Guilds: Size Matters

During my stay in Azeroth I’ve been in 7 different guilds. I’ve been GM, Co-GM, Officer, Raid Leader and just your average everyday member. Ol’ Jack’s been in small, friendly leveling guilds, big impersonal raiding guilds and everything in between. Some people will tell you it’s how you use it but, truthfully, SIZE MATTERS.

Here are just a few observations about the size/purpose of guilds and how they impact play. I take this all from my own experience, ymmv:

Small Leveling Guilds:

·         Generally friendly helpful people

·         By definition don’t focus on endgame

·         Lots of people start off in these guilds

·         Usually recruiting anyone of any level in trade

·         Great for new players to the game

·         Don’t expect much from members

Ahh the leveling guild. Most of us have been there. They’re generally a collection of friendly, helpful, and social people that don’t really have the time/inclination to do end game raiding so they do what they love: help noobs. Every now and again you’ll get a know-it-all fancypants officer or leader but these folks are generally good natured and understanding.  

Medium-Sized Raiding Guilds:

·         Generally less drama than a larger guild

·         Raids regularly

·         Usually has certain expectations of its raiding members

·         Easier to get into and more willing to help than larger raiding guilds

·         More vulnerable to drama than smaller/larger guilds

·         Success is very dependent on leadership

·         Usually trying to find a “niche” to fit in since bigger guilds get the “hardcore” players

This is one of my favorite types of guilds. I’ve been the GM and an officer/Co-GM/Raid Leader for this style of guild. I’ve seen it be a thing of beauty and I’ve seen it crash and burn like the frickin’ Hindenburg.  Most of these guilds are run by either up and coming raiders or people who’ve given up on the big guilds. With the right people and good leaders these guilds can succeed with flying colors but all it takes is inviting one or two wrong members and the entire thing can come crashing down.  The concept I’ve seen for most of these guilds is: a raiding guild with a laid back atmosphere. It’s great in theory but takes a lot of hard work on the part of a few people to succeed.

I’d strongly recommend joining a medium sized raiding guild, if raiding is your goal, and see how it fits you. Some people will need to move on to bigger challenges and larger guilds while others will find a desire to simplify and yet others will be happy with what they’ve found.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Big Impersonal Raiding Guild

·         The place to be for raids

·         Does content before other guilds

·         No shortage of titles/mounts/goodies

·         Have access to top level crafting

·         Heavy requirements for heavy rewards

·         Usually rule laden and as such have less drama

·         Can be cold and impersonal

BIRG for short, these guilds are where you go to do bleeding edge content. Many times these folks aren’t really friends and sometimes out and out loathe most of the other guild members but they all know how to play and know what it takes to raid. These guilds almost always come with heavy requirements both in attendance and performance but for good reason: without that they fail. These type of guilds are not my cup ‘o tea but for some people they work great.  If you want fancy mounts and titles this is the place to be. They do the toughest fights before anyone else and blaze a trail for the more casual minded raider.

These are just a few examples of guilds. I am currently in a friends and family only 10-man raiding guild and I have to say it’s my favorite so far. There are RP guilds, BC raid guilds, PvP Guilds, and just about any kind of guild you could think of. At the end of the day it’s important to remember that the size and purpose of the guild you join is your choice and your choice alone. Whether you like being a big fish in a small pond or just another slot-filler in a giant machine you can find a guild that fits your personality and goals.