The Guild Counsel: What's in a name?
When you think about all of the big issues a guild leader has to manage, a guild name might seem like a minor detail. But it's actually a very important part of building a guild. Choose wisely, and you will end up with a name that stands the test of time and is widely recognized in your community. Choose poorly, and it actually becomes an obstacle that can hinder your ability to build and manage your guild. In this week's Guild Counsel, we'll take a look different ways to pick your guild name and see what to avoid in the process.
When choosing a guild name, it's important to try to pick something that identifies who you are as a guild. Your guild tag is the first thing players see when they meet you, so it can be a helpful tool when trying to recruit other players -- treat it like a resume. If you have a poor guild name, you'll have a lot more trouble getting people interested in joining your guild, or worse, they'll actually be driven away out of embarrassment. Here are a few types of names that are potential minefields to be treated with caution:
Overused names. It's not necessarily bad to choose a well-known phrase or name for your guild, but it's not going to help you be known for something either. Is <For the Horde> or <Waaaagh!> really going to make your guild stand out? Similarly, <The Jedi Order> is about as trite as they come, and you just know we're going to see several guilds with that name when Star Wars launches.
Abbreviations. Your guild might be named <Great Followers of Yellow>, but using the abbreviation <GFY> might not be a great choice for your guild tag. In general, avoid abbreviations when first starting up your guild, because they're vague and offer no detail to players on what type of guild you are. However, if you're a well-established guild that's been around for years, chances are people are used to referring to your guild's abbreviation. In that case, renaming yourself with just the letters actually works.
All caps. If you choose to use all capital letters in your guild name, really think it through carefully. There's a story somewhere in there about a really small guy with a really big sword and overcompensation.
Trendy names. It's probably not a good idea to use Twitter's trending topics as inspiration for your guild name. In general <Justin Bieber is the Best Evah!!!1> is not a great guild name unless you're 12 or you're playing Free Realms, where it's not only encouraged but practically required.
Long names. <The Lost Denizens of Grey Shadow on the Morning Dawn of the New Day of the Eclipse> is impressive but not very practical. Try typing that every time you introduce yourself to a recruit or make a guild announcement. If your members can't remember the name of their own guild, it's probably wise to shorten it a bit.
Latin or Roman names. Going with classical names isn't really that bad of a choice, but keep in mind that you're immediately branding yourself as a pretty serious guild if you do so. People recognize "family-friendly," but <Familia et Amicitia> is a tad off-putting unless you're playing Mafia Wars. However, if you do decide to use Latin, there's a great name generator found here.
Racial names. Despite my deep-seated despisal of Gnomes, one of my all-time favorite guild names is <The Anklebiters of Prexus>. Choosing a name based on a particular in-game race is fine, but it obviously limits your pool of applicants. Some guilds really make it work though, and I tip my hat to those that do.
Copycat names. Please, for the love of Tunare, don't take the name of a guild that you admire and choose that as your tag. <Fires of Heaven> is a top-notch guild, but you're not fooling anyone by building your new guild around that name if you don't have any affiliation to it. Some guilds, like <The Syndicate>, have actually gone so far as to trademark their names in order to protect themselves from copycats.
Popular phrases. <Pwn the N00bs> is catchy right now, but if your guild is still around in five years, will it still be a tag you'd want to wear? I'm not seeing many guilds with tags like <Grody to the Max> so I'd assume the answer is probably not.
Silly names. There's a place for silly names, but again, if you choose that route, understand that you're immediately branding yourself. But silly names can actually cover a pretty broad spectrum of guilds, including the top echelon of hardcore guilds. On a side note, one of my biggest laughs in EverQuest II was seeing a silly guild name used for a mythical update. Any time someone got his mythical weapon, his name and guild name would be broadcast across the server. There was one particular player on Guk who got a reputation for being a bit disruptive and spammy. Someone actually came up with a silly name alluding to the player and leveled up a character just to get a mythical and have the name broadcast publicly. It was a funny, albeit extreme, way to give a little nudge back to the disruptive player.
In general, whatever you choose for your guild name, make sure you're happy with it, because hopefully you'll be carrying it for years and years. It's a small detail when you consider the major tasks of guild management, but if you choose the wrong name, it can become your worst nightmare. Hopefully these tips will make your choice easier, but if all else fails, you can always try Nick Yee's guild name generator. It's aimed at World of Warcraft guilds, but it's easy to substitute game-specific words into the list of suggestions.
Happy tagging!
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.
