The Guild Counsel: A closer look at guild management

[RSS FEED]

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, EverQuest II, Guilds, Endgame, Opinion, Vanguard, Free-to-play, Roleplaying, The Guild Counsel

Ask an MMO player what he thinks of when you say the word "guild."

The common image is that it's militaristic -- a highly structured organization with draconian by-laws, a rigorous recruitment process, and high demands.

It can be, but today's guilds have evolved into many different forms, and in some cases, have a different name entirely (clans, corporations, etc.). Some guilds are more like a sports team, to which the guild leader is more of a motivational coach. There are set expectations, but members have a bit more room to freestyle. Still other guilds are similar to a book club, in which players gather to share their common appreciation for an MMO but aren't required to sweat blood for their guild. There are some basic minimal expectations (don't be a ninja raider), but you don't always have to do what the pack does.

About nine months ago, I again jump-started my guild-themed podcast, called A View From the Top. It's a podcast that's focused on guild leadership and social networks in MMOs. Originally, my co-host and I focused on interviews with guild leaders, community managers, and game developers. But over time, we've found that what people really wanted was advice on guild issues.

For the bulk of the past 10 years, I've been leading guilds in EverQuest, Vanguard, and EverQuest II. I've also gotten to know guild leaders in several other MMOs through the podcast and hear their stories of guild management. What I've learned is that no matter what the MMO, there are common issues that every guild deals with. Some issues are so big, that if not handled well, they can lead to guilds disbanding and players leaving the game entirely. Unfortunately, because MMOs tend to encourage competition among guilds, there really aren't any central hubs for guild leaders to get together and counsel each other on how to deal with some very difficult issues. I hope that this column will serve as a spot to seek advice about guild management and look at the variety of guilds across MMOs.

Given all that, where should we begin?Continue reading The Guild Counsel: A closer look at guild management

The Guild Counsel: A closer look at guild management originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.




Permalink | Email this | Comments

More...