Guild houses: Blacksmith Guild - Traders' House - Alchemistae Societas Guild

Running Wild

The reason I even thought of this is because the entire Hungarian community fell apart during the 3 month testing phase. There are simply no 8 players to play content with at the same time, from production to other content. There will be a lot of solo casual players in the game later on, who will not be able to play an active role in guilds due to their lifestyle or other reasons and will therefore find themselves in a very difficult situation. I know, you can post on chat to find a team, but let's face it, most of the equipment that can be produced is already unavailable to casual players. There is a lot of fun with crafting, it's just that 70% of players don't have access to it because there is no one to beat because you need large functioning guilds to do it. Not to mention that if someone only has 1 hour a day, they are unlikely to form guilds. I could write many other examples, the point is that casual players are worth keeping and serving with content.

Guilds:
Considering the use of guilds in Elder Scrolls games, it might be worth considering the creation of built-in guilds. It would add an extra layer to the world, helping players who don't necessarily want to or can participate in large, player-created guilds. It could help casual players to progress with replayable quests available on tables or with more elaborate storylines, and it could also help them to access items and bonuses that casual players will not have access to.

Character progression: Help solo players with extra quests for xp, unique active/passive abilities per guild.
Story depth: guilds can get stories, can have lore built around them.
Access to new content: Help with manufacturing e.g., linking machine manufacturing to levels, adding materials.
Status and reputation: advancement in the guild hierarchy gives your character rank and prestige, as well as tags.

Technical placement in the game:
The Nodes could fit in any of the houses, as there are plenty of empty ones, but it might also be worth considering having some types of houses separate from the Nodes. It could also be done as an addition to the current system, as the technology to accommodate the production lines is already there. You could develop the Journeyman production line into a guild and then you would get the extra content. From level 3 Node to increasingly large sites.

Function:
In terms of their function, I don't mean the classic Fighters Guild, Mages Guild, Thieves Guild variations. Rather, based on the professions involved in manufacturing. Example:
Blacksmith guild: Help with making weapons and armor, processing raw materials, foraging quests, passive/active bonuses, ranks, titles and extra gear. Related trades (Mining, Metalworking, Stonemasonry, Armor Smithing, Leatherworking, Tailoring, Weapon Smithing)
Traders' House: Help with processing raw materials, foraging quests, passive/active bonuses, ranks, titles and extra equipment.
Alchemistae Societas Guild: help with processing raw materials, foraging quests, passive/active bonuses, ranks, titles and extra equipment.Related professions (Herbalism, Alchemy, Arcane Engineering, Scribe)

I hope I've managed to pique your interest in this topic. If you have any opinions or ideas please write them down.

REHOC

🏛️ Expanding Guild Systems: Profession-Based Guilds

One of the biggest challenges in Ashes is that small-scale players, solo artisans, and casuals may feel locked out of high-level crafting and trade systems because they lack large guild support.

Solution? Profession-Based Guilds that function as NPC-driven factions could provide:
🔹 Quests & Contracts – Daily missions for XP, resources, or reputation.
🔹 Access to Crafting Stations – Membership gives access to specialized facilities.
🔹 Guild Ranks & Titles – Earn prestige and unlock new perks over time.
🔹 Passive/Active Bonuses – Exclusive skills that improve profession efficiency.
🔹 Networking & Trade Opportunities – A structured system where solo artisans can connect and trade without a guild.

💡 Proposed Guild Types
These would be separate from player-run guilds, functioning as in-game organizations tied to crafting professions.

🏹 Blacksmiths’ Guild (Smithing & Weaponry)
🔹 Unlock advanced crafting techniques.
🔹 Discounts on rare materials.
🔹 Specialized workshops in major cities.
🔹 Titles like Journeyman Blacksmith → Master Smith.

🏦 Traders’ House (Commerce & Logistics)
🔹 Bonus profits on caravan trades.
🔹 Access to exclusive NPC trade routes.
🔹 Weekly auctions with rare commodities.
🔹 Titles like Apprentice Merchant → Grand Trader.

🧪 Alchemistae Societas (Alchemy & Magic Professions)
🔹 Unique potion formulas unavailable elsewhere.
🔹 Faster crafting speeds for consumables.
🔹 Access to magical research labs.
🔹 Titles like Herbalist → Archmage of Potions.

🛠️ How This Would Benefit the Game
✅ Supports Casual & Solo Players – No need for a huge guild to progress in a crafting profession.
✅ Encourages Player Interaction – A structured way for artisans to find buyers and collaborate.
✅ Adds Roleplay & Immersion – Guild ranks, lore-based factions, and unique questlines enrich the world.
✅ Prevents Trade Monopolies – Right now, large guilds will likely control crafting, but NPC guilds would allow smaller players to compete.

🔥 Final Thought: A Missing Puzzle Piece
Ashes of Creation is about player-driven economies, but profession-based guilds could bridge the gap between casual players and high-end crafting. This system wouldn’t replace player guilds, but rather complement them, allowing players to specialize without needing to be in a top-tier PvX guild.

This needs more discussion—I’d love to see if Intrepid has considered this or something similar in the furute, remember that the game is just starting. What do you think? Would profession-based guilds fix the accessibility issue in crafting?