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Guild housing and other guild advantages

ArchivedUserArchivedUser Guest
in Ashes Of Creation General Discussion
Player housing I'm assuming will be expensive and out of reach of most new players. Joining a guild (and paying a modest stipend) might be a more affordable way to get simple accommodation for characters as they gear up and get their professions sorted out. I can picture trial raider quarters as rough hewn rooms with threadbare mattresses and limited amenities. As you rise through the ranks of the guild, the quality of your accommodation would match your prestige. Being demoted or ejected from a guild would negatively affect your living status. This would be a more interesting risk/reward mechanic than simply losing your title. 

In addition to guild housing I also like to see the following:
  • Guild halls to display the spoils of war or the guild: Legendary loot on display, guild achievements inscribed on ornate plaques, statues and busts of guild members who have contributed the most or gained special achievements etc etc...

  • Guild dojos for training and weapons practice: Veteran sensei passing on their skills to trainees. Learned clerics and bards passing down sacred knowledge to their acolytes.

  • Guild crafting and artisan quarters where one can rise through the ranks of apprenticeship in various professions.
Basically I see the guild as a community within the community (of a node). This will naturally lead to rivalry and alliances between guilds. These could lead to some interesting political turmoil: If guilds can monopolise node production then they might hold financial sway. If they are powerful at combat, then they may hold military dominance.

I'd also like to see support for non-nodal guilds, where guerrilla groups, pirates, nomadic tribes and the like can congregate outside of "civilization". These associations of course would be less viable without the XP, financial support and security of a parent node. They may even have to conceal themselves as a survival strategy.

I think this would introduce an interesting dimension into the game without too much development overhead, but these are pretty rough ideas, so I'd like to hear what other people think about this kind of system.

Comments

  • ArchivedUserArchivedUser Guest
    One thing I missed off my original post was the idea that all/many of the services that a guild uses should be available in game without having to go to an external website. The idea is to make the experience of belonging to and running an AoC guild as immersive as possible.
  • ArchivedUserArchivedUser Guest
    I like what you are saying about guilds. I would love mechanics in place that punish those salty or leeching players who just want the benefit of a guild rather than working with their guildies to improve their status. I personally would like to see a working relationship with the guildies and their leadership, much as the talk is going on about the government system:

    Guilds get to decide what they want in their Guild Halls. "Apartments" for players too poor or lazy to make their own free holds and artisan rooms for the guild alchemist and smith that can handle making potions for world events (PVE and PVP)  and handle item repairs in-house. 

    Furthermore I would enjoy seeing each Guild Hall with their own unique appearances. One guild might hold a throne-room, like in GoT with the Iron Throne, then another, more diplomatic guild, might hold a circular council chamber like star wars, and yet another guild will have a Meed Hall where there is the head table for the leadership of a guild, but with food and tables aplenty for both guildies and allied guilds and other diplomats that come to visit. 

    No matter what, the more control players have for creating their ideal fantasy setting is always a plus! And I'm already excited there won't be a silly "Garrison" mechanic like we saw in WoW... oh the anger I have for Blizzard implementing that...
  • ArchivedUserArchivedUser Guest
    lexmax said:
    One thing I missed off my original post was the idea that all/many of the services that a guild uses should be available in game without having to go to an external website. The idea is to make the experience of belonging to and running an AoC guild as immersive as possible.
    I've always been a big fan of this. Allowing a guild to function totally within the game. No need to refer people to guild website, have the community IN the game. 
  • ArchivedUserArchivedUser Guest
    We'll have to see what the "rich guild options" the developers spoke about will be. They did seem very focused on ensuring that guilds have access to a powerful set of tools to build community though. I find that rather pleasing :D
  • ArchivedUserArchivedUser Guest
    AutumnWillow said:
    We'll have to see what the "rich guild options" the developers spoke about will be. They did seem very focused on ensuring that guilds have access to a powerful set of tools to build community though. I find that rather pleasing :D
    Here's hoping they do! Guilds underpin the nature of MMO's in a way that I think is very complimentary to the nodal system. Nodes to me are geographical political entities, whereas guilds represent non-governmental bodies. Having the two interlocked together and often in conflict will help to add flavor and more of a dynamic feeling to the game.

    Other MMO's (with some notable exceptions!) have treated guilds almost as an afterthought. So much so, then when people think of setting up and managing a guild in a MMO, they often think of how to do this on a website, rather than fully immersed in the game itself, because the facilities are not there in these games to support it.
  • ArchivedUserArchivedUser Guest
    The devs have said many times that they are "guild people" and have wanted from the start a set of tools to make management easy.  The more tools we have to keep people engaged in game is best for sure.  

    Most if not all nodes that develop into the upper levels will be run by large guilds.  Organized guilds with 100+ people will be able to control enough content, trade, pvp, node citizen count, and VOTES to keep the guild leader elected and be able to focus on events or XP pushes or whatever way more effectively then random players banding together.  This will breed conflict - and it's a very good thing both while you hold it, and while you try to take it from others.  
  • ArchivedUserArchivedUser Guest

    I too hope that they will not allow people to join multiple guilds, so that people become more passionate about their guilds. There's nothing worse than seeing people in your guild who are happy to socialise, trade but when you won't to progress your guild through PvP/PvE activities they're elsewhere propping up someone else's guild.

    It would be nice to think that there'll be many powerful guilds in the game, not just 2 or 3 with a monopoly and that 7-10 guilds will play a major part in the politics, development, and progression of all the different servers.

    There are potentially so many aspects to this game that you could have people dealing with politics, economics, trade, war, security, amenities etc. I hope that Intrepid develop guild tools that truly allow them to be innovative, stimulating and progressive.   

  • ArchivedUserArchivedUser Guest
    Kratz said:

    I too hope that they will not allow people to join multiple guilds, so that people become more passionate about their guilds. There's nothing worse than seeing people in your guild who are happy to socialise, trade but when you won't to progress your guild through PvP/PvE activities they're elsewhere propping up someone else's guild.

    I agree, however I've seen guild "affiliates" work in other MMOs. It doesn't mean you benefit from the full perks of the guild, but it means you are there to support them in various ways. For example, I'd like to be loyal to my raiding guild first and foremost, but I'd like to also be affiliated with a craftsman's guild from a professional standpoint. 
  • ArchivedUserArchivedUser Guest
    lexmax said:
    One thing I missed off my original post was the idea that all/many of the services that a guild uses should be available in game without having to go to an external website. The idea is to make the experience of belonging to and running an AoC guild as immersive as possible.


    I really like this idea.

    I also like the idea of progression in a guild through contribution/time, and penalty for leaving.  I have always taken guild membership very seriously -- when I join, that is my guild, for better or worse, until I quit playing or something catastrophic happens (guild breaks up, etc.).  It always made me sad to see people leave.  I've been fortunate to have been in some guilds with a pretty stable core of players for years, but I have also seen far too much "guild hopping" for my liking, and many games make that trivial. I think that devalues guilds -- there needs to be some barrier to entry AND exit, IMHO.

    I don't have anything against someone making a change if it just isn't working out for them -- but I do want there to be consequences to making such a decision. Loyalty should be rewarded, and "leeching" and other negative behaviors should be punished (or at least punishable).

    Then there's spies...  that will probably be an issue with the potential for so much guild vs guild conflict.  Has there been any discussion on how they might combat (or embrace?)  that?

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