How did you make your decision on which guild to join?

[ziffiz]

My main character (wizard) will be 47 tonight and Im thinking its time to join a guild since I meet or will soon meet most guilds minimum level requirements. Ive been reading, researching and I know as an EST player who wants to do casual raiding there are say 10 or so guilds that appear to fit those requirements.

Ive met nice people from many different guilds so the argument that the guild has nice people isnt really a distinguishing characteristic.

I also dont like the try it and if you dont like it move on to another model, although it is sometimes unavoidable.

I didnt know anyone when I started playing here so I dont have any past relationships to influence me.

I know I will get the response of talk to some people in game and get a feel for the guild but very few would actually say anything bad about their guild.


So in the end how did you decide which guild you joined? What advice would you give me to help decide?

[ErlickBachman]

If you're joining a raiding guild of any sort, I think one thing you have to consider is your preference for distributing raid loot. For example, some guilds do DKP (Personally I say "F*ck that bullsh*t"), some do /random for all, others do a loot council for all or some items.

I personally think the best blend is loot council for higher tier items and /random for mains that need.

I think the guild environment is a big thing as well. Grant it, you've met a lot of nice people, but have you met people that are guild tagged and communicated with them over a length of time?

Those are just the two things that made my choice for my guild much easier.

[Itap]

Most guilds have a site where you can check out the type of guild they are (and how they are progressing). The guild discussion here can also be helpful as most of them post updates once or twice a week. Tbh, I like to think the application stage of joining a guild goes both ways. If after 30 days (or less) you decide that the guild may not be for you or your play-style, you can simply /guildremove and find another. The good news is that we have all types of guilds here, from super casual to responding to batphones at 3am on a Tuesday.

[Mortiis]

1. DKP or not

DKP to me is for those that have that unlimited time to stare at walls, track, sock, be warm bodies..etc. Not knocking it by any means. It's just not for me. See below.

2. Raid Schedule. I've have tons of other shit going on. My weekends will rarely ever be spent on EQ.

3. Bat phone < Career, Harley, shows, fun, doing dishes, urinating, and any other life activity you can possibly mention.

4. Reputation. See: the always entertaining Forums.

Been guild-less for a long time. Pick up groups and hosted open raids have been my forte here.
It depends on what you want and what you have the time for honestly. That's it.
I love this game. It started it all and still is one of the best. It's still a game.

[Moerne]

I think you should at least start by looking at guilds where you know people, or have liked the people you've met. Nothing makes a guild or a raid a miserable experience like not being able to stand most of the people you are spending hours of your time with.

[Naethyn]

Join the best guild on the server and spend less time for the most gain.

[Hetjan]

Depends on what you are looking for but for me this is a good litmus test.

Q) Do my beard and pubes need to be tied together like Velcro?

A) No ... Still a contender.

Q) Do you have a lot of actual humans that breathe through nose at times?

A) Yes ... Still a contender.

Q) Do I need to maintain a percentage of raid attendance or you will tar and feather me and push me off a cliff and yell "fly chicken!"?

A) No ... Still a contender.

Q) Does your guild publish most of it's posts (75% or more) in RNF?

A) No ... Still a contender.

Q) Do you use other guilds to equip your alts with epics?

A) No ... Still a contender.

Q) Is real life EQ?

A) No ... Still a contender.

Q) Do you give casuals loot sometimes if they are trying to help the guild?

A) Yes ... Still a contender.

That would be a reasonable list of my validation checks.

[gprater]

I observe guildmates grouping(xping) together. IF I see this a lot thats a good sign. I avoid any guild with mandatory raiding ( as I dont like raiding) or mandatory use of some voice chat thingy. I also do a /who all <guildname> to see what is the primary level and how many are on at my play time. I also talk to people about their guild

[Tupakk]

The raid scene is toxic join Dial a Port and wait for what's to come.

[SyanideGas]

Plot twist: DaP becomes #1 raid guild on p99

[SyanideGas]

I usually go where my friends go, in short. That's what makes the game fun for me

[kb2005]

Another thing to consider is culture. Do you like an environment where people are friendly but a bit more conservative with their speech, or where people are more freewheeling and willing to say what they think in colorful language? <Kittens Who Say Meow> and <Rustle> I think would be good contrasts here, although apparently they can work together and get stuff done, which speaks well for both of them.

EDIT: I want to clarify that the impression I get from <Rustle> kids is that they would find excessive cursing as crude and a sign of a lack of imagination. They seem to have fewer taboos than the general population, though. That being said, this is still an outsider's perspective. Anyone in <Rustle> care to comment on my assessment?

[aaezil]

Depends? Are you a dirty casual peasant or a poopsock no life neckbeard?

[MilanderTruewield]

I have a dirty mouth. I'm f*cking sorry.

:P

[Swiftyfist]

I looked at the numbers, obviously go with teh lessor, not the higher. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2m_WnXjqnM

[Swiftyfist]

hustlers ambition 101

[Tupakk]

Plot twist: DaP becomes #1 raid guild on p99


Double plot twist we already are lol.

[Jimjam]

Compare what you want to achieve and when you are available to play with a guilds target schedule/loot distribution system.

I guess you'll probably be able to make friends in whatever guild you choose, but if there are particular friends you want to be guilded with you either need to follow them or have them follow you.

[Cecily]

EDIT: I want to clarify that the impression I get from <Rustle> kids is that they would find excessive cursing as crude and a sign of a lack of imagination. They seem to have fewer taboos than the general population, though. That being said, this is still an outsider's perspective. Anyone in <Rustle> care to comment on my assessment?

Absolutely. As a family-oriented guild, Rustle as you put it finds cursing crude and a sign of lack of imagination. Hence our strict anti-cursing policy. This along with the 10 commandments forms the backbone of our organization, young age 30-40 men and more men and a very few women doing our best to walk in Jesus' path and spread the light of God.

[ziffiz]

Thanks for all the replies. Lots of good advice and some interesting comments. I am level 51 now, Wizard. Trying to decide if I want to wait until 60 to app a guild and have all options open. Made several friends but they are also mostly solo classes and unguilded.

Would like to get my first ever epic oneday. Just 3 fights for wizard, VS, Phinny and broken golem in fear. I dont have any real way to gauge what guilds have the capability of doing that except where I see posts of those being killed in the forums here.


I can get some sense of guilds here on the forums but I dont think anything except being in the guild gives you the true story.

Past experience is that the most friendly casual guilds are always willing to help, great people but always recruiting to try and grow and often lack the structure, numbers or motivation to accomplish significant goals.

Large raiding guilds tend toward the other extreme. Everything is very serious, low tolerance for mistakes, competitive in and outside the guild but very well organized and accomplish goals. Downside, Ive spent months as a recruit without earning enough DKP to loot something.

Maybe there is some middle ground there somewhere as well. I think the alliances are a step in that direction.

Feel free to PM me if you have specific thoughts or suggestions.