Patch 4.1 introduces guild finder feature
Accessibility is the name of the game in Cataclysm, and Blizzard's next attempt at guild accessibility is launching with patch 4.1. The guild finder interface allows players looking for a guild to advertise their playstyle, time availability, class roles, and more, and lets guilds post recruitment messages and announcements to the realm's public.
The new guild finder feature is available to leaders of established guilds and guildless players, making communication between prospective recruits and leaders easier. Only guilds that are actively looking for new members through the finder will appear in the guild finder interface. Guildless players can browse recruitment ads, while guild leaders are given the option to choose playstyles, types of content the guild is interested in doing, availability of members, and an optional comments section to discuss specifics. Hit the jump for the full announcement.
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The Guild Finder is intended to act as an in-game bulletin board for guilds that are actively recruiting. Previously in World of Warcraft, your options were limited. You would have to publicly post on your realm forum message board, or speak to other players directly via private messages or the chat channels. That can be a time consuming process. Guild Finder will allow your "looking for new members" message to work 24 hours a day, accessible to all of the characters in your faction, from anywhere in the game.
A new Guild Finder button will now appear on your Micro Menu if you're either a guild leader or currently unguilded.
As a guild leader, you will indicate one or more of the common guild interests (such as PvP, Raids, or Role Playing), a general time of the week availability you're looking for (Weekdays or Weekends), and which class roles you seek from new members (Tank, Healer, Damage). The Comment field is where you can say anything you like about your guild and/or the sort of members you seek. Do you only accept female orcs? Is your guild slowly transitioning from 10-person to 25-person raiding? Perhaps you'll only accept new members who are available to play on Thursdays at noon? This is the place to say so, and help potential recruits determine whether your guild is what they're looking for.
From the perspective of an unguilded player, the Guild Finder allows you to browse through a list of the guilds currently looking for new members. Just launch the Guild Finder, tell it about your availability, class role, and the sorts of guild activities you're looking for, and then click "Browse Guilds." This will take you to the second tab, where you'll see a list of recruiting guilds that fit your profile. Here you can read about them, and if you like what you see, submit a request to join.
Requests submitted to recruiting guilds appear in the Requests tab. From this third tab, guild leaders can examine potential recruits and proceed with the final steps toward new membership.
Whether you're a guild leader looking to fill your ranks or a player looking for a guild that meets your strictest requirements, the Guild Finder provides an easy way to make new friends!
Personally, I am a huge fan of this system. Joining a new server on a whim is a headache sometimes, especially if your WoW friend base is relatively small. Joining up with like-minded people to level and play together could very easily transition into a capable and coordinated endgame group, plus the experience and reputation bonuses that come with guild leveling are excellent bonuses.
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WoW Patch 4.1 is on the PTR, and WoW Insider has all the latest news for you -- from previews of the revamped Zul'Aman and Zul'Gurub to new valor point mechanics and new archaeology items.
