The Art of Finding a Guild (or clan, or corp, or other)

dotdotdash

This post may be better suited to a blog, I think, but I've given up on blogging... so it can be a discussion here instead ;D

 

I’m quite old now, or at least – at the ripe old age of 23 – I’m starting to feel old. I’m sure there are some 50-odd year olds reading this right now, scoffing at the notion of a whipper-snapper like myself feeling old. To you I say this: squint more, as there is no font size big enough for your addled eyes, and please bear with me.

I used to mock my parents for being so dismissive of the music I listened to when I was at school. Their attitude was one of unrelenting cynicism, often forgoing any actual consideration of the artistry involved in favour of a “things were much better in my day” stance on… well… pretty much everything I ever happened to put on. It wasn’t rare at all for my mother to protest albums such as OK Computer (Radiohead) and With Teeth (Nine Inch Nails) by drowning them out with the horrors of Chris Rea and Chris De Burgh (sometimes both at the same time). I used to think it was about the music, that she genuinely believed music was “better” in the 50s than it is now, and I even went so far as to consider that she may be right. Obviously I came to the conclusion that she wasn’t. Any true lover of music would hardly claim that music has become worse over time; even if manufactured pop is the flavour of the times, a bi-product of corporate-controlled artistry, there is still a wealth of truly revolutionary and inspiring music out there for people to discover. With that in mind, I never understood why my mother seemingly hated modern music with such passion, and it has always thoroughly confused me…

My generation happened to get a good deal compared to a lot of others. Where my mother’s generation had to struggle with getting their heads around things like transistor radios, basic sewage systems and abaci, we were the first generation to grow up with computers as personal accessories. We were the baby boomers of the home computer, and by extension the baby boomers of gaming. As if the deal wasn’t sweet enough, some fellow called Al Gore invented the Internet (Tim Burners-who?!). Suddenly the gaming world was connected in a way it had never been before, and being part of a guild or clan quickly become – for many of us – not just a thing we COULD do, but a thing we HAD to do. It was a necessary part of gaming in the 21^st-and-a-half century.

For the last decade or so, a fair portion of my time has been spent trying to find a guild or clan on a per game basis. Over that time I’ve had the pleasure (and, sadly, the displeasure) of being part of a whole variety of different guilds and clans, with different social structures and ambitions: from hardcore to casual, PvP to raiding, friendly to… well… not so friendly. I’ve experienced perhaps the entire spectrum that gaming communities have to offer, and I’ve had more than enough chance to refine down a very specific set of criteria that the gaming community I’m looking for right now has to fill.

Any community that doesn’t conform to those expectations is summarily dismissed.

And so I now realise that my mother's reason for disliking my music was quite simple: after many years on this earth, many experiences, she has refined music down to a very specific set of criteria that she likes, and anything that comes outside of that is summarily dismissed. After all, you can’t teach an old… no… I’ll stop there.

And so, with my specific criteria in hand and an ever-increasing cynicism to things that don’t conform to my now-dated world view, the act of finding a community to fit into, to enjoy, becomes increasingly more stressful and time consuming the more time goes on. 

Any pointers? Perhaps people could suggest some excellent communities they have been a part of over the years, or maybe detail what they look for in a guild or clan? ;D

Khaeros

Join a group that does the same things you like doing.

 

Finding a community isn't stressful or time consuming.  Do research.

BTrayaL

Khaeros, easier said than done.. otherwise, we wouldn't be at this thread.

Four0Six

Originally posted by Khaeros

Join a group that does the same things you like doing.

 

Finding a community isn't stressful or time consuming.  Do research.

 By resonable defination "research" IS time consuming. The amount of stress one experiances during "research" is entirely in their control.

 

I, personally, am not a fan of guilds. I find them to be "clique-y". I didn't join any such groups during school, where they are extensive and prevelant.

 

I completely understand wanting a group that was regulary ready to raid at X time.....But....I played City of Heros/VIllians for years and the Hamidon Raid happened twice a week at a set time for each side. *ducks behind hay cart to hide from ensuing mob* These were PUGed. Yes there was stratagy, it was went through via chat before each run.

I could expound more, but I will leave it at this: I think guilds can be potentialy damaging to server-wide community. Leaving many new players feeling as though they are on the "outside".

kb4blu

Well I am 67 years old and I have found that finding the right guild has gotten harder and harder.

When I first started playing MMOs in EQ 1 after about one month I was invited to join a guild.  I was really excited.  I thought that now I would always have a group to play with and you needed a group in EQ 1.  Everything went great for a while.  I progressed well and we did runny eye, killed the giants, and had a blast in splitpaw with the gnolls that lived there then.

After about 2 months or so people started to disappear and the guild fell apart.  During my time in Anarchy Online I was invited to join a guild there.  Same thing happened, over time the guild fell apart,

Anyway moved to SWG got into a guild and found that this guild's chat was very ,shall we say, "gutter mouthed".

It seemed that everyone was always bragging about how long thier penis was and how many girls they had sex with.

In other MMO's that I played I noticed this trend getting worse,  I am not a prude but having spent 3 years in the army and having lived in a barracks I had thought I had heard it all. But believe me some of the guild chat I heard would have made a drill sargent blush.

In EVE i got kicked out of a guild because I refused to be available 24/7 in case of a fleet action.  But thats is fine thier rules thier guild.

What I am trying to say is finding a good guild is getting harder.  Having no friends that play online games I can't really depend on that.

I am not playing any MMOs at the moment because I cannot find a guild that isn't either run by immature people that cant say a sentence without the F word or worse, or will not let you in because you have never completed a certain dungeon before.

I finished Jr. High School over 40 years ago.  I have no desire to go back.

 

 

Johnie-Marz

I like guilds with rules. Rules for advancement. Rules for code of conduct. Rules for joining. Rules for what you can and can't say in public chat channels.

These rules have a tendency to weed out the more anti-social players. (And if they do slip through they don't last long)

These rules have a tendency for not allowing a guild member to be kicked out because the guild leader was being a duche that particular day.

 

However

 

If you like off color jokes, talking trash in vent and in local and trade channels, then a guild like this would not be good for you. You should look for a guild that says it's an Adult or mature guild that like to have fun.

A guild that doesn't mind dirty jokes or trash talking could be fun as well. As long as everyone is cool about it and are truely mature enough to know when to say when.

MercArcher

I have a group of 8ish friends that range from casual to completely hardcore phases (we were all in various world first guilds for multiple games, and have all be in super casual guilds) but we all try to get in the same guild, or at least the same server.

 

Guild politics has been wearing us all down recently mostly due to the fact that most games recently have been removing the need for a guild.  Honstly what we need is a game to come around where guilds matter again. The trending of MMOs towards smaller groups is great  for casual players, but I like many others miss the days of large raids be it wow's 40 mans, or EQs 72 man encounters. Till those come back, the need to be in a guild becomes less and less every game.

stygianapoth

Hi I am posting here cause a mod closed my thread saying THIS thread was similar and posted on the same day. Had a good discussion going on with very many long posts but I guess the topic I made wasn't worthy enough to differ from this one.

So I will post what I said on this thread as follows:

 

 

 

I've always been a loner in games. I don't know if it's me or if I just don't have friends who play games. But so many games these days require the use of community (clans, guilds, etc) and it's hard for me to enjoy any type of MMO cause I am always that person who wants to rely on myself rather than a group.

Is anyone else here in the same boat as me? It's a little depressing because I love games but just cannot ever seem to make friends. I feel like I am a normal guy you know, I live with my girlfriend and have a few friends but the online aspect is something I can't seem to grip.

I guess I'll follow up with some questions:

1) do you have friends that play with you?

2) how do you make friends online?

3) do you have to reach out to people or just develop relationships over time?

 

if anyone cares to read the comments on the other thread here is the link: http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/366903/I-am-a-loner-gamer-and-have-a-hard-time-findingconnecting-with-guilds.html

Khaeros

No offense, but in the time you took to type up that OP, you could have been at least applying to a good gaming community that meets your age group and interests.

 

Use Google, official game forums, unofficial game forums, and Vent/TS/Mumble/whatever you hipsters use to voice communicate these days.  With your list of requirements in hand, compare them with each community to see if you find one that's a good fit.  Then hop on that vent and start asking questions about the community.  Get to know the players.  If something creeps you out or their leader sounds like an antisocial neckbeard, you can bounce and go to the next one without any harm done.

 

@Four0Six - Hold up a second there.  Are you talking about server-wide community?  Let's clarify that.  What do you know about your server-wide community?  Is it the chatter in a global chat channel that defines the 'community' for you?  Do you browse through guild drama and call that the community?  Or are you actively participating in a community that unites guilds across the server and hosts events for everyone (which go from PvE to PvP and far beyond)?  Because if you're using anything but the latter to define the 'server-wide community', you really have no idea what you're talking about.

 

Want to do something for your server-wide community besides just talking about how it might get damaged by other guilds?  That's one thing.  But there's no reason to complain about it being damaged when you have no stake in it anyway, and you're doing nothing except complaining about guilds on MMORPG.com.

 

 

dotdotdash

Originally posted by Khaeros

No offense, but in the time you took to type up that OP, you could have been at least applying to a good gaming community that meets your age group and interests. 

It took me about 10 minutes to type up that OP, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

So... no offense, but your point is moot.

I am well aware how to look for a guild. I clearly state in the OP that I've done it many times in the past. The OP isn't about not being able to understand or work through the processes involved in finding a guild, but about how it's becoming increasingly difficult to find a guild that matches my criteria.

I fail to see how any of the points made in this thread warrant you coming in here with your patronising lectures. Certainly you've got the process of finding a guild well outlined, but there was never any allusions to the idea that I don't know how to find a guild.

I can only presume that you failed to comprehend the point I was making.

Also, your point about "server wide communities" is specious at best, and also somewhat hypocritical. You say that his definition of a server wide community is wrong, and that unless he's participating in what you define as a server wide community he has no idea what he's talking about. Do you see the fubar in your point there? What he defines as a server wide community and what you define as server wide community are both valid, as they are both components of the overall server wide community. Neither of those segments are any more or less of the community than the other, however.

And his points about guilds being potentially damaging to server wide communities - regardless of how you define those communities - is perfectly valid. Just because you do not "have a stake" in something does not mean you aren't in a position to make reasonable criticisms and observations.

Anyway...

bunnyhopper

If you want something specific it is pretty easy and pretty fast. Want to focus on pvp, then look at the top dog pvp guilds and push to get in. May take time, but you know what you are aiming for so the path to that is easy.

 

If though your main concern is a stable, longer term social group with people who share common interests and similar gaming activities. Well there is no set, or easy method. All you can do is get talking to the people you like and completely forget about joining a guild. As you build up a rapport over time (this is the key, it takes time), you will just naturally transition into a guild which happens to contain the people you spend the most time with/get along with the most.

Kyleran

Well first off, I'm older than most players in MMORPG's, so I generally favor guilds that cater to the more "mature" player.  That usually means more family oriented in their approach, firm believers in real life taking priority over gaming, and I find the average age to typically be 25-40. (with a few outliers like myself).

I'm not interested in being an all all geriatric guild (hey, I listen to alternative rock, not music from the 70's) and I don't fare well when everyone consists of young college students. (I just don't relate well to their interests)

I don't care for guild/game drama, griefing other players for sport or pleasure, and unnecessary profanity in voice chats is well, unnecessary. (when done to excess)

Oh, and this last one is important, they must play the MMO's that I enjoy playing.  The reason I haven't stuck with one guild over the years is in general most guilds can only support a handful of MMORPG's (naturally) and I find myself wanting to go off and play something else.

I found a great gaming guild earlier this spring, however they don't play EVE so I am currently unaffiliated with them. However, they do have chapters in GW2, EQ2, TSW and some others, so if I decide to return/play one of those titles I'll be back to rejoin them.

Unfortunately, they're more PVE raiders (and they love FPSer's) and not too much into MMO PVP games/servers so I probably will have to find yet another new clan when I decide to play DF:UW here in the near future. (Because I don't see my current EVE Corp heading over there either)

So as you can see, I have quite a few specific criteria, and while it makes it a bit of challenge to find a compatible group, I find if I am persistant, patient and willing to do my research I've been able to find like minded players in most of my MMO's.

RefMinor

I spend a while learning a game then form my own guild, it's not the quickest way to progress, but it means my. Guild is perfectly suited to me :-)