Guild Maintanence - Several Topics

[Vilidius]

Hi all

So I haven't been terribly active on the boards, but those in the game know I've been playing a lot. Combination of several factors - life related (have some time), hardware related (new computer!), and game related (good game!). But anyway, I'm much more in game than I am on these boards.

Discussion last night brought up a few issues, and since I haven't seen anyone else post here yet I guess I'm nominated.

Topic 1

We need someone spending more time on guild administration - mainly renewing contracts. We have guild buffs that players haven't had access to in days or possibly weeks just because no one is renewing contracts. Needs to be the guild leader, apparently. We discussed the possibility that someone could be guild "admin" for that purpose, with the required permissions, with the understanding of course that Talon is still our real leader in BDO. Obvious suggestions were Salamandros and Allan. Speaking personally, I miss my guild buffs. =(

Topic 2

We have guild points to spend and someone needs to invest them. I vote for another level of gathering, since everyone uses it some of the time and it really helps in the desert. But whatever we use them on, it's a shame to have them sitting there.

Topic 3

This might be a big one. Seeing Sagaites drop into BDO who I had literally never met before made me realize how important it is to grow in every game. If we aren't growing, we're dying. I'm not trying to boast by saying this, but the core of (active) Saga is now comprised of a lot of people we recruited in TOR, which was our last big push. They are the people who have led us into literally our last three games (GW2, Wildstar, BDO). Without that infusion of new people, I don't even know what we'd be as a guild atm. Probably almost non-existent.

BDO started organically, but the presence of active members of Saga is significant enough now we should start a conversation about how (and if) we would go about adding to it. Whatever we do it has to be something that Talon is on board with, as our leader. As above, that's the difference between our real leader and the person who clicks "renew" after all. But personally, I'd vote for a much more fluid, and open, recruiting process. I'd like to place confidence in Talon's judgment, and a few other people who we trust to carry the torch for what Saga is all about, and simply let them recruit new people without the fanfare or the usual rigamarole.

I know this is controversial, and there are some people who really believe that this board is Saga more than any game, and that recruiting should happen here. But I just feel that flies in the face of modern gaming reality. It was controversial when I almost shoved it down everyone's throats last time also, but it yielded great people. Also some people who didn't stick, but certainly no one who ruined our reputation in the process of not sticking around. And that's the real concern, right?

I'm conscious of the fact that Talon didn't sign up to be a full-time guild administrator and Saga in BDO seems comprised mostly of the people who have consciously rejected organized leadership roles for a while now (with me as an exception, and I absolutely do not want it this time) and if we pile on the bureaucracy it will probably make recruiting impossible and leadership unpalatable. That's why I'm advocating we just embrace gaming in the year 2016. Not that we spam the RP channels with invites (shudder) but just that we stay open to the possibility of new people and add them as seems appropriate, subject to the judgment calls of people we respect and trust.

[Lyrima]

I'm completely fine with recruiting with little fanfare in game.   Guilding is tricky in that we have to be in the same space - dunno if we want to fork over guilding abilities to more than the folks who have it now.   If folks want to join our boards, we probably want to have some kind of something to vet them out of the game before inviting them to our private areas.  The public stuff & BDO forums should be ...well...public.   Is there a way to limit recruit access guild goodies - if there are any?

I know nothing about anything else, so whatever everyone decides is GREAT with me.

Thanks for bringing this stuff up Vil.

[PinkRose]

As XO, Board security is important.
The Behind the Bar section is what needs to be secured.
The BDO boards are viewable if one is registered.
Go forth and recruit I say.

[Jasyn]

Not a big deal to me, either.

I only know our Wildstar cousins exclusively from the boards here, so I'm kind of tickled to finally get a chance to interact with them in any game.

If we stick with having a Saga for BDO, granted I barely remember at this point, but I think we finally worked things out where Saga in BDO can do what works to grow Saga in BDO, and the board stuff is completely optional for those that want to branch out with us in other worlds, so that's cool.

It's probably a good thing that folks in this game need to be invited in person, though.  Some of the vocal personalities I've come across in game so far seem like complete gluteal chapeaus.

[Lyrima]

gluteal chapeaus.

[Mixxi]

Sorry for Talon and me being invisible for the last few weeks. That's what heading off on vacation does. And two people trying to patch games in the same household on Australian internet is nearly impossible, even letting things run all night. It just so happens that a bunch of people started playing just as we went AWOL.

Just to recap the history for newcomers:

I formed the guild and put in a bunch of my early-on meager money to pay for guild stuff (since only the guild leader can pay for things and there is no way for guildmembers to donate).

People wanted a guild symbol. It was going to take most of the rest of my little in-game money at the time. Talon volunteered to take over leadership so he could pay for it with the money he'd been getting from fishing.

He'd be happy to turn over leadership, I think. We've talked about it several times as a group when we've gotten together. The problem is that transfer of guild leadership cuts the guild funds in half.

If we're going to do it, we should do it sooner rather than later.

I will say, from a personal standpoint, if we get into another bureaucracy-fest with guild stuff, I'm completely fading into the distance. Same with tons of rules about chat and such.

[Vilidius]

I will say, from a personal standpoint, if we get into another bureaucracy-fest with guild stuff, I'm completely fading into the distance. Same with tons of rules about chat and such.

1000% agreed. That's one of the reasons I decided to broach the subject here rather than let it fester. On the one hand, the occasional discussion about how we want the guild to operate so that everyone is comfortable ... that's totally reasonable, in my opinion. On the other hand, if we develop complex procedures for every step of recruiting transferring leadership, etc. ... man, I wouldn't want to run that, I wouldn't wish it on my friends, and I probably wouldn't want to be led by anyone who'd want that job.

So yeah, let's keep things fun. If we're going to have a fuller-time leader (nominal or otherwise) who keeps more standard hours for the majority of our guild, I would nominate either Askari/Salamandros or else Allan/Tuppen/Avayus. If we're worried about recovering funds for any reason or need to in the future ... well, I can donate about 10 million at need. I know I can't actually deposit silver. But food is personal transactionable. And as long as our guildleader doesn't mind selling off 10,000 beers for me, I can pass them over at need. =)

[Vilidius]

Just to add to the above, I want to say I'm incredibly glad that Mixxi and Talon (as well as others, but I don't know who was here earliest) led the way into this new game. I wouldn't be in BDO at all except for Saga. And it's the most gaming fun I've had in ages. This leadership/admin thing does matter, but it's hardly worth anyone's gaming fun. And I hope no one mistakes bringing this up with any sort of criticism or complaint.

[Talon]

Thanks, Vilidius.

I set contracts for as long as was possible but 30 days is easy to lose track of so I'm sorry they expired while I wasn't able to get into game.

Saga having so much fun in BDO makes me very happy. But I am conscious of the fact that I am out of reach for most of everyone's play time. We've generally made it work but I've been very conscious of the fact that the mechanics of BDO require things to happen while everyone involved is online (and not AFK) at the same time. My timezone presents a significant disadvantage for this particular game.

I have been looking at BDO as more of a group effort with "leadership" being a name for administration and funding for the in-game guild and contracts and we've kept "bureaucracy" for lack of a better word, to a minimum with that approach.

Continuing in that, I have faith that we, the group of Sagaites who've been enjoying the game, will keep Saga well if going forth and recruiting (and don't envision any invitations going out to any Laughing Coffin members, for example ) - though I am not able to devote time to that aspect at the moment, myself - and I am happy to pass on the guild leadership to Sal or Tupp at the earliest opportunity to make the guild mechanics more easily implemented for everyone.

[Mixxi]

Just to add to the above, I want to say I'm incredibly glad that Mixxi and Talon (as well as others, but I don't know who was here earliest) led the way into this new game. I wouldn't be in BDO at all except for Saga. And it's the most gaming fun I've had in ages.

Tuppen (Allen) was the genius behind it all. It was completely off my radar, and I had no idea I would enjoy as much as I do. I'm very grateful to him for encouraging me to try it. 

[Talon]

Yes! Thank you, Allen.