Guild Systems

Saabat

Although my MMO experience likely pales in comparison to some of you here. I have always been interested in the internal social structures of these games. How guild systems are set up and why some new games seem to exclude great guild structure ideas that where successful in previous games.

Why are some functions skipped over when a new game is developed? Are these functions copyrighted or some-such? Because each new game I go to the developers seem to be reinventing the wheel when it comes to setting up guild structures.

I know this is something many don't have a lot of interest in but I thought it would be interesting to discuss with those of  you that are interested.

A example would be when I went from SWG to WOW I missed the in-game mails SWG would send me when any change occurred to the guild while I was away from game.

What have been some of your favorite functions in past games that are not available in the game(s) you currently play? Or what functions have you thought up that you always wish where in game but you have yet to see implemented?

Tabards

Guild Mass Mail

Guild Specific Auctions

MotD's

Roster Notes

Editable/Createable Ranks

Guild Halls

Voting Systems

Guild Lifetime Rank Rewards

etc. etc. etc.

Man1ac

Hmm I think it might be due to way the company's decide to manage their servers. Even if a company were to copyright such an idea, other companies tend modify the idea claiming it their own.

gpett

I would prefer a game designed around the fact there there were no guilds and no groups.  We should think of the entire game population as our guild or group.  Think of designing a game where all of the content was similar to Warhammer public quests system.  There are too many things implemented in games that force players to segregate.  Guilds, guild membership caps, groups, group membership caps, and limited and poorly implemented chat.

Why not change the in game philosopy and mechanics to promote players playing together instead of segregating them into smaller groups.

The only thing holding video games back is the reliance on old accepted game mechanics.  We need to rethink all of the game rules and decide if they are making the game more fun or less fun.

 

Saabat

good post gpett... I am definitely looking forward to seeing how public quests are handled in Warhammer and any future games coming up with new ways to handle social interactions like these in a positive manner.

On the flip side there are always going to be groups and sides or factions, players like to feel like they are part of a team. But of the mainstream games that have caught my eye Warhammer is one of the only ones that seems to be trying something new in the regard to how players in game will interact with one another. (I know I am probably wrong and that there is some game I have never heard of that has already done or is currently doing the same thing if not something better... I just haven't heard of it/them)

If I am not mistaken Age of Conan seems to be Warhammer's opposite in regards to social structuring and how players identify with one another. Correct me if I am wrong but I believe PVP in AOC will be guild-centric and we will see massive guilds formed based on how the games player versus player is structured.

Also player cities in AOC will be guild-centric as well as guild bonuses for the amount of players in said guild that are of various professions.

Those cover two extremes. Are any other new games being released that are trying new and innovative ways to break from the normal social structuring as we have always known it to be?

 

tolke

 

Originally posted by gpett


I would prefer a game designed around the fact there there were no guilds and no groups.  We should think of the entire game population as our guild or group.

 

A very pretty thought! However, there are good reasons to group and form guilds. There are players who misbehave and are a pain to play with, forming a guild is a way to exclude them. As far as groups go, my experience from WoW is that a group of friends will do far better in an instance, compared to a pickup group, just by knowing each others style of playing.

One problem I noticed with guilds in WoW was that people were very fond of guild ranks, but the guild master and his officers would forget to promote the nice and quiet people. My idea is to introduce "guild points" that decide what rank you are. Each day every member has the opportunity to add or remove one guild point from one other member. (The guild master has the power to add or remove any number of points at any time.) This will lessen the chance that a member is forgotten altogether.