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Alpha Two Phase II testing is currently taking place 5+ days each week. More information about testing schedule can be found here
If you have Alpha Two, you can download the game launcher here, and we encourage you to join us on our Official Discord Server for the most up to date testing news.
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Communication & collaboration to "legitimize" player driven narratives into the game, via in-world news bulletins, or even small changes to the world itself. To elaborate: when noteworthy guild-led endeavors take place in game, it would be great to have Intrepid be acutely aware of it, and recognize it in-game, through any number of means. More on that below.
Have you participated in Guild Programs in other MMORPGs? If so, what features or initiatives did you like (or dislike) about them?
Elite Dangerous are absolutely KILLING it in this regard. The game has an in-game news feed called Gal-Net, which is frequently used to draw attention to player-led events. These articles are written "in character," and can be read (or listened to!) from the cockpit of a player's ship. Moreover, Frontier Dev will go so far as to add markers or "aftermath" of player actions. Most recently, there was a player organized "blockade" against some retreating NPC alien invaders, the Thargoids. Over 1000 player ships showed up and fought the aliens in a specific star system. Frontier Dev was on their toes for this one, however. They took four specific actions:
1: They published Gal-net articles before & after the event, discussing the "blockade" and its aftermath.
2: They created a special "high density combat zone" in the star system, which was basically made to help corral all the players to the right area to fight.
3: After the event was over, they created a custom point-of-interest called "battlefield remains" or somesuch, and filled it with debris from player & alien ships. This POI will likely stay there forever, as a marker to the event.
4: In recognition of the players' efforts, Frontier removed the aliens from the star system completely. And the gal-net article posted afterwards described how a security council declared the system "Thargoid-free"
Keep in mind, all that actually happened during this event was 1000 players killed NPC aliens in the same location for a few hours. But Frontier Dev took steps to make it "real." I love this.
What in-game activities, such as events or cooperative challenges, would you like to see in a Guild Program?
* Take advantage of the short time you have when new content is "undocumented." Consider adding long-form, mystery-style, quests & lore, then acknowledge the first guild who is able to figure it out. I have very fond memories of playing EverQuest during the Omens of War expansion launch when they added the "1.5" epic quests for each class, and players were all working together to figure out the quest clues.
* News articles/bulletins posted on a regular basis outlining major guild endeavors. I'm sure you could even get some of the key players to play along and provide in-character quotes for articles about their guild.
* Slightly more complex challenges than simple mass-resource dumps or kill farms. Perhaps multi pronged endeavors where guilds enroll for only a specific part of the event, and must actually interact with one another.
* Tournaments. LOTS of tournaments. (EverQuest Best of the best, anyone?)
What kinds of features like website leaderboards or real-world swag, would best motivate your guild to participate? If you had to choose one or two things, which would they be?
How would you prefer guild achievements and contributions be recognized - publicly with leaderboards and or social media, or privately with member-only perks?
Lumping these two together because the answer is closely related. I certainly don't speak for everyone, but anecdotally, 95% of players in my (admittedly small) gaming circle have ZERO presence on game' social media channels. At the very best, they might be in the official discord so they can see patch notes quicker. To that end, any amount of website-based recognition would probably not motivate anyone I know. However, some kind of in-game reward, as simple as a character title, would go a long way. As for real-life swag, I think a little tchotchke for winners of truly special events could be cool, something huge that happens once per year or so. Like a little coin or memento? Just spitballing here.
This Guild program sounds like another aspect that supports just being in a large zerg guild. There shouldn't be any personal in game rewards for this type of thing. The rewards should be kept outside of the game. Rewards should be limited to real world swag, community spotlights, and special discord/forum titles to keep focus on community engagement without impacting the in-game experience or creating further divides between small and large guilds. Someone else said it creates disparity and resentment, and I think that is true. There is a lot of resentment in the community about streamer privilege.
However, if in-game rewards were to exist than they should be limited to things honoring guilds in ways that enhance the game for everyone while still giving recognition. This game already struggles with toxicity, and we need features that promote balance and unity in the community. For me this means: naming an Npc or a location or an item, creating an in-game quest for all players to do, maybe working with a guild to create a new mount that can be hunted in the game, a mini boss event where the boss is a large version of the guild leader or a raid event that is inspired by the guild, a statue in town, Npc bards singing tales of their accomplishments, lore books or scrolls that recount their adventures, maybe they design an emote or title that can be obtained through achievements, or design a food recipe tied to the guild's history (something spicy, sweet, salty).
Other out-of-game rewards could be:
Personalized Desktop Wallpapers or banners
Guild Spotlight posts that feature guild achievements, lore, or fun moments in the game.
Quick Guild Leader interviews (This could be a short video asking a couple of questions like What tips they might have, their favorite places in Verra, what they enjoy the most, short fun questions that promote enjoying Verra.
Why do you want to foster strong guilds? The nature of an MMO is to allow guilds to be what they will in game. Let them change, rise and fall dynamically with what AoC seems to be.
What makes a guild strong? inter-guild community, Leadership, influence on the environment, influence on players. You can do all of this in game by development...DO NOT take the guild system out of the game.
if you want to create a good community in game, it comes from playing the game IN GAME. having the ability in game to have fun, enjoy the game, have the fun experiences... this all comes from development. What is the need for out of game stuff? Publicity? Feedback? Making sure every guild member follows the leader? This all sounds like blindly following someone or somethings analytics....
Kill the idea for Guild programs. wait to see how the game evolves after full release. or simply observe guilds as development goes on and add/remove/change around it.
Allow for guilds to create their own Inner guild only events.
I personally dont ever care to see leaderboards out of game. This guild does good this week, next week that guilds does better etc.. I think this is all to favor a sepecific player base of "meta players" as apposed to those looking to just have fun.
If a guild achieves something i would rather it be reflected or seen in game. This adds to the overall experience of an MMO.
Exclusive events for guilds? another form of P2W just without the typical monetary advantage...If a guild thats in the public eye gets exclusive anything why should i join a guild that isnt? or even start a guild? Are you going to provide Exclusivity to all guilds? no, so why join any other guild or start my own if im never going to try to make it have 500000k players to be appealed to by game devs?
Cooperative challenges can come from in game by 2 guild masters simply asking "hey, wanna group up to raid a node/castle?" This is a natural thing. So instead of out of game BS create the poster boards in game that allow guilds to advertise to other players but only outside there respective areas.
Develop the ability for guilds to team up for a goal or rivalry etc. Maybe a guild can declare another guild a rival and so they become "kill on sight" or place bounties. Wont that evolve into unique moments?
Motivation for guild participation will come from risk vs reward in game. if i make my guild attack this castle, maybe i gain farming ground, resources, a dungeon for guildies. but if i lose, i might lose my own castle etc...
If a guild wins an event it could be tied into the idea above..Guild members could get a temporary aura effect when theyre in their guilds zones or guilds could create conditions for non guildies.
I dont think leader boards are a good idea out of game. simply design the things in game and players can get an idea of how well a guild is doing from what they see on the map or from ingame objects.
Guild achievements can be recognized by things like in-game events that happen in response to guild influence... IE.
Say a guild takes down a world boss. After that boss dies a Comet appears across the sky for the next 7 days. Then players ask "whats that from"..."so and so guild"...neat now ill join that guild or look into 1 or look into participation of guild events in game. Or like stated above, create an aura effect that applies to certain guild members or the entire guild, within an area.
Players within a guild can be given a title in addition to the guild name. IE Say a gatherer for a guild places number 1 in an inner guild event or open world guild event it could add another line below the player name done in color or particle effect (see the game Conquer online)
Use guild emblems + additional guild event effects/reward to be represented on player house/caravans
IMO i dont think guild programs look good from the public eye or from a new players perspective
I think in the long run players will get a sense of "i have to go to social media and do research to join a guild" What does that create or look like?
I think in the long run youll end up with a small number of highly dominate guilds and so why make a new guild? Why join a smaller guild?
Guild rewards, achievements should all be done in game by developers. How many players are actually going to follow on social media or forums just to see guild achievements?
Creating a good community is something that usually comes naturally in games as well as from game developers. (think how sprouts are shown in FF14, veteran players see that theyre new and so they try to offer support)
I think if Intrepid really wants to keep the guild programs it needs to be done in a highly minimalist way.
I think the potential for a few major guilds having the ability/potential to dominate the game needs to be actively avoided/maintained.
Allow and maintain the freedom for guilds to run and create their own events as well as influence the world around and i think thatll lead to a natural evolution of guilds (rise and fall) as well as great moments you expect from an MMO.
PS. Please allow colors and text size in posts to make it easier to read.
The idea of a Guild Program in Ashes of Creation is could be good, and I appreciate that Intrepid Studios is seeking feedback from the community to ensure it’s meaningful and beneficial to all types of guilds. Below are my thoughts on how this program could best serve players, foster deeper engagement, and provide real value beyond mere vanity features.
1. What Would You Hope for in a Guild Program, Including Features or Opportunities?
1.1 Better Communication Between Devs and Guilds
Communication in MMOs is always a mess. A Guild Program should be a structured way for devs to actually listen to guilds instead of just doing PR streams that don’t address real concerns.
Here’s what would help:
Regular surveys or town halls for guild leaders to provide structured feedback.
Opt-in targeted playtesting – Let guilds participate in testing for things they actually care about (PvP balance, economy, crafting, etc.).
Guild advisory boards – A rotating group of guild leaders to discuss pain points, successes, and feature suggestions with the dev team.
1.2 Guild API for Data Access
Having an API to pull player and guild data would open up so many possibilities for community-driven tools:
Guild member tracking (activity, participation, etc.).
Raid performance analysis if combat logs are accessible.
Custom dashboards for leadership to organize events and manage guild operations.
1.3 Guilds Should Shape the World
Instead of just existing in the world, guilds should influence it.
Possible implementations:
Dev-backed, guild-driven world events (e.g., massive naval battles, the awakening of a world boss, etc.).
Persistent world changes based on guild influence (e.g., guilds that aid a faction could shift the balance of power in that region).
2. Have You Participated in Guild Programs in Other MMORPGs?
No, because most of them have been useless. They’re usually nothing more than a PR stunt, designed for streamers and elite PvP guilds rather than real community engagement.
I want to see a Guild Program that actually enhances the game experience, not just one that hands out badges and leaderboards.
3. What In-Game Activities Would You Like to See in a Guild Program?
3.1 Dev-Supported Guild RP Events
Give guilds tools to run immersive, dynamic events that shape the game’s world.
Example: A guild discovers an ancient ruin, triggering a server-wide event where players race to uncover its secrets.
Dev-backed live storytelling elements would make the world feel alive instead of just another theme park MMO.
3.2 An “Around-the-World Naked Race” Event 🏃♂️🤣
Because why not? Sometimes, MMOs need fun, dumb events that build community engagement.
4. What Kinds of Features Like Website Leaderboards or Real-World Swag Would Best Motivate Your Guild?
4.1 PvP Leaderboards? No Thanks.
PvP leaderboards are always dominated by the same min-maxers, and the rest of us don’t care.
If leaderboards exist, make them interesting:
Most caravans successfully defended (not just destroyed).
Largest economic impact (trading, crafting, regional influence).
4.2 Forget T-Shirts, Give Me STL Files!
No one needs another cheap hoodie with a logo on it.
What would be cool? STL files for 3D printing in-game gear, mounts, and banners. Let us print and paint our own collectibles.
5. How Would You Prefer Guild Achievements and Contributions Be Recognized?
5.1 No Public Drama – Just Give Us Meaningful Recognition
Public leaderboards just fuel toxicity. Nobody needs an award for “Most Caravans Destroyed.”
Instead, give guilds in-game recognition that actually means something.
Custom trophies, statues, or banners for their guild halls.
In-game perks or recognition for contributions to the world.
6. Final Thoughts
The Guild Program shouldn’t be another influencer-friendly PR tool. It should actually make guilds a core part of the game’s development and world.
Guilds should shape the game, not just exist in it.
A Guild API is a must for player-driven tools.
Recognition should be for contributions, not pointless PvP flexing.
Events should be dynamic and guild-driven, not static and repetitive.
If done right, this could be a pillar of the game’s long-term success. If it turns into another PR stunt, well… we’ll all see right through it.
Enveus is the most notorious one. This comes not only from A2 but from before. During the lottery period, when Intrepid was giving invites to pre-A2 "based on participation on A1 and forum participation", Enveus leadership received dozens of extra invites, based on relationship alone. Ppl who had played extensively throughout A1, til the server closed, weren't invited until everyone who had A1 access got its access. But if you asked Enveus, they could hook you up.
this became a meme in the community.
https://ibb.co/6R6nJyB7
During phase 1, Enveus leadership was teaching others on their discord on how to dupe.
https://ibb.co/tMCZ2Ptr
In the late Resna server, when the duping punishments were being handled, Enveus leader DA got the email that he was being punished because of duping. When the server got online, his character was untouched. I don't have the evidence for this as I'm no longer in the Discord server, but there are multiple witnesses to the fact.
As we have seen throughout December and the beginning of January through multiple reports, video evidence, player testimonies, and reports, we had multiple envious members, again, exploiting. They rushed to max level and got Carphin gear by abusing mob pathing and taking 0 damage. This was widely reported by lots of ppl, with testimonies that they were there all day and that multiple Enveus groups rotated the exploit. This was now confirmed as a bug by Intrepid's community manager.
https://ibb.co/mjr7gPC
As you can see, my report with video evidence was also answered by Intrepid's customer support, as proof that it was reported and the report was received.
https://ibb.co/zTzMV48C
We even had community outrage about it, with multiple content creators showing evidence of it, Enveus leadership admitting it was an exploit, and alliance leadership arguing between themselves because they were not all in agreement about exploiting. Also, it shows evidence that other people were punished BY DOING THE SAME EXPLOIT AS THEY WERE.
https://youtu.be/Z9UL2lzicrc?t=322
https://youtu.be/-X2REOMs2P8?t=2390
So, when you ask about my feedback on a guild program, here is my feedback:
I , and a lot of ppl in the community, don't trust Intrepid to handle a program that can clearly benefit one guild over the other, based on Intrepid's history of playing favorites
What would you hope for in a Guild Program, including features, or opportunities?
Community interaction and development through weekly feedback sessions limited to one post per guild per week. This should give a snapshot of what both big and small guilds are experiencing in-game and help the dev team tailor content to that feedback.
Have you participated in Guild Programs in other MMORPGs? If so, what features or initiatives did you like (or dislike) about them?
Not enough studio to guild relationships out there. Other than charity events and the like there hasn't been much in the way of studios getting guilds involved in the game process.
What in-game activities, such as events or cooperative challenges, would you like to see in a Guild Program?
Guild leader vs players monster arena/events. I love the idea of having guild leaders assume the role of powerful in-game inspired monstes or avatars then having their members band together to defeat them. This is a type of event that inspires community and teamwork across guilds regardless of guild size since its members of all guilds involved vs their guild leaders.
What kinds of features like website leaderboards or real-world swag, would best motivate your guild to participate? If you had to choose one or two things, which would they be?
Leaderboards can be a fun metric to gauge guild involvement in game. I'd love to see just a statistics based filtering system to the leaderboards. "Whose harvested the most zinc" or "Whose killed the most Raid Bosses" pr "whose run the most caravans": adding a filter to a leaderboard system allows crafting guilds to see "big" numbrs right along side the players who want to see kill counts.
Special borders or emoji's on official discord and forums are good non-game influencing rewards.
How would you prefer guild achievements and contributions be recognized - publicly with leaderboards and or social media, or privately with member-only perks?
I think a mix of private and public awards are good. Shoutouts to smaller guilds go a long way. The big guilds are already getting their recognition.
Why tho??? This isn't needed. This will be abused to no end. Intrepid needs less direct access to the community if anything not more. Devs and guilds in this program will abuse it to no end and it'll kill every guild no included in it.
Amen dude. This program needs to be canned or I'll have lost a lot of trust. This would ultimately get me to stop playing potentially. Bad idea.
Understandable that forum users would not be fans of Guild Programs.
Hopefully if a decision is made to move forward this is not an excuse to add the need for more moderation.
Will lead to in-game benefits for guilds selected and is also opening the door for those who are unable to participate or not selected to, to feel excluded and perceive favoritism of other guilds that get to play along side devs in game.
free publicity for those guilds selected: let me join them, let me help those guys, let me give them things. would say we already see that with streamers.
In a game of conflict, how do the devs avoid giving one guild an advantage over others?
The only thing I WOULD like to see is support of guild-led in-game events. Have GMs that could assist with some in-game contests or puzzles, or stuff like that. THAT was a thing I've seen several guilds attempt to do themselves, but simply not reach the prefered lvl of quality because they didn't have the tools to organize everything well enough.
This support could include announcements of said events on Intrepid media platforms, GM overseers that would uphold the peace during an event (within reason of course), temporary flying mounts for event observers (if those are present). Stuff like that.
Anything else will be seen as favoritism, just as A2 explioits bans have been seen as favoritism towards certain established guilds.
We've been removing off-topic and unproductive comments from the conversation.
Keep in mind that this is a discussion regarding a potential program, rather than an announcement for a program. This exists as a sort of blue-sky discussion regarding what a program like this could be
The idea of a Guild Program could be a good idea. Below are my thoughts on how this program could best serve players, foster deeper engagement, and provide real value beyond mere vanity features.
1. What Would You Hope for in a Guild Program, Including Features or Opportunities?
1.1 Better Communication Between Devs and Guilds
Communication in MMOs is always a mess. A Guild Program should be a structured way for devs to actually listen to guilds instead of just doing PR streams that don’t address real concerns.
Here’s what would help:
Regular surveys or town halls for guild leaders to provide structured feedback.
Opt-in targeted playtesting – Let guilds participate in testing for things they actually care about (PvP balance, economy, crafting, etc.).
Guild advisory boards – A rotating group of guild leaders to discuss pain points, successes, and feature suggestions with the dev team.
1.2 Guild API for Data Access
Having an API to pull player and guild data would open up so many possibilities for community-driven tools:
Guild member tracking (activity, participation, etc.).
Raid performance analysis if combat logs are accessible.
Custom dashboards for leadership to organize events and manage guild operations.
1.3 Guilds Should Shape the World
Instead of just existing in the world, guilds should influence it.
Possible implementations:
Dev-backed, guild-driven world events (e.g., massive naval battles, the awakening of a world boss, etc.).
Persistent world changes based on guild influence (e.g., guilds that aid a faction could shift the balance of power in that region).
2. Have You Participated in Guild Programs in Other MMORPGs?
No, because most of them have been useless. They’re usually nothing more than a PR stunt, designed for streamers and elite PvP guilds rather than real community engagement.
I want to see a Guild Program that actually enhances the game experience, not just one that hands out badges and leaderboards.
3. What In-Game Activities Would You Like to See in a Guild Program?
3.1 Dev-Supported Guild RP Events
Give guilds tools to run immersive, dynamic events that shape the game’s world.
Example: A guild discovers an ancient ruin, triggering a server-wide event where players race to uncover its secrets.
Dev-backed live storytelling elements would make the world feel alive instead of just another theme park MMO.
3.2 An “Around-the-World Naked Race” Event
Because why not? Sometimes, MMOs need fun, dumb events that build community engagement.
4. What Kinds of Features Like Website Leaderboards or Real-World Swag Would Best Motivate Your Guild?
4.1 PvP Leaderboards? No Thanks.
PvP leaderboards are always dominated by the same min-maxers, and the rest of us don’t care.
If leaderboards exist, make them interesting:
Most caravans successfully defended (not just destroyed).
Largest economic impact (trading, crafting, regional influence).
4.2 Forget T-Shirts, Give Me STL Files!
No one needs another cheap hoodie with a logo on it.
What would be cool? STL files for 3D printing in-game gear, mounts, and banners. Let us print and paint our own collectibles.
5. How Would You Prefer Guild Achievements and Contributions Be Recognized?
5.1 No Public Drama – Just Give Us Meaningful Recognition
Public leaderboards just fuel toxicity. Nobody needs an award for “Most Caravans Destroyed.”
Instead, give guilds in-game recognition that actually means something.
Custom trophies, statues, or banners for their guild halls.
In-game perks or recognition for contributions to the world.
6. Final Thoughts
The Guild Program shouldn’t be another influencer-friendly PR tool. It should actually make guilds a core part of the game’s development and world.
Guilds should shape the game, not just exist in it.
A Guild API is a must for player-driven tools.
Recognition should be for contributions, not pointless PvP flexing.
Events should be dynamic and guild-driven, not static and repetitive.
If done right, this could be a pillar of the game’s long-term success. If it turns into another PR stunt, well… we’ll all see right through it.
Once again, to drive it home: This is a terrible idea.
However, if we were to assume that Intrepid had a perfect perception of being fair and only interested in the game as a development project, then matching some of the available options in Elite Dangerous and a few from Throne and Liberty would be good.
Elite Dangerous: INARA.cz and the Custom Player Faction system
A group of players in an established ingame equivalent of a Guild (Squadron) can request to be officially installed in a star system ('Node') as a Faction that then works like every other Faction in the game, including having an Ethos, a Government type, the ability to expand to other star systems, etc.
Since the storyline and Community Goals (not the player Community other than in the sense that it is a goal available in game to all) include these factions, it is good.
The website link above leads to an unaffiliated resource where player groups issue missions. Data can be exported through the game API into it, so it is basically an extension of the game flow for longer-scale activities.
A Guild Program could lead to the sort of good outcomes that ED has seen, with players arranging an event and the Devs, with their control over the world, 'canonizing' it using their multiple tools for doing so in the few cases where the Background Simulation does not do a good enough job on its own.
Other things I would not hate seeing in the same vein would be some pipeline from the Guilds, to the Community Team, to the Devs if necessary (but hopefully just implemented tools that the Community Team uses), for when Guilds make an agreement that the system does not have a clean way to handle. In Elite this would be the equivalent of 'choosing to hand over a facility instead of having the BGS-triggered conflict over it', to avoid interference. Basically, smoothing out the politics.
Throne and Liberty: Guild Dynamism and Territory Control
Like most PvP-enabled Fantasy MMORPGs, Throne and Liberty 'suffers' from a vast gap in how different players want to interact with the game, yet incentivizes guilds. A lot of this could be resolved by making TL guilds more similar to Elite Factions, with more explicit 'tendencies' and 'Ethos', but I believe this would best be achieved through direct communication with a Community Team member.
For example, a Guild that explicitly has the goal only of helping new players could have an underlying 'flag' set that denies players who actually have Alts, or a small guild with no intention to get larger might be allowed to form a larger number of alliances with other similar small guilds (but unlike Ashes, there would be no benefit, if anything, just a 'penalty' preventing them from recruiting any further).
Basically a pipeline to request the use of systems that would be abused if simply allowed into the wild as settings. Would this be 'fair' or viewed as 'fair'? Probably not.
The Gap (and an FF11 reference)
There's a reason this works better in Elite than in TL, and why the old FF11 version worked for a while but then collapsed.
The gap between what Immersed/'Roleplayers' want from a game and what Competitives/'Sweats' want from it. I assume Intrepid knows what I actually mean when I say those shorthand terms.
I don't log into Elite caring about 'if the game is in maintenance at a time that gives an opponent an advantage'. I make it part of storyline and move on. Elite offers enough depth in this regard, depth that other players can't just ignore due to the BGS, that we are all sharing an experience. Neither side gets to entirely ignore the playstyle or goals of the other.
This used to be how it was in FF11 because of a laundry list of reasons relative to the game's design, but after a certain expansion, it was possible to advance more simply by grinding longer with no limits. You were not 'subject to anything'.
TL can go more in this direction than it has gone, but it is also trying to maintain 'appeal' so it moreso tends to move away from it very slowly so far. I believe many people are looking for what Elite offers and what Ashes can, though, it's just hard to reach.
Unfortunately, because I literally cannot stress this enough, my group does not currently have faith that Intrepid (not design wise, just as a conglomerate of people) could manage to hit that critical threshold of perceived impartiality. Even the underlying structure of Ashes does not lend itself to this as much as TL or ED.
So, please no. But if you can somehow hit the Elite level without favoritism drama somehow (and it would come up even in the best of cases for Ashes) and the demographic of the game drifts away from WorldBuild-Ignoring Competitiveness, then those are the 'suggestions'.
"For what...?"
"Just about everything, really."
There should be a way for non-PvP guilds focused on crafting to earn money. On my server, caravan earnings are destroyed by PvP guilds, so it would be great to have an alternative way to make money early in the game.
What would you hope for in a Guild Program, including features, or opportunities?
- Open honest dialogue with the Intrepid team, about their vision for guilds, especially where the dynamic shifts between Families, Guilds and Nodes
- Opportunity to host in-game events, that think outside of the box and potentially give intrepid better data points
- Clear guidance, what is expected of guilds that participate, especially in the manner of rhetoric and behaviour, this should be something that adds and not used to fuel the sometimes toxic inter-guild relationships
- If there are in-game events, clear ruling, as to how community members should interact with it
- regular sessions
- I personally would die for the opportunity for deeper insight an theory crafting around the intricate mechanics between all the other systems that are planned
- Potential preview of changes like the guild leveling system, so we can give earlier feedback on number tuning
Have you participated in Guild Programs in other MMORPGs? If so, what features or initiatives did you like (or dislike) about them?
Yes, I have participated in other Guild Programs, though most of them were less than optimal run. The ones I have been part in turned too easily into another PR / Marketing avenue to include Content Creators and not really for the betterment of the actual system itself.
Though we were able to introduce some benefits to the system, it also turned on the participants, because the guild run program was publicly (logged in user) visible, hence harassment resulted from the player base, if they didn't agree with what the program members said.
I always welcome to have a dialogue and give more nuanced feedback on certain topics. At one point, we were given statistic data to prove the subjective look at an issue we had, that made us reconsider opinion.
I don't expect this here, but it was nice, when we could actually see what the community was doing.
What in-game activities would you like to see in a Guild Program? Example realm-wide events hosted by a guild that anyone can partake in.
I could think of dozen of different examples as what could be done to make things happen.
But I think the most important would be, that the events are inclusive for guilds of all levels and of different intention.
The "problem" then becomes, are those events
- being helped by a GM?
- being peaceful?
- realm-specific? (The conditions on the realms itself are very different)
- Are they competitions?
Personally I would like for the start a peaceful event, for example, if we could cook something up for the next testing period.
Verran Valentines Day
Start: Thursday 13th of February
End: Monday 17th of February
To remind the pioneers, that return back to Verra, that they are all beloved creations by the gods the priesthood of the goddess of Love (represented by a guild) has started events in Halcyon and Azmaran (the divine nodes) and are handing out recipes for all professions to show each other appreciation.
This would make just small trinkets from with novice materials, to give everyone a chance to participate.
This then could offer also other avenues, depending on how one would flavour it:
- Baking competition, whoever can make the most chocolate / sweets for someone on valentine (this could be turned into a guild competition as well, where you spawn an NPC, that counts your contribution, for
- 1000 Contribution Points (CP) you get x amount of Guild EXP
- 5000 CP gets you y amount of Guild EXP
- 10000 CP gets you z amount of Guild EXP
- and the highest contributor gets and extra amount of Guild EXP
This could be helped by Guild Members being "NPCs" in the world.
Handing out materials or items necessary for the crafts, turning it into a treasure hunt, where guild members are hiding in different parts of the map and need to be looked up.
It is just example, but if we had an easier way to create excess goods, that would something I would be interested to host, even if it is more difficult without intrepids help.
What kinds of features like website leaderboards or real-world swag, would best motivate your guild to participate? If you had to choose one or two things, which would they be?
I don't think there should be any leaderboards for participating in the guild program. Participation and the chances it offers should be enough in of itself.
Everything else will just turn into self-promoting for the sake of self-promotion on official intrepid channels and not for the actual betterment of the program.
How would you prefer guild achievements and contributions be recognized - publicly with leaderboards and or social media, or privately with member-only perks?
I think, we need to look at the preface of a leaderboard and what can reasonably be put up on said leaderboard, also what leaderboard would make sense on different levels:
- Families
- Guilds
- Alliances
- Nodes
- Realms
We usually do these for Achievements (Progress Tracking) & Competition (Showing Off and trying to be better than others).
But what would make sense from a Guild Level to track in a PvX game?
- Number of Players? -> Very rudimentary, but doable
- Number of Guild Wars won? -> Can be cheesed by spawning guilds, that can be declared war upon or by finding people, that are not into PvP gameplay (yes, I know, this is PvX and everyone should do PvP, but some just don't want to do it)
- Number of Crafters / Level? -> Some Guilds might not want do disclose that information publicly, for example a bigger guilds or alliance, that have more guilds might want to obfuscate as much as possible
- Number of Recipes hold? -> See above
- Wealth of a Guild? -> See above
- World Boss Kills? -> Shows the prowess, but that should be a group effort, what if one needs more guilds to secure world bosses? How is the fame for actually taking one done being calculated? Just the guild, that gets the kill attributed? What about the other screening guilds, that fight a PvP war, while the world boss is being taken down by the PvE people? How would one provide it for those?
- Dungeon/Raids cleared? -> Same problem as above, I could see this for instances dungeons/raids, but then it would need to be thought about if that metric is desired to be tracked, for example since we currently don't have plans for increasing instanced dungeon difficulty (afaik), it would probably become a speedrun strategy, which will turn into a optimization effort, leading to "enforced" compositions / archetype-combos which players could feel pressured into.
I would probably personally say, that private info, of what we have done might be more meaningful.
Like a Guild Chronicles or the Annals of a Guild. Which lists everything the guild has done/achieved since its inception. So people that join the guild at a later date can be impressed at what history the guild has, also offers the members a way to look back in time to see what they have achieved or what has happened to the guild.
PS: I could probably think of more things to add or elaborate, but I want to keep it rather short and simple.
Let's go back to the pre alpha days. Back then, our testing was limited, but there was this gloriously bright moment where we had a longer testing period and a few servers. There was a little guild called 'Enveus'. Now, it makes sense Intrepid is more aware of them gives that they have many PI people. What I dislike is the special benefits they got with that.
We had devs specifically playing with them, devs porting them around the map on request, community events of theirs getting special privileges to the point they added channels on the main discord while others couldn't even dream of having their events being run like that, getting to skip the line for their guild to get into the pre alpha while others had to wait simply because they weren't part of Enveus. We also had never had any official communication regarding these issues from Intrepid that they were going to deal with these things differently.
These are some of the many things that one guild got favoritism in. Now, I don't specifically care about the guild anymore because all that was in the past, but it also indicates that Intrepid is terrible at not showing favoritism. If you all would like to host an initiative like this you'll first have to set a company policy on how to manage these things because if things haven't changed, a year down the line this will be a massive mess that will blow up in your face, and it won't be properly dealt with because of the sunk cost fallacy.
In conclusion, I don't think this will bring the benefits you envision, and as things currently stand it'll probably be a big mess.
What would you like to see in a Guild Program? Which features or opportunities would interest you?
=> A discussion channel with the Community Managers/Developers. In the end, the interests of both sides are very similar. The GM’s goal is to help the guild prosper, engage its members in the game, and offer content they enjoy. The developers/project leads have every reason to stay in touch to learn about players’ needs, gather feedback, and steer development in harmony with the community. An MMO that loses a large portion of its player base just a few months after release will face commercial failure, often because project leads become disconnected from community expectations.
=> Involve all types of guilds in the program, with GMs who genuinely want to invest in it. Gather feedback from smaller guilds that favor PvE, crafting, or small-scale PvP, as well as more balanced guilds, and finally the try-hard or large-scale “zerg” guilds. It’s challenging to make everyone coexist, but some games manage it, and it’s crucial for Ashes of Creation’s long-term success.
=> Personally, the opportunity would be to provide truly constructive feedback on guild life and missing features. In a game oriented around GvG, that means proposing content that includes multiple guilds working together or competing through different challenges.
Have you ever participated in similar programs in other MMORPGs? If so, which initiatives did you like (or dislike)?
No, I’ve never taken part in such a program.
What types of in-game activities would you like to see in this program?
(For example, server-wide events hosted by guilds and open to everyone.)
=> A guild treasure hunt: Why not organize events where an NPC appears at a set time and gives clues to the treasure’s location? Guilds would then embark on a timed search, with a boss fight or some other finale at the end.
=> During city building, have noticeboards showing which guilds contribute the most in quests, resource donations, and so on.
=> For PvP enthusiasts, official tournaments in an 8v8 format.
=> Fishing competitions, focusing on the size or weight of the fish caught.
Which types of rewards would motivate your guild to participate?
(Official website leaderboards, exclusive real-world goodies, etc.? If you had to choose one or two rewards, which would they be?)
=> Exclusive skins or mounts always make a strong impression on the community, offering unique rewards for participating in events. Take care not to drift into elitism by only rewarding top competitors. Instead, create a system where everyone who takes part can earn a keepsake from the event.
Physical merchandise can be quite costly due to manufacturing and shipping, and aside from streamers who might display it, I personally prefer rewards that showcase our characters in-game.
How would you like to see guild achievements and contributions highlighted?
(Would you prefer public recognition through leaderboards and social media, or private, member-only perks?)
They’re not mutually exclusive. As I mentioned before, it would be great to see developers highlight achievements during the monthly livestreams and maintain a dedicated section on the official website. MMOs today often focus heavily on individual players at the expense of guild and community values, so spotlighting guild achievements would be a welcome shift.
Meanwhile, private perks—such as special achievement skins and leaderboard placements—are always a good way to encourage a sense of challenge and progression.
One cautionary note before concluding: This system will only work well if you maintain balance by representing all guild types and relying on their feedback, rather than simply giving the spotlight to certain guilds that may not really need it. Also consider all participating guilds for any upcoming events and ensure the entire server wants to join in. I understand this can be difficult, especially given the current mentality where even in alpha some guilds or players aim solely to drive others away. A solid guild content-creation system that encourages positive actions can only help—but please be fair, equitable, and transparent with the rest of Verra’s citizens!
That concludes my contribution on developing a guild program. It could be a great idea, and there will always be GMs willing to devote time and offer feedback to further the world of Verra for everyone’s benefit. This sort of approach is rare in games nowadays. I’d like to emphasize how satisfying it is that Intrepid is building the MMO alongside its community.
Thank you!
Imanech
What would you hope for in a Guild Program, including features, or opportunities? Organized discord channels, events such as guild development ptr’s and feedback potential.
Have you participated in Guild Programs in other MMORPGs? If so, what features or initiatives did you like (or dislike) about them? I have not.
What in-game activities, such as events or cooperative challenges, would you like to see in a Guild Program? non war type guild competition, such as non pvp gathering challenges, scavenger hunts etc
What kinds of features like website leaderboards or real-world swag, would best motivate your guild to participate? Irl swag, in game titles, leaderboards and custom chat emojis /b] If you had to choose one or two things, which would they be? Swag and titles
How would you prefer guild achievements and contributions be recognized - publicly with leaderboards and or social media, or privately with member-only perks? Can we do all of the above? Lol i think a mix of these depending on the event type would be awesome, say you have a guild fishing competition between several guilds itshould be external, if it is a in guild event it should internal
- events that build community vs tear it to bits, perhaps something cooperative and even multi-guild vs competitive (IE: guilds are randomly grouped into an alliance to face another alliance or something)
The biggest stain on the game is the culture. This isn't about it not supporting casuals, or solo players, its about how there is an overabundance of large guilds who treat people like garbage. All the crap-talking gets old. Steven might find it fun, but many don't.
So on that note, whatever this becomes, it shouldn't empower these same people to continue to be crappy to the general population.
The biggest thing that comes to mind for this is giving smaller to med size guilds a voice and bigger stake in the process. Why i say this is just due to what is available to bigger guilds. People, recourses, time, and ease of access to things. This is obvious to some but not to most. One thing i will point at is right now the guild perks in current state feel as if they are geared to larger guilds. With skills, bonuses, ROI of time or money. I have yet to see the changes that were made recent as i just threw this system in the trash in the state it was.
I as a guild leader would love to join in on this process and represent the smaller groups, or more tactical groups a voice.
Id love to see easier guild comms and even alliance comms. Id love to be able to make alliances and have those alliances be able to participate in wars, sieges etc.
Guild or alliance ran events on the server would be cool to see. Where its kind of like a monster coin event but a guild is doing it.
Id love to see more guild related quests like the commission board but for guilds. Something the guild leader can chose from that gives exp, or lvl progression to the guild. Kill "x" amount of mobs, head to this POI and fight this named boss, etc.
I would like to see more guild related tasks around node wars, such as sabotage this key area of trees, mobs, or take over the space. make some content for smaller groups.
thats all i have for now so hope some of this helps. I know alot of things are still work in progress , it is testing and things will change or are coming.
Thanks.
The Wolves of Verra
are recruiting: https://discord.gg/4bFySwxS
However it is interpreted and and perceived, we all comprehend similar fundamentals behind those aspects and this could be an opportunity to convey all the major and vital factors that should be included into a potential implementation into the world.
If I was to participate in Community based content there would need to be an incentive for me to participate as time will be limited when game content takes priority.
It posses the question of, if you need to participate in community content, does that mean there is not enough in game content to do?
As a guild leader for Shiprekt, if I was to promote community content I would look at the following.
- Structured PvP battles where the winner could receive a rare drop.
- Town hall meetings where potential Mayors debate on the future of nodes
Outside of this I would prefer the guild content to be in game.
I'm also concerned with elitism however; any guild who isn't apart of the program could be viewed as "not official", and so if this is a thing, it should be very easy to apply for.