Form a Successful Guild in World of Warcraft
In World of Warcraft, guilds are ways for like-minded players to come together and help each other with quests, pvp, instances, and end game raiding. But have you ever wanted to form your own guild, not just join someone else's? Well, it's actually not that hard to form a successful guild.
Contents
Steps
- Envision what you want your guild to be like.
- Size Do you want your guild to be very large with players of all different levels or do you want it to be a small guild with only friends? Or somewhere between?
- Type The main types are PvP, PvE, RP, Leveling or laid-back. PvP focuses on the player vs. player aspect of the game, PvE is instances and raiding and leveling is a balance of the two, designed for people who aren't the highest level in the game. RP stands for roleplaying, and is most often found on RP and RPPVP servers. Laid-back is just where people goof off, maybe do an instance run here and there, but aren't focused on a particular aspect. You don't have to have a type, but it helps bring like-minded people together.
- Decide on a name for your guild. Have a few variations ready because your name might be taken.
- Decide on some basic rules and punishment if people break those rules. Make sure they're reasonable or people won't want to be in the guild!
- Think of the ranks and their names. Try to have the ranks make some relation with the name. If you're a chilled, relaxed guild then maybe make 1 or 2 rank names 'funny'. But don't overdo the funniness, you want to look organized after all.
- Obtain a guild charter from a guild master in any major city. You need 10 signatures to form your guild. Try going to starting zones, only recruit people level 10+ that way there is more of a chance they won't leave. DO NOT, under any circumstances, offer cash for someones signature, because that person is after money, not staying in the guild, and will most likely leave after the guild is formed. After you get your 10 signatures, turn it in to the guild master.
- Don't try to recruit level 70s or 80s, start low. If you start low it will be easier to find more members, hence your guild will be bigger and people will stay. Every now and then try push the top level boundary in your guild. Or maybe have a system - Every 10 people you recruit 5 levels higher. Unless you want a small guild then just aim small. Recruit some low levels and help them level up.
- Now is the harder part. Start organizing your guild maybe make a website, webs.com, Myspace and piczo can be used unless you know html / php. You will want to start instance runs now. Find a time that fits as many people as you can in and say that you will do 'X' instance at that time.
- Start this step if you have plenty of level 80 players.If you get up to this step then you guild should be on the road to victory. Now is the time you might want to start thinking about end-game. You might have a lot of new members now so arrange new raiding times to suit your newer members, but don't forget about the old members. You will either need ventrilo/teamspeak or an in-game guild voice channel for this for voice communication and you will need some people with raiding experience. Good luck!
Tips
- Try to spark a conversation. Having someone to talk to while playing reinforces the idea that they are part of a team, not just a list of people that are always off line.
- Having a website/voice channel/tabard will greatly aid any recruiting campaign.
- Eventually you will have to kick someone out of the guild. Kicking is one of the hardest things for a guild to do especially if you are doing it because one member claims another broke the conduct of the guild know that this day will come and you will have to make a decision.
- Know that, as a guild master, members of the guild will be looking to you to resolve debates and make the tough calls, so be ready.
- The most important part of this process is planning what you want your guild to be and what you want it not to be. Without a plan, you will fail.
- Schedule guild events for high AND low levels this will help develop teamwork and make guild members feel like they are benefiting from the guild.
- Make sure that everyone is aware of the rules of the guild and that any infractions will be dealt with swiftly.
- Make sure you have varying classes. This will help diversify the guild and make is easier to help each other. For example, if you have an all priest guild, no one can tank because you are all healers.
- Make everything equal opportunity. Guild members like to show that they can improve and take on new roles. Give them the chance to lead.
- Appoint officers that you trust to follow and enforce the rules of the guild. They are your eyes and ears when you are not on.
- Add all the ranks you want at the beginning. However keeping the number low will make it a lot simpler.
- Make sure to fill out the guild info it is the place you give people a brief overview of the guild.
Warnings
- Members of the guild will be looking to you to make the big decisions, so be ready to make them, or your guild members might start trying to replace you with someone who will be.
- Being a guild master is a hard job, and you will have to devote a lot of your time to the guild in order for it to be successful. If you are not willing to do this, your guild will fall apart.
- Making a guild name that is only one word off from an existing guild could, if a GM is feeling cranky, result in a warning and a forced name change. Think of something unique!
