Guide: Guilds 101

Regarding Guilds part 1, or guild basics
Written by Mr.Ixolite

The guild in its original context is defined by the Merriam Webster dictionary as -
Guild: an association of people with similar interests or pursuits;

Guilds in the modern online gaming world are common and have changed in context from the original definition, even if not completely.
Most, if not all online games, especially MMORPG's, have in-game mechanisms that enable guilds, and Age of Conan is no different.
In the context of the MMORPG, Guilds give players a social network and added game content. We will touch that a bit later.

Different guild types:

As many guilds exist, it is sometime difficult to discern which one is most suited to you. Although many guilds are unique, some generalizations can be made:

The Concept Guild - A guild that is based on a common goal, concept or interest that is the common ground for all guild members. All members of such a guild need to have that basic common denominator. This type of a guild has many things in common with the original definition as stated in the beginning of this article.

Examples of such concepts include: Race or Class specific guilds, Server type (PvP only, FFA etc...), RP guilds (more on that later), Crafters guilds and so forth.

The Regional Guild - A guild which is Regional specific will usually allow only players from the same country or time zone to apply.
This concept is a double edged sword. The benefits are obvious and include lesser general lag (such a guild is likely to play on a local server), Similar gaming hours, which means that more guild members are online in any specific time, and for non English speaking guilds the advantage is twofold - lag and language (supported languages that is ;-)). The main disadvantage of it is a more limited player base and missing out on interaction with people from other parts of the globe.

Multi-Game Guilds - Usually large guilds that have branched to several Online games. These types are rarer, but have the benefit of a usually more experienced crowd and allowing players who enjoy gaming together to progress to other games without loosing their online buddies. A testament for the importance of having people you know and like to game with are the numerous web sites that help you track down former guild members.

Convenience Guilds - Guilds that are created or accept members mainly to get access to the extra content and benefits that are provided to guilds. Such guilds usually have little pre-requisites of potential applicants. Many guilds that are created in-game and spam-recruit (asking random people to join) fall under this category. Such guilds may have shorter life spans than other types of guilds because they have less "glue" that holds the members together. Sometimes they gradually fall into another guild category. A few such guilds, however, are planed and created for people who do not care for regular guilds, with their more structured approach, duties or some of the social aspects. These are actually Concept guilds.

Small Buddy Guilds - Guilds that are usually created by people who know each other initially, being RL (Real Life) friends or internet buddies. These guilds have some of the Multi-Game Guilds aspects to them, but are likely to be (originally) smaller. Such guilds might accept others that have befriended an existing member and thus eventually grow.

Large multi-founder Guilds - A variant of the Small Buddy Guild, these guilds are usually created by a small group of people who know each other and compose the higher ranking members. Such guilds usually become a Concept Guild.

How to choose a guild that is right for you:

There are various factors that need to be considered when thinking of joining a guild. There are a few steps that can help you decide:
Know what is essential to you, and talk to people.

Know what is essential to you - This is the easy part. Ask yourself what is crucial to your gaming experience. Is Language an issue? Are you a core RPer? Do you HAVE to be with friends? Ask yourself where your limits are, and look for guilds that can answer your basic needs. Is PvP not your thing? Do you prefer a European guild over an American one? Do you prefer larger or smaller guilds? Try to find a guild that suits you and meets your needs.

Talk to people - After you understand what you are looking for, check the Guild Hall in the Community Board of the AoC web site in this address: http://forums.ageofconan.com/forumdisplay.php?f=17

Look around, enter guild threads and get a feel of what each guild is about. There is usually a description of the guild in the first post of the guild thread. Another way of going about it is to find someone on the forums that you like, and ask him about his guild. After you find a few guilds that interest you, go to their web site (if they have one) and apply, or talk to the members. If you it feels good - you like the people, concept and atmosphere of the guild, you've struck gold.

Next up, On the advantages of being in a guild, and Guild Mechanics.