Player Associations Archive

Message Edited by DeltaXi65 on 04-30-2004 02:02 PM

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UMBRELLA GUILDS VS. SINGLE-ISSUE GUILDS

There are basically two types of player associations. There are the catch-all or “umbrella” organizations, and then there are your “single-issue” groups. The umbrella organizations are just that – they accept nearly anyone, regardless of skill level, time in game, professions, or game goals. These groups may be aligned with a faction – Imperial, Neutral or Rebel – but they generally don’t force people to choose one profession template, or devote all their time to PvP or crafting. They let players choose their own paths.

These organizations tend to be the largest and most difficult to manage. The vast majority of members join because they want to be included in something, but also want the freedom to choose their own paths. This creates a large base of players who are independent and who may not respond well to top down authority. It also makes it difficult to plan guild events, because the desires of such a large base of members are very diverse. Umbrella guilds require strong leadership and a large group of core players or council members all working and communicating together to be effective.

Boutique or “single-issue” guilds are much easier to manage, because they are formed by players who have a similar goal for their gameplay in mind. Guilds that focus only on crafting, PvPing, PvEing, getting loot drops, Bounty Hunting, Jedi only-groups and others are much easier to manage, and they also tend to be much smaller. It is much easier for a top-down, military style hierarchy to be in place in these organizations because the players joined because of their desire to play the game in the same way as the current members. But these groups are not without their own problems, as players rarely wish to stick to one style of gameplay over many months, so either the guild is changed or members leave. These groups generally have a large turnover rate.

Which is better? That depends on the player and what they want in the game. Both offer unique advantages and disadvantages, and when setting up a PA (or looking to join one), these sorts of questions should be asked. The answers are up to you.

Once you determine what type of group you want to be, you can begin recruiting new members to join.

RECRUITMENT

The lifeblood of any organization is recruitment. It is important to keep in mind that this is a game, so there are a lot of outside factors the will determine play time for members. Real life issues can translate into game issues, and someone who is a core member could drop out suddenly if real life intervenes.

Therefore, it is critical that any solid PA be constantly recruiting, or at least keeping an eye out for good players they would like to see join. Keeping contact with unguilded players or talking to folks who are less than happy with their guild is a great way of keeping interest high in your organization – even if you aren’t recruiting. And if you begin recruiting again, you’ve got a core of folks you’re ready to ask to join.

Recruitment policies should be some of the first things that you set up after the PA goes active. Your core members should determine the best way to recruit new members, and everyone should learn the rules, because EVERYONE is a recruiter.

There are two different types of recruitment policies – open/non-selective or close/selective. I will discuss the different types and how to join each below.

PLAYER ASSOCIATIONS THAT ARE RECRUITING/NONSELECTIVE - HOW TO JOIN

Generally, you can find a list of PAs that are trying to recruit very easily - they'll be advertising. Check all of the fan websites (Like Alakhazam and Warcry - they post my guides so they always get a plug ) for PAs that are recruiting. Also check the SWG Server forums, because each has a listing of the PAs and their status with information on the group and what they are looking for.

PAs that are recruiting tend to make it easy on the new player to find and join them. They'll have a relatively straightforward application process, if they have one at all. You can usually find out the rules by talking to the group leader, any group member or by visiting their website or message boards.

PLAYER ASSOCIATIONS THAT ARE NOT RECRUITING/HIGHLY SELECTIVE - HOW TO JOIN

For some, there is no fun in joining a group where everyone can get in. Some people place a lot of ego and self-worth on being members of organizations that are highly selective and don't take many in - and that's a world truth, not merely in SWG. So many of you may have your eyes cast upon a guild already, but can't figure out how to get in. There are a number of tips that you can use to get the most highly selective groups to want to select you.

As with most selective organizations, it pays to have a patron. Find a player who is a member of that group and befriend them. Offer them to go hunting, take them on a PvP trip, or do fun things that will create a friendship. Over time, this friendship may blossom into an invitation to join. It may also give you a chance to see if the group is really the best fit for you, find out exactly how they operate, and meet the other players. This is really the only way to get into some of those highly exclusive groups.

Another way is to make a name for yourself - either by being the best in your class, or by being notorious. The biggest PvPers are constantly being bombarded with offers to join PAs, because everyone wants the "famous" name. Some run guilds. Some are master crafters. Some just post too damn much on the message boards. We all get offers to join guilds or requests from players to join ours because we are well known (even though not always well liked) and that makes a difference to some groups.

Finally, you need to know what that elite group is looking for and doing your best to show them you have it. For some groups, it may mean having a hard edge and being a constant PvPer. Others want friendly, outgoing people. Some want elite, master crafters. If you've got your heart set on joining a group, don't expect them to change what they are to let you in - if you want in bad enough, be what they want you to be. This grates on some people, especially those of us who are Americans and have been fed a steady cultural diet of rugged individualism, everyone being unique and special, and that other cultural conditioning crap I vaguely remember learning through my sociology courses that weren't blocked out by a hangover.

Here's a quick listing of things to NOT do when trying to join a highly selective PA: Annoy the guild leader; ask to join without knowing anything about the members or the arrangements; not be able to answer basic questions about why you want to join; pester all of the players to let you in; get aggressive, annoyed or upset and act like an idiot. These things may make you feel better, but your goal isn't to feel better, it's to be accepted by the PA of your choice.

Now that you’ve got some ideas as to how to join these groups, what should you find about them before you join?

WHAT QUESTIONS SHOULD I ASK? - RECRUIT'S PERPECTIVE

Before joining any group, you've got to know some basic things. What's the name? Who's the leader? Where is the PA Hall? Do you have a city? How many members? What's the focus? What's the application process? How are decisions made? What are the dues? Will I be able to advance? What are the benefits of joining? What are the rules?

Asking these questions ahead of time give you all of the information that you need to make an informed decision - one that could affect the level of happiness, fun and satisfaction you get playing the game.

These are things that you as a player should be asking. What should guild leaders be thinking about when talking to you?

WHAT QUESTIONS SHOULD I ASK? - GUILD LEADER/MEMBER'S PERSPECTIVE

As important as asking questions is for a recruit, it is also important from the perspective of a guild leader or member. You are going to have to do some recruiting, at some point, so knowing what you need to know about a new member is critical.

I always ask three things - 1.) What made you want to join our group? 2.) What are you looking for in joining and what are your long term goals for the game? 3.) What do you prefer doing in game the most (PvP, role-play, crafting, hunt, chat, etc.).

I can tell a lot from these answers. If I ask someone why they want to join and they give me a quick answer, and it’s sincere, this goes a long way. Getting a response like "Well, I've seen you around, and you've got a good reputation, and I know and he's cool, so I wanted to know more about you" is exactly the answer I'm looking for. "I don’t know" or "Ur cool and uber" are a first strike with me - and sometimes you'll only get one chance to make a good impression. For the second question, if the recruit gives me a good answer like "I want to do this, or that, and hope to do this when my character is done..." I'm happy. He's thought about it, and that's good. If he says "I want to be a L33T J3D1 PWNZOR" or "I don't know", I'm not happy. To be asked question 3, I usually expect good answers from the first two. If you don't get question three from me, go somewhere else. Remember - people are always judging you when you least expect it. So always expect it.

At the fundamental level, it is important for a PA leader to know and understand while all of his members are there. This way, he can keep providing those players with what they need to stay active and happy. Being guild leader isn't simply a job where you have the title and show up. You need to put in a good amount of work.

One way to structure the recruitment process for guild leaders is to establish an application process.

THE APPLICATION PROCESS - WHAT SHOULD IT BE LIKE?

As with the recruitment procedures, these should vary based on the type of organization you want. But fundamentally there are a number of goals that the application process should set out to attain:

1.) It should provide the members with information about the new recruit - Members want to know this stuff, so the application process should give them this information. They want to know what the new recruit is like - their playing style, sense of humor, maturity, age, location, progress in their play, etc. This needs to be a factor.

2.) It should help weed out unsuitable candidates - Having a form on the website that lets you add a name to a list isn’t a good application process (unless you don’t care who joins). You need to have a process that will send up red flags when a candidate isn't suitable for your group. Make sure to include this in the list.

3.) It should give the members a chance to meet the new candidate - Face-to-face interaction beats emails and /tells any day. You really won't get a good idea as to the skills, abilities and style of a player until you've gone out in a group with him. Here's where you'll find the cowards who run when they think they can't win; the ninja harvesters and looters who don't care about anyone but themselves; the whiners and babies who need constant action to survive; the truly brave players who will run into a crowd of creatures to /tenddamage a friend who's about to be DBed; the players who will share loot, or offer up an item they don't need. These are all things that you want in a guildmate that you can't see by reading a web form or talking to them in-game.

4.) It should be fast - No one likes to be waiting for someone to tell them if they are in or not. Do your best to process applications and plan events as quickly as possible. This will make the group look good, and it will keep people happy. At the same time, make sure you've adequately checked out the new member (if you do that) so you are sure that they are worth it. For recruits, be patient. Don't pester a guild leader every twenty minutes about the status of their application. This can get tedious and if you are "on the bubble" it could be what puts you in the reject pile. At the same time, don't simply ignore them and wait. They may have misplaced your info, missed your name, or merely forgotten. A casual question or email after a day or so is more than adequate. Treat it like you'd treat a new job.

Now you’ve got your application process and you can begin accepting members. But there’s always a chance that you’ll be rejecting them, too. Planning the negative is a good way to prepare yourself – it’s easy to let people in, but saying no can be hard.

HOW TO REJECT A PLAYER FROM JOINING YOUR PA

If you’re like me, you don’t like telling people bad news. And the way that you handle rejecting people from a guild can say a lot about the guild and your maturity. It’s important to handle it right. Just because you don’t let a member join doesn’t mean that you must burn that relationship.

The hardest person to say no to is the player that went through the trouble to apply and come out and do all of the things you’ve asked of him, yet just wasn’t a good fit. But these players also tend to be the most understanding. Simply telling them the truth – that you’re a good player, but you’re not right for us is usually enough. They won’t get upset. And if they do, remember to be diplomatic and sympathetic. Telling someone bad news and being considerate enough to cushion the blow should make life easier for you and for them.

Players who haven’t followed the rules, or who have ignored them are easier to reject. Simply telling them frankly that you have application procedures and they must be followed to the letter is the easy way out here. If a player can’t follow the rules you set out to join, they’ll be even tougher to discipline once inside the guild.

Players who don’t meet your basic requirements shouldn’t have even made it this far, so we don’t need to discuss them here. They should get rejected in the question and answer section.

Overall, as a guild leader, being diplomatic and polite is the best way to diffuse this potentially difficult situation. And once you get a few of these under your belt, the rest will be instinctual.

But what’s it like from the rejected player’s perspective?

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WHAT DO I DO IF I GET REJECTED?

So you put in the application, you gave them all your info, you went out and they turned you down. What do you do?

Well, you could be immature, start griefing their members, dueling everyone you see, putting out bounties on peoples heads, get their enemies to crash their events, and generally make a big old nuisance of yourself. But this is a bad idea - if you want to get into ANY guild, griefing one that you didn't get into is a VERY bad first step. It shows immaturity, and it’s the kind of thing any good guild leader wants to stay away from - if you've done it before, you probably will do it again.

The best thing to do is to accept the rejection like a man (or woman) - ask what the problem was, ask if there’s any way for you to fix the problem or if it’s possible to attempt to join at another time when your skill set or level changes. Do your best to be understanding, because you never know - they could ask you back at any time, and having not burned a bridge may turn out to be a benefit to you in the long run.

In general, put yourself in their shoes. If they are normal, likeable people, they probably are dreading having to tell you that you didn't make it. They probably don't want to have to turn you down because they are specifically worried about you taking the immature route. Being mature and understanding is the best way to cultivate a relationship or friendship with a player that down the road could prove important to you.
Enough with the negative. What about telling good news?

WHAT DO YOU TELL THE NEW RECRUIT?

Once you’ve offered someone membership, and they’ve accepted, get them all of the information on the guild as quickly as possible. Much of this they should already have seen during the application process, but if not, they should review it now.

Have them register on your website, download TeamSpeak and get going. Give them a tour of your player city. Give them their free house, or new uniform. The goal is to get them assimilated and feeling comfortable in their new group ASAP.

It’s also a good idea, if you’ve not done it already, to announce the new member in guild chat or guild email so that everyone welcomes them. This is a nice touch.

New recruits have some work to do as well.

WHAT DO I DO IF I GET IN?

Go pat yourself on the back.

Then figure out your role, determine how you can best serve the needs of the guild and get to work. Follow your GMs lead – and do your best to meet the current guild members and get a feel for the culture. Go on a few outings and get to know people. Don’t be timid, but don’t try and walk in like you own the place either.

Give yourself time to get to know everyone and let them get to know you.

Now that we’ve knocked out the things we need to know to start a guild and join one, we can start talking about in-guild dynamics. The most important of these is communications.

COMMUNICATIONS ARE CRITICAL – IN-GAME AND OUT

There is nothing more critical to keeping up a PA than keeping up communications. Different guilds have different systems, but the overall idea is the same – a guild that talks to each other is a strong guild. There are various ways that Pas can communicate, and I’ll go through a short list of them now:

1.)Guild chat – guild chat is a chat channel automatically set up when you create a guild. It lets all guild tagged members chat with each other. This is an important communications tool, especially when you want to pass through information in real time to your members. I strongly suggest that every guild member keep guild chat open in a separate chat window at all times to ensure they don’t miss anything.

2.)Guild mail – Players granted this permission via the guild permissions menu in the guild hall have the ability to send out guild-wide emails. To do this, simply type guild in the to: box on your mail and it will go out to every tagged member. This is a useful way of sending messages to members that are not online and can’t see what’s written in guild chat. This is also a good way of promoting auctions and sales between guild members – but use it sparingly, because no one wants their inboxes flooded with spam email.

3.)Out-of-game websites – 99% of the established, larger guilds will have off-site websites with forums. These allow the members of the guild to communicate out of game. There are times when this is the best way of getting information to folks – particularly if they’re traveling, stuck at work, or are having in-game troubleshooting difficulties, yet still want to remain active. One tip that I have is to set up guild-only sections that allow for candid conversations out of the public eye.

4.)TeamSpeak2 or Ventrilo servers – These are voice channels that allow players to talk to each other while in game. They are great for coordinating base raids, as well as for holding officer or executive council meetings – sort of like a “conference call”. Having a dedicated server can often make or break a PvP oriented PA, and can also result in a much more personal experience for members who wish to use it. They do require microphones. TeamSpeak2 can be downloaded at http://www.teamspeak.org/ and Ventrilo can be downloaded at http://www.ventrilo.com.

But communication is not simply “how”. It’s also “what” and “when”. A guild that doesn’t receive communications from its leadership from time to time is going to get nervous. Folks like seeing that their leaders are online and are hands-on. They like getting recruitment updates and information regarding what’s happening in the game. They like feeling like they are a “part” of something, and the easiest way to do that is simply keeping them in the loop.

I cannot stress enough that communication is the single most important aspect to running a successful PA.

Now that we’ve knocked out communication, there are other important aspects of running a successful PA that we must discuss.

RUNNING A SUCCESSFUL PLAYER ASSOCIATION

I thought I would throw a few tips in here to give those who are either just starting their PAs or who are prospective PA leaders a head start in setting up a successful PA.

Outside of recruitment and communication (which we’ve already discussed) the ideas that must be addressed in running a successful guild are organization, vision and goals, internal rewards and recognition, member expectations, rules and discipline, and fun.

Each of these aspects help make the organization more than just a collection of people, and they ensure that even if you or the folks who founded it leave the game, it will still keep going.

ORGANIZATION

Once your PA is developed, you need to develop an organization quickly. This can be hierarchical, it can be committee based, it can be based on a military model (the TMB is loosely based on a military model), or some hybrid of all of these. Which organization type you choose is based on your personal preferences, but the main point is to have SOME kind of organization. This will save you time, effort and lots and lots of grief down the road. With a set organization, you can easily determine who has decision making authority, who can speak on behalf of the guild, who handles discipline, etc. and you can set up rules and regulations that people will agree to abide under. Without organization, your decision will appear to be simply your whim, and most people don’t like that. You’ll here lots of calls of "unfair" or "BS". But with an organization, you’ll have more folks involved in the decision, so those claims will lose their significance.

VISION AND GOALS – WHAT’S THE POINT?

This is a problem that many PAs run into after they are first established. Generally, you get a bunch of people working together to make a large amount of money, or to get a large amount of resources in order to start the PA. So you've got a pre-made goal that is attainable and attractive: setting up the PA. Once you get there and the guild is formed, its very easy to sit back on the floor of you brand new, furniture less guild hall and think you've made it. But in reality, you're just being born.

You need to setup three things – a mission, a vision and goals.

The mission is simple: this is your reason for existing. For example, TMB’s mission is:

“The mission of the Tarkin Memorial Brigade is to create a tight-knit, respectful family of players, where everyone can work together to have fun. Our goal is to be the best guild on Bloodfin, and to do so by being the most well known, respected, and skillful players in the game.”

Your mission can be a statement like ours, or just a one line idea. “Our mission is to have fun.” It doesn’t need to be elaborate, but the more specific you make it, the better it will serve to guide your members.

Your vision is your longest long term goal in the game. It’s what you want to see your members constantly striving for. In our mission, you can see that our vision is to create a tight-knit, respectful family of players, etc. That’s where we want to the PA to be.

But in order to get there, you need to set up goals. These are your “mile markers” on the way to achieving your vision. These goals shouldn’t be “pie-in-the-sky” type goals. They should be things that you legitimately want to do. They should be attainable and they should be measurable. You won’t know if you’ve gotten where you want to go if you don’t have a means to tell where you’re going.

Setting up your mission, vision and goals are a good way to build a PA that people buy into – they believe in the mission and goals, and not just in the people who started it. There’s a difference between a guild and a cult-of-personality. Cults die when the leader quits. Guilds stick around.

INTERNAL REWARDS AND RECOGNITION

Provide your members with little incentives, like an increase in guild rank or greater responsibility when they reach goals you set for them.

These can be specific like “recruit 10 new members” or they can be more subjective, like “rendering outstanding service to the guild”. Having a mix of both known, specific rewards and subjective rewards are a good way of keeping players interested. Some achiever type players will work very hard to gain these titles, despite the fact that outside the guild they may not be that important.

Recognition is also a good way to buck up a member that is feeling left out or is getting bored with the game. Letting them know that you appreciate them and notice the effort they’re putting out can take an uninvolved player and make them involved.

But be sure to use these sparingly – the rarer they are the more valuable.

MEMBER EXPECTATIONS

It is a very bad idea to simply assume that players have the same opinion on what is expected of them as you do, especially if you don’t spell it out to them in advance. If a guild expects that each member will donate 100k to the guild every week, but never communicates that, then the guild member shouldn’t be the “bad guy” if he never pays.

Setting up member expectations also aids in guild discipline, because you can point these out to members during the application process. If players are unable or unwilling to live up to those expectations, then they don’t have to join. And if they stop meeting your expectations, you can refer them back to those expectations when the disciplinary process gets there.

These are an easy way of making sure that all your members know what being in your guild is all about. And you do it the right way – by telling them ahead of time. That way they know what they’re getting into.

RULES AND DISCIPLINE

Yes, this is a game. Yes, it is possible to take it too seriously. But no one wants to be in a group that makes them look bad. And any organization is going to have folks that don’t want to play by the rules. If you are a PA leader that cares about your reputation, it will be critical for you to set rules and disciplinary procedures up early.

Having rules is similar to having expectations – if players know the rules, they can make a better decision on whether or not to join a group. If you have a “no griefing” rule, and members are violating it, it allows you to take action. If you don’t have rules but want to take action anyway, your behavior could look heavy handed. So set up your rules ahead of time.

Discipline is a tough topic – no one wants to get in trouble, especially not in a game. But sometimes the need to discipline a member is important, and there are right ways and wrong ways to do it.

First, always discipline in private. This way, there are no hard feelings and you can take the opportunity to get the information of everyone involved. Plus the person being disciplined doesn’t need to feel embarrassed about it.

Second, if possible, set up a disciplinary committee. It is much easier to take criticism from a group of friends than from one single person.

Third, get everyone’s side before rendering a decision, especially if the people who are bringing a violation to you are outside of the guild. You should always give the accused the benefit of the doubt until you hear both sides of the story.
Finally, keep your decisions consistent. Don’t punish someone for a behavior, and then let the next person slide. That only creates resentment and will cause internal issues down the road.

FUN

This is a GAME. It’s supposed to be fun. Oddly enough, this sort of stuff is fun for me. And it may be fun for some of you. Even writing this is fun for me.

But if this stuff isn't you, don't run a PA. Always remember that the point of SWG is to HAVE FUN. If you aren't having fun, scrap what you are doing and go back to what you did enjoy doing.

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FINAL PAGE

GUILD DRAMA AND POLITICS – DEALING WITH THE INEVITABLE

As much as I hate adding this section to the guide, it’s necessary.

Your guild will never exist in a vacuum. And if you want your guild to make a name for itself, it will eventually butt up against the other guilds in the game. So you’ve got to be prepared for outside guild diplomacy, alliances, drama and war, and the like.

If you don’t want to deal with this you can do a number of things – you can be a non-PvP or non-GCW PA. You can not have outside relations with other guilds. You can not choose a faction. But most of these things are going to be things that you and your members will want to do, so you’ve gotta deal with it.

A new guild leader should always find the names of the largest PAs of the same faction, and get to know the GMs of those organizations. They can provide you with tips and info, and they can help you guys get started. And vice versa – established guild leaders should be willing to help out their younger cohorts because those smaller guilds are generally more common than their larger ones, and you never know when one of them may want to merge or ally with you.

It is usually a good idea to have your members become active on your galaxy forums, because that will be your best way of self promotion. Nothing promotes a PA better than your members becoming well known in the community. And, on the flip side, those that don’t comport themselves well on the boards and have the rest of the server thinking that all of your members are that way. So this is a double edged sword to be careful about.

Most this stuff is unnecessary if you aren’t fighting guild wars or don’t plan on becoming large. But if they you are or you do, this info will help.

In terms of fighting with other guilds and guild wars, there are some things to keep in mind that will help make it more enjoyable for everyone.

GUILD WARS

Guild wars are an interesting and often utilized part of the game. Some go well, some go badly, but if you plan ahead of time, you’ll be able to run these and have fun with them.

First of all, the decision to go to war is an important one. These decisions are often controversial, and nearly impossible, for some PAs. The umbrella groups have the hardest time with these, because you’ll have some folks in the organization who want to guild war and others who don’t. There are a number of ways to get around this, but the most commonly used one is to split off your PvPers into a temporary “War Guild” that allows them to war, while keeping your main guild intact. When the war is over, you can always retag the PvPers – but remember to leave at least 5 alts in the other guild to keep it going.

Victory conditions are another important thing to determine in a guild war. If you don’t set conditions for victory, every war will turn into a “he said/she said” debate on the boards and it won’t be fun for anyone. So set these out ahead of time. They can be anything – whoever shuts the war off first loses, whoever blows up the other guilds bases first, whoever detags the most members, etc. But just make sure that both sides are aware of the victory conditions so that you’re able to determine who won at the end.

Setting a time limit for the war is usually a good thing as well. 24/7 all war, all the time can be fun, but it can also be very, very tiring. Not being able to load anywhere without being ganked, getting attacked doing the most mundane tasks, etc. can get old quickly. So set a time limit for the war. Usually a week or even just a weekend is more than enough time for a good guild war. But this is up to you.

Rules and expectations are key, too. If you don’t want clone camping, make that a condition. If you don’t want guilds tagging up new members, then make that a rule. And if you want a no-holds-barred slugfest, agree that the only rule is that there are no rules. But take the time to think about this before you toggle the war on.

Guild wars can be fun, but they can also be subject to much abuse and griefing if they’re not done correctly.

Finally, lets talk about guild loot and money – another controversial topic.

LOOT AND MONEY – HOW TO MANAGE RARE RESOURCES

Rare resources are difficult to handle – because they’re rare everyone wants them, and yet not everyone can have them. In a large guild, this will be a problem unless you develop rules for it at the beginning. There are many different ways to go about handling loot and money, from a strong communist-style set up, to a completely free market “possession is 9/10s of the law” idea.

SWG isn’t a big game when it comes to getting “phat lewt” as it’s known. But the Devs have been adding, due to popular demand, more of this material into the game. And this makes it necessary to be thinking about this in your PA.

Some guilds have adopted a “guild treasury” where each member pays in a certain amount of their cash, and in return gets dibs on guild loot that is donated to the guild. Some guilds require that all loot be given over to the guild for distribution to the most needy members as determined by the leadership. Some guilds allow members to sell the loot internally at discounted prices to members. Others simply let members handle loot however they want.

Whatever you choose – it is important that you choose and communicate what the loot and money rules are to your members. There are some serious possible consequences if you don’t. You don’t want some of your members jealous of others because of their equipment, and you don’t want people claiming that your leadership is “greedy”. Guilds are created to help each other, and you should do your best to make sure that everyone knows what everyone else needs. This can be a tough thing to do, but if you’ve followed my advice and have good communication systems in place, this shouldn’t be that tough of an issue to tackle.

CONCLUSION

I hope that this guide is helpful to new recruits, new group leaders and seasoned members of PAs and their leaders alike. PAs are one special feature of MMORPGs that help make them fun, and using some of these tips and bits of information, you can make your experience even better. This is a pretty long guide, so I’m sure most of you haven’t read the whole thing, and can pick and choose what you think is the most necessary for you.

Good luck in building your organization!

B

CM,

Glad some people are reading this.

I figured most folks got scared off by the length.

B

Excellent resource here... I read the whole thing, but didn't feel the need to post here until seeing your comment about thinking people may have been scared off by the length.

Great work! It's helped me out immensely.

I'm glad you guys enjoy this.

B