Guilds and you!

[Bellatrix]

Hey guys!

I was wondering what you all look for in guilds. I'm looking for specific qualities or
phrases, like "active members" or "a guild that helps improve my skills".


Thanks all!

[Tonguetyed]

Here's the most important characteristic of a good guild: They aren't and have nothing to do with the Cuban Gang.

Other than that, here are few other good characteristics of a guild in my opinion:

1) The guild makes it a priority to help its members gain experience in all aspects of the game, especially in regards to sailing.

2) Guildmembers need to be loyal to the guild itself, but not fanatical in a way that causes other pirates grief.

3) A guild should be big enough that there is always at least two pirates online playing at the same time, but not big enough to where pirates in the same guild don't even know each other by name.

There are definitely a few more good characteristics of a guild that I failed to mention, but that's only because I'm tired of typing.

P.S.- I know of guilds where the guildmembers all have similar avatar names (i.e. TrueHazzard and TrueMenace), and I always thought that was appropriate for a guild.

[Bellatrix]

Hmm, why sailing?

[Tonguetyed]

Sailing's important because blowing up ships (or running away from ships depending on how good of a shot you are) is probably the most fun thing to do in the game, especially when you have or are part of a crew (I would say playing poker is up there as well, but I didn't get far enough in Phase 1 to find out what its like to gain exp in poker).

Also, once Phase 2 is up running long enough, the Cuban Gang will, in all probability, go back to their bullying ways. So, its important to have a high enough level in sailing to protect yourself from them, right!? And the fastest way to level up sailing is to sail with a guild.

This isn't to take away from gaining experience with the pistol, cutlass, dagger, voodoo, etc. But I believe sailing within in a guild is the heart and soul of the game.

[Davy]

Well said, Tonguetyed. I couldn't find a guild that has 8+ members and meets what I think a guild should have, so I created one If ye'd like to find out more about it, just find my thread in Guilds and Crews. It's called the Tortugan Terror Team.

[Tonguetyed]

Thanks PirateAhoy. I actually did look at your guild thread, and I thought a lot of your requirements were right on, especially about being loyal and following the captain's orders.

Still, I might be in the minority here, but I've always felt that getting into a guild shouldn't feel like a college application process. The guild I was a part of during Phase 1 didn't have many requirements, aside from making sure prospective guildmembers weren't Cuban Gang and would be willing to share duties with other guildmembers on the various guild ships.

I think its important to let guildmembers prove themselves within the guild, rather than having to prove themselves just to get in. I guess I'm more about the comraderie of a guild, rather than the exclusivity of a guild.

[Bellatrix]

From Wikipedia:

In online computer games players form groups called Player guilds who perform some of the functions of ancient guilds. They organize group activities, regulate member behavior, exclude non-conforming individuals, and react as a group when member safety or some aspect of guild life is threatened.

The keywords are regulate member behavior and exclude non-comforming
individuals. I think every guild will have rules you have to follow. Your actions
could kill someone in the game, or hurt them. It's all structure, and a lot of rules
are actually... good.

It is like making ice cream sundaes. If there are no rules and nobody knows what
they are supposed to be doing, you might just end up with a handfull of cherries.



By filling out an application process, it shows that you want to get into the guild,
care about getting into the guild, and it also shows how dedicated you are. By
proving yourself to get into a guild, the guild members could see how fast you
work, hard you try, and if you should even be in the guild.

[Tonguetyed]

Originally Posted by crimsonDOOM

From Wikipedia:


The keywords are regulate member behavior and exclude non-comforming
individuals. I think every guild will have rules you have to follow. Your actions
could kill someone in the game, or hurt them. It's all structure, and a lot of rules
are actually... good.

It is like making ice cream sundaes. If there are no rules and nobody knows what
they are supposed to be doing, you might just end up with a handfull of cherries.



By filling out an application process, it shows that you want to get into the guild,
care about getting into the guild, and it also shows how dedicated you are. By
proving yourself to get into a guild, the guild members could see how fast you
work, hard you try, and if you should even be in the guild.

I don't remember saying that rules weren't good. In fact, in my last post I told PiratesAhoy that a lot of his guild requirements were right on, especially in terms of what you just mentioned: regulating member behavior (following capt's orders) and excluding non-comforming individuals (being loyal). I agreed with PiratesAhoy, so I think you mis-construed the first part of my last post.

I agree with you (and Wikipedia, apparently): Guilds need structure, that's what guild ares; structured groups. I appreciate the Wikipedia definition, but I'm sure most knowledgeable online pirates already know what a guild means.

I also agree with what you said about the application process. It definitely demonstrates the dedication of a prospective guildmember. All I said is that it feels like a college application process, and I don't know many people who enjoyed that part of their academic careers.

I'm just saying that guildmembers can prove themselves just as well WITHIN the guild itself. A guild can have an application process, but it isn't necessary and only contributes to the formality of a game, a game that's meant to be light-hearted in nature. By light-hearted, I mean that POTCO wasn't developed for the hard-core gamer. Just look at the cartooney graphics and the demographic it caters to: families, teenagers, and children.

I have nothing against guild application processes. PiratesAhoy and anyone else can require it if thats what they want. Its their choice, because its just a game.

[Davy]

Tonguetyed, thanks for the advice. My requirements were a bit high,so I updated them and made them easier. Thank ye, matey!

[Tonguetyed]

No problem PiratesAhoy. Your requirements were fine to begin with, but if you did make them easier, then that gives your guild more opportunity to grow together, which I think is better for everyone. I'll make sure to check out that thread of yours, maybe I'd like to join your guild!

[Captain B. man]

All guilds need room to improve and grow, and guilds thaat help their members improve their skills

[Tonguetyed]

Yes, that is the general consensus. Hence, PirateAhoy's requirements.

[Bellatrix]

Ah, sorry, did misread your post.



So PirateAhoy, how would you even know the person was telling the truth about
the requirements anyways?

[Tonguetyed]

No problem brotha. I can see why you read my post that way. irate.smiley.capta

Good point. There is no way to know anything about a pirate in Phase 1. But I guess that's why I'm looking forward to Phase 2. Everyone is back on a level playing field! Well, we Phase 1 beta testers probably have an advantage because we've played the game before, but I'm not complaining, lol...

[wildtaz999]

With all of us talking about forming guild among captains. I am still waiting to see how and even if the Dev's create a real guild system in the game.. with a leader system and officers and everything.. to think that if it ever gets created each guild will have pirate king or queen with other high ranking pirates and their crews. I could see some great battles happing down the line.. espaically if PVP sailing guild vs. guild happens. I know Guild wars in other MMO's rock.. to think that one day when this game gets to the point of having thousands of players on at the same time on variuous servers. you could get guild a with like 50 captians take on guild b with 10 captains and watch the slaughter.. I know that in WOW my guild took almost 2 years to become the biggest PVP guild in that game and we havecurretly over 500 active players with 50 or so on at any given time.. As long as players are nice to other new players and let them get up in skill before ganking them,, the world is fun a place right??