<!-- MHonArc v2.4.4 --> <!--X-Subject: [MUD-Dev] Exploring the guild phenomena --> <!--X-From-R13: X Q Znjerapr <pynjNhaqre.rate.ftv.pbz> --> <!--X-Date: Wed, 3 Jun 1998 13:32:59 -0700 --> <!--X-Message-Id: 199806032030.NAA01388#under,engr.sgi.com --> <!--X-Content-Type: text/plain --> <!--X-Head-End--> <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN"> <html> <head> <title>MUD-Dev message, [MUD-Dev] Exploring the guild phenomena</title> <!-- meta name="robots" content="noindex,nofollow" --> <link rev="made" href="mailto:claw#under,engr.sgi.com"> </head> <body background="/backgrounds/paperback.gif" bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000" link="#0000FF" alink="#FF0000" vlink="#006000"> <font size="+4" color="#804040"> <strong><em>MUD-Dev<br>mailing list archive</em></strong> </font> <br> [ <a href="../">Other Periods</a> | <a href="../../">Other mailing lists</a> | <a href="/search.php3">Search</a> ] <br clear=all><hr> <!--X-Body-Begin--> <!--X-User-Header--> <!--X-User-Header-End--> <!--X-TopPNI--> Date: [ <a href="msg00872.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00874.html">Next</a> ] Thread: [ <a href="msg01069.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00867.html">Next</a> ] Index: [ <A HREF="author.html#00873">Author</A> | <A HREF="#00873">Date</A> | <A HREF="thread.html#00873">Thread</A> ] <!--X-TopPNI-End--> <!--X-MsgBody--> <!--X-Subject-Header-Begin--> <H1>[MUD-Dev] Exploring the guild phenomena</H1> <HR> <!--X-Subject-Header-End--> <!--X-Head-of-Message--> <UL> <LI><em>To</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#kanga,nu">mud-dev#kanga,nu</A></LI> <LI><em>Subject</em>: [MUD-Dev] Exploring the guild phenomena</LI> <LI><em>From</em>: J C Lawrence <<A HREF="mailto:claw#under,engr.sgi.com">claw#under,engr.sgi.com</A>></LI> <LI><em>Date</em>: Wed, 03 Jun 1998 13:30:50 -0700</LI> <LI><em>Reply-To</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#kanga,nu">mud-dev#kanga,nu</A></LI> </UL> <!--X-Head-of-Message-End--> <!--X-Head-Body-Sep-Begin--> <HR> <!--X-Head-Body-Sep-End--> <!--X-Body-of-Message--> <PRE> URL:<A HREF="http://www.ogr.com/columns/communalvoice/communal_voice.shtml">http://www.ogr.com/columns/communalvoice/communal_voice.shtml</A> --<cut>-- By MoOk [Last Updated: 6/2/98], <A HREF="mailto:MoOk#o-s-c,com">mailto:MoOk#o-s-c,com</A> Exploring Two Guilds I had planned to spend only one installment of The Communal Voice devoted to the Guild phenomenon. I thought that more than that would be overkill, pushing the virtues of a guild on my readers too much. However, I have received, since the publishing of my first installment, numerous emails and ICQ messages with praise for the topic, and ideas for potential future articles. It seems the topic of guilds is a hot one! It's now my intention to spend several more articles devoted to this topic. In particular, to do several features on some of online gaming's best known guilds. The guilds featured will be ones that are well known throughout the gaming world they inhabit. On top of supplying some much deserved exposure for these guilds that have worked so hard to create a lasting impression on the game they play (as well as a fun and sociable environment for their members), my hope is that this series of articles will also further my ultimate goal to increase gamer's awareness of the benefits of an online community. I am a huge fan of the CRPG (computer role-playing game) genre. It only makes sense then that "RPG" games playable online would be one of my favorite genere's. For this first article in the "mini-series", I wish to focus on what has been perhaps one of the most controversial games in recent memory. Anyone who has played it either loves it or hates it, but no matter what side you are on, it's hard to deny that it has been one of the games best geared towards guilds, and indeed any type of online community, ever. I speak of course about Origin's Ultima Online (UO). I attempted, in preparation for this article, to contact several of the most well-known guilds in Ultima Online. Not wanting to be biased by my gaming choice, I tried to get in touch with both "noble" guilds, (whose in-game play mostly focuses on helping each other and other players) as well as "PK" guilds (whose goals often involve the killing of other players for personal gain). It is unfortunate that the only responses I received were from the noble guilds, as I was truly hoping to be able to represent both sides. However, I am pleased with the response I received from two guilds in particular which, to me, embody everything that is good and beneficial about on online gaming society, particularly in UO. When contacting the guilds in question, I sent them a slew of questions, arrived at with the help of Gasper from the UOVault, along with a brief explanation of what I planned on doing with the responses (cut and paste their answers with my witty commentary to arrive at the work you see here.. :c) ). The questions included: 1) How long has your guild, in its current form, been playing UO? 2) How many members are currently active in your guild? (ie: How many play UO within the guild structure on a regular basis?). If, at some point, there were a lot more members in your guild, why do you think the numbers have dwindled? Is it for the better? If there were a lot less members, why do you think your numbers have grown? Is it for the better? 3) For those of our readers that have not played UO, or never heard of you, what type of guild are you? Can you very briefly describe your guild philosophy? 4) What are some of the things your guild does (in game and out) that you particularly enjoy? These things do not necessarily have to be unique, but they should be activities or guild features that increase the enjoyment for all your members. 5) What was your guild's crowning moment in UO? What was its worst moment? If you care to elaborate, please let the readers know if (and how) these moments strengthened or weakened the ties that bind your guild together. The first guild, The Lost Order of Akalabeth, has been playing Ultima Online for almost a year and a half. There are 82 full and accepted members all of whom "have proven to us beyond a shadow of a doubt that they have our ideas and objectives in their hearts...are actively involved, and respect our online "family" for who and what we are." This guild also has an extremely well thought out initiation scheme that prevents players not entirely devoted to the overall success of the guild from gaining admittance. Interested players can look forward to at least a month-long waiting period, as well as participation in numerous meetings in order to gain member trust and respect. "The Lost Order of Akalabeth is a Guild devoted to role-playing and ensuring the maximum enjoyment of Ultima Online for as many of the people within the Ultima multiverse as possible. We are a Guild firmly rooted in the concept of "Goodness" for all that the term implies. We see the Lost Order of Akalabeth as a large family, and actively encourage all members to assist each other wherever possible, within the constraints of the game and our policies." The use of the word "family" is significant here. Many tightly knit guilds, and indeed any type of community online, develop bonds and ties as real and as strong as those they have in real life. The absence of a physical presence of people to interact with has not limited guild-mates from becoming best friends in many cases, and it shows hearing LOA talk about their infrastructure. It has long been my personal belief that the key to a guild's success is what it provides the members with. A guild that bases its community solely on it's name, hoping to reap the benefits a group of players brings without putting in the necessary work is destined to fail. Just go to any of the UO guild listing pages and see how many of the links are still active and updated, compared to the number that are obviously no longer in existence. LOA has taken a unique stance on member privileges (although one that seems to be catching on as more and more groups realize the merits of the practice). Many guilds hold in game events (quests, feasts, races, etc.), as is expected by all involved. LOA, however, has taken this practice one step further, organizing real life events for members to participate in. According to Brimstone (the founding member of LOA who answered the questionnaire for me) participation in these events has "strengthened the bonds (and friendships) of our guild". They had a "Gathering" in Michigan, where some of their members had lunch together, an "East Coast Gathering", where several members had dinner and visited the Baltimore Inner Harbor, and they also have a paintball event planned where not only guild members, but also friends and allies of the guild, are invited to play. From the answers Brimstone sent to my above listed questions, it's evident that the "pride in this guild is phenomenal". Many members have remained in the problem filled world that is Ultima Online out of simple dedication to the guild, willing to pay the $10 monthly fee not because of the game itself, but because of the environment they have worked so hard to develop. The second guild I wish to profile, The Burning Heart, has been in existence for nearly 2 years, having played UO since shortly after the pre-Alpha test. They have a current active member roster of some 105 players, of which maybe 1/3 to 1/2 of those are "retired" (meaning they no longer play UO, but wish to remain in the guild, waiting for the next online RPG). This is a common practice in guilds where strong ties have been formed. As mentioned above with LOA, many guild members prefer the guild to the game, and stay active members, even after they are no longer interested in the primary game played. Daylar (founder of The Burning Heart) put it perfectly when, in response to question #3, he ended with: "If you polled most of the members who are active in the BH, I think they would say that they enjoy the guild relationship more than they enjoy the game that Origin has provided." Both in game, and out, the BH take extra steps to ensure member satisfaction and enjoyment. A very well thought out system for organizing events inside UO means that members can look forward to something special in UO every week. Being a guild founder myself, and involved in such event organization, I can tell you it is no easy feat. The BH, through the use of inner-guild "divisions" (called Hands), have 5 such events each week to choose from. The goal? "foremost...to build that family feeling". Of course, they are as active out of game as they are in UO. Weekly meetings on IRC, web page message boards, ICQ contacts, and real life meetings all serve to strengthen the bonds formed between members, and thus increase the enjoyment of game time. Every guild has what I would call a "crowning moment". A time in their existence that stands out in the minds of all the members as the greatest accomplishment. The BH is no exception, and in fact are quite remarkable in this respect: "I would have to say that our biggest achievement is the publishing of our Strategy Guide. We are the only guild in existence, to my knowledge, to be approached by a long time game strategy guide publisher (Sybex) requesting we author and publish a guide for an online, ever-changing game. As coordinator on our end, it was amazing seeing how people could work together during the Beta test compiling information on anything and everything they could. From start to sending our final draft to Sybex, we put together this guide in less than 3 weeks...we sought to provide newbies hints and tips on how to survive, earn money, and avoid 'PlayerKillers'... we are very proud of what we published." The level of communication and trust between members that must have been necessary for this project is staggering. At the heart of any strong guild, is a communication system that enables members to stay in touch despite the obvious geographical difficulties, something that the BH obviously posses and take advantage of. The Burning Heart is a guild also deeply involved in role-playing to the greatest extent allowed by the game. I urge anyone interested in role-playing "good" to check out the BH's web page to learn more about some of the projects they have lined up to make the world in which they play in a better place. Before I close this edition of The Communal Voice, I would like to make a brief plug. Two years ago, I founded a guild with the simple goal of providing members with a large database of people with whom to play. Humble beginnings for sure, but at the time, even that seemed like a daunting task (for those of you curious to see what said guild has become, check out www.o-s-c.com). This column will always be written from the slightly biased viewpoint that a guild is a good thing! I urge anyone who has not yet done so, to check out the numerous online communities that exist in whatever game you play, for as this article has attempted to show, they make the game a much more interesting place for all involved. Next month...Quake (and Quake II, and CTF and TF etc etc!). If you are in a Quake clan and feel your clan belongs in the spotlight for a short 15 minutes, please contact me. --<cut>-- -- J C Lawrence Internet: claw#null,net (Contractor) Internet: coder#ibm,net ---------(*) Internet: claw#under,engr.sgi.com ...Honourary Member of Clan McFud -- Teamer's Avenging Monolith... </PRE> <!--X-Body-of-Message-End--> <!--X-MsgBody-End--> <!--X-Follow-Ups--> <HR> <!--X-Follow-Ups-End--> <!--X-References--> <!--X-References-End--> <!--X-BotPNI--> <UL> <LI>Prev by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00872.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: [Mud-Dev] Playerkilling website</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00874.html">[MUD-Dev] Re:(fwd) Re: Multiple currencies</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Prev by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg01069.html">[MUD-Dev] Re:(fwd) Re: Multiple currencies</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00867.html">[MUD-Dev] (fwd) Re: Multiple currencies</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Index(es): <UL> <LI><A HREF="index.html#00873"><STRONG>Date</STRONG></A></LI> <LI><A HREF="thread.html#00873"><STRONG>Thread</STRONG></A></LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> <!--X-BotPNI-End--> <!--X-User-Footer--> <!--X-User-Footer-End--> <ul><li>Thread context: <BLOCKQUOTE><UL> <LI><STRONG>[MUD-Dev] Re:(fwd) Re: Multiple currencies</STRONG>, <EM>(continued)</EM> <ul compact> <ul compact> <LI><strong><A NAME="00921" HREF="msg00921.html">[MUD-Dev] Re:(fwd) Re: Multiple currencies</A></strong>, J C Lawrence <a href="mailto:claw#under,engr.sgi.com">claw#under,engr.sgi.com</a>, Tue 09 Jun 1998, 21:12 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00927" HREF="msg00927.html">[MUD-Dev] Re:(fwd) Re: Multiple currencies</A></strong>, T. Alexander Popiel <a href="mailto:popiel#beldin,snugharbor.com">popiel#beldin,snugharbor.com</a>, Wed 10 Jun 1998, 02:13 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="01135" HREF="msg01135.html">[MUD-Dev] Re:(fwd) Re: Multiple currencies</A></strong>, J C Lawrence <a href="mailto:claw#under,engr.sgi.com">claw#under,engr.sgi.com</a>, Fri 19 Jun 1998, 02:03 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> </ul> <LI><strong><A NAME="01069" HREF="msg01069.html">[MUD-Dev] Re:(fwd) Re: Multiple currencies</A></strong>, Michael.Willey <a href="mailto:Michael.Willey#abnamro,com">Michael.Willey#abnamro,com</a>, Tue 16 Jun 1998, 14:43 GMT </LI> </ul> </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00873" HREF="msg00873.html">[MUD-Dev] Exploring the guild phenomena</A></strong>, J C Lawrence <a href="mailto:claw#under,engr.sgi.com">claw#under,engr.sgi.com</a>, Wed 03 Jun 1998, 20:32 GMT <LI><strong><A NAME="00867" HREF="msg00867.html">[MUD-Dev] (fwd) Re: Multiple currencies</A></strong>, J C Lawrence <a href="mailto:claw#under,engr.sgi.com">claw#under,engr.sgi.com</a>, Wed 03 Jun 1998, 17:37 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00890" HREF="msg00890.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: (fwd) Re: Multiple currencies</A></strong>, Matt Chatterley <a href="mailto:matt#mpc,dyn.ml.org">matt#mpc,dyn.ml.org</a>, Sat 06 Jun 1998, 01:17 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00859" HREF="msg00859.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: [Mud-Dev] Playerkilling website</A></strong>, John Bertoglio <a href="mailto:alexb#internetcds,com">alexb#internetcds,com</a>, Tue 02 Jun 1998, 06:01 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00872" HREF="msg00872.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: [Mud-Dev] Playerkilling website</A></strong>, J C Lawrence <a href="mailto:claw#under,engr.sgi.com">claw#under,engr.sgi.com</a>, Wed 03 Jun 1998, 20:10 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL></BLOCKQUOTE> </ul> <hr> <center> [ <a href="../">Other Periods</a> | <a href="../../">Other mailing lists</a> | <a href="/search.php3">Search</a> ] </center> <hr> </body> </html>