Guild Hex

The state of your world of Warcraft Guild should be a major concern for all players involved, Officers and members alike. When you have a problem with the direction that your guild is going you need to come up with some ideas regarding what needs to be done. Our guild is presently going through a very trying time and I though I would share our solutions with you.

In this article I am going to outline some ideas that I see as solutions to when a guild is on the rocks. Many may not like the things that I am going to suggest, others will.

We are a casual guild that has been raiding of late but we suffer from lack of participation from many of our members. The lack of participation stems from many different things including real life issues and the game becoming stale.

If you want a guild to survive then here are a few solutions that may help.

1.) Leave it as it is

In this scenario the guild stays just as it is. This solution is usually the death blow to any guild that has become stagnant. If your World of Warcraft guild stagnates it will become simply a glorified chat room for some players and a stepping stone to a better guild for others.

A guild that has degenerated into a family or chat guild will remain for quite awhile. Take it from me I have been involved in many of them over the years and most of them are still part of the gaming universe that they were created in.

Leaving your guild as it is means that you as a player have to get used to the fact that raiding is going to be a hit or miss thing and unfortunately mostly miss. New players will come over time and others will leave. Some will be content with their life in the guild and will be there forever.

2.) Dig in and make a go of it

Choosing this option means that you may have to take a look at completely revamping the guild including its structure and the players you have in place as officers. Will everyone be happy? No. Will you lose players? Yes. That is the price that you going to have to pay if you want to dig in and make your guild the one that you want it to be.

There are those who are going to say you don’t need change and those are the players that are content with life as it is. It is time to take a look at what you as a whole want and then make it happen.

Your officers are going to have to be ready to commit to more raid time, and need to be at as many raids as possible. If they cannot do this then they need to be replaced by players who can. I know everyone has a real life and time is precious but it is something that must be done if you want to create an atmosphere where raiding is the norm.

You should take a survey to determine which days are the best for your guild to raid. If the majority can be online Friday, Saturday, and Sunday…then those are the raid days. Other nights you should be doing heroics for those interested. Those who are not interested in participating in some guild activity are honestly dead weight and need to be left behind.

If your guild is anything like ours everyone says that they want to raid and get the best items available. However, your guild like ours has to do more than just talk about it. Purples do not fall out of the sky or arrive in our mail box in brightly colored gift wrap. If you want it then you have to earn it. If earning it means devoting more real life time to the game then we each need to make a decision. The $64 question is are we willing to trade real life time for game time to get them? If you are not willing then step aside and let others lead who can do it.

3.) Move to another Guild

You could do this but I suggest that you do some real research first. You must be very careful when looking for a guild to join. Real raid guilds want players that can be dedicated and be at the raids. If your own performance is lacking in that area then why would you jump to a fully raid based guild? Chances are that when a raid guild learns that you cannot or will not make a certain percentage of their raids you will be asked to leave or not be accepted in the first place.

If you decide to choose another casual guild you need to be sure that they are actually raiding and that you can commit to their raid schedule. You do not want to jump ship only to find that the ship that you jumped to is named the Titanic.

4.) Server Move

This is another area that requires some thorough research. Perhaps you could discover the name of the newest server that fits your game style (PvE or PvP) and move there. Before you jump you need to find out what guilds are on the new server and decide if you can take a bite out of the player base and create a new guild there.

The key here is that you want a server with a fairly sparse guild population. Once you decide which server then you need to move as a group and start a new guild immediately and recruit hard. However this gets right back to our commitment and play time problem.

Why jump to a new server and start an exact replica of what you already have. If you are going to suffer in misery you might as well do it where you are.

4.) Guild Merger

Take a look at some of the smaller guilds on your server and see if they are looking toward raid content. Once you find a suitable guild you can either ask them to merge with you or merge with them. Personally I don’t like the idea of losing my guild’s identity but desperate times call for desperate measures.

Many guilds will want you to merge with them and perhaps rightly so. Your roster may say that you have 200+ members when in actuality you only have about 30 active members. The rest are alts from other guilds, alts of our own, or people who have not played in months. Should the guild that you have chosen have more active players and is going in the direction that you want to go, then merge with them.

When your guild is experiencing real problems these are the options that you have as I see them. Remember that you need to do something to ensure that you are satisfied with your gaming experience. If you are happy with most of your guild mates I suggest that you should do something as a group. Trickling off the main characters to other guilds until your guild is nothing but an alt, family, or chat guild is NOT my idea of doing something.

Lee Ruleman

World of Warcraft has exploded in terms of online popularity over the last few years with tons of people joining the already huge online gaming community. In fact online populations on the various servers have grown significantly and just like in the real world, it raises the question of just how many players there are.

In order to answer this question, it has seen the invention of the world of warcraft guild census tools. There are a few of them out there available for free download on the internet, some better than others but most do the job ok.

In fact, there are now websites set up that is dedicated to calculating this census information, which details various information such as guilds, races, classes etc. However, a question does have to be asked as to whether this information is accurate or not.

You can also get add-ons which when installed, will show you in-game census information as you play, real time. It will also gather census information from your server too, which can give you accurate information as to who is using your server to play Wow online and can provide some pretty cool world of warcraft guild census information too.

When using the add-on, you need to be careful because it can take some time to scan the server for the Wow population and certainly won’t be instant if you have a number of people all playing on it!

Using such tools is not only a fun thing to do, but you can dig up some really cool information as to who you are playing to. I have been able to find out just how many people were on my server at any one time and I also discovered the top guilds too, which is a really cool part of this world of warcraft guild census tool. Give it a go and download it, its great.

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The final type of guild that you will encounter in World of Warcraft is the Hardcore Raid guild.

Hardcore Raiding Guilds are the top of the food chain in every MMORPG. They are the ones that have the best equipment the most money and the envy of many of the other guilds on their server. This is the type of guild that just salivates at the thought of a new expansion.

These types of guilds are usually multi-national with members in many different time zones and tend to have a raid of some kind going on all the time. It does not matter what time of the day or night you log in there is usually something going on.

The rules for this type of guild are very strict. One that I was a part of had a rule that stated, “If you are online and our guild is raiding …YOU are raiding.” I got a lot of killer equipment while in the guild but burnt out quickly.

If you are considering starting this type of guild you had better be ready. The commitment from the Guild Leader and officers in this type of guild is absolutely immense. You can’t just come home from work and decide to lounge around on the couch; there will be players in the game ready to do something. A Guild Leader cannot undertake running a guild like this alone. You must have trusted officers who know what they need to do.

The Hardcore Raiding Guild appeals to the fanatical “I MUST PLAY’ type of individual. If you are considering this type of guild, as your first attempt at running a guild then it would be my opinion that you should seek professional help…you are going to need it.

These types of guilds are few and far between, but can be found if you look hard enough. I have been a member of these types of guilds and while the reward was great so was stress.

Lee Ruleman is a 10 year veteran of Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG) beginning with Ultima Online and continuing on through the present. It is Lee’s goal is to assist other players in attaining maximum level, the best equipment, large cash reserves, and advanced gaming knowledge, all in a 100% legal manner.

For a limited time Lee is offering his brand new product “Effective MMORPG Guild Creation and Management” for Free!

Stop by http://www.mmogamepro.com and grab your Free copy today.

In this series of articles we will be outlining the various types of guilds that are found in the World of Warcraft Universe. While this series of articles is geared to World of Warcraft, the game I currently spend most of my time in, they are found in nearly all other MMO games as well.

The first type of guild that comes to mind is the Family or Chat Guild guild

These guilds can be basically thought of as a friend and family sort of affair or a glorified chat room. They seldom, if ever get together and do anything as a guild unit. This is not to say that they do not group together; rather that expecting to do anything in the way of mass raiding is most likely never going to happen. They usually have no scheduled guild events or reward systems.

The typical types of players joining these types of guilds are those who enjoy having a group to chat with but would rather pursue their own agenda. This type of guild appeals for the most part to those who are loners or prefer to solo most of the time.

There are usually very few rules to follow in a guild of this type and they may consist of simply have a good time, and treat others like you would have them treat you. These guilds usually suffer from member loss more than any other guild type, as most (though not all) players will join these types of guild when they are young or new to a server. They will remain until they gain some levels and gaming experience and discover a guild that is more suited their individual preferences.

On the bright side these types of guilds seem to hang around forever, there are always new players joining the game and younger characters of high-level players in other guilds.

Lee Ruleman is a 10 year veteran of Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG) beginning with Ultima Online and continuing on through the present. It is Lee’s goal is to assist other players in attaining maximum level, the best equipment, large cash reserves, and advanced gaming knowledge, all in a 100% legal manner.

For a limited time Lee is offering his brand new product “Effective MMORPG Guild Creation and Management” for Free!

As you begin playing World of Warcraft, it might come to your attention that there are people running around in game with a line of text underneath their name. What you are seeing is evidence that these people part of a World of Warcraft guild. A World of Warcraft guild is essentially a group of player characters who are affiliated with one another, who might share bank space and who have often come together for a specific purpose. Is joining a guild something that you might be interested in?

The first thing that you need to remember is that a World of Warcraft guild is not something that is run by Blizzard; it is run by other players and as such will vary based on how fairly they will treat their members and what they do. There are several advantages for being part of a guild. If you participate in raids and instances, you’ll be able to take on areas that you would not be able t handle alone, you will be able to get help getting up to the master level of your skills and you’ll be able to pick up trade skill ingredients through other guild members. You will also find that the social aspect of World of Warcraft can be extremely beneficial as well.

Finding a guild is relatively easy, but remember that there are lots of different kinds of guilds out there. Some guilds are completely geared towards the end game and taking on the dungeons and instances there. These guilds take their raiding very seriously and often have fairly stiff requirements for their members in terms of gear and experience. You will also find that there are guilds who are completely oriented towards role playing, where people will get into character and interact socially as the characters. Some guilds are a mix of both. Take your time and find the World of Warcraft guild that is going to be the best suited for your needs.

Especially when you are in the big cities, you’ll discover that there are people who are interested in having you sign their guild charter. A guild needs a certain amount of people to get started and in some cases, the people who are looking for their charter members will simply boot you from the guild when they have all the signatures that they need, though if they are going to do this, they will typically give you a tip for your trouble.

For many people, guilds are both the most enjoyable and frustrating aspect of the game. There is something incredibly fun about throwing in with a group of people and taking a challenging dungeon. For a lot of the endgame content, remember that it is not something that you can solo. Take some time and see how you might feel about joining a guild and make sure that when you do it, you choose wisely. Guild hopping will get pretty tiresome after a while, so see what your needs are going to be like.

Derek Smithson has written articles on World of Warcraft gold and the many World of Warcraft mods which are available, as well as a number of World of Warcraft guides.

World of Warcraft is a multiplayer game and is played by people with different preferences about game style, different age and understandings. Sometimes, even though the guild you joined seemed like the best choice, things change – you may no longer be able to stay in front of the computer till 2am raiding, or you simply do not wish to spend that much time playing with this particular bunch of people. In such cases it is quite likely that you will consider leaving your current guild and join a new guild. Quitting a guild in World of Warcraft can create tension, especially if you were one of the key players – guild master, officer, one of the best healers or tanks. No matter what your choice is, you should know that quitting a guild should be done in a mature manner so you do not lose any friends you’ve made while in the guild. How to do that?

There is no easy solution as usually people who have played together for a while create a tight bond and friendship. You share the wipes; you share the fun, so making friends comes naturally. The other players from the guild will surely miss you; however, they will respect your decision as long as you give them your reasoning and show your respect for them. Simply typing /gquit is never an option if you are a person who would like to keep the friends you’ve made, and most of us do want to keep our friends. If you are an officer or a guild master, choose a person who will do your job best in the future and step down from your position first. Having an officer or guild master leaving the guild without taking care of the people he or she is leaving behind in the guild is usually not the best thing to do. Make sure first that your guild is in good hands. Give it a few days, a week time is even better for the new officer/guild master to run the guild and then start saying your goodbyes. Make sure they confirm that nothing is missing from the guild bank, as with the way the game is now, the most common accusation to ex guild members having access to the guild possessions is that they took with some materials or even gold prior to leaving. Make sure everyone is aware that you did not take anything, as sometimes things like that can ruin your reputation in the blink of an eye.

After you are done with this part, talk to the people and explain your reasons for leaving. Normally the guild will have some sort of forum, so take your time and make a goodbye post where you explain your reasoning in a respectful tone and way. Even if you are thinking of leaving the guild out of frustration, do not let that show. You can instead write that you have other plans that interfere with your gaming, that you can no longer offer the dedication the guild normally expects and so on. Do not leave with bad feelings, as making friends and keeping them is very important.

I’ve been playing WoW for more than four years. You can tell whenever I’m offline because I’m writing articles instead to stay in the zone. Support my habit (and yours) at http://www.getfreewowtips.com.

Many World of Warcraft players eventually come to a point in their game play where they feel as if they are ready to create a guild. Creating a guild is not for everyone – it takes a lot of work, structure, organization, and patience in order to establish a productive guild. Here, you will discover some great strategies on how to develop a successful World of Warcraft guild. It is important for you to know and understand that this may take a little bit of time to accomplish. In addition to this, you may not always succeed when you try the first time. If this is the case, do not lose your motivation – there is always a way to turn things around in your favor.

Establishing your own guild is not a difficult task – the creation is the simple part. However, the process behind guild crafting may prove to be a bit challenging. First, you need to ensure that you have a bit of in-game cash that you can dedicate to the task. Once you have a good bit of funding to back you, you will simply want to find a Guild Master in the game. The cities that have these Guild Masters are as follows:

- Thunderbluff

- Darnassus

- Orgrimmar

- Undercity

- Ironforge

- Stormwind

If you are having a difficult time locating these individuals, you will find that there are various guards that are sprinkled throughout the city. Simply click on one of these and then select “Guild Master”. The guard will then inform you of where this individual is, and if you look at your map in the upper right hand corner of your game screen, you will see an arrow. This arrow will point you in the right direction. Simply follow this until you reach your destination.

Once you reach the Guild Master, you will want to click on the option that allows you to learn about creating your own guild. All you have to do at this point is select a name that reflects what you want your guild to be called. It is important to create a powerful name if you want a successful guild. Great names like “The Devotees”, “The Distinguished Dynasty”, and “Heroic Nights” are bound to pull in some interested parties. However, names like “The Chics”, “Fighters”, and “Demon Hunters” may not pull in a lot of traffic.

Once the name has been chosen, you will be issued a “Guild Charter”. This is a list that requires you to obtain at least ten names prior to the official “establishment” of your guild. While it may be tempting to just run around and invite anyone you see, it is important that you are a bit selective in this process. You will want to ensure that you review a character’s level, their skills, their knack for team work, and more. When inviting powerful players to sign your guild charter, you may want to offer a token of appreciation in return – like 50 silver pieces, or a gold piece.

Once you have acquired the necessary ten signatures, you will want to return to the Guild Master to officially “register”. Once this has been accomplished, the Guild is established on the server that you have selected. You will then want to create a Guild Tabard that your members can wear to display their devotion to the guild, as well as a bank tab that will allow players to deposit and withdraw in-game cash and items. In order to ensure that you are a successful guild, you will want to take few measures like:

- Encouraging members to become active in the guild by helping members complete quests, share items from skills, and place uncommon and rare items in the bank tab

- You will want to ensure that you create a website for your guild at the World of Warcraft website and make participation a stipulation for remaining a guild member

- You will want to encourage promotions in the guild by setting tasks that guild members must accomplish in order to advance in their standing

- You will want to ensure that you take the time to personally offer your assistance to all of the members and offer them incentives for being productive within the guild

If you take these steps, your World of Warcraft guild is sure to be one of the most successful ones on the server that you play on!

Derek Smithson

You’ve been hearing all about World of Warcraft guilds and you’ve been playing long enough and have the confidence that you’re starting to think maybe it’s time to get into a guild yourself. So you looked around and talked to some guild members and got the background and decided, hey, rather than joining one that already exists, why not start up an entirely new one yourself? Well, you and some of your friends. But how do you go about starting a guild exactly?

Starting up your own World of Warcraft guild isn’t really all that complicated. Which isn’t to say that there aren’t the required hoops you’ll have to jump through. World of Warcraft is just like any other bureaucracy and as such there is a strict protocol of steps that must be taken. The first thing to do is to track down a Guild Master in any of these cities: Darnassus, Ironforge, Orgrimmar, Stormwind, Thunderbluff, or the Undercity. After you’ve found a Guild Master, click “How do I create a guild?” Simply type in the name of your guild and acquire the guild charter. What’s a guild charter? It’s basically a piece of parchment on which you will need to get nine other signatures in order to create your guild. It shows up in your inventory list.

When you begin looking for players to put down their signature, open up your inventory and right click on the charter, then click “Request Signature.” When you do that, the other player gets a pop-up box asking them to sign the charter. Make sure that you know who is signing your charter. If you ask some random player to sign and then he goes on to join another guild before you’ve registered yours, you’ll have to begin the whole process over again.

Once you do manage to get all your signatures, quickly head back to the Guild Master and right-click on him. You’ll be presented with the option to register your guild charter at that point. Once you’ve successfully registered the charter, you will become an official World of Warcraft guild.

One thing to be aware of is that you can’t just pop in anything as your guild name and expect it to be accepted. Certain restrictions have been placed on guild names. Some of these range from the litigious-inspired restrictions that won’t allow you to infringe on any company’s copyrighted trademark to the somewhat silly, like not allowing you to incorporate famous names into your guild name. In addition, don’t even think about using something ethnically or racially offensive and, it should go without saying, anything deemed sexually or otherwise vulgar or profane.

Author: Matt Garrett © 2007 http://www.WoWGuide.org