guilds
Latest
Guilds and the shared player experience
Terra Nova has put up a terribly interesting (and terribly long) piece about guilds, specifically about how players build bonds based on contingency and improvement. I've recently brought two characters to 60 within a few weeks, so I'm currently juggling relationships with two new guilds. In doing so, I've basically gotten a firsthand crash course in what Thomas Malaby is talking about.A few researchers have tried to paint WoW as a "third space"-- a place aside from work or home where people congregate and socially interact. But guild interactions are almost on a plane all their own-- it's still a game, but there are elements of responsibility like a job. And there is camaraderie and even trust-- as you prove to your guild that you're able to tank that boss or keep that tank up, they come to accept you as one of their own, and you vice versa. As you begin to build levels together, your characters all grow from all of your actions, and that's where the pleasure of having and belonging to a good, strong guild comes in. However, says Malaby, endgame raiding (which is where I'm going with my guilds currently) is where the problem comes in. Instead of the advancement being vertical (XP for all), it quickly switches to horizontal (items for some), and the trust gets lost in that. Instead of all working together for experience, a guild can find its members competing with each other for items. A run through SM grants experience (and finished quests for everyone). But you can run MC many times without ever advancing that much, and that, says Malaby, is where endgame raiding doesn't serve guilds the way it should-- leading to the drama we know (and love?). In theory that might be true, but in practice I've found there's more to it. A guild (good guild, anyway) does more than raid-- they can help with instances, help you with quests for your equipment, and help you craft items to advance your character. It's true that turning enchancement over to items at 60 does split up a lot of guilds (one reason why so many guilds are looking forward to leveling to 70 together), but I'd posit that there are other experiences besides character advancement that can keep a guild together. My personal experience on this is split. I really enjoy endgame raiding-- even if I don't pick up a new item, I always seem to have a good time joking around and learning the game. But then again, there are times when I miss that feeling of co-advancement-- running SM and having everybody with you ding once while inside. Short of letting characters infinitely advance (something that Malaby says, rightly, would imbalance the game), there's not much else Blizzard can do about it, however.
All the guild drama you can handle
This is an amazingly accurate piece of work. Alihja, over at NotAddicted.com, has posted all the different kinds of drama queens that could be present in your guild. Heck, I recognize almost all of these types from my time in WoW. Some of my favorites include... Henny Penny. Nobody gives a weather report of how the sky is falling, like good old Henny Penny. "Nothing is the same anymore since (insert name of quitter here) left the guild. This place is going downhill. Fast. Chat sucks, the raids suck. Everything sucks. I tried to get a group and nobody answered me when I spammed guild chat looking for people to run me through that one instance. I give it two months." Nanny Micromanager. Not really malicious enough to be a drama queen all by themselves, the Nanny Micromanager is like the assistant to all of the drama queens. This is the person who jumps when the other drama queens say jump. They are surely a people pleaser, and they just want everyone to be happy and get along. Oh, why can't everyone get along and be happy. The Quitter. "That's it, I quit!" Something has upset The Quitter enough to either quit the guild, or quit the whole game. They will make an eight-paragraph post on the guild or server message board telling their life's story leading up to what upset them. They will hit the refresh key over and over, waiting with bated breath for words of comfort and regret to come pouring in. They will be back within two weeks, when they decide to quit quitting. We had a fellow in my last guild, who I swear, could play The Quitter in the movie version of this post. His "quitting" would last for a week. He'd usually quit because he'd claim RL issues, or he would do something dumb in-game and then be too ashamed to stick around. He would make his long, poignant farewell post in the forums, and wait for responses. Sure enough, a few Nanny Micromanagers would come along and make a sappy goodbye post to The Quitter. Then two weeks later he would mysteriously show up again in-game like nothing ever happened. Unfortunately, my guild leader would just let him right back in. Then two months later, he'd quit again because "RL is really kicking my butt right now." Uh-huh.Definitely check out Alihja's entire post. And as I remind you with all NotAddicted.com fare, you will see some colorful language and maybe some NSFW links, so please, if that is a concern, don't visit from work.
Finding your way into a good guild
There's no question-- if you want to be successful in WoW (arguably for the whole game, but especially in the endgame), you need a guild, and you need a good one. I've gotten three of my 60s into great guilds (on three different servers-- don't ask), and I've /gquit a few times as well (although I've never been /gkicked-- maybe you guys have some good stories about that). My experience is your gain. Here's five tips on how to get into a guild that will get you where you want to be.1. Don't be a jerk. Obvious? Don't ninja, ever. Don't play in a way that routinely gets you put on ignore lists. Don't beg. Don't make the game all about the gear-- either bragging about all the stuff you got, or whining about all the stuff you don't have. In short, to get into a good guild, you have to first be a good player. That said, it'll help you to...2. Have the level and the gear, or at least know what you're aiming for. If you're trying to join a guild that's raiding MC, it'll help a lot if you've already got tons of fire resist. If you're wearing greens and trying to join a guild that's doing Naxx, you're barking up the wrong tree. Guilds are around to help-- the best gear in the game can't be gotten without them, and any good guild will help their members hit 60 and move beyond. But if you can't handle the heat (or frost), don't be surprised when they don't let you into the big kitchen.3. No LFGs. I bet there's all kinds of evidence (and guildmasters) that will prove me wrong on this, but I'm standing by it: a guild you want to join won't be broadcasting a recruit in the LFG channel, or even in the GuildRecruiting channel. Your best bet is to know someone-- a rl friend or someone you've grouped with. Short of that, watch the players on your server (and guilds on GuildWatch, ahem), see who's good, and look them up on the web. If they've got a website and forums, they probably have an application form. The more hoops you can jump through to join, chances are the better off you'll be in the long run.4. Take a trial run. Lots of guilds invite people on a trial basis-- either with recruiting runs or inviting them with a rank of "Initiate" or "Recruit." But feel free to join the guild on a trial basis as well, and see if they're compatible with you. Are there people of your level on when you are? Is the guild doing what you want to do-- if all you want to do is PVP, it won't help you much to join a guild that only runs PVE. Don't be afraid to /gquit if you don't think things are working out-- but see #1, too, and don't be a jerk about it. If you part ways amicably, there's a good chance they'll invite you back anyway when they are doing what you want to do.5. Participate! Staying in a good guild means being a part of the group. When you sign up for raids, show up on time, repaired and ready to go. When guildies ask for help, help them. When they need items farmed from whereever you're headed, get it for them. Even if someone in the guild offers to pay me for something I'd put up on the AH for a few gold, I give it to them for free. The more you invest in a guild you like, especially when you're starting out with them, the more you'll get in return.The one thing I've never done (in WoW anyway) is run my own guild. Any guild officers or GMs out there with more advice for players looking to join a good guild?
-1.jpg.cf.jpg)
GuildWatch: Attack of the Ninjas!
Our new weekly feature GuildWatch is back, featuring as much guild drama, raiding, and recruiting as you'd want in a week. This week, we've put things in a new, easier to read format, and it all starts right after the jump.And remember, GuildWatch runs on your submissions. If you want your guild listed as recruiting, downed someone awesome over the weekend, or know about some great guild drama going on, drop us an email at wowguildwatch@gmail.com.
Of Guilds and Government
Terra Nova has an opinion piece up on democracy in virtual worlds. While we organize ourselves into self-governed guilds, where does it go from there? From my own experience as a guild member and a guild leader, the governance involved in even small organizations can be a headache, and I can only imagine it getting worse with increased size and complexity. Anyone have any opinions on democracy, from a World of Warcraft perspective?
Breakfast topic: Guild drama
The phrase "guild drama" is one that crops up a lot in WoW; the necessary consequence of a large group of individuals all working towards a few common goals seems to be tension, strife and disagreement. From personality clashes to mergers and alliances, you need to deal with a lot of other people's business to get far in the endgame. Even if you choose to bypass raiding and focus on your PvP, more politics come into play over rank and honour.I've had a pretty easy time of it so far -- my guild is reasonably small, so we're part of a larger alliance which is working out well for now. However, I'm well aware that the inevitable will happen; one day someone's goals will change, and the peace will shatter. Guild drama can't be avoided -- in fact, some guilds like to wear past problems like badges of honour on their sleeves, showing the world that they can stick together through thick and thin. Others stay mostly drama-free, through choice or design, but delve into even the quietest guilds and you may find more than you bargained for.Do you prefer life with the added complications of guild politics, or have you given up on the drama and gone for a quieter life elsewhere?
Guild Leadership for the Rest of Us
Some recent drama in my current guild has lead me to seriously consider starting out on my own. And while I know it wouldn't be easy, I think it could be very rewarding to build a guild from scratch and work at learning end-game encounters with a new and different crew. Lucky for me, the Daedalus Project has results from a survey of guild leaders, and it may not be all its cracked up to be. Whether you're a guild leader or guild member, it's an interesting read.
Breakfast Topic: Guilded or unguilded?
Joining a guild can be a lot of fun, but it can also bring a lot of drama into your life. Some people eschew the complexities of guilded life and purposefully go guildless; others pick and choose guilds carefully, or bounce between guilds at will.I've personally only found a couple of nice guilds in my time playing, and I generally don't join guilds with my alts on other servers--it's not exactly fair on the guild, since I'll not be playing much. However, I've found guilded life to be rewarding and (given the tales I have heard of other guilds) surprisingly hassle-free. What's your take on guilds? More trouble than they're worth, or worth their weight in gold?
WoW Guild trademarks its name
Long-running WoW and Everquest guild "The Syndicate®" has trademarked its name in the realm of online gaming -- so if you're part of a guild called "The Syndicate" on any server except Zul'jin, you're in trouble. Raph Koster has some commentary on this, wondering what the implications of not using the word "syndicate" in any guild name might be.Crucially, it appears that the trademark includes "The" as well as "Syndicate", but it's still an extremely generic term for a guild. Having said that, I've never seen any Syndicates running around, so perhaps people prefer names like "Cult of the Dark Chicken" (a guild I belong to) instead.[Thanks, m3mnoch]
WoW Insider Guild Update
A few readers have asked about it, so I thought I'd post a quick update on how our WoW Insider guild building is going. The short answer is slowly. The long answer is that both myself and C.K. have been extremely busy the last two weeks and haven't had the time to even play, let alone build a guild. We're still very interested in having a WoW Insider guild (Horde on Akama; Alliance on Chromaggus). It also explains why you haven't seen us logging on the servers. I chatted with a few people early on, but haven't been able to get in the game for awhile now. Blizzard's problem with login times and getting booted from the servers certainly hasn't helped matters any.So, hang in there; we are still going to have a WoW Insider guild on each server and are very interested in playing with our readers. My calendar isn't allowing me to play again until Monday evening, but I'll be on Akama or Chromaggus at that time if anyone wants to stop by and sign the guild charter or chat.
Endgame guild closeup
This fairly old, but interesting, article from Nick Yee's Daedalus project gives an insight into one of the "uberguilds", guilds that persist across games and aim for the top. As the first to kill Ragnaros on their server, Talon's guild is a marvel of military organisation, but not without criticism--the guild leader prefers not to let women in the guild, for example.Talon's rules for membership are especially clear: you need to be able to take criticism, have good attendance for events, and have the "guild comes first" attitude. Many of us have just joined guilds that were openly recruiting, that had friends in, or that a party member invited us into because they liked our style--this is very different territory.
Funniest Guild Names
Blogger and WoW player Squidly was casting around for the funniest WoW Guild names she could find and this is the list he came up with. I've been laughing all morning. Some of these are fantastic! Riders of Lohan Pretty Pink Pwnies Two Dollar Horde Spaceballs The Guild Nightmare on elf street Power Word Drunk Built Horde Tough Oprah Windfury General Goods Merchant Gnomeland Security Team BubbleHearth And Two Stealthed Rogues Dwarf Priest LFG Sorry were you questing Hanging with my Gnomies Deeprun Tram Security Conquistadorks Garden Gnomes Holy Ramen Empire The Lollipop Guild Clan of Redundancy Clan Ctrl Alt Del Got Horde Food and Drink Vendor (Mage Guild) Neverland Ranch Survivors Rez Please Elves gone Wild I think my favorites are [Sorry Were You Questing] and [Built Horde Tough], but they're all good. For awhile, I was thinking about creating a guild called [Seinfeld] and then getting people to create characters with the Seinfled characters' names, but I never did anything about it. What's the funniest guild name you've seen?
WoW Insider Guild & Characters
Here's a quick update on how our guild building has been going. C.K. started the guild charter a few weeks ago and we have a few signatures, but neither he or I have had much time to play over the last week or so. We'll get it going eventually, but it may be awhile. In the meantime, if you'd like to play along on Akama with us, here's our Akama names:SERVER: Akama. (this server will be where we play our WoW Insider horde characters).Damien = Dab (undead warlock)C.K. = Cks (undead warlock)Josh = Kulain (tauren druid)Mike = Groon (undead rogue)SERVER: Chromaggus (this server will be where we play our WoW Insider Alliance characters).Damien = Dab (human warrior)C.K. = Cks (dwarf hunter)And here are the characters we play on other servers, which we may or may not be on at any given time, including quite rarely. I'll update this list as other WoW writers get me their info on characters (if they wish to publicize them).SERVER: GorefiendDamien = Shuffle (dwarf paladin)Damien = Floss (night elf rogue)SERVER: Argent DawnC.K. = ChaosyetiSERVER: BloodhoofJosh = Krios (gnome warlock)Josh = Kulain (night elf rouge)Josh = Kelmor (dwarf hunter)Josh = Kamoox (night elf priest)Damien = Shuffle (gnome mage)SERVER: ShadowmoonJosh = Kulain (undead rogue)SERVER: Shadowsong (EU)Jennie = Arjuna (night elf druid)Jennie = Kerowyn (human paladin)SERVER: Dragonmaw (EU)Jennie = Selenay (tauren shaman)SERVER: Venture Co. (EU)Jennie = Arjuna (tauren hunter)SERVER: Cenarion CircleMike= Wakeman (paladin)SERVER: Lightning HoofMike = Greenslade (Alliance hunter)SERVER: Emerald DreamMike = Slubbergull (troll priest)Please feel free to add any or all of us to your friends lists on any servers listed above that you might play on, and particularly on the two servers we've indicated where we'll be building WoW Insider Horde and Alliance guilds. Hope to see you in game!
