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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: 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: SWTOR is stealing my (character) identity!
Guild leading is often as much about managing personalities as it is about managing the nuts and bolts of the game. In previous columns, we've looked at all sorts of issues that guild leaders have to solve, and at the root of almost all of them is some sort of personality clash. Show me a nice blend of personalities, and I'll show you a happy guild that will stick together for years. What makes guild leading so difficult, though, is that unlike real-life leaders, guild leaders need to manage two identities for every member. There's the real-life identity of the player, and then there's the identity of the in-game character, and they aren't always the same. If you talk to a guild that's met at a guild gathering or convention, one of the things you'll always hear is how a particular member is so different from his in-game character. In game, for example, he might be a rough-around-the-edges general, but in real life he's a quiet teddy bear. MMOs give us the opportunity to be someone completely different from who we are out of game, and even non-roleplayers will sometimes behave differently when they're playing. But Star Wars: The Old Republic has taken away some of our power to construct our own identities in game. In this edition of The Guild Counsel, Let's look at how that's happened and whether it will affect the way we game.
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: 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.
Global Chat: November 6-12, 2011
Welcome to this week's Global Chat! We love hearing what you have to say at Massively, and we love it even more when we can share the best comments with all of our readers. Massively staffers will be contributing some of their favorite comments every week, so keep an eye out every Sunday for more Global Chat! This week's Global Chat is all about choices -- be they social or in our gameplay, we like to have as many as we can. Follow along after the break to see what some of our readers had to say about choice in MMOs last week!
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.
The Guild Counsel: Raid leading 101
It's time to break out the chalkboard and textbooks, as The Guild Counsel begins the subject of raid leading 101. Ironically, the more I think and write about guild management issues, the more I realize how much they really do have in common with my experience in the classroom management. Teaching history to a class of high school students and running an online gaming guild seem like two completely different spheres of responsibility at first glance. But in order to do each well, they actually require similar preparation and a common approach. Read on for a look at how teaching and raid leading resemble each other!
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: The crisis of cliques
Last week, a few readers offered up a terrific subject for the Guild Counsel to take a look at -- cliques. Those little pockets of exclusivity can wreak enormous havoc on an unsuspecting guild. Guild leaders want their guilds to resemble Little House on the Prairie, but what they get is a sinister version of Married... with Children. Why are cliques dangerous, and how should a guild leader handle them? Read on for some handy advice and helpful tips!
