These tended to be the PvP contingents within the various guilds. The second raid group was there to provide cover and to engage or otherwise tie up any hostile players who wanted to wipe your raid. You had one raid group which would tackle the main boss. This would go on back and forth before everyone got tired, but no one would give. In an era when realm and faction transfer never existed, it was a big deal - not to mention, if you opened fire on one group, they would come back and wipe your attempts. To do so brought dishonor to the guild and would cause you to be blacklisted from the realm. Despite the hatred and the fierce competition, we never interfered with attempts that were already progress. There was an unspoken level of respect between the top raiding guilds. Back in my day, anyone who cried about seeing the boss first and losing out was generally laughed at. Heck, you can't even physically contest the boss even if you did get there first. You can't just stroll in there and call dibs when your entire raid group wasn't there or ready yet. The first group that arrives, is buffed, and ready gets to pull the boss first. Since world bosses are making a comeback, I wanted to share them. There was an unspoken etiquette among raid leaders who went after world bosses.

Even though I was but a young priest at the time, he told me that going after them was a hoot and experience in itself, especially if your home was on a PvP realm. You know, my uncle, the legendary General Commandicus Brutallicus, told me stories of veteran players staying up at various odd hours of the day to challenge the emerald dragons, Lord Kazzak, and others. World bosses are returning in Mists of Pandaria!

World boss timers wow