Breakfast Topic: What makes a guild great?
by Aiden James Kosciesza 
Jan 23rd 2011 at 8:00AM
With the advent of Cataclysm, Blizzard has dramatically improved guild functionality in World of Warcraft. We have an updated guild UI, new rank options to allow guild masters more control, guild reputation, guild vendors, guild levels, and guild perks. It's fair to say that the guild is more important to the WoW experience than ever. It stands to reason, therefore, that players expect more from their guilds than ever before.
The new expansion is also a huge time for guild recruitment. Lately, you can't step into trade chat without being bombarded by guild advertisements. Maybe you've been shopping around for a new home, or maybe you're a recruiter trying to bring new players into your own guild. Either way, you probably know what you like -- and what you don't like -- in a guild.
Personally, I love my guild. It's a mixture of everything I enjoy about WoW: raiding, PvP, achievement hunting, and altoholism. We put personality before GearScore and encourage new players to raid with us so that they can learn and get better. However, that's not everyone's cup of tea. Many hardcore raiders would get frustrated if they had to put up with less experienced group members, and many guilds prefer to focus on one type of content (raiding, PvP, leveling, roleplaying) and hone their skills in that area.
So what's the magic formula for you? If you're in a great guild, what makes it awesome? If you're searching for a new guild, what are you looking for? What stands out for you in guild advertisements, and what do you think is the best way to recruit players to a guild?
Filed under: Breakfast Topics, Guest Posts
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Entaro Jan 23rd 2011 8:03AM
The people in the guild are what make it great.
I don't care if it's the best raiding guild in the world, if I can't call the people I'm playing with a friend, I'm not going to enjoy it in that guild.
Gendou Jan 23rd 2011 8:50AM
This is what I came here to post.
WorstRogueEVAR Jan 23rd 2011 9:24AM
I agree wholeheartedly. The guild I'm in is composed of a bunch of old time friends and family who just love to have fun, whether its pvp, raiding, or just doing a bunch of random stuff.
Molly Jan 23rd 2011 9:37AM
So much this. My guild is small, but I wouldn't leave the people in it for anything. They're my WoW family :)
Jaq Jan 23rd 2011 11:44AM
This. So much this.
Nick Jan 23rd 2011 12:14PM
You took the words right out of my mouth (it musta been while you were kissin' me).
I've been a member of Sylvan Shadows on Hellfire (eu) since TBC launched - I was in a few horde guilds before then, but once I found SS I'll never change guilds tbh. We've had a small amount of drama, but it doesn't really affect the guild as a whole. We're all friends and i'll find myself logging in to mumble before i'm in the game some nights - like hours before i'm in the game. Great bunch of people. Loot is worthless to be honest, the game is a social one and if I didn't have my friends in SS I wouldn't want to play any more I think.
I only really have 2 friends in game outside of SS, both previous members and 1 is applying to join again.
Mahgo Jan 23rd 2011 8:12AM
The people in a guild are the guild's most important asset.
Qaen Jan 23rd 2011 12:12PM
And heck, if they're funny in /g, that doesn't hurt either.
Shadhavar Jan 24th 2011 3:16PM
Just a short followup - for me, it's important for a guild to feel like home. Sometimes you join a guild and just KNOW that you'll fit in, and that this is a group of people that you'll want to get to know. I love that feeling; it's what makes me stick around and develop a real sense of loyalty.
MusedMoose Jan 23rd 2011 8:13AM
Seconding what Entaro said, and I have a feeling we won't be the only ones: it's the people that make a guild great.
The guild I'm currently in is the only one I've been in that wasn't made entirely of a few people who know each other IRL. It's a great group, with people who are more than willing to help each other out. For example, one of my guildies, who is a great healer, came along and kept me a live when I was doing the Quel'Delar quests and healed me through my battle with the sword in Halls of Reflection. I haven't had the chance to help others as much, but I'm leveling my alts and planning to join the others in running heroics when they hit 85; I'm focusing on my hunter and they said they needed some ranged DPS. ^_^
Also, the people are pretty active players, so we're leveling at a good rate - just hit guild level 8 recently. Hasty Hearth FTW.
MusedMoose Jan 23rd 2011 8:14AM
Kept me *alive*, I meant... Does anyone know which boss drops the [E.D.I.T. Button]?
Ilya Jan 23rd 2011 8:44AM
The [E.D.I.T. Button] comes from Alterac Valley, just like the [Broken I.W.I.N. Button]. Be warned, though; the [E.D.I.T. Button] is also busted -- it just doesn't say so like it does with the I.W.I.N. button.
Raev Jan 23rd 2011 8:26AM
I could not agree more. I have almost quit WoW a few times but within a week I begin to miss hanging my guildies, and that is what Warcraft is about; Its community.
razion Jan 23rd 2011 8:25AM
The ability to not create drama. While great people are always nice to have in a guild, if they're always causing trouble then it will just end up being more trouble than it's worth, in my opinion. Good people are easy to find in the game if you look hard enough, but finding a guild that can keep it's collective head cool is a harder matter altogether.
Arronic Jan 23rd 2011 8:40AM
Agreed, it is really the people and the social environment that make or break a guild. However, that's only the first step. If people enter the atmosphere and can't breathe, they leave. The next thing people look for is activities: Does the guild do the activities I like? For me, that's Raiding. I think that this third thing most people look for comes after being in the guild for a while, but it's cohesion. Does the guild do things I like, in a way that I like to do them? To give you an example of a difference in cohesion take Raiding for an example: some guilds are laid back, "we'll down the boss when he get's down" types, others are goal oriented, server/world first guilds who aim to be the first, and best, at everything.
If you can find those three things in a guild then you can usually be happy there.
Cryoh Jan 23rd 2011 8:40AM
Cute sounding girls in Vent.
fudge Jan 23rd 2011 9:19AM
High five!
Oznla Jan 23rd 2011 9:52AM
Men with sexy accents in Vent.
Jaq Jan 23rd 2011 11:45AM
Sadly, at the moment the cutest sounding voice in vent belongs to my ex-girlfriend.
Yeah. Pretty complicated story, that, lol.
Ilya Jan 23rd 2011 8:46AM
The people make the guild great, yes... but a focus is also amazing. There are many guilds who say 'we do a bit of everything'. That, for me, is too vague; granted, you'll get a bunch of players in the guild who may share your particular interests... but you'll also get a bunch of players who don't necessarily share your interests. If those that do share interests aren't online at any given time when you happen to be online... well, it feels kinda lonely. You're definitely not going to ask the hardcore raiders if they wants to RP with you, now are you? Especially if they happen to be, y'know... raiding.
A single focus seems limiting, but it helps immensely in the long run. It unites like minds, and makes for an all-around better time, I think.