Took my fate (more) into my own hands this weekend and started a second Warlock, for a second weekly chance at the raid boots without which no one can hit 30 - and also the awesome raid weapons, Aetheon's Epilogue and Vision of Confluence. Managed to get him up to 12.
I also took maybe two hours worth of shots at HM VoG with another fairly competent group, this one all 29s. Four of them were a standing group, and two of us were PUGed. We never once made it to the part where you defend all three confluxes on Templar. They, probably unwisely, paired me up with the other guy they didn't know. Afterwards they asked me to friend them up for future attempts with a friend of theirs who would replace the other new guy, so I guess I didn't stink up the joint. The other guy was picking between two primary weapons, neither of which was fully upgraded, and had somehow decided to use the one that was less upgraded.