said no one was allowed to change. After gunship, where TWO Abacus dropped, an enhancement shaman was like "oh hey I'm rolling resto now." The RL allowed it and of course he won it over the MS healers. Black and White MS change mid raid after it was communicated to not be allowed, and a change to the specified loot rules, which is literally an example listed as a bannable offense, but the staff doesn't care. Screen shots provided showing the RL admitting he said no one could switch but then let him later, AND a screen shot from the person who changed confirming he joined as a enhance and then switched after the drop. Still the staff doesn't do anything about it.

Point is, if this sort of whack shady practice is allowed, people will start quitting as they're subjected.

These aren't complaints. They're just what I've observed here.

Your experience will be what you make it to be. If you raid with pugs(people who can't communicate, can't work together, no one wants to play with, people who blame everything else except themselves, of coarse, etc)... this is what you will experience. [hint hint]

But I understand how excessive rules can give false idea that everything will be amazing no matter what kind of trash you invite. Makes you "Turn off" the idea that you actually should think about who you invite or join. Anyway.

Find people, join or create guild and invite people who think likewise and raid as you like, split loot as you like and make whatever rules your bunch agree on.

The reason why Ruby sanctum and ICC require better gear is because those raids were buffed on warmane. They aren't the same as retail. All bosses have buffed health and enrage timer. That's one of the biggest reasons why you need better gear and bigger gear score to do them.
Another point of why requiring such gear score is because people want to be ''safe'' in pug raid. Meaning, if some don't know tactics, at least their gear gonna make them survive a bit longer.

For pug, either create your own guild or join a guild. Pug raids without discord and communication is usually a fail. Also make sure to always inspect people for pug raid, most of them tend to lie about gear.

Solid post, The 1 main thing that spired out of control though is the "Free to play", let me explain.

Guild raids here on warmane are just like any Retail guild raid back in the days (with some minor OP ness to them) but the PUG raids are what differs retail from warmane so much.
It dosen't matter for a lot of people to raid in pugs, They don't need Hardcore raiding guilds, they want something more casual, Just like people here on warmane, The real deal was that people payed to play this game, in fact 3-4 ICC a month is what you got for 15 euros ish lets say.
That's 3 or 5 Euros Per Raid, It dosen't sound significant but it is, people didn't gave up after 1 wipe in retail, Hell man, it was considered normal by most pugs to wipe AT LEAST 5 times before raid over, and that's a bad experience, most pushed to somewhere between 10 wipes.

There is also a huge pool of players on warmane, people get somewhat spoiled of all the easy access (if your geared) to all these raids, Constants of ICC's going on in global so you start to care less about the raid itself, all it starts to become in the end is just the progress of your own character, (people leaving after the boss they only needed gear for (and it didn't drop))And leave raids like nothing, Or there's people who join just for fun who had enough fun once they started wiping so they decide it's time to have fun somewhere else.

The "Middle ground" you talk about indeed exists here too in guild raids, but only in guild raids, never in pugs, Unless its a damn fine pug raid, which is not occasional to say the least.

There is also a mindset of "I'm too good for this" "I'm not gonna carry scrubs F them" "I don't have time for *****"
Childish? Indeed, but most children cant afford "Pay to play"
And once the leave train starts, by these same people every time, Everyone else follows.

But you must not oversee all the decent people who wants to keep on going, who want's to help, because there are more of them, We do exist, And I dare to say we are not the minority of this server.