Finding your way into a good guild
by Mike Schramm 
Sep 18th 2006 at 8:47PM
There's no question-- if you want to be successful in WoW (arguably for the whole game, but especially in the endgame), you need a guild, and you need a good one. I've gotten three of my 60s into great guilds (on three different servers-- don't ask), and I've /gquit a few times as well (although I've never been /gkicked-- maybe you guys have some good stories about that). My experience is your gain. Here's five tips on how to get into a guild that will get you where you want to be.1. Don't be a jerk. Obvious? Don't ninja, ever. Don't play in a way that routinely gets you put on ignore lists. Don't beg. Don't make the game all about the gear-- either bragging about all the stuff you got, or whining about all the stuff you don't have. In short, to get into a good guild, you have to first be a good player. That said, it'll help you to...
2. Have the level and the gear, or at least know what you're aiming for. If you're trying to join a guild that's raiding MC, it'll help a lot if you've already got tons of fire resist. If you're wearing greens and trying to join a guild that's doing Naxx, you're barking up the wrong tree. Guilds are around to help-- the best gear in the game can't be gotten without them, and any good guild will help their members hit 60 and move beyond. But if you can't handle the heat (or frost), don't be surprised when they don't let you into the big kitchen.
3. No LFGs. I bet there's all kinds of evidence (and guildmasters) that will prove me wrong on this, but I'm standing by it: a guild you want to join won't be broadcasting a recruit in the LFG channel, or even in the GuildRecruiting channel. Your best bet is to know someone-- a rl friend or someone you've grouped with. Short of that, watch the players on your server (and guilds on GuildWatch, ahem), see who's good, and look them up on the web. If they've got a website and forums, they probably have an application form. The more hoops you can jump through to join, chances are the better off you'll be in the long run.
4. Take a trial run. Lots of guilds invite people on a trial basis-- either with recruiting runs or inviting them with a rank of "Initiate" or "Recruit." But feel free to join the guild on a trial basis as well, and see if they're compatible with you. Are there people of your level on when you are? Is the guild doing what you want to do-- if all you want to do is PVP, it won't help you much to join a guild that only runs PVE. Don't be afraid to /gquit if you don't think things are working out-- but see #1, too, and don't be a jerk about it. If you part ways amicably, there's a good chance they'll invite you back anyway when they are doing what you want to do.
5. Participate! Staying in a good guild means being a part of the group. When you sign up for raids, show up on time, repaired and ready to go. When guildies ask for help, help them. When they need items farmed from whereever you're headed, get it for them. Even if someone in the guild offers to pay me for something I'd put up on the AH for a few gold, I give it to them for free. The more you invest in a guild you like, especially when you're starting out with them, the more you'll get in return.
The one thing I've never done (in WoW anyway) is run my own guild. Any guild officers or GMs out there with more advice for players looking to join a good guild?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Tips, How-tos, Virtual selves, Guilds
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Sigmahill Sep 18th 2006 11:43PM
#4 is an excellent point. As a guild leader I try to make sure that new recruits don't try to force themselves to fit into 'our' mold. Ultimately if you try to be something you're not just to get into a guild then you're only robbing yourself of a full experience.
Lahey Sep 19th 2006 3:30PM
Point 3: "A guild you want to join won't be broadcasting in the LFG/GuildRecruitment"
Well, I'm going to be the first to object (as you predicted).
Our guild offers raid times that are off-hours and during the daytime. We provide an opportunity for a nightshift player, or someone who can't make the 5:30-7:30pm start times. They will not know about our existence unless we advertise.
I think you should change your point 3 to accurately represent what happens in the global channels:
"HAND OF THE RIGHTSHOUS IS RECRUITING ALL CLASSES AND LEVELS FOR RAIDING AND PVP GUILD WE HAVE SITE"
vs.
"Foam is recruiting 60's for off-hours and daytime raid start times. We offer mac-friendly vent, website, and dkp. PST for details"
Lance Sep 19th 2006 3:40PM
I agree completely with #5. I run Easy Company on Proudmoore(A) and we have gotten quite a few people who see how friendly and helpful we try to be to other guildies, and they play on and exploit that generosity to the fullest extend. Don't be afraid to ask for things in a good casual guild (like EC; hooah!), but please be willing to do the same for other guildies; not just your alts.
Asim Sep 19th 2006 4:07PM
Good points overall. It is a bit depressing to be reminded that we play a game in which it is wholly necessary to remind people of point #1.
I agree with the bold text of point #3: guild recruitment does not belong in the LFG channel. I can also see why one would make a general rule of steering away from solicitation in the GuildRecruitment channel. The implication is that any guild that advertises itself in this way is desperate for members; and that's not where you'd want to spend your playtime.
This leads to a question I find interesting (because my wife and I are in the process of starting a new guild): Are new guilds inherently doomed? Keep in mind, I'm not referring to guilds that are re-formed after another disbands; nor merged forces that re-invent themselves by occassionally absorbing smaller guilds. I'm referring to a player with a powerful vision of what guild life should be like, outstanding leadership skills, deep game knowledge, and a guild charter.
To put it another way: every guild started somewhere. An advertisement in GuildRecruitment probably shouldn't be a deal-breaker. If the phrasing and tone of the advertisement strikes you as positive, why not request more information? Obviously if the recruiter's response is to immediately offer you a /ginvite, it's probably not a place you want to be. But if the recruiter instead chats amicably with you, or directs you to a website for more information, why not take a look and see if it sounds like a good place to be?
The reason I find point #3 so interesting is probably because I play on a launch server. The social structure has had a long time to develop and, to a degree, crystalize. Because of the nature of the current endgame, and the simple problem of getting 39 competently-geared and -played people into the same instance at the same time, larger "established" guilds exert tremendous gravitational pull on the population in general. I have seen people who were willing to put up with an incredible amount of abuse simply because they didn't see how else they were going to keep raiding. Apping a new guild, or forming one yourself, has not been regarded as a serious option for a while now. The assumption seems to be that any guild that can't down *insert raid boss here* has problems that go beyond simple membership numbers. In that way, a potentially incorrect negative judgement is implicitly made regarding the character of the guild as a whole. New guilds are socially shelved as alt farms or nub-houses because they don't provide a player with easy entry into endgame dungeons.
The point is that we should all keep in mind that every successful guild started, at some point, with a nearly-empty roster and a heavy recruiting phase. Wouldn't it be great to get in on the ground floor of a guild that meshes nicely with what you want out of the game?
With that said, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts regarding the best ways to go about the first phase of recruitment. The realm forum is always an option, if only to demonstrate proper etiquette in responding to, or ignoring, the ubiquitous forum trolls.
However first contact is made, the one thing a guild must do is give players a reason to want to apply. On an established server, the one reason that most people pay attention to is: "We can raid." It's a serious burden for a new guild to overcome. In my opinion, it should be overcome by whatever means are necessary: GuildRecruitment channel, realm forum, etc. Guilds that never advertise recruitment but can get 40 people into MC will be sought out by potential applicants. To compete with that kind of social gravity is a daunting task.