RaidTracker Frequently Asked Questions

General RaidTracker Questions

RaidTracker (RT) is an online script program written in PHP using MySQL for planning and tracking event attendance. While the FAQ has been split by version, throughout this site, there are a few abbreviations I do use to distinguish versions.
RT: RaidTracker. This is often for any version in general.
Version 1.x: (Never RT1). Unless specific, this applies to RT versions up to 1.91 (and service upgrade 1.91.1)
Version 2.x (always RT2): Any version of RaidTracker from 2.00 to and including 2.51 and service upgrades.
Version 3.x (Usually RT 3 or #RT3 on twitter): RaidTracker versions 3.00 to and including 3.01.1
Version 4.x (or RT 4): Versions of RaidTracker starting with 4.00
Modern versions: any versions currently supported (version 3.00 or later)
RT 3 is the current development.

You may download a copy of the RT script by clicking on the Download link. Please also read the download page for any additional notes
The most recent version is 3.01. Anything before 2.10 is not recommended or supported.

RaidTracker did not have a need for DKP, as it was originally designed as a RaidTracker and not Raid & DKPTracker. DKP was to be managed separately. However, RT 4 will have support for it when it is turned on. (Default is off). So, check with your admin about DKP.

Great. It gives me reason to improve RT. Yet, I ask that you check to make sure it really is a bug. Check the bugs, manual, help, FAQ, and history tells you if it is a bug. Maybe you have some preferences or privileges changed. You can always report it to me through e-mail or twitter and I will reply as soon as possible.
e-mail: slxception at gmail.com
twitter: @druidlove

Yes, though the extent of customization varies by version. In general, modern versions will be your key. Do check the versions tabs above for the extent of customization.

Installation questions

This will depend on the version (to which I'd check the version tabs for this question.)
Since I have quit playing World of Warcraft, I haven't kept up with the latest instances in WoW. Yet, it is very possible to add them.

New user questions

This depends on your group/guild/club. Most guilds do require it. And you should for two reasons: 1) You can sign up to any event as you feel like it. And 2) creating an account already has the information in the system for your planners to add you, and keep track of attendance and/or points.

You can create your account in RaidTracker by choosing the Register menu option (or create account).

Yes you can. You can have up to 10 at one time. All characters can be on the same account. Instructions how vary by version

There are many reasons why alts do not need a separate account, these are but a few reasons:
* Unnecessary to log out and log in (and create new e-mail addresses) just to choose an alt.
* Signing up with your main and alt inflates the raid list more than necessary.
* It's easier for an officer (or you, if you have the rights) to switch characters. It's harder to do so if they are separate.
* If your guild uses shared DKP in RT 3, your point total is accurate.
* Your attendance record is based on accounts, not necessarily your characters.
* Besides, they're alts on the same account, why not?

In modern versions, you can use the "Forgot" link on the menu and follow the instructions. Should this not work or you are on an older version, please contact your administrator for details.

If your admin hasn't restricted this, you can do this by clicking on the account menu option (or your name in older versions), and change the options yourself. If this is not possible, contact your admin.

Events, raids and subscriptions

You must be logged in to RaidTracker. In modern versions, you can click on the event to subscribe to an event. There may also be a "One-Click" button on the event in calendar or list view to automatically subscribe with the default options.

If your admin allows this, you can do it by clicking on the event, and choose the options there. If you cannot, please see an event planner or administrator.

You may be able to change your option as long as long as changes allow. Go into the event, and choose No (or withdraw in earlier versions). If you cannot change your status, contact an event planner/admin.

First, check if you are logged in. Then, check the times like in the previous question. If you are logged in, but the time is not closed/frozen, then check your status. If your status says "Removed", "Restricted" or "Confirmed" (Versions 3.x or later) cannot be changed without contacting an event planner or admin.

There are ways to find out if you are committed by the raid planners. These include an icon next to the event in Calendar or list (history) view, your name in the event list in a particular event, or a newsticker at the top of the screen (RT3).

While the meanings may vary slightly with each group/guild, this is the basic meaning: (RT 3+ default names in parenthesis)

• Event/Raid list (Confirmed)- An planner has put you on the event list, and you are invited to the event. This almost always follows with a class icon and/or character name.
• Available (Yes)- A typical sign up. You can commit to this event. You are NOT guaranteed a spot unless you are on the Event list.
• Reserve (Maybe)- This is an alternative signup, usually with conditions, such as not sure if you can show on time, or need to leave early. Use reserve as well if you don't want to be a high priority for the event (or will not stay online if you aren't picked. Please leave a comment for planners to understand why.
• Withdraw (No)- If your plans change and it is now impossible to show up, use this to withdraw out of a signup. Please leave a comment as well
• Remove (Restricted)- Planners may remove people from a raid for many reasons. Some of them may include moving to another event, not showing up, or disciplinary reasons. Planners will leave a comment why.
• Whiteboard (no icon prior to RT 3). Planners may use a whiteboard to plan the event based on signups. Note that the whiteboard is a planning tool, and not set in stone event list. This means general people may never see this list.

User permissions/ranks

Yes, though the methods vary here. You can use the RT rank system to assign planning privileges to certain ranks and the RT rank can be assigned to certain accounts. RT 3 also has the leader system. The leader will then have rights to plan events that he/she is a leader for.

There are many causes depending on where the problem is occuring. These may help:

If this is a problem in one event, and you are using a modern version, please check if a leader is chosen. If a leader is selected, he/she will have control of the event (except deleting subscriptions), and no one else can unless a RT rank has "event|override" set.

If a problem is occuring elsewhere, do check the Permissions to make sure the privileges are set properly. Some of the privileges require another to be set before it can be used (i.e. approve whiteboard requires viewing the whiteboard to be set.)

Finally, if the problem is occuring within Account settings, you can check the Account tab under self options (or Permissions and the self override in older versions) to see if something was turned off or on by mistake.

Unless you are using RT 3, you need to do the following workaround. First create a rank at the lowest level. Then move the accounts down a level. (You can select it all in a batch.) Keep going until the empty rank is where you want it.
RT 3 allows you to number ranks in the order you wish, so the new rank is between two levels.

If you are using a modern version, you can turn on the leader feature in Events. The best solution, if attendance stats ars critical, is to consider installing another copy of RT, and link the accounts for both (the latter applies in modern versions).

In modern versions, set the account activation level to "High". Then when you are ready to allow access for the account, activate the account in group or account views.
The older option of setting a new RT rank at the bottom with no privileges assigned to it as the default is not recommended for RT versions 3.00 or later, since it does not stop subscribing from events.

For purposes of RaidTracker, Guild or Group rank is purely cosmetical. Guilds may use it to be reminded of which rank a player is, so to determine priority in creating event lists (i.e. Raiders get to join over members).

RaidTracker Rank (aka RT Rank) determines what people can do on RaidTracker. For example, you can have some officers plan raids, while others are refused that right. That's where you can have a RT Rank for raid planner.

Please remember that RT 3 that there are two features that defy normal RT rank rules. The leader grants more permission for the leader of a certain event. Also, the active flag off (inactive) will deny privileges in events and other views.

If you want, you can. Do note that once an account is deleted, all stats tied to that account are gone, including attendance, and possible points. If you don't wish to ruin the stats (like for recent events), you can make an account inactive (in RT 3 only.)
To delete or deactivate an account, you may do so in the group/guild list

Deleting an account will clean everything about the account in the RT, while deactivating (in RT 3) will disable privileges. Deleting will affect stats, event lists, points, and also any other copy of RT that links to the same account tables. If you don't want an account to use a copy of RT, or to preserve history, then disable the account on that copy of RT. When he/she permanently parts ways, you can delete.

Event/Raid management questions

Not without a workaround (or two), or an addon. You can install another copy of RaidTracker, or you could use the Points/DKP addon in RT 4 to make important event worth points.

This may vary based on your permissions, and also the version of RT. The recommended approach in all versions is the following steps:

1. Select all players you want to the event.
2. Move them to the whiteboard, adding comments and/or officer notes if needed
3. Approve or Publish the whiteboard

Of course, you could move players directly to the event/raid list, bypassing the whiteboard. But using the whiteboard is good for early registrants, and for discussions with other planners before making the list final.

This has been explained above. Check out these solutions:

* Create a "Raid Planner" rank below Administrators, but above officers. Now, set rights to publish whiteboard and move to raid list to the Raid Planner rank. Move the officer(s) you want to the Raid Planner rank. Encourage the rest of your officers to use officer notes on the raids when you need to. Voila!

Hire some new officers. :P

Do also check if a leader is selected, and who has the permissions to override the leader.

It is possible. Prior to RT 3, you select the accounts, Choose the setting at the bottom, and on the next screen, to change the character and/or role. In RT 3, you can do it directly on the character you wish to change, but you can only change one at a time.

It is up to you how you want to track players, but this would be a recommended use

• Event/Raid List (Confirmed): Participants (or expected to, if event hasn't started)
• Whiteboard: Preparing the list of participants
• Available/Reserve (Yes/Maybe): If you remove an individual from the whiteboard or Confirmed list instead of clearing the whiteboard (clearing the whiteboard will reset automatically), this is where you'd likely place an account. Yes means can commit 100%, while Maybe means not 100% certain. Use also when an account cannot select this status due to difficulties.
• Withdrawn (No): Last minute changes where a player cannot make it (like real-life emergencies after signup is frozen.)
• Removed (Restricted): Accounts that are barred from subscribing, or do not show up on time to event.
• Delete: Bugged signups (virtually impossible since 2.00), hacked accounts, or if time really is an issue* (delete then resubscribe.) Delete isn't a status as it literally erases a subscription. It also does not prevent an account from subscribing in normal ways like Restricted does. It is highly recommended only for administrators, since no one should be deleting anything.

* If you choose to sort lists by time, RT considers time as the first time an account subscribes to the list, not the last time an account changes status.

The invite time is used in RT to let people know when to gather together or prepare for the event, if you require an event to start on time. If the event is of the "drop-in" nature, set this as the same as the start time.

Freeze time, also known as end or close signups/subscriptions/withdrawls indicates the time at which subscribing or withdrawing is no longer possible (so to give the planners ample time to create a list in a stable state.) The time may refer to only one action, if there are separate times for each action, or it may denote any changes, if only one time is given. Frozen and close should not be confused with the terms "Ended" or "Completed"--the latter two are used when the event is finished. The former happens before or when the event starts.

They're only as accurate as well as you keep records. There are a couple things to note:

• Unless the event has started, subscription counts do not show up in statistics other than when tracking lifetime stats. Subscriptions DO show up in transaction lists.
• If your group uses attendance in points or group policies, do consider when last minute changes happen, such as adding new members or members not showing up.
• Accounts deleted will remove all records tied to the account in this copy of RaidTracker (may cause problems on other RT copies linked to the same account tables.) If you're using RT 3, deactivating an account will hide records from event view in a manner similar to deleting. Activating an account will reveal records again.

Yes, as early as 2.00. Versions prior to 2.20 only allowed changes in group/guild list, while later versions also showed in account settings (statistics).

Not without a workaround. But this is a fine line between coding and ethics. Prior to RT 3, this was a precautionary measure. The UI in RT 3 restricts this manner apart from creating an addon. The workaround is to add the subscription in the new event, and mark the subscription in the old event as either No, Restricted, or Delete (depending on group policies and RT privs).

Wording may vary, but this is your guideline of the number of participants for this event.

Yes, as early as version 1.90. Versions prior to 3.00 show the numbers in the Event list or Whiteboard. RT 3 shows the numbers in the bar above the Subscription list.

Not at this moment. This may never be implemented despite being on the to do list. RT 3 may implement a warning bar. The reason why is a classic example I personally experienced:
A guild plans a raid for Gruul's Lair (a 25-man raid). The guild uses one set of players (tactics) for High King Maulgar, and another set for Gruul the Dragonkiller. The guild may choose one of two ways to show this in RT:
1. Create 2 events in RT denoting the bosses. Advantages: List is accurate for each boss. Also, if you use DKP and rely on "Limit DKP to subscriptions", you can manage subscriptions should alternate characters be swapped (in RT 3). Disadvantages: Many accounts will get credit for 2 events. Also, you'd have to add every account for creating the 2nd event one at a time. 2. Use visual/planning (public/officer) notes to communicate switching characters, as well as the whiteboard. Publish/approve the first list for the first group, leaving those for the 2nd group alone on the whiteboard. (Approve the whole list after the event.) Advantages: Every account is credited for 1 event. Takes less time with proper communication to create the list. Disadvantages: You'd need to write down the list for each portion of the event, especially if you're switching characters instead of players. You will exceed the total participants (raid limit). Switching characters will not show in the list, since RT tracks event subscriptions by account. Along that token, the "Limit DKP to subscriptions" will not work to alt characters.