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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.
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.
The Guild Counsel: Five essentials of guild management
We've seen a recent wave of new MMOs launch, and in just a few more weeks, we'll probably see the launch of one of the most anticipated titles of the year, Guild Wars 2. That, along with the upcoming launch of World of Warcraft's expansion, means there will be many new guilds springing up, some of which will be headed by brand-new guild leaders. Everyone wants a roster full of happy pandas, but sometimes that's easier said than done. There are lots of issues to deal with when it comes to running a guild, and there's a lot of nuance that factors into whether a guild is successful in the long run. We've looked at many of them in this column, but in this week's Guild Counsel, we'll highlight five of the essentials that must be considered when you're leading a guild.
Breakfast Topic: What are your guild chat rules?
Recently on Drama Mamas, we discussed guild chat that degenerated into being offensive thanks to the addition of one bigot-mouthed player. Each guild has its own chat policies -- whether written or just assumed. It came from the Blog keeps it PG and tolerant. Our members are from all walks of life, and we respect that. Of course, IcftB has its rules posted in the guild info, so everyone knows how to behave and what to expect from others. Posting rules works well that way. But if no chat guidelines are posted, people can still tell what's appropriate by just seeing what the veterans do. If the topics and language tend toward an R rating and someone gets upset by profanity, that someone is in the wrong guild.
Officers' Quarters: Merry Kickmas!
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, available now from No Starch Press. Now that we've gotten all this peace on Earth, goodwill toward men nonsense out of the way, we can get back to business. Today, that business is kicking players out of your guild. It's a drastic step and never one that should be carried out lightly. In this week's email, a new guild leader wants to know what actions are worthy of a gkick. Hi Scott: When Starwars: The Old Republic launches I will be jumping in with both feet, and plan on forming a guild within a week. I currently have a couple friends on board, a good name that is not taken, and most of a guild charter written up. Officers' Quarters has been an invaluable assent over the past weeks in pulling everything together, but a sticking point is hammering out the fine details of the Unacceptable Behavior section. What actions do you think warrant a guild kick, supposing the full story is known? Thank you, Prepared for Everything
Officers' Quarters: The three biggest mistakes new guild leaders make
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, available now from No Starch Press. Starting a new guild in WoW is an uphill battle. Make no mistake: It's not an endeavor to undertake lightly. Every server has established guilds that you'll be competing against with an unknown "brand." Even so, the number of players you need to recruit to experience most of what WoW has to offer is a mere 12-15. In that sense, taking a guild from an idea to a fully fledged community is much easier now than in the past. For players who are unhappy with their current situation and wondering why they can never find a guild that's just right for them, why not create your own? WoW needs dedicated player leadership now more than ever. Too many guilds are failing because their leaders and officers have burned out on the game after playing for so many years. Taking up the mantle of leadership brings with it many pitfalls. But of all the mistakes that a new leader can make, these three are the ones most likely to turn into major headaches -- or even guild-shattering drama.
The Queue: Locke
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW Insider's daily Q&A column where the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Adam Holisky will be your host today. Do you ever get the feeling that WoW is like some sort of purgatory? That you're trapped in an endless loop of hellish deviations intent on consuming the very soul from which all things good and pure spring forth from? That this game is indeed nothing but the true game which ends all games, and like Sisyphus or John Locke you'll be stuck pushing the boulder up the hill towards a higher level for the rest of your life?And with, let's throw a little social philosophy in your faces.Adoisin commented... "I hate people telling me how to change my spec and how to play. I'm a mage who puts out between 2-3k dps, depending on how bad my lag may be at the time. Sure, I may not have the cookie cutter spec. But it's my game, I am paying for it, and I will play how I want. Want me to change? Fine. Start paying my fee and you can tell me how to play."
The art of switching your main
Switching your main is easy enough if you are in a very casual guild, or not in a guild at all. You simply say to yourself..."Hey! I want to be a rogue now." No problem! You're a rogue! How about when you are in a raiding guild, or a hardcore pvp guild, and you have been raiding with your mage and you want to start raiding with your rogue? And you want to roll on loot? Problem! Or at least there has been in every raiding guild I have been in. Why? Well, the reason most commonly given is that you spent the last few months raiding and equipping that mage, and it would be unfair to retire the mage and start over as a rogue. After all, the guild has equipped that mage, and all that loot would be wasted. I totally get that point of view, and it is a reasonable one. I mean, if you let one person change their class, what if everyone does? That would really kill progression. However, some of the folks who want to change mains see it a different way. They want to change because they are bored, and isn't playing a game supposed to be about the fun? And from another point of view, you are running the risk of losing the mage-wannabe-rogue if he gets fed up and rerolls on another server. If a player is fun to have around and not a drama queen, why not give into their wishes? Is it worth losing a good player over 4 pieces of tier 2 gear? I can really see both sides of the issue. With that said, I have never been in a raiding guild that allowed someone to switch their main under any circumstance, and in talking to some of my friends today, neither have they. Once you roll on that first piece of BWL or MC loot, you are essentially committing to your character for the rest of your tenure with the guild. And another thought, with The Burning Crusade right around the corner, wouldn't now be a perfect time to allow folks to switch mains if they so wish? By the time everyone regroups at level 70 to start endgame raiding, most, if not all, of your current gear is going to be replaced. That means, provided the guild has a good balance of classes, that the switching of the main is not hurting the guild or "wasting gear." Of course, you'd have some folks raiding with new classes, and there would be a learning curve with that, but that is to be expected. And with all the new talents, spells and encounters, there would be a learning curve anyway.So what do you guys think? Do any raiding guilds allow the switching of mains? And if they do, how is it handled? Finally, is the expansion release the perfect time to switch classes without a penalty?
