So , you want to start your own guild? Well you might think that starts with a guild charter, but actually the process should start before that. I recommend you decide what kind of guild you intend to offer other players. The type of guild you plan on starting will determine if you need to recruit, who you will recruit, and how you will recruit. The first thing I always tell someone when asked what they should do to be successful in recruiting, is to look at their guild as a product they are selling to a customer. The customers in this particular situation, are the players you wish to recruit and retain. Guilds tend to be very abundant in most MMO's, and you will need to stand out if you want to have people give your guild a try! It might seem that recruiting is one of the hardest parts of starting a guild, but it can also prove to be even more difficult getting them to stay...
Guilds are created for as many reasons as there are types of guilds:
For example, some guilds,
- are formed from a group of real life or in game friends
- are personal guilds used for the extra bank space
- are spin offs from a broken or inactive guild
- are formed to level fast by mass recruiting with the intent to sell to another player for in game gold
- are fan based guilds mostly containing fans of a gaming content provider
- are formed by players who have always wanted to start their own guild and have finally decided to give it a go
- are formed around hardcore interests in game requiring specific gear scores or ratings in order for you to join.
- are social guilds that offer a home to players of all interests in game
- are strictly PVE or PVP goal orientated but also allow casual players
- are created to be more of a casual guild by offering a nice laid back environment
- are created to be a the type of a guild the player could not find in game so they decided to start one of their own
- are formed by controlling people who see a guild as a great opportunity to micromanage multiple people at the same time
- are formed by egomaniacs that recruit guildies for the purpose of feeding the Guild leader grapes and fanning their "special-ness"
- are formed for Role Playing, some complete with campaigns, character history
I have found that a majority of guilds are formed based off of a players experience with a guild in the past, good or bad. The experiences you have had with guilds in the past will help you shape what you want or do not want to take place in your guild. The experiences you desire to have in game will also help you decide what type of guild you want to start and the type of guildies you would like to fill it with.
Allot of events and content in MMO's are accomplished in groups, so it is great to be able to build a guild based off of like minded people with similar goals and interests in game to partake in accomplishments together. Think about what goals you have in game as a player to help get a more clear vision of your future guilds purpose, direction and goal establishment.
- Do you want to unlock content you have not yet seen?
- Do you want to complete achievements?
- Have you always wanted to achieve a high arena rating?
- Would you love to create and lead a Role Playing campaign?
- Are you tired of playing by yourself and would like a more social experience?
- How much time to you have to devote to the game, let alone the guild?
Asking yourself questions will help steer you in a direction of what kind of guild you want to run. When starting your guild, ask yourself why you are starting it and build from that point first.It is a good starting point for recruiting as it will help you define your guild purpose, guild rules, and your guild vision or mission statement ( a topic for another post).
Another important part of recruiting and retaining guildies can rely on getting a really good idea of who your "competition" guilds are on the server. I do not mean for you to "head hunt" players from these other guilds, in fact I strongly advise against it. I mean for you to see what type of "product" they are offering to it's members/customers. You can do this easily by reading their recruitment adverts in game and/or on recruitment forums. You might also decide to join their guild on an alt to get an "insiders view" of what makes them tick. You never know, you might actually like it there and decide to not go through with creating your own guild! If you still decide to go through with creating your own guild, the information you gather from other guilds, players, and yourself, should be used to help you determine what kind of a guild you are going to run and what you will have to offer that the others do not.You will find there are large and/or successful guilds for a reason, they are doing something right. They may have found their spot in the guild market and it is important that you find yours!
I must warn you that in most cases the heart of the guild is the relationships, friendships and bonds that have been formed over time and that is not something you can take from a guild. Friendship, respect, kindness and trust are traits that are the golden nuggets you can find in a guild which can require like-minded people, similar schedules, and the right guild environment for it to flourish and exist.
