Surreality utilizes a model of loot distribution known as "Effort Points, Gear Points" or, simply, EPGP. For a full explanation, I recommend visiting the developer's website at http://code.google.com/p/epgp.

Overview

Under this system, you earn Effort Points (EP) for attending raids and Gear Points (GP) for the upgrades you receive from them, and the ratio of your EP to GP determines your Priority Rating (PR) for loot in the future (PR=EP/GP). If you follow the math, someone who has more EP over less GP (conceptualized as "High Effort In, Low Gear Out") will have higher PR than someone who has the opposite ("Low Effort In, High Gear Out"). Most people will fall somewhere in between, but calculating PR in this manner will allow us to put an actual -- and meaningful -- number on their contributions to (and deductions from) the guild.

All raids will be run on Master Loot utilizing the mod "EPGPLootMaster." When a new piece of gear drops, the Raid Leader (or designated Master Looter) will click on each item, which in turn will cause EPGPLootMaster to display a Need/Greed/Pass window to every elligible recipient. (Note: the mod will auto-pass on BoP items that your character cannot equip.)

In the current content tier: NEED on main-spec upgrades, GREED on off-spec upgrades and PASS otherwise.

After 30 seconds, bidding will close. The Master Looter will review the PR list to determine who among those interested in a particular item has the highest PR. This individual will recieve the item, along its the corresponding GP. If no one needs a particular item for a main-spec upgrade, then it can go into a second round of ("Greed") bidding, where it will be worth 10% of its actual GP as an off-spec upgrade. This means that the Holy Paladin who takes a piece of DPS gear that no one else wants for his Ret set isn't penalized hugely in terms of PR when a healing piece drops.

Decay and Minimum EPs

To prevent PR hoarding, and to give newer raiders a chance to catch up to their more seasoned counterparts, EP and GP will decay at the rate of 10% per week. Because EPGP is ratio-based, this decay will not impact your PR, but will reduce the numbers behind it to equalize the system over time. Additionally, a minimum EP threshold of 500 will be established to prevent new members from recieving loot until they have attended several raids; this should correspond, loosely, to their trial period. Combined with decay, this threshold will also prevent previously active members who have not raided for some time from remaining at the top of the PR list week after week.

Effort Point Values

EP will be earned in the following amounts for all progression raids. Farm raids typically do not utilize EPGP, but will instead follow the loot rules posted in the guild forum:

Rewards

Incremental Awards: 5 EP/15 minutes in progression content

Boss Kills: 25 EP per boss in T8; 35 EP per boss in T9

Hard Mode Boss Kills: 35 EP per boss in T8; 45 EP per boss in T9

Guild First Boss Kills: 150% of the boss's normal EP

Boss Attempts (Progression): 25% of the boss's EP for each attempt with a maximum of 75% earned

Wait Listed Members*: receive full boss EP.

Penalties

Failure to show up to a raid you are approved for: -50 EP

Leaving in the middle of the raid (without a valid reason): -50 EP

Going AFK during a raid for an extended period of time (>10 minutes) without notifying the raid leader: -25 EP

In order to recieve wait-list EP, you must have signed up for a raid at least 24 hours in advance and be available for an invite at the time that raid EP is awarded.

From time to time, EP may also be awarded for exceptional contributions to the guild -- an alchemist making pots for the raid at their own cost, for example. In rare occasions, the Raid Leader might choose to override the priority list to maximize an item's value to the guild, such as by restricting bidding on a certain item to a specific class. As always, the Raid Leader will be the final authority on loot distribution.

Gear and Gear Points

Tier tokens will always be looted first. Other items will be looted in the order in which they appear on the boss, unless additional discussion is warranted. The Guild Leader and/or Raid Leader reserve the right to override PR in exceptional cases and award loot by council. This will typically only happen for prestiege items, such as legendaries or rare mounts. The reasoning for doing so will always be explained in /raid or on Vent.

GP is built into the EPGP mod and calculated as a function of item level * rarity * slot. Installing the mod will add each item's GP value to its tooltip, so while only the Raid Leaders will be required to use the mod for loot distribution purposes, anyone may download it for easy reference. EP, GP and PR will be tracked via officer notes and visible to all guild members, regardless of whether or not they have the mod itself.

Officer Notes

EPGP is stored in-game via Officer Notes. The format is as follows: EP,GP, with number values replacing EP and GP (i.e., someone with 100 EP and 50 GP would see 100,50 in his or her Officer Note). You can calculate your priority from these numbers (remember, PR = EP/GP!), but I recommend downloading the mod itself to view a sortable PR list. This will tell you exactly where you stand in relation to other guild members and/or raiders on loot priority.

EPGPLootMaster

We use this add-on to expedite the bidding process. It is not required; however, it is highly recommended. If you do not have the mod to submit bids, you will need to /whisper a command (!epgp need [itemlink] or !epgp greed [itemlink]) to the Master Looter.

Guild Ranks & Loot Priority

Current Tier: Main Character, Core Raider/Raider, Main Spec > Main Character, Core Raider/Raider, Guild Hybrid (H*), Off-Spec > Main Character, Initiate, Main Spec > Main Character, Core Raider/Raider, Off Spec > Alt Character, Main Spec > Alt Character, Off Spec > Main Character, Initiate, Off Spec > Disenchant
Previous Tiers: Main Spec > Off Spec

Only the player's primary raid role will be considered Main Spec. We may also designate small number of hybrids who will have priority on Off Spec gear (at Off Spec cost), in order to maintain a flexible raid roster. In exchange for this priority, these "official" hybrids must be willing to fulfill either of their two designated raid roles. (Players who want to reserve their second spec for PvP, etc., are certainly welcome to do so, but will not recieve the same off-spec consideration.)

Alts who are asked to raid (to fulfill a raid role that would be unfilled otherwise) can opt to recieve Main priority, and therefore main (100%) GP, for the duration of the raid. Otherwise, alts -- like off-specs -- incur 10% GP.

BoE items not needed for a Main Character/Main Spec will be placed in the guild bank for one week, and will be available to Casual and Core raiders for 100% GP -- and then sold to finance gems/enchants for Core Raiders.

Please note that Friends & Family is a non-raiding rank; as such, Friends & Family recieve loot only as an alternative to DE. Friends & Family looking to raid on a full- or part- time basis should notify an officer of their intent and post an application to the site.