Hardcore Doesn't Mean...

...you give up your real life.

http://nihilum.wazap.com/news/84/

Read through that.

Now I don't know their specific raiding schedule, but by the sounds of that alone it's easy to see that they don't stress over farmed content and they expect you to give a little more of yourself for progressive content. With that description it makes me think that it's possible to even set aside a week here or there as a 'farmed' content week without expectations of real progression. If that's the case, you could basically have easymode weeks here and there for whatever else you may want to do, so that you could come back the next week ready to work harder at whatever boss you may be after in the chain of progression.

No matter how hardcore you may think you are, you're only human. There's only so much any person can offer the game for so long. Without any sort of vacation you can easily become burned out playing, especially if any of the people you attempt to be a team with add extra stress to your normal gaming experience in one way or another.

Being in a progressive raiding guild doesn't mean you have to give up your real life. Sometimes an encounter may require you to give up a little more of your time than normal, but the game should never revolve around sitting at some cockblock boss, frustrated, because not every person is on the same page or is willing to give what's needed of them and then some in order to surpass it.

That's the tough part about raiding in WoW... evolving beyond the casual aspect and attempting to tackle difficult content in a timely manner. If you want to be a part of that, you have to be lucky enough to come across at least 25 or so other people who are willing to sit down and do the same. If you're in a raid with 20 other people who want to give 100%, and 3 others who aren't, then you have weak links and a weak spot that any truely difficult encounter will quickly expose. That's the frustration of it all.. and that's where raiding becomes a job.

But like I was saying, even progressive raiding doesn't have to be such a chore as many make it out to be. It is enjoyable.. even giving so much to make it happen can be enjoyable... if you're allowed a break here and there to refuel. A lot of the end-game progressive guilds I've seen work on a revolving door for a lot of classes simply because they never set aside a predefined time to 'take a break.' Not everyone wants those breaks, but trust me, more often than not people who play the game NEED it, even if they don't think they do. Just remember, your raiders ARE human... and Warcraft is often an addiction. Who out there honestly admits when they need a little less of their addicition? lol. If you don't freely give people a break once in awhile, then they burn out. Simple as that.. if you want your good players to stick around and happily give progression 100% - then provide them with that comfort of knowing they will have a break here and there so that they can keep going so strong.