This is the first in a line of threads that I'll be posting here, all relating to a specific aspect of guilds. The point is to ultimately provide some insight for our factions. Hopefully this will be useful for everyone, including members as well as leaders.
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So let's start at what would be a logical beginning: Founding a guild. What should be taken into consideration, what should be the immediate goals, and how can a guild get off the ground with only a member count of about five?
Or two?
... Or one?
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Guild Theory - Founding a Guild
#2
Posted 25 January 2008 - 11:57 AM
make sure that the leaders and player will have the appropiate amount of time needed for the game, and take in the consideration of parenal limitions on members here. also dont be demanding or trying to be and over-achiever when you first start a guild.
^ Don't underestimate Google. ^
#4
Posted 26 January 2008 - 06:28 AM
Starting with a small core of people you already know can be particularly useful, and will give you some people you know you can trust for leadership positions when they become necessary.
Try to avoid overcomplicating the structure of your guild, especially early on. While you will probably need different ranks of some sort for administrative purposes, try to avoid a situation where things are biased against lower-ranked members. Nobody is going to stay in your clan if new people are being ordered around or deemed less important.
It depends a lot on the game you're in and what your purpose will be, but in a lot of cases it's better to start off a guild by recruiting newbies, and helping them to grow. It'll take a bit longer so you won't instantly have an experienced guild, but in the long run you can often inspire more loyalty and get people to stay.
Try to avoid overcomplicating the structure of your guild, especially early on. While you will probably need different ranks of some sort for administrative purposes, try to avoid a situation where things are biased against lower-ranked members. Nobody is going to stay in your clan if new people are being ordered around or deemed less important.
It depends a lot on the game you're in and what your purpose will be, but in a lot of cases it's better to start off a guild by recruiting newbies, and helping them to grow. It'll take a bit longer so you won't instantly have an experienced guild, but in the long run you can often inspire more loyalty and get people to stay.
#5
Posted 26 January 2008 - 07:33 PM
Everything posted in this thread so far is true, but I thought that I would add my own bit involving the importance of recruiting early on:
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The way I see it, a new guild would normally be more successful if it pushes itself hard at the very beginning than if it starts off slowly (in terms of grouping with each other, and in terms of recruiting). Recruiting is easier for a large guild than a small guild, so a small guild would need to focus on it more if it plans to grow. First impressions are important, and I strongly believe that a guild either needs to already be strong, or it needs to visibly grow. Obviously a guild won't be strong at the beginning, so it should focus on growth so new members believe that it's going somewhere. If it seems to be stagnated, or if recruiting comes slowly, new members will leave and the guild will either disappear or just not go anywhere.
Recruiting is almost always the most important thing for a small guild, even more than "activity" alone. A small guild would use up much more of its energy trying to appear active, than if it recruits and actually becomes active on its own. A new guild should push recruiting, and do things with the new members. Don't worry about scheduling organized events, and just go around and get some groups together with guild members.
Exactly how to recruit will be another topic, but I strongly believe that recruiting, alone, can make or break a new guild. Would you push a guild of five to emulate a guild of 50, or would you rather a guild be that guild of 50? Recruiting makes all the difference.
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However... While a single player can successfully establish a new guild, it's always best with at least one friend. If the original members work together, it will be much easier than if one does it alone.
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The way I see it, a new guild would normally be more successful if it pushes itself hard at the very beginning than if it starts off slowly (in terms of grouping with each other, and in terms of recruiting). Recruiting is easier for a large guild than a small guild, so a small guild would need to focus on it more if it plans to grow. First impressions are important, and I strongly believe that a guild either needs to already be strong, or it needs to visibly grow. Obviously a guild won't be strong at the beginning, so it should focus on growth so new members believe that it's going somewhere. If it seems to be stagnated, or if recruiting comes slowly, new members will leave and the guild will either disappear or just not go anywhere.
Recruiting is almost always the most important thing for a small guild, even more than "activity" alone. A small guild would use up much more of its energy trying to appear active, than if it recruits and actually becomes active on its own. A new guild should push recruiting, and do things with the new members. Don't worry about scheduling organized events, and just go around and get some groups together with guild members.
Exactly how to recruit will be another topic, but I strongly believe that recruiting, alone, can make or break a new guild. Would you push a guild of five to emulate a guild of 50, or would you rather a guild be that guild of 50? Recruiting makes all the difference.
*******************************
However... While a single player can successfully establish a new guild, it's always best with at least one friend. If the original members work together, it will be much easier than if one does it alone.
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