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The Guild Counsel: Simple ways to build a successful alliance
Recently, we looked at the benefits and pitfalls of guild mergers. While a merge is something that can work, it's a pretty drastic step that comes with some big risks. The alternative to a mergers is an alliance, and over the years (and much less direct competition thanks to instancing), it's something that's becoming much more common. Alliances are definitely more low-impact than a merge, and they give guilds the option to back out if things aren't clicking. But if not carried out just right, alliances can put enormous stress on a guild and enormous pressure on guild leaders. In this week's Guild Counsel, we'll take a closer look at ways to help make a guild alliance successful.
The Guild Counsel: Am I a leader?
Last week, in response to the article about dealing with guild complaints, there was a somewhat provocative comment from reader Graill440, who questioned the use of the word "leader" when referring to guild leaders. In his comment, he made the following point: "While the article is great in terms of what kids and some adults do in a guild, the misnomer that 'leaders' are created in a game of any type or simply because you wear the abused tag 'guildleader' is absurd. I have no problem with the term guildmaster, GM, stratman, stratperson, roteman, etc., but labeling or calling anyone who plays a game a leader because of that particular game is plain wishful thinking." While it did put some on the defensive, it's a point worth examining more closely. As Val Kilmer's Doc Holliday would say, "I'm your huckleberry." In this week's Guild Counsel, we'll take a look at whether guild leaders possess enough qualities to actually call themselves leaders.
The Guild Counsel: I have a complaint!
Complain, complain, complain. If you're a guild leader, chances are you've had a moment or two when you've felt like all you do in game is handle members' issues. And if you haven't led a guild, one of the main reasons you've probably avoided doing so is because you don't want to handle the drama of member complaints. Whether you're a tough-as-nails captain or a fresh-faced greenhorn with good intentions, member complaints are one of the biggest things that wears you down and even causes you to give up leadership and leave altogether. In this week's Guild Counsel, we'll look at a few ways to handle guild complaints while hopefully keep your sanity at the same time.
The Guild Counsel: Dealing with the downtime
Yep, get used to the image above, SOE fans, because it looks like we'll be staring at that for at least a couple more days, and that's the best case scenario. Many who are currently investing time and effort in an SOE MMO are probably making fists of fury at the screen and speed-dialing Customer Service. And with each passing day, the list of payback demands gets longer and longer. Is there anything a guild leader can do to make things better? Obviously you can't get in there and root out the source of the attack, but there are a few steps you can take to make your life, as well as your guildmates' lives, less painful during this unexpected and lengthy outage. Read on for this week's Guild Counsel's suggestions on how to cope!
The Guild Counsel: Is it time to merge?
One issue that every guild leader needs to face at some point is whether to consider merging with another guild. There are times when even the busiest recruiting guilds have a hard time fleshing out a roster that can achieve in-game goals. As a result, they turn to other guilds for outside help. But merging with another guild brings up a whole new set of issues and pitfalls, and if not handled well, it can lead to drama on a scale never before seen. In this week's Guild Counsel, we'll take a look at the issue of joining forces with other guilds and discuss some ways to make it work. No, really, it can work! Don't run away!
The Guild Counsel: No one helps me!
There's a certain type of loot that everyone wants, and it's not gear or a fancy sword or an epic. It's help. The whole notion of a guild, alliance, corporation, or clan is based on the idea that members will come together to help each other out in accomplishing both individual goals and larger guild achievements. On raid nights, it's easy to quantify the help -- everyone on the raid is performing his role for the team, and everyone is after the same goal, which is to down a big boss and reap the rewards. On off-nights, it's much harder to gauge "help." One member might need help on a dungeon crawl for a quest update. Another might need help with a crafting combine with catching up on levels and gear. The problem is that not everyone is on the same page, and for several reasons, those calls for help can go unanswered, leading to frustration, venting, and much guild drama. In the end, it's the guild leader who's crying for help. In this week's Guild Counsel, we'll answer that cry for help and look at ways for guild leaders to take on the difficult issue of whom and when to help.
The Guild Counsel: My kingdom for a house
You work hard in-game, so it's understandable that you'd want a place of your own, outside the auction house and hustle and bustle of city life. What better accomplishment than constructing your own guild home! On the surface, it seems like a great idea. But to quote Dr. Ian Malcolm, "Oh yeah, 'Ooh, aah,' that's how it always starts. But then there's running and... screaming." In this week's Guild Counsel, we'll look at guild housing -- the good, the bad, and the "good heavens, what made you think that tapestry goes with that sofa?!"
The Guild Counsel: Fighting the flames of burnout
Everyone, and I mean everyone, who plays MMOs will face burnout at one point or another. It doesn't matter what your playstyle is; it doesn't even matter whether you're in a guild or not. Raiders log in and find that they can't wait till the raid is called, even before it began. Soloers log in and ask themselves why they should bother doing that shard- or token-run for the billionth time. Tradeskillers log in and realize that their hatred of crafted stew has carried over to their real lives. In this week's Guild Counsel, we'll take a closer look at burnout. While it is unavoidable, we'll examine ways to get through it, for you as well as your guild.
The Guild Counsel: To vent or not to vent
As we've looked at the ins and outs of managing a guild, one issue that's often overlooked is whether to vent or not to vent. No, not the Minus 50 DKP type of vent -- I'm talking about Ventrilo and voice chat in general. Ten years ago, guild leaders didn't have to worry about this, because the choice was between typing text or hosting a LAN party. But today, with the rise of voice chat clients like Ventrilo and in-game voice services like Vivox, the culture has changed quite a bit. In this week's Guild Counsel, we'll take a look at the benefits of type vs. voice chat, and we'll look at what role each plays in guild management. Whether you sleep with your headset on or cling to your keyboard, read on for a look at why both have their merits.
The Guild Counsel: PAX East panel explores online communities
There were two things that really stood out for me at PAX East: the ridiculously long lines and the throngs of fans who happily sat down together to play games face to face. On the surface, PAX East might seem to be about who has the best card deck or who has the quickest twitch reflexes, but it's actually much more than that. We've looked at the growing importance of online communities and the relationships that have been created by them, so it's little surprise that PAX was full of players who were there to meet and play with friends they met through gaming. And among the many panels this weekend, there was one that explored this very issue. The speakers were all experienced managers of online communities, and they shared their stories of how they got started and why these communities are so important. Read on to hear their stories.
The Guild Counsel: Raid wipe, now what!
Whether you're a guildleader or not, there's always one single moment that everyone dreads in an MMO: the wipe. It's caused sleepless nights, tons of gray hairs, and in some cases, the breakup of a guild. The first few seconds after a raid wipe resemble that scene from Speed: "Pop quiz, hot shot. There are dozens of players attacking a mob, it's at one percent, your tanks drop, and you wipe. What do you do?" If you've ever been Keanu Reaves on that out of control bus, read on for a few helpful tips on what to do when everything hits the fan.
The Guild Counsel: A guild guide to RIFT
With all of the buzz this week surrounding the launch of RIFT, I thought it would be a good opportunity for The Guild Counsel to take a closer look at guilds in the game. On the surface, with all of the solo content and the public grouping feature around rift invasions, it might not seem that guilds are very important. But at the higher levels, guilds definitely have a purpose, such as prepping for raid content, working on ancient wardstone quests, or coordinating PvP attacks in Warfronts and in the open world. This week, we'll cover the basics of how to form up a guild and then take a closer look at some of the guild tools available to guild leaders.
The Guild Counsel: Till death do us part?
Yes, sometimes being part of a guild feels like being in a marriage -- there's lots of commitment, lots of responsibility, and all too often, lots of arguing and fighting. But this week, we're actually going to look at the issue of online romance and online relationships in MMOs. As games and communities increase in number, more and more players are developing lasting relationships, and some of those have even led to marriage. Since the Valentine's Day roses are still fresh and there are still a few chocolates left in the heart-shaped box, this week's Guild Counsel will look at a few dos and don'ts of online romance. Joining me this week is Arithion, host of the Rift Podcast. She met her husband in game, and they've been married for four years. She'll share some valuable advice on what to do if you think you've found that special someone.
The Guild Counsel: Are guild leaders a health hazard?
Earlier this week, Massively reported on a poll conducted by Bigpoint concerning gamer stereotypes. The good news is that the results of the voluntary survey showed that gamers are not overweight shut-ins who live in their grandmother's basements. The bad news is that there's some skepticism on the validity of the results, since the poll was a voluntary survey and there's no way to prove that the participants were telling the truth. However, there have been a number of in-depth studies over the years that have shown some surprising trends in who exactly plays MMOs and more importantly what their behavior is like in game. For this week's Guild Counsel, we're going to take a closer look at MMO players and touch on the role that guild leaders might play in steering player behavior in-game.
The Guild Counsel: DKP will set you free
There are many questions in life that have been debated for eternity. The chicken or the egg? Pie or cake? Fish or cut bait? Pirates or ninjas? Yankees or Red Sox? Democrats or Republicans? Add to this list another age-old question -- merit or DKP? Although there are several systems for awarding loot, these two have traditionally been the most popular with guilds. I've used both extensively, and while each system is time-tested and works well, I've slowly become a DKP convert. In this week's Guild Counsel, it's time to take a look at the hot-button issue of what to do with loot.
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.
The Guild Counsel: Let's take a power trip!
Ah, ranks! There's nothing like the highly structured, caste-like system of guild ranks. Even when ranks aren't a feature in the game, guilds will still sort their members into tidy ranks, like member, alt, officer, and the all-important Guild Leader (with a capital G!). A metagame ensues, and it often resembles an episode of My Super Sweet 16, with everyone elbowing in to curry favor and receive his gilded stamp of approval. But what exactly do those guild ranks mean, and why are they so important to people? Let's take a look at ranks and see why they actually can be important (but not the way most view them).
The Guild Counsel: Teacher by day, guild leader by night
Last week, as I listed my guild leader New Year's resolutions, I made a passing reference to my background as a former teacher. This led to a great question by Massively reader Mike Azariah, who wrote: "I still do teach. Do you find that helping others (especially new players) starts to fall into a lesson?" I've had discussions with other guild leaders in the past, and it always strikes me how often they talk about how the job of guild leader parallels, and often enhances, real-life occupations that involve leadership skills. This week's Guild Counsel will take a closer look at Mike's question of how much the job of teacher relates to guild leadership.
