Hello all, I'm Xoel. Most of you have probably met my anonymous player character. Today, I'm going to take you through a guide on how to make a successful guild in PlaneShift. Successful, in that it not only has a fair membership, but also is a great role-playing guild. You can therefore assume that this guide is for players on the Laanx/Fragnetics server.
The cardinal rule in guild-making is to be within settings. This starts with the name, and carries through to every aspect of the guild. PlaneShift is a medievally focussed game, with a fantasy setting. The setting is unique, and creative, so use it! There is a wealth of information at your disposal, such as PSWiki, Jayose's library, The Death Realm Citadel library,and other players.
Guild definition: A group of like-minded people with similar goals and ambitions. However, you must note that this is the definition is generally applicable to other MMOs, not a role-playing MMO like PlaneShift. Rather, your guild should be focussed, a business, organisation, family group, etc. Guilds without a meaningful purpose have no real place in PlaneShift, and while they attract heaps of mindless recruits, power level, and become strong Out Of Character, they're not respected of revered much by the role-playing community, which the game is built around. Not only that, but if you run one of these guilds, getting a guild-house is now extremely difficult.
First of all, since you are the on creating the guild, it is fair for me to assume you will be guild-master, or at least a high ranking officer. Therefore, it is time for some introspection: Who is your character? Why would he start this organisation? Is he patriotic to his race? Is he lawful, chaotic, good, or evil? If this is a family group, is it a single-race-guild?
Next, to get your guild started, you must shape it around the people who your character associates with a lot, In Character and Out of Character. The characters he/she/kra associates with, that are not already in a guild, will most likely be the ones you will need to reach the 5 man starting limit.
Next, make sure it is UNIQUE! Many of PlaneShift's better known guilds fit into a little niche, and other guilds that try and copy over into that niche generally don't last long. Whether an Enkidukai sub-clan or the best outlaw guild in Yliakum, these people have cemented their role with a fair amount of role-play, and a newer guild generally doesn't have much of a chance if they just copy an idea. There is an incredible amount of organisation types that have not yet been made, and also a fair amount that have been done several times and failed. It's best to take a peek in the Guilds forum and see what types succeed and which fail. Generally, single-race guilds succeed well, if they are kept to the racial settings. This is because it is easy to find suitable recruits. Who wouldn't want to join a guild of characters similar to theirs?
The biggest problem you will face as a guild leader is perseverance. You alone are what holds a guild together. I've seen a few players who make a guild, disband it a few weeks later because the idea got boring or wasn't initially as successful as they hoped. Guilds take time to get successful. A good few months. Be prepared to take time, and be around for years, or stop here and go join another guild.
THE NAME: Most important. A name is everything for a guild. It makes it clear everything that the guild is and stands for. Generic names, no matter how wonderfully vocabularised, scream 'boring' to the average role-player. Make a name that fits into PlaneShift, uses PlaneShift settings info, and is orientated around your guild's specific purpose that we already discussed.
I thought I'd compile a list of guild/organisation names that I've seen that are GOOD.
The Vespers of Laanx, The Brotherhood of Talad, The Daughters of Xiosia. (Religious organisations, with PlaneShift names.)
The Explorers, The Warriors, The Outlaws (straight and to the point, using the real medieval guild definition, and well.)
House Cheshire, The Royal House of Purrty, Kore Irka Clan, Klyros Junction. (These are clan/family racially based organisations.)
I won't go into a list of guilds who have less-than-great names.
So, summary:
Be UNIQUE, and adhere to PlaneShift settings. Role-playing is essential to success on this server.
Name your guild and ranks well.
Have PERSERVERANCE or it'll all just die and disappoint those who were watching in interest.
Finally, as guild leader, police your guild thoroughly. Your reputation as a guild can be tarnished by one or two bad players among you. Boot anyone who threatens your status as a guild that as a whole is fun to role-play with.
