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The Guild Counsel: Time for a mutiny!
In last week's Guild Counsel, we looked at some of the qualities required of guildleaders for those who might be thinking of trying it out. But what if you're someone who's already a member of a guild? If I had a nickel for every time a guild member thought to himself, "I could do a better job," I'd be able to retire and buy a ticket to fly in space. In some cases, it's just an issue of backseat driving, but in others, there's some merit to that point of view. When is it time to step in and replace the guild leader? And if so, how do you do it without the usual Hindenburgesque drama that ensues?
The Guild Counsel: Are you ready to lead a guild?
The Guild Counsel has explored lots of tips and advice that make running a guild more enjoyable and (hopefully!) more successful. But I'm constantly amazed at the number of players I meet in MMOs who would probably make great leaders and would probably enjoy it but don't give it a try. Making the leap from player to guild leader can be both tempting and daunting, and unfortunately, there's no easy way to tell who will make a good leader and who won't. Plenty of us have come across people who really should not have taken on the guild leader role, but for every bad guild leader, there are probably dozens of good people who could become great leaders if they chose to make the leap. Granted, there are many who are firmly set on staying away from the role, and that's understandable, but this week's column is devoted to those who are considering stepping forward to lead but aren't sure if they have what it takes. Are you ready to run a guild? Let's find out!
The Guild Counsel: Raiding and dealing with the dreaded 'bench'
The good news for guilds these days is that you don't need as many players in order to form a raid and tackle endgame content. However, this is also the bad news because it means guild leaders need to keep a watchful eye on their roster and face the unenviable task of telling certain members they can't be part of the raid on any given night. In this week's Guild Counsel, we'll look the time-honored tradition of benchwarming and cover some tips on how to avoid the drama that comes with it. You may not be able to completely avoid having to sit members out, but there are some ways to cut down on how often you do have to say no.
The Guild Counsel: Four ways to be a great guildmate
When looking at the dos and don'ts of guild leadership and member interactions, usually the don'ts tend to dominate the discussion. And when it comes to evaluating player types, usually it's the negative types that get described, like the Henny Penny, the Mr. Wiggly, or the Guild Turkey. But what about a player who might be interested in trying his hand at joining a guild? There are definitely some tips that help make you a respected guild member and won't have you feeling like pretending to be someone you aren't. In this week's Guild Counsel, we'll look at some easy ways to leave a good impression and be seen as a great guildie by your mates!
The Guild Counsel: New game, new guild, cold feet - now what?
There's an eerie similarity between gamers and guilds when it comes to game launches. The day a game goes live, there's often a huge rush of players, elbowing each other as they gobble up content. But as quickly as they arrive, some players decide that this isn't the game for them, and they move on. The same is true for many new guilds. If you consider the size of the Star Wars: The Old Republic pre-launch guild database, for example, there were over 78,000 guilds signed up to deploy, but the total number of guilds still active today is undoubtedly only a fraction of that. In some cases, guilds that signed up probably never got off the ground, but in other cases, it's possible that the guild soured on the game. Now, it's one thing if you're just one individual who gets cold feet, but it's much more complicated when you're the guild leader and you've got a roster full of members tagging alongside you. In this week's Guild Counsel, we'll consider what you should do you do when you've made a guild in a new game and then realize the game just isn't your cup of tea.
The Guild Counsel: Stop yelling!
Guild leaders and raid leaders have a bad reputation for being loud, cantankerous, and well, mean. If you make a mistake, you'd better brace yourself for an in-your-face, five-minute reaming-out in front of friends and guildmates. Not all leaders are like that, but it's common enough that it tends to be the standard M.O. that players picture of those in charge. It's time for the yelling to stop. It's giving guilds, and MMOs in general, a bad image, and it really isn't necessary. In fact, it's quite likely that all that yelling ends up making your guild less productive when all is said and done. In this week's Guild Counsel, we'll look at four reasons it's time for guild leaders to calm down and stop the screaming.
The Guild Counsel: How to break into raiding
One question every guild needs to answer at some point is, "Will we be a raiding guild?" Many guilds answer that question with a loud "yes" even before they set foot in game, but for other guilds, it's something that bubbles up as members reach the level cap and raid content is within reach. Raiding tends to get a bad rap, but that's not surprising when you remember that raid videos are usually filled with yelling, swearing, finger pointing, and heavy metal music. It looks about as relaxing as boot camp in the winter. But it is possible to go from casual to raiding and still maintain a casual, low-key tone. In fact, it's even easier now to do that in many MMOs. In this week's Guild Counsel, we'll look at why we've entered a golden age of raiding, and we'll cover a few handy tips for guilds looking to make the leap.
The Guild Counsel: Why is it so hard to say congratulations?
When was the last time you said congratulations to someone in game? And no, I don't mean the spammy "congrats" when someone in guild gains a level, an AA, a skill up, a crafting combine, or any of the dozen other milestones that pop up every day in chat. Those are the easy congratulations because the accomplishment has no direct effect on you. I'm talking about the congratulations when someone beats you in game. You might be in a duel or battleground, and the other guy ends up taking you out. You might be racing for a named mob, and the other guy gets there first. Or you might be in that guild that always seems to fall just a bit short and winds up the bridesmaid when it comes to guild progression. There is plenty of competition in MMOs, but you rarely see much sportsmanship from players. In this week's Guild Counsel, we'll look at why it's so hard to say "congrats" and why that has an effect on guilds as well as on the communities overall.
The Guild Counsel: Why you need these seven samurai in your guild
More often than not, when the subject of recruiting comes up, guild leaders can easily explain what they don't want from a potential member. We've all seen the usual reasons for wanting to turn someone away, and there have even been a few write-ups that neatly label and describe troublesome members. But what qualities define "good" members? Sometimes, it's harder to pinpoint what makes a good guildmate, and the saying "I know it when I see it" usually results. But there are certain types of people that really make a difference in a guild, no matter what playstyle, and we have to look no further than the film The Seven Samurai for a rundown of those types. Recruit these seven members and you'll be well on your way to creating a great guild atmosphere that will last. Let's look at who they are in today's Guild Counsel!
The Guild Counsel: Does running a guild have to be so hard?
When you hear people describe the role of guild leader, you often hear descriptions like "herding cats," "constantly busy," or "running the crazy house." Guild leaders are often easily identified because they're the ones running around at a frantic pace, trying to micromanage every last detail. It's no surprise that few people actually want to be guild leaders because the way the role is described, you're almost expected to take on a second job. But sometimes guild leaders make things harder than they need to be. Part of that is from a desire to take on too much, but part of that is because there have traditionally been certain things we all assume have to be done. Whether you're a brand-new guild leader or someone who's been running the show for years, it's worth stepping back and questioning whether we really need to be doing all of the things we're doing. Let's put on some Bob Marley and look at a few ways to cut down on the busy work.
The Guild Counsel: Star Wars guilds need more love!
A few weeks back, I wrote about the impressive pre-launch guild system in Star Wars: The Old Republic, pointing out that not only is it wildly popular but that it indicates that BioWare recognizes the validity of guilds. So it surprised me when I began to slowly notice the absence of various guild features and tools that I've grown accustomed to seeing in other games, tools that are almost a necessity in this day and age. In fact, at one point, I had to ask myself if there was any benefit at all to being in a guild other than having guild chat and a cool tag. I'm certainly haven't lost hope yet because after all, it's only a few weeks into the game, and features like the guild capital ship have already been mentioned as being on the way. But this week, I'm playing amateur developer and adding my list of guild-friendly features that are must-haves for SWTOR (and for all MMOs, actually!).
The Guild Counsel: Favorite moments from the Massively livestream
I'm sure you know about Massively's ever-expanding video channel. But what you might not know is that over the past year, I've done a little MMO walkabout, sampling as many different games as I could on my character Mmognaut. What I was particularly interested in was branching out and getting to know the communities that make these games what they are, and the Massively livestream was a great way to do that while giving the viewers a chance to experience it too. Through livestreaming and Twitch TV, I've had a great opportunity to explore dozens of MMOs over the past year, often with my co-host Jeremy Stratton. In my weekly column here, I often focus on common issues that happen within a guild, but I've also looked at MMO communities on the whole, and that should include the community that's grown here at Massively. What's really neat is that there's an overlapping at times during these shows, where the in-game communities of the MMO we're showcasing mesh with the Massively community, and it's made for some fantastic moments. Join me in this week's Guild Counsel as I look back over my favorite moments from the past year.
The Guild Counsel: Does SWTOR need a better LFG tool?
Often, this column has focused on guilds and communities in MMOs, both the good and the bad. With the launch of Star Wars: The Old Republic, it's interesting to look at the ways in which a community is slowly gelling on each server. Already there are players I'm bumping into more and more often, and while I tend to huddle around guildies most of the time, I find that I enjoy things much more when I'm surrounded by a good community of players. There's already been a lively discussion among SWTOR fans about whether the current LFG tool is good enough or something more is needed. Do we need something more "meaty" to help do the job of grouping for us or not? Read on for some pros and cons, and weigh in on whether more is needed to help bring the community closer.
The Guild Counsel: Guild life in SWTOR
If you thought the future looked cloudy for guilds in MMOs, Star Wars: The Old Republic's launch stomped out any doubts. The pre-launch list of guilds was so enormous that it rivaled the total player populations of other MMOs. But there are some interesting aspects to guild life in SWTOR, and this week in The Guild Counsel, we'll take a closer look at them. If you're interested in some first impressions from a guild perspective, or if you're wondering how to make a guild now that the game has launched, read on for a look at guild life in SWTOR.
The Guild Counsel: What if the game leaves you?
In previous Guild Counsel columns, we've tackled the issue of players leaving their guilds or even their games, but what about when the game leaves you? Recently, this has become an issue that, sadly, we're seeing more and more often, with announced closings of MMOs and even studios. This week, Star Wars Galaxies' eight-year-plus run will come to an end, and the servers will shut down at midnight EST tonight. I saw a terrific tribute video made by Kyranna Mythina from the Starsider server, and I wanted to get some thoughts about the game and its closing. Read on for Kyranna's best memories of the game as well as thoughts about the end... and where to go from there.
The Guild Counsel: Stop teasing me!
Let's face it: As thrilling as it can be to slay a dragon or blow up a spaceship, MMOs all have their fair share of dull moments at times. And when guildies get together, they can often resort to pranks, teasing, and all sorts of jokes in order to liven things up. That's often when you have some of your best memories in game, and I think it's part of what makes MMOs great. But sometimes, jokes can fall flat, and what was supposed to be a funny moment ends up turning into major drama. In this week's Guild Counsel, we'll take a look at joking around and how to avoid a joke gone wrong.
The Guild Counsel: To kick or not to kick
Over the past year, we've touched on several tricky topics regarding guild management, yet we've never waded into the topic of actually removing someone from the guild. Granted, some of the issues we have discussed can lead to lots of frustration for guildmates, and understandably, the comments section usually contains at least one reply suggesting that a swift guild kick is the best solution. But removing someone from the guild is a pretty big decision, and it can have a ripple effect throughout your roster that might lead to further unhappiness and drama. When is the right time to boot someone from the guild? In this week's Guild Counsel, we'll take a look at what to do when you think it might be time for a guild removal.
The Guild Counsel: You might be a turkey if you...
You may not be aware, but the turkey you're about to consume could actually be a danger to you and your loved ones. That's right: If you're frying them, you're rolling the dice, and you might come up with snake eyes. Now, I'm not completely familiar with the origins of the meaning of snake eyes, but I do know that you shouldn't over-fill a fryer with hot oil, and you also shouldn't shove a fryer over on its side because the oil spills and combusts. But apparently, this is what gamers call "l33t b3ta inf0z," and if you're from the Department of Homeland Security, it's your job to get the word out. That got me thinking: If Americans don't know the ins and outs of cooking a turkey safely, perhaps MMO players don't know the proper way to safely be part of a guild. In this week's Guild Counsel, let's look at a few ways to avoid being the guild turkey.
The Guild Counsel: Gold Rush, Alaska teaches how not to run a guild
I started watching Discovery's Gold Rush, Alaska last season, and while I always take "reality" tv with a grain of salt, I've gotten hooked on watching the slow-motion train wreck that is the Hoffman mining crew. The series follows a group of miners in Alaska as they try to strike it rich and find gold. Last season, the crew pulled out less gold than I have in my meager jewelery box, and the season ended with a water-filled hole, shoddy equipment, and a big financial debt. Interestingly enough, the lure of gold and the lure of leading a guild have some surprising parallels. To some, it's a temptation that's hard to resist, and to others, it's something that only fools or crazy people would do. If you do it right, and you have a little bit of luck, you can really strike it rich, but if you make mistakes or don't know what you're doing, you'll end up in a crater-sized hole with no way out, wondering how the heck things got to this point. In this week's Guild Counsel, we'll look at some of the mistakes made by the Hoffman mining crew and how they apply to running (or in this case, not running) a guild.
The Guild Counsel: The problem with guilds
Last week, I put up a poll asking you, the Massively readers, to indicate whether you had a character in a guild or not. The response was great, and many of you voted and posted your thoughts as well. While this was a very unofficial survey, the results are interesting because it turns out that only a little more than half (56.6%) of those who replied are in a guild. (And for the record, the word guild is used as a catch-all phrase to refer to any in-game organization of people.) There are some overall factors that might account for the results. This website, for example, covers hundreds of games, and the results might be much higher if the survey were done on a particular MMO's official website, where the playerbase is more focused on one game. But there are some valid reasons why players choose to forego guilds, and they're worth taking a look at. I chose three in particular that many commenters seemed to echo in last week's column, and in this week's Guild Counsel, I'll examine why they contribute to giving guilds a bad rap and whether it's possible to turn things around.
