Project 1999 - Red99 guilds update

Dear Red99, especially alumni of <PDM> and <TMO>,

This is a critical time on Red99. <Pandemonium> and <TMO> were two guilds that helped new players progress. Now that both have dissolved, there is a risk that some players will quit the server and our population will suffer.

I know what it's like to lose a guild suddenly, and I know what it's like to see a guild slowly fall apart. It's discouraging and it can make you doubt whether there is a place for you on this server. But if you still want to play, you need a new guild or group to call home. Let's talk about the guilds currently active on Red99:

• <Thunderdome> If you're new to the server looking for leveling and grouping, try <Thunderdome> for a family atmosphere with helpful players and goodhearted leaders. recruitment thread
(I feel there is now a space for an additional leveling guild with a different style than <TD>.)
• <Casual Scum> If you want to PvP, raid, and progress your character with a group of certified cool and normal companions, introduce yourself to <Casual Scum> in Teamspeak. recruitment thread
• <Friends> If you want to PvP, raid, and progress your character with a group of possibly insane yet also quite endearing individuals, and you are either an experienced player or a very active player, contact a member of <Friends> and participate with them in Teamspeak. recruitment thread
• <Empire> If you want to see endgame Velious raid content right away, talk to <Empire>. They have a blend of players ranging from blue transplants to hardcore PvPers (/nod Crouton). recruitment thread
• <Prophets of Slosh> are a small crew of RL friends who seem to recruit based on individual friendships that develop in-game. Contact them in-game if interested.

ALL of these guilds can provide both camaraderie AND character/pixel progression. No matter which guild you join, your rate of character progression and EQ skill development is proportional to your time investment. No guild will farm your MR gear for you.

Note that all of these guilds have some casual players as well as some dedicated every-day-or-nearly-so players. There are some <Friends> you rarely see, and some <Casual Scum> who are definitely not casual (also not scum).

A warning: if you ever notice you're only logging in for scheduled raids, I believe that's a sign you're losing interest. That's the danger zone. I got to that point once, hung in for a while, and quit shortly thereafter. If you feel uninspired, it may be time to meet a new group of friends. Your mileage may vary. Just remember there are other guilds that are totally fun to play with, and other ways of playing this game.

I'd like to hear what people have to say about the current guild environment. Do we need more guilds? Fewer? What can we learn from the aftermath of the <TMO> migration and <Pandemonium>'s appearance? How can we promote population and server health? I'm curious to hear what thoughts people have.

inb4 someone makes fun of me for writing a lot and/or caring about the server, thanks for that valuable input,
Tala