guild-management
Latest
The Guild Counsel: The suggestion box gone wrong
"Does anyone have any suggestions?" If there's one question that a guild leader should never ask, it's that one. Don't get me wrong; I believe feedback is an essential part of running a successful guild. But there's a right and a wrong way to solicit it, and having the equivalent of a "suggestion box" is not the best way to get the feedback you need. In today's Guild Counsel, let's look at how the concept of a suggestion box (or holding open-ended discussions for player feedback) can make guild leadership difficult. And we'll look at some ways to get the suggestions you need to keep things running smoothly in guild.
The Guild Counsel: Signs that it's time for a break
We've all had moments of frustration in MMOs, but if you're part of a guild, that frustration can have a ripple effect that causes real tension. Class balance issues, game nerfs, slow content updates, and game bugs are just a few ways in which MMOs annoy us. Add to that the challenges of being in a guild with other players, and it's no wonder that some players reach their boiling point. Frustration is normal, but when does it reach a point that it's time to take a break? In this week's Guild Counsel, let's look at when it might be time for a player to consider taking a little hiatus from either the guild or the game.
Officers' Quarters: Casual raiding's demise?
Every Monday, Scott Andrews contributes Officers' Quarters, a column about the ins and outs of guild leadership. He is the author of The Guild Leader's Handbook. Cataclysm's introduction of the Raid Finder, or LFR, has certainly affected all levels of raiding. But will it eventually bring about the end of small, casual raiding guilds, as one officer fears? Or does it mean that he needs to change his approach? Hey Scott, I'm an officer in a small, casual raiding guild. By "casual" I mean we only raid two nights a week from 9-12, and typically we run a 10% nerf behind when it comes to clearing content. Our niche has always been as a "friendly community that offers members the chance to experience content in a laid-back atmosphere." Here's my question . . . what do you see as the impact of LFR (and to a lesser extent, LFG) on casual raiding guilds such as ours? Personally, I've always viewed it as a negative. LFR erodes the need for community in the game. Meanwhile, for the casual raiding guild, the biggest draw we can offer to players on our realms is our sense of "community".
The Guild Counsel: Dealing with problem players
Whether she's an in-your-face, type A general or a laid-back denmother, no guild leader enjoys dealing with disruptive players. There's enough to manage as it is, and problem members can put the leader in a very difficult position. But if not handled correctly, that member can cause no end of problems in the guild and potentially even destroy it. It's easy to say, "kick 'em!" but that could backfire and cause even more drama. Dealing with problem players is complicated but not impossible. In today's Guild Counsel, let's look at a few things to consider.
Officers' Quarters: Beyond recruiting
Every Monday, Scott Andrews contributes Officers' Quarters, a column about the ins and outs of guild leadership. He is the author of The Guild Leader's Handbook. If you create a guild with a very specific type of player in mind, keeping those players should be easy, right? As one guild leader found out, it's not as simple as it seems. Hi Scott. ... I've got a guild of 50 people (10-30 people and their alts) and I seem to have hit a wall. I put posts up, I scour WoW Insider for ways to market my guild (thanks for the shoutout, drama mamas) and I try to keep things interesting but nobody ever signs on anymore. We've got a core group of about... oh I'd say 5-10 people who still sign on every few days. How in the hell are we supposed to be a guild for disabled people and friends of the disabled when nobody signs on?
The Guild Counsel: How to find the right guild for you
Each week, no matter what the topic of this column, there are always comments from players who have had a bad experience with a guild or who have sworn off guilds entirely. Unfortunately, there are quite a few guilds that are poorly managed, and they come with their share of drama, stress, and frustration. But for those that aren't currently in a guild, I'd like to use this week's column to (hopefully) convince you to rethink things and perhaps give it another try. In this week's Guild Counsel, Let's take a look at why unguilded players are in a great position to find a good match, and what things to look for in order to find that perfect guild.
Officers' Quarters: Don't start from scratch
Every Monday, Scott Andrews contributes Officers' Quarters, a column about the ins and outs of guild leadership. He is the author of The Guild Leader's Handbook. Something in human nature relishes the concept of "starting from scratch." Is it the blank slate that excites us? Is it the opportunity to let go of the past and forge a new destiny for ourselves? Is it the joy of creating versus the tedium of maintaining? In any event, I've received a lot of emails lately about this idea. Players have written me expressing a desire to create a new account or get a name change and then create a new guild on a new realm where they will be the guild leader. Usually it's a lone person or a duo. To all of these people, my most sincere advice is this: don't. And if you have no experience with leadership, especially don't. First I will explain why this is a bad idea. Then, because I hate to discourage anyone from taking up a leadership role (the game always needs more of you), I will give a few words of advice about how you should approach it. Finally, I will offer an alternative that may work out better for you in the long run. Read on if you want to know!
The Guild Counsel: Making guilds fun
Last week, we looked at common traps that guild leaders should avoid, and the one word that came up the most in comments was "fun." Let's face it, when people think of guild leadership, the last thing they think of is fun. And the replies echoed that sentiment. Guild leadership is often described as a job, although I don't agree with that sentiment. And being in a guild is also seen as work, which I understand, but I don't think that has to be the case. Guilds sometimes take themselves too seriously, and while focus is important for progress, it doesn't mean guilds have to stamp out fun. In this week's Guild Counsel, I'd like to look at how guilds can in fact be fun, and why even the most hesitant gamer should consider giving them a try.
What to do when your guild falls to pieces
Yesterday, my guild fell apart. I logged into the game as usual, with the intent of clearing the holiday boss and then doing our usual Sunday raid. Instead, I was greeted by a whisper from my cohort in crime, the other rogue in my guild, who told me to join a random channel. Bewildered, I did so, only to find the rest of my guild in said channel. "Why did we make a channel?" I asked. "Because we don't have a guild anymore," she replied -- which was when I realized I was, in fact, completely guildless for the first time since somewhere in the middle of Burning Crusade. Our guild leader systematically kicked everyone out of the guild, shut the doors and called it a day. Needless to say, it's been a hell of a weekend. My first thought was nonexistent, my second thought, oddly enough, was whether or not we'd ever had a guide on this particular situation on WoW Insider. I couldn't find one after peering through the archives, so I decided, after all the madness of yesterday had settled down, that I ought to write one. So, from first-hand experience -- what do you do when your guild falls to pieces?
Officers' Quarters: Extinction event
Every Monday, Scott Andrews contributes Officers' Quarters, a column about the ins and outs of guild leadership. He is the author of The Guild Leader's Handbook. For some raiding guilds, the last couple of weeks before a new patch is an opportunity to get those last normal or heroic encounters down, earn achievements, or farm for the last few items the raid team needs for the next tier. For others, they are a reminder of how little the guild has progressed. This reminder prompts raiders to weigh leaving the guild. This week's email comes from a raid leader facing this tough situation. Hi Scott. I've become Raid Leader of my old guild. Which, is driving me crazy. This raid team has been through thick and thin, through multiple Gm's and having lost multiple strong raiders I came back to the guild to help them and to join the team as Raid Leader. I've been having a really tough time though. Progression is non-existent. We're stuck on Blade Lord due to a lack of strong dps players and the new people who show promise need to do Mogu'shan Vaults to get gear for Heart of Fear. The raiders who've been on the team since the start of this tier are bored and have had enough of no progression and Mogu'shan Vaults. They're mainly all thinking of leaving the guild and if so, it'll mean the end of this guild, which I love.
The Guild Counsel: Three common guild traps to avoid
Whether you're just starting a guild or you've been running one for a while, there are pitfalls that can easily trap a guild leader and cause all sorts of problems. We've looked at many of these in past columns, but there are some that tend to pop up more often. Guild leaders need to cover everything from recruitment and bank management to loot decisions and even maintaining a guild website or voice server. But beneath the nuts and bolts are three common traps, which we'll look at in this week's Guild Counsel.
Officers' Quarters: Faster leveling through bribery
Every Monday, Scott Andrews contributes Officers' Quarters, a column about the ins and outs of guild leadership. He is the author of The Guild Leader's Handbook. Rewards can be powerful motivators. But what is the right way to reward members for leveling the guild and earning guild achievements? This week, a new leader asks just that. Hey Scott, I'm a newly established guild leader with hopes of having a decently successful guild. You see I've had my hand in a handful of guilds ranging from the most casual to the semi hardcore and then in ranks ranging from your run of the mill raider to substitute guild leader. From what I noticed in my experience is that most guilds have tons and tons of members that either pvp or raid and it seems that only the few named personnel only show up to check raid times (if any) or to do the occasional battleground. What I want to accomplish with my newly establish guild is some sort of incentives for work towards achievements or overall leveling of the guild. My officers are just down right stumped and I am looking at you for a piece of advice maybe. I guess to sort of elaborate more on what our goals are is that I'm looking at just making a casual raid/pvp guild that not only rewards its players for achievements but for progress in leveling the guild. What do you suggest? Sincerely, Wet Behind the Ears GL
The Guild Counsel: Rethinking the dreaded bench
A while back, I wrote a column that looked at the issue of benchwarming and raiding. It's not fun to have to sit out a raid, and I covered ways to avoid the scenario. The harsh truth, though, is that it's nearly impossible to consistently raid with a full force every night unless you recruit with surplus in mind. But having a surplus raid force might not actually be a bad thing, and guild leaders might be wise to build their rosters with the idea of having extra raiders. In this week's Guild Counsel, let's look at why benchwarming might be a good thing for a raiding guild.
Officers' Quarters: Backseat raiding
Every Monday, Scott Andrews contributes Officers' Quarters, a column about the ins and outs of guild leadership. He is the author of The Guild Leader's Handbook. Raid leading is never an easy role in the best of times. When players start to question your decisions and argue with your strategies, the job can take on a whole new dimension of hassle. That's the case in this week's email: Recently drama erupted in my guild which I felt had been brewing for a while now. My fiancé and I joined a newly formed guild and it was known at the time, we went through with the GM how we were not a package deal and if one of us did not make the cut that we were okay with it. The only thing we requested was fair treatment. Shortly before cataclysm I was asked to be an officer, due to some qualities I had shown during raids, namely not being afraid to speak up and ultimately voice who had made the mistake thus creating more accountability ... I took over raid leading and led the guild to a double digit us ranking according to Wowprogress. During this time drama began to brew, two players one of which was new ... and one of which was a founding member started a campaign which I could clearly see to discredit and argue strats I had prepared as well as judgement calls I made on the fly, it all escalated when one of those wanted to argue the raid comp and then in turn that my fiancé should be the one sitting not the new mage who was a recruit (and dating one of the other core raiders) despite the logs showing that was not the case. The gm wanted me to do it to appease them and I refused, the raid ended up being called.
The Guild Counsel: Why Jack Sparrow would make a great guild leader
Recently, I was watching Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and remembering how much I enjoyed the weird yet adventurous personality of Jack Sparrow. He's a pirate, a thief, and so dishonest that he's honest about it, but you can't help but cheer for him anyway. When you think about it, the traits that make Jack Sparrow such a popular character are traits that also make for a good guild leader. In this week's Guild Counsel, let's take a light-hearted look at why Jack would make a great guild leader.
Officers' Quarters: Thundering up to 25
Every Monday, Scott Andrews contributes Officers' Quarters, a column about the ins and outs of guild leadership. He is the author of The Guild Leader's Handbook. Lately Blizzard has been moving toward making 25-man raids more rewarding again. They've already done so in Asia. Elsewhere, they are trying something new with Thunderforged items, which will drop more frequently in larger raids. Time will tell if this is enough to save 25s. In the meantime, some guilds, like the one in the email below, are thinking about making the leap from 10s. Hello Scott! Very long time reader - first time writer! I love this blog - you have given some really awesome advice, and now I'm looking for some myself, oh wise one! I'm a GL of a 10 man raiding guild. I've seen guilds fall apart around me, and I've seen guilds hold strong through the past 6 months. I'm proud to say that my 2 year old guild is doing fantastic. So, what's the problem? We're doing perhaps a little *too* well. We've been getting applicants without having been actively recruiting. We've brought in some great members. We rarely turn applicants away - if they seem like a great fit, we work with them to give them the opportunity to raid with us. We run two 10-man groups, but with new members coming in that want to raid, we're having to sit people. Now there are rumblings and whispers about running 25s.
The Guild Counsel: The battle for character names
Identity is a theme that comes up a lot in The Guild Counsel column. Guild identity shapes a variety of areas, from recruitment policies and guild rules to tone and atmosphere. And for players, everything they do in game shapes their character identity. But one of the first things players select when they make their character is a name, and that's also the first thing that identifies our characters to other players. It sounds simple, but getting a name, and then keeping it, is actually harder than it sounds. And for players, not getting a favorite name can actually take away from enjoyment of the game. How important is a name? And do players have a right to keep it forever even if they aren't necessarily using it on an active character? Let's look at some of the complexities behind a simple name.
Officers' Quarters: 7 tips for becoming an officer
Every Monday, Scott Andrews contributes Officers' Quarters, a column about the ins and outs of guild leadership. He is the author of The Guild Leader's Handbook. So you've been reading Officers' Quarters for years and you're curious about this whole leadership thing, but you don't know how to go about getting the attention of the existing officers. This week, a player follows up on a previous OQ column to ask how she can get promoted. I've got seven pieces of advice for her, but first, the email: Hey there Scott! Awhile ago, I wrote you about starting my own guild with a few family members, and you advised me to stay in my current guild and work my way up to officer. After reading your advice, I have a few follow-up questions. My main concern is how to go about becoming an officer. I don't want to necessarily just blurt out "hey, I wanna be an officer", because if I were the GL, I'd think that the person who said that was demanding the position. However, if I don't say anything, how will the GL know I'm interested? Like I said, I know I'm not owed anything. I really love the guild I'm in and have lots of ways I'd like to see the guild improve. Any advice you can give would be great. Thanks, Guilded Warrior
The Guild Counsel: Everyone's a critic
If there's one truism about MMOs, it's that not all players are equal. It can be frustrating when you're grouped with someone who isn't that great at playing his class. At the same time, it isn't exactly fun to be on the receiving end of criticism, either. Most people want to play well, but they don't want to be constantly reminded of their shortcomings along the way. In a guild, the fine line between helpful advice and unwanted criticism can often lead to a tense atmosphere and the potential for plenty of drama. "L2p" gets tossed around on forums and in game, but what if someone really does want to get another player to improve? In today's Guild Counsel, let's take a look at some of the factors involved with criticism and explore why this is often a very sensitive subject.
Officers' Quarters: All star team
Every Monday, Scott Andrews contributes Officers' Quarters, a column about the ins and outs of guild leadership. He is the author of The Guild Leader's Handbook. This week, a raid leader faces a difficult decision: stay with his current guild or join the hottest raid team on the realm. (FYI, this email is from mid November so adjust your progression expectations accordingly.) Hello, I am in a conundrum and require some help. I am a Raid Leader for a guild, and have been since early Dragon Soul for this guild (2 years in total). our team has always gotten content down, just took a long while to due so, usually to low numbers and unskilled players and poor attendance. We have been progressing through Mogu'Shan Vaults and Heart of Fear with some pace, just getting Zor'lok and Will of the Emperor this Thursday on Normal. Now i am one to play to the utmost caliber, pushing the limits of my class (Blood DK) with both mitigation and damage, even ranking on all bosses killed aside from Elegon. Now here's where my issue is, a guild on the server that was just recently formed and stomped 6/6 MSV and 4/6 HoF in 1 week has asked me to tank for them.
