The Guild Counsel: Making a new guild work in an old game

Running a successful guild is a difficult challenge, and I'm defining successful as a guild that, regardless of playstyle, can accomplish its goals and endure for years. There are thousands of guilds created, but very few of them last more than a year, and even fewer can boast of being around for longer.

One of the toughest challenges for any guild leader is creating and building a guild from scratch in a game that's been around for years. I experienced that when I moved our guild from Vanguard to EverQuest II, where I had played for a few years before. We were the little fish in the big pond, and since everyone was either starting there for the first time or re-rolling on the server we chose, we had to build everything from the ground up. What made it hard was that as we leveled together and struggled through the content together, it became more and more tempting for people to jump ship and move to an established guild that was ahead of us.

Building a new guild in an older game is difficult but not impossible, and there are a few areas to be mindful of if you want to run a guild that can survive the test of time. In this week's Guild Counsel, we'll look at a few ways that guild leaders can make a new guild in an old game actually work.

Learn the community

It's best to wait a bit before throwing your hat into the ring and advertising that your guild is open for business. Pick your server carefully -- you'll probably find better recruiting opportunities on newer servers rather than older ones. Furthermore, watch chat a bit before recruiting, to get a feel for the atmosphere. There are usually a few outspoken, colorful characters out there, and if you can spot them in chat, you can avoid inviting them (and their reputations).

Be smart in choosing a name

This might seem small, but if you choose poorly, you'll end up setting yourself way back. Along with learning the community comes learning the well-known guilds on the server. If the top dog guild is called Lords of Uberness, and you strut in advertising your new guild, Uberness Lords, you're going to have a hard time recruiting members. There are many factors that go into choosing a good guild name, but in this case, probably the most important is not choosing one that resembles the name of an established guild in the community.

Carefully match your players with your timetable

Your guild's playstyle is going to be uncommon initially, but that doesn't mean it's not valid, and it certainly doesn't mean there aren't quality players out there that will want to sign on. The trick is making sure that everyone understands your unique situation.

New guilds in old games tend to resemble a meteor chunk on its way to earth. It moves fast, and initially it shines bright and attracts a lot of attention. But in the end, it breaks up and flares out, and by the time it reaches ground, it's only a few grains of dust. You do not need to follow that trajectory, though. By stating your guild type and your timetable for short and long term goals upfront, you can avoid the quick burnout that so many other guilds experience.

You don't need to rush things

This is probably the biggest pitfall for new guilds because there's a sense of urgency to catch up and hit the content that the bulk of the community is currently playing. But if you've screened well and you stay vigilant with your pacing and progress, you really don't need to rush. In fact, it's better that you don't. When you think about the amount of time that veteran guilds have spent practicing, playing together, bonding, and progressing through content, your shortcut to the endgame essentially means skipping past some very important moments.

Expect turnover, but make the best of what you have throughout

You will lose members. Even the best screening methods won't prevent some from disagreeing with your leadership and leaving. There are just too many intangibles that can't be measured when it comes to the personalities, philosophies, and in-game goals of members and leaders.

In the meantime, make the best of what you have. The reliable healer who ends up leaving might feel like a setback, but consider where you would have been so far without him. Your members will accept occasional member departures, as long as they're relatively drama-free, and as long as it's not a regular occurrence. When it gets to the point that people are logging in and immediately checking the roster to see who's no longer on it, something's gone wrong.

Your personality is crucial

If there's one thing that really helps a new guild leader, it's personality. This is not a one-size-fits-all thing, either. It all goes back to the question, "What qualities do you have that attract members to your playstyle?" Whatever they are, it's best if you ramp them up in the first few months of the guild's existence. You don't want to be fake or look like you're trying too hard, but you do want to make sure that people know that A) you're active and organized and B) you're visible. Every guild that's built from scratch, regardless of the game's age, has to be built on trust between the leadership and the members. Initially, you're under the microscope, and everything you say and do will be over-analyzed, usually with a "glass half-empty" attitude. A low-key, hands-off attitude might work fine for an established guild with a solid culture, but that won't fly with a freshly recruited crop of members. You're probably going to have to do a little micro-managing at the start, keeping your eyes on lots of things that will eventually take care of themselves. I'm the last one to say that guild-leading should be a job, but if you really want to build a foundation for a guild that will last, it's probably going to keep you busy in the short run.

Overall, while it's a bit more challenging to build a new guild in an old game, it's not impossible. And the golden rules of guild leadership still apply: Recruit carefully, make your expectations clear, and communicate short and long-term goals to everyone, in as many ways as you can.

Do you have a guild problem that you just can't seem to resolve? Have a guild issue that you'd like to discuss? Every week, Karen Bryan takes on reader questions about guild management right here in The Guild Counsel column. She'll offer advice, give practical tips, and even provide a shoulder to lean on for those who are taking up the challenging task of running a guild.