[Cspace]

Really, we're going to need to pull in more activity if we plan to succeed at being a guild. This doesn't mean "we need our members to be more active", it means that we need to find more who are. If there aren't many here who play a game that you like, the factions can provide activity in that area if they recruit. There hasn't been much recruiting going on, while members continue to post that we need to be more active. It's obvious that many of us want the Arbiters to have more activity!

Well let's go find it.

We need to rid ourselves of some misconceptions that we really shouldn't have. I'll list them here...


- We Can't Recruit If We're Not Active, So Let's Get Active First: If that were the case, how could any guild start in the first place? If a guild in some game doesn't have many active members, those few active members cannot make up for what a larger guild can do. Therefore, don't push such a guild to be as active as it would be with ten times more members... Go find the members and push everyone to have events at the same time. It'll become easier as the recruiting continues.

- Open Recruiting Is Bad: I hear this a lot, and it's right for a larger guild, but can be an extreme burden for a smaller guild. To only recruit those with whom you group, if the guild is small, will simply not go anywhere if you intend for the guild to become relatively active. At upper levels almost everyone with whom you group is already in a guild. Those who aren't in a guild probably aren't in a guild for a reason... They're probably more critical. If your guild is relatively inactive, they'll join and leave shortly after. You'll need to create a burst of activity to get some momentum going. Exactly how to do that depends on the game. "Open recruiting" doesn't always mean "/ooc Join my guild!". It just means that you're actively seeking members, and will actively do something to find anyone who is looking for a guild. It should be done quickly and in as effective a manner as possible, without annoying people. When your guild can sustain itself, then consider other means such as inviting group members.

- We're Fine, Don't Worry About Recruiting: I don't care how strong a guild is at any given moment... If it doesn't recruit, it can only move downward as members leave the guild or the game. Don't wait until it's a problem, take care of it while the guild is strong. The stronger a guild is, the easier it is to recruit, so why not keep going?

- Soandso's Faction Is Dead: It's only "dead" as long as its members keep it that way.

- Lastly, this isn't a misconception, but just something that makes no sense... If you want the guild to thrive, why push new members away? As a parallel, why make attempts to undermine your own guild? Advertising is important, it's pointless to tell someone "it isn't what you think"... Especially when whatever we're lacking can potentially be provided or improved.

**************************************

All of this went without saying in 2002 and 2003, which were arguably our best years. After 2004 things changed... And we need to change our mindset back. The question isn't whether we want activity, but whether we are willing to do something about it.

I'm willing, and will be pushing the EQ2 Faction after my last Java ordeal this month, at least if things go as expected. I also plan to help in RS and GW.

Are you willing?

[Nuu™™]

I have been recruiting in Blockland. Either the people don't register or they don't visit ever again.

[Darkness]

I have been recruiting in Blockland. Either the people don't register or they don't visit ever again.

Precisely. There are at least fifteen people in RTB who've said they 'joined' SeeD (Arbiters, I guess XD), but all that means to them is adding a {SeeD} tag into their name. Most of them do it without even talking to another SeeD XD So RTB is a bit problematic with getting members.

[Dragonman]

When you join a new clan, what makes you want to stay? What made you want to join in the first place? Two major things that come to mind for myself is a friendly community and events/"get-togethers". Imagine if you're a new member and just joined a clan/guild. If nothing planned is visible, and noone really wants to talk to you or do anything with you, would you want to stay? Most of the newbies will seem the same from the start, but once you invite them consistently (persistently? ), get them accustomed to the clan/guild, and get to know them, they'll open up and define themselves as a solid member of the clan. That miracle will, of course, not happen every time, so persistence is pretty key.

P.S. Sorry about my own lack of involvement in things, I've just been too tied-up with school/sports/etc.. to be able to work on any events & recruiting -- let alone even sign on GW. =\

[Elvenblader]

My computer has gone to hell in a hand basket. So Sadly until I actually get it fixed not much I can do.

[x..]

I have been recruiting in Blockland. Either the people don't register or they don't visit ever again.

Precisely. There are at least fifteen people in RTB who've said they 'joined' SeeD (Arbiters, I guess XD), but all that means to them is adding a {SeeD} tag into their name. Most of them do it without even talking to another SeeD XD So RTB is a bit problematic with getting members.

I actually kicked a member for doing that.

"i got recuited in game"
"WELL GO JOIN PROPPERLY OR GO HOME."
"lol. ok, its a boring clan anyway"

He came back to the server a hour later and wanted to join again. -.-

[Charlie]

I have been recruiting in Blockland. Either the people don't register or they don't visit ever again.

Precisely. There are at least fifteen people in RTB who've said they 'joined' SeeD (Arbiters, I guess XD), but all that means to them is adding a {SeeD} tag into their name. Most of them do it without even talking to another SeeD XD So RTB is a bit problematic with getting members.

I actually kicked a member for doing that.

"i got recuited in game"
"WELL GO JOIN PROPPERLY OR GO HOME."
"lol. ok, its a boring clan anyway"

He came back to the server a hour later and wanted to join again. -.-

Well if your gonna shout at him like that how do you expect him to join..? o.0

[Rohtaren]

nobody in RS will listen to me... and the one person i ever successfully recruited i think was suspended for a little bit and then he forgot both his password and his username.

[Unrealblight]

Heh, call it random or w/e. But this past 2 weeks I've been busy with a RSB clan

I'd go on a riveting tale of how my little group of 5 just working together randomly thought "Wouldn't it be interesting to lead a clan of our own?" Grow from just that, into a prospering clan of 100+, to destroied ruins, back to a much more organized clan of 50+ .

I actually ended up coming from the "mabey next time" person of the group of 5, into top clan leader; but just got bored of it, and left, sadly soon after I left, most of the other leaders left with me, leaving the clan almost leaderless, so the clan's back into ruins.

I would've said to join this board, but most of the people from the first (100+) were people who were like "Hi! I wanna join!~" "KTHXBIA."; and then when we had the close knit of 50+, I couldn't because of all those strict Jagex rules.

.....Anyways, my computer life has obviously been crazy this last half-month >_>

[x..]

I have been recruiting in Blockland. Either the people don't register or they don't visit ever again.

Precisely. There are at least fifteen people in RTB who've said they 'joined' SeeD (Arbiters, I guess XD), but all that means to them is adding a {SeeD} tag into their name. Most of them do it without even talking to another SeeD XD So RTB is a bit problematic with getting members.

I actually kicked a member for doing that.

"i got recuited in game"
"WELL GO JOIN PROPPERLY OR GO HOME."
"lol. ok, its a boring clan anyway"

He came back to the server a hour later and wanted to join again. -.-

Well if your gonna shout at him like that how do you expect him to join..? o.0

Well, some random person hasn't payed any attention to actually being in a clan, he had 1000s of tags, too.

[Zziggywolf5]

I have to disagree with you on a point or two, Cspace.

- We Can't Recruit If We're Not Active, So Let's Get Active First: If that were the case, how could any guild start in the first place? If a guild in some game doesn't have many active members, those few active members cannot make up for what a larger guild can do. Therefore, don't push such a guild to be as active as it would be with ten times more members... Go find the members and push everyone to have events at the same time. It'll become easier as the recruiting continues.

People probably won't join if we aren't active. After all, why join a boring clan when you can join an active one? Members join, post twice or so, and leave "cause we don't do anything."

- Open Recruiting Is Bad: I hear this a lot, and it's right for a larger guild, but can be an extreme burden for a smaller guild. To only recruit those with whom you group, if the guild is small, will simply not go anywhere if you intend for the guild to become relatively active. At upper levels almost everyone with whom you group is already in a guild. Those who aren't in a guild probably aren't in a guild for a reason... They're probably more critical. If your guild is relatively inactive, they'll join and leave shortly after. You'll need to create a burst of activity to get some momentum going. Exactly how to do that depends on the game. "Open recruiting" doesn't always mean "/ooc Join my guild!". It just means that you're actively seeking members, and will actively do something to find anyone who is looking for a guild. It should be done quickly and in as effective a manner as possible, without annoying people. When your guild can sustain itself, then consider other means such as inviting group members.

You say we doesn't mean "/ooc Join my guild!", but then what do we do? If we aren't able to recruit from people we know or know of, then the people left are strangers which could be any random person. So, if it's a random person, doesn't running around saying "/ooc Join my guild!" accomplish the exact same thing?

[Cspace]

People probably won't join if we aren't active. After all, why join a boring clan when you can join an active one? Members join, post twice or so, and leave "cause we don't do anything."

If events are pushed at the same time, recruits are more likely to stick around.

If a couple players of some game want to start a guild, how exactly would they do it if recruiting isn't a priority right away? What I'm saying is that recruiting and events are needed simultaneously, not "events and then recruiting" as many have been suggesting. To go with "events and then recruiting", in my example those two players would need to create an illusion. It just won't work. A guild needs to recruit constantly, and push events at the same time, at least if activity is a goal. Those who join would be involved in the events, and if recruiting is enough of a focus it won't be long until the events start to grow.

Trust me, it's how our guild began. We just had three members at the start, and our site was really basic so it wasn't even a draw of its own. For half a year, events and other in-game things were the only real aspects holding SeeD together, and we started recruiting with only three of us. It wasn't particularly difficult (except for the Steel Crisis ), we just knew the value of recruiting and made it a focus. Activity is a direct result of it.

Also, it doesn't hurt to make it known that a guild is seeking officers and such. Often players will join an up-and-coming guild because they want to help establish it... Many think it's more rewarding than joining something that's already big.

You say we doesn't mean "/ooc Join my guild!", but then what do we do? If we aren't able to recruit from people we know or know of, then the people left are strangers which could be any random person. So, if it's a random person, doesn't running around saying "/ooc Join my guild!" accomplish the exact same thing?

One can /ooc those messages if they want, it just depends on the situation and the game. In most games I wouldn't recommend it, but it's a decision to be made. The reason I wouldn't recommend it isn't because the recruits are random, but because it will change the image of your guild from others' perspectives who hear you advertising.

There are alternatives.

• Look for "seeking a guild" messages. Reply to anyone who says that they're looking for a guild.
• If there are capes, cloaks, tabards, etc. (and your guild has one)... When you're idle, hang out in a place where new players are. Sometimes they'll contact you because they want whatever that identifier is. That may seem sad, but it's a way to build interest. Advertising is important.
• Whenever you move to a new area (or if it can be done remotely), abuse the /who command. See who's around, what classes and levels they are, and who's guildless. A friendly /tell won't hurt anyone, just be sure to accurately describe your guild. This can actually attract many more than an /ooc message if the /tell is effective, and you can target specific classes or level ranges. In a few nights I got the Guardians of Arcana up to almost 70 members by only doing this, and about 2/3 of those I asked said that they would join. Just be sure not to ask the same person twice, and don't send a second /tell if you don't get a reply to the first. Your message can weed out those you wouldn't desire in the guild, as long as you're true about what you say... Use words like "casual", "hardcore", "friendly", "raiding", etc. to describe your guild appropriately. Also don't say the guild is "large" or "small", but say it's "growing".
• Use other communities for promotion, where applicable. Threads about your guild are great if they're allowed, and guild-related signatures are also great (and easy) to make.
• Use events for promotion. Don't get your guild to meet in a completely isolated place... Find some place that is semi-active, but where a group will obviously seem like a guild. That can attract a lot more players than some would expect. I've had it work in Runescape, Guild Wars, EQ2, and WoW, and I'm sure it would also work elsewhere.
• While I make a large point to not rely entirely on this if a guild is small... There's no harm in asking those in a group if they'd like to join your guild. Periodically they'll say "yes". Keep in mind that if at least one other from the same guild is in the group, it will be more effective.
• Concentrate multiple forms of promotion into a small timeframe, at least when starting for the day. Your recruiting will be much, much more effective if other members are online when a new player joins, even if those members were recruited on the same day.

Lastly, keep in mind that newer players are easier to recruit. Also remember that those players will eventually become stronger, so it's not a problem in the long run, even if you plan to do high-level raids and stuff.

Hope this helps