End Game Raiding At The End of An Expansion - A Study In Risk Versus Benefit

My guild, for the time being anyway, has decided that we are going to halt our 25 man ICC hard mode progress at 11/12.  The main reason they have decided this is because with the time left in the expansion and the amount that we raid, we could use that time to get some other achievements completed.  If we complete the other achievements, we may come back to 25 man HM LK but for now, we are holding off.

Being in the guild for our original 25 man LK attempts, I can see why this path was chosen.  We had such guild turnover while attempting the LK normal encounter that we ended up with some nights with not enough people to raid and we had to do 10 mans.  If it was this bad for normal, how much worse would it be for hardmode? 

I attempted guild leading at one time, but it only lasted for about a week.  However, I can see how decisions, especially at the end of the expansion, need to be formulated.  The progression side of all of our raiders I'm sure is thinking that we need to push ahead and take down 25 man HM LK.  However, the logic side of the raid leaders is probably also saying that doing HM LK this close to the end of the expansion may not occur and it may turn to having people leave the guild.  Preservation of the guild and our current group of raiders we have is more important than finishing the progression content.

Now, we are still going to be attempting progress.  We want to take down Algalon.  We want to take down HM Anub in TotGC.  We want to get the Immortal in 25 man Naxx.  We want to take down Halion HM.  We want to take down Yogg + 0.  But at the end of an expansion, these goals are more likely than downing HM LK 25 man with what little time we have left.

Everything in life and in this game is a study of risk versus benefit.  I personally believe that my guild is good enough and we can take down 25 man HM LK.  However, what will the cost be?  Will we burnout some good raiders out who will not return in Cataclysm?  Will we split the guild and cause arguments that cause people to leave the guild?  How many wipes will it take before people get too frustrated to even show up on raid night?  I personally would be there until he is tasting the floor, but I enjoy raiding and it motivates me.  Not everybody is like that.

In addition, people could be wasting gold that they need for the expansion in unnecessary repairs or doing other stuff that will actually make it harder for them in the expansion.  Sometimes, it is better to just hold off and wait.  Sure, we can become guild whatever number to down HM LK in 25 man ICC.  However, it would be better to just wait and get our resources together so that when Cataclysm rolls around so that we can be server first to finish content.

So I'm definitely interested in what other guilds are doing right now to close out the expansion.  Are they pushing forward in ICC or have they decided to try other stuff until then?  In our case, preservation of our current raiders and preparation are more important than downing HM LK.