Patch 5.4 patch notes
Virtual Realms feature revealed
The Proving Grounds are coming
The latest patch 5.4 newsPatch 4.3: Guild masters can now be impeached
by Fox Van Allen 
Sep 27th 2011 at 6:30PM
One of the most interesting new but unannounced changes: Patch 4.3 looks to bring with it a mechanism by which you can impeach an inactive guild master. What criteria are required to set an impeachment aren't known yet, but a quick look at the code suggests that after a certain amount of time, a guild's second-in-command will be able to take control of a guild set adrift by a leadership vacuum at the top:
World of Warcraft is just a game, and real-life issues frequently come up for guild masters that prevent them from doing their job or indeed even logging on. Given how much effort goes into getting a guild to level 25, this change appears to answer an underlying need for leadership succession.GUILD_IMPEACH_POPUP_CONFIRM = "Dethrone";GUILD_IMPEACH_POPUP_TEXT = "Your guild master has been flagged as inactive. You may assume control of the guild. Do you want to remove the guild master?";
Brace yourselves for what could be some of most exciting updates to the game recently with patch 4.3. Look at what's ahead: new item storage options, cross-realm raiding, cosmetic armor skinning and your chance to battle the mighty Deathwing -- from astride his back! Filed under: News items
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 4)
Sally Bowls Sep 27th 2011 8:41PM
I am currently doing the math for this with my guild.
Level 23 is 51.4 million guild XP. Even with the 10% bonus level dailies are 17k guild xp so that is about 3,000 level 85 quests ( lower level quests obviously reward less. )
So it would take over 8 years for that guild level. Two people doing 4 level 85 quest a day could do it in a bit over a year.
arcady Sep 27th 2011 7:50PM
I'm actually planning on server transferring and been wondering how to hand off my guild (which is now largely just me) to an alt. I wonder if this will let me just promote the alt to position #2 and then jump?
vocenoctum Sep 27th 2011 10:28PM
There is a command to promote an offline character to guildmaster, but I can't recall it. SOme guy complained that his wife misclicked random officer to GM instead of him by accident and the Random Officer kept the guild and kicked him. The blue response mentioned the typed command.
NightRayne Sep 27th 2011 11:08PM
As Gm you can transfer GM to offline member (an Alt I would assume is what you want).
It changed in 4.0.6.. I think it was,
The command to do this is:
/gleader
Still don't think you can invite an offline member though :(
NightRayne Sep 27th 2011 11:10PM
Grrr... Comment fail.
/gleader
NightRayne Sep 27th 2011 11:17PM
Stupid comment system is eating part of my reply because of brackets. Lets try this again.
/gleader name
(obviously substitute the alt's name for the word name).
Amaxe Sep 27th 2011 8:05PM
Well, I guess its good incentive to keep my guild private. That way if I go on hiatus, I know the guild will be there when I get back.
I guess there are indeed situations where it is needed though.
Sally Bowls Sep 27th 2011 8:44PM
Not necessarily. All you need to do is just kick all guild members before you go on hiatus.
Or you can sell the guild and just keep the gold if you ever return.
Dude Sep 27th 2011 8:24PM
Lol, there can be only one. Swordfights and beheadings then time waits to get the guild. There can be only one! Guild Leader!
Kurash Sep 27th 2011 8:34PM
Just wanted to say that the header photo and caption are excellent. Well played!
icepyro Sep 27th 2011 9:19PM
So..... I wonder how it would decide who to raise? Every guild I'm in has more than 1 person in the top rank....
Noyou Sep 27th 2011 11:12PM
And therein lies the problem. Unless you have a clear #2 that everyone looks to it will most likely cause a shitload of problems. Then again if you are a deadbeat GM something might be better than nothing. I'll take the early bet that this doesn't make live with 4.3. We might see it somewhere down the line. It seems like there needs to be something in there like longest tenured officer or some distinction that is fair to everyone. Power does strange things to people. Even fake video game power.
Utakata Sep 27th 2011 9:31PM
"...but, I'm not a crook!"
/gimpeach
Ohnoto Sep 27th 2011 10:35PM
LOTRO has had this system in place for a very long time, maybe even since release. I know because I was a second in command there and our guild leader quit playing, though many in our guild quit playing. When I logged back on many months later I was greeted with a message that said "Your guild leader has been inactive, would you like to take command of your guild."
There isn't anything revolutionary going on here. They are just doing this to take some work off of their Game Masters from petitions about transferring leadership.
Guy Sep 27th 2011 10:44PM
Nixon is not the proper photo it should be Bill Clinton or Andrew Johnson. They were they only presidents ever impeached.
troy_stoltz Sep 29th 2011 9:34AM
@Guy
Even though they went through the impeachment process they were not successfully removed from office. Nixon resigned before what would most likely have been the only completed impeachment in history, so actually the picture is accurate. You are just being technical.
Blazing Rain Sep 27th 2011 11:21PM
I wonder if there'll be an achievement.
Arbolamante Sep 28th 2011 1:38AM
Excellent - the guild master of the guild my bank alt belongs too hasn't logged on in a year. Neither has anyone else. Soon it will be mine, all mine! Or maybe not, we'll see.
KataSamoes Sep 28th 2011 1:04PM
You can still petition a GM in the meantime.
Ominous Sep 28th 2011 1:39PM
It's a good idea, provided it is handled properly and doesn't become a tool which can be used to surf into a guild, remove its Guild Master and then asset strip it (before leaving it a crumbling shell). There's enough of that in real life.
If there is a sitting Guild Master, who is active, your first / only resort should be to g quit - if you don't like that person. It's his / her guild. You joined. You can leave. Let him / her sit alone, while you regroup and progress. Simple.
If the Guild Master has been offline, for an extended period of time (at least a quarter / 3 months), then there should be some mechanism by which he / she can be moved to the side - with an option for this person, should he / she return, to reverse this.