We want your guild apps!
by Adam Holisky 
May 5th 2008 at 6:00PM
No, I'm not trying to poach your applicants. I don't play that way, even though we all know people who do. What I'm after are your actual applications.I'm working on compiling a smorgasbord of guild application questions for an upcoming article, and I need your help! What I need from you, oh dear and faithful readers, are copies of what your guild uses as application questions. You can post the ones that you think are unique, funny, and insightful in the comments here. Better yet, you can copy and paste your application and send it to me in its entirety to adam.holisky@weblogsinc.com. If your application is easily accessible on the web, shoot me a link to your guild's website and I can check it out there too.
What's the benefit of helping me in my quest to write this article? How about fame and my never-ending appreciation. Also a credit at the end for your help. And who doesn't like seeing their name in virtual-print?
Filed under: Guilds
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
keith May 5th 2008 6:29PM
Best question i've ever seen on a guild app:
"Which fight do you think is harder, Illidan or Archimonde. Why?"
My own guilds app:
http://elune52.guildomatic.com/guild_application/apply
It's primarily an idiot check/gear and readiness filter. We ask the hard ones in verbal interviews on vent when you have less time to hit up teh googlez.
Sunflash May 5th 2008 6:35PM
I'm a fan of, Explain in 20 words or less why we should accept you into the guild without using the letter "A".
also, if you woke up naked on a deserted island and had a raid that night, what would you do?
Langerhans May 5th 2008 8:32PM
@Sunflash...
If I woke up naked on a deserted island and had a raid that night? Easy!
I'd hearth back to Shattrath or use my water-walking ability!
Shaman FTW!
Manatank May 5th 2008 6:41PM
Who's your favorite New Kid?
Taeous May 5th 2008 6:46PM
My personal favorite from my guild (Tempest, http://www.tempestclan.org/) is:
"If you were a tree druid what kind of tree would you be?"
We get some of the strangest answers to that one. Although:
"How is your reaction time? Do you think you can react to any situation that comes up? Give an example:"
has gotten some GREAT responses...gems such as:
"Ex- i am at End boss Heroic Sethekk Halls & im called upon to fill in a spot at kara.. id Explain to my Current Group that i am needed by the Guild and with Haste Join the Guild Raid and hop on the Nearest Flight Path."
I mean, by this point in the app we new they were retarded, but it provided a good laugh none the less.
Eternalpayn May 5th 2008 6:46PM
I saw one somewhere where they were doing a simple "Put in a check if this suits you." thing. Basically, if you were paying any attention, you would notice that everything was a positive quality, so you would assume you could just go down and check everyone and get in, right? Hidden in the middle they had "I enjoy switching into vendor trash right before boss fights in progression raids."
Needless to say, many applicants checked it.
jakeman May 5th 2008 6:47PM
Do you suffer from zomg a girl?
darian May 5th 2008 7:06PM
Our guild app is pretty standard, we just get crazy with the actual interviews.
Because we like to actually know a person before inviting them, we drag them into vent. That's when we ask questions such as the following.
"What is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow?"
"What does Marcellus Wallace look like?"
"What do you get when you multiply 6 by 9?"
"Do you has?"
"Please identify the following acronyms: UUDDLRLRBASS, AYBABTU, LOL" (The first two are MUCH harder when vocalized as letters)
"How can Seed of Corruption be used to save a marriage?"
Not everyone can get the references (where there are references), but the best applicants are those who think on their feet and come up with interesting responses.
Josh May 5th 2008 9:06PM
I'd probably take the Monty Python bit pretty far haha
Zakk May 5th 2008 11:13PM
"Do you has?!"
Homestarmy? Sounds like my kinda guild =D
gewurztraminer May 5th 2008 7:31PM
People fill out applications to join WOW guilds? How stupid.
Kawanda May 5th 2008 8:03PM
Funnier ones:
How much water can you put in an upside down dixie cup (in liters, to six significant figures)?
For the more serious:
These are really meant to weed out those who don't really know what they're doing at all.
If you had to socket a gem irrespective of color, what gem would you socket?
I'm also a fan of open-ended questions-- it shows us who actually has the dedication to put some semblance of effort into a guild.
"Healing is a very variable job that requires a bit more complex of an answer (and thus begs an increasingly complex question). Naturally, this must be a rather open ended question simply to see what you make of it. So here it goes. What healing spells do you use, and in what situations do you use them?"
Siggy May 5th 2008 8:05PM
I recently applied to a guild, and the last application on the form was "Who is your favorite Smurf?"
I replied, "I hate the little blue bastards and would rather help Gargamel capture them."
Got invited within the hour.
slayerboy May 5th 2008 8:13PM
Not sure if it's what you're looking for, but check out the webpage for the guild I am in. It's an awesome, crazy, and lovable group!
http://www.casualtyofwow.com
Tone May 5th 2008 8:29PM
I was looking to join one of the better guilds on our server, and stumbled upon this and thought it was fairly funny.
What do you prefer, Cat Girls or Fox Girls and why?] ("neither" is not an acceptable answer, you must choose one)
Found the link for ya: http://www.diguild.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=5
Verit May 6th 2008 12:08PM
Catgirls - because they are far more plentiful and adorable.
arcady0 May 5th 2008 8:31PM
Grannys Hoarded Cookies uses:
http://grannyscookies.guildlaunch.com/recruiting/application.php?gid=21809
And we require applications be on the website. We won't take anyone from in game.
That said, via the AddOn NazGuildRecruiter I have my officers spamming the guildrecruitment channel with:
"Grannys Hoarded Cookies is recruiting 50+ We are a mature casual guild doing light raiding looking to progress in Kara. All classes are welcome, but Tanks appreciated. visit us at http://grannyscookies.guildlaunch.com"
Dave May 5th 2008 8:38PM
You know, I haven't filled out an application for a paying job before actually interviewing and pretty much being offered the job. People hire me based on who I am and what I can offer and I simply give them a resume and I get the job. An application is a formality in every situation I've ever been in.
The idea that you submit an application to a guild in a video game, is pretty stupid to me.
I don't know who came up with the concept, I assume it's a holdover from some other game, but when you treat a video game this such severity that you're treating everyone that wants to play a video game with you like they're going to McJob to get their work on, that's the precise moment when it ceases to be fun for me at all.
I know a lot of people though will sacrifice fun in order to succeed at a game and get more loot than someone else, but really is it all worth it?
If you want to find out if someone is stupid, play with them. That's the magic secret. If they play well, it doesn't matter if they got a 1600 on their verbal SAT's or your potentially poorly conceived guild application, they're going to play well If they're a melee hunter who doesn't know how to trap anything and wears rogue leather, then I'm not sure why you want to waste time with an application process since it seems to me that you're just acting like something more than what you actually are, which is someone playing a video game.
I think a much more interesting thing to find out, is how actually useful guild applications from random unknown players happens to be, how long those people stick around, and how successful the guilds are that just randomly let people join their guild if they pass the idiot test that someone made up. I mean if you're going to TREAT it like a job, wouldn't it make a lot of sense that in the same aspect that most people treat their jobs with a lot of fluidity, so will people wanting to raid with you? Conversely, if you just invite people who you like and like to play with, it would make a lot more sense to just hang out with those people who are much more likely to have an emotional investment in your success, not just a token one.
But that's just me, and that's why I won't be killing Illidan until I'm L90.
arcady0 May 6th 2008 12:54AM
Actually we've found the application to be rather useful. It tells us about the person playing the toons. As a primarily casual guild, that is very important. It also helps as a screen, and makes it somewhat clear to the under 18s that they wouldn't enjoy being in our guild any more than we would enjoy having them.
WoW is a game, but it is also a social environment, and your guild is a social club. You want people there that will enjoy each other's company. Our application helps to ensure that.
Vendrill May 6th 2008 3:28AM
"Dave said...
You know, I haven't filled out an application for a paying job before actually interviewing and pretty much being offered the job. People hire me based on who I am"
Dude, you are SO fired!