Leaving game for a bit and observations of guilds

Well unfortuantely I am going to have to leave PW for a bit and wanted to say goodbye to some friends but in addition I wanted to leave with some observations and recommendations of things I have noticed in game with regards to the current guilds. If you care read if not then dont...though I would recommend those interested in running guilds to read since my recommendations are based on much experience organizing guilds.

To qualify myself I am one of the leaders of Primal Instinct Gaming Services Network where we are currently ranked as number 1 guild in 7 different MMORPGs to the degree that our sub-guild in some games is ranked number 2. I have been asked to assist them again in forming a guild in a game coming out called Runes of Magic.

Some observations to current guild leaders from someone who has been running guilds for the last 10 years in MMORPGs an MUDs.

Bloodlust:

I think you guys had the greatest missed opportunity yet to dominate the server. With the death of Ascension you were left as the strongest guild in the game and the only possible rival at the time was Conquerer. It was in your best interest at that time to take out CQ but you failed to attempt. What I would have done was ally with Unlimited against CQ when CQ was taking out UL lands around but before vengeance died. It was at this time you could have began taking out CQ lands and UL could have taken out Vengences lands. You would have controlled the strongest alliance in game. After CQ lost a few lands due to the fickle nature of members in this game to disband their guilds or leave at the earliest sign of trouble (guild unity is always weak early in a server release) CQ would have lost guild morale and some of its members. Especially at this point CQ hadn't been weeded out by a KOS or guild dilemma at that time. (most strong guilds early on are filled with grinders who's focus isn't to pk yet but to get levels and xp in peace, by having a KOS experience early these people flea the guild at the slightest err, as happened with Unlimited, Holyhell and Ascension and many other guilds without a core of 30-40 members to the guild it will implode on such a migration and hence one of the problems of early game zergs which are commonplace at the beginning of servers).

By not attacking CQ at this vital time (perhaps because you saw what happened when CQ attacked you, but this was before you got Ascension and by these means you should have known you could defeat CQ) and taking the path of least resistance on the world map (territories which you would have anyways since no other guild could stand up to you except for CQ) you allowed CQ unity to grow and for them to assimilate Veng. In addition you lost the opportunity to ally Unlimited a guild you could have broke the alliance with and crushed once CQ was out of the picture.

If CQ maintained itself after your attack they would have relocated to RQ territory most likely and wipe RQ off the map allowing for you to control the entire SW of the map and you would also then have a weakened CQ isolated to the NE of the map.

Now you are in a situation with GZ and CQ pseudo allied against you and yourself with a weakened truce with RQ (a guild which has no unity of the server on its side and thus a weakened recruitment base to grow). The recent loss of XP spots will surely weaken your future activities. It is probably in your best interest to take out Guardianz to the northeast now that you can touch their territory and then move against CQ and pick up alliances with the smaller guilds (which you could break later as needed or merge into yourself which usually is the case when a big guild allies smaller ones, after a while their higher level members develop friendships with your higher level members through sharing ventrilo and they leave their smaller guild for you) against GZ and CQ. The only problem is that even if you take out GZ's land the unity in the guild will not allow you to break them and they will remain a constant threat and possibly eventually align with CQ against you leading to your ultimate defeat if planned appropriately.

Guardianz:

You did exactly as Synergy did in 2moons to ally 3-4 weakened guilds into 1 strong super guild and already the guild unity has been sparked through bloodlusts agressive policy towards you with its 2 KOS's (since Grim recognized GZ as a threat as he should have). This only ended by strengthening your position and momentum within the guild most likely now to Grim's dismay.. At this moment your best policy in my opinion would be to finish off RQ territory and then move to align yourself with CQ against Bloodlust. During this time it would be in your best interest to cancel any KOS and focus on a guild wise level binge and organize guild wise HH assistance for weapons. You can expect many people will be asking to join in the future. Do not recruit based on level but on attitude for soon everyone will be lvl 90-95 when the level grind stops (or slows down enough to say it stopped) and all that will matter is not ones level but their experience with PVP and their helpfulness to the guild and its members.

After RQ is finished from the map (unless BLT preemptively attacks you) with constant BLT KOS which it has been shown BLT cannot defend against, you will be able to prevent the further leveling of their already de-moralized guild and through a joint attack you from the NE and CQ from the SW you should be able to steadily win 1-2 territories a week from BLT. In addition this will probably lead to members leaving BLT when they see even more loses since a good deal of members are only still there for salary (especially its 90+ members as shown by the lack of 90+ support to guildies when they need help with events as I have been told by old Ascension freinds still in BLT).

Once BLT is finished the only guild around (assuming the remaining BLT and RQ and other smaller guilds don't re-merge to form a new power) to disband is CQ. In that situtaion I would find the next strongest guild in game to ally with against CQ and break your alliance with CQ. Put them on KOS and focus ur attack on their level 80s since at that time that will be the heart of a guild. And begin to wage war against their lands in TW. After CQ is gone ally with the next strongest and repeat against your prior enemy until you are sufficently strong that no guild can touch you.


CQ:

At your current juncture you are boxed in against a TW-stronger Bloodlust. Your best plan of action is to focus on in guild organization and massive guild leveling. The best chance you have of defeating BLT in TW is actually to defeat BLT during non-TW times. You should have your guild when not xping to wage an all out all high level attended war on BLT Xp-spots and mid levels (the 70s) for right now they are the heart of a guild. You need to pk them so badly that they cannot even leave town.

If BLT tries to send Pk forces to meet you and do guild vs guild pvp in World Chat it is in your best interest to ignore this and continue to search for BLT Xp teams or solo xpers and kill them and camp them at the spawn cities. Engaging BLT forces in guild on guild pvp during normal weekdays will not gain anything for you in causing their members to leave guild due to KOS frustration. The most likely people to jump ship are their level 70s and 80s since they are focusing on getting to 90 and their frustration with being crashed will cause them to leave even if temp to level.

Make sure your PK squads not only attack main xp areas but check in the outskirts too for the intuitive player that will not grind in a main spot. I was able to grind fine during BLT KOS by xping a little bit off the common grounds where people rarely pass... Find these people! Your PK forces should be your higher members. Your level 60s and 70s and lower 80s should be focusing on grinding while u reak havoc on BLT members. In addition your level 70 and 80's gridning and defense of xp spots will push lower BLT members out of these spots and your PK squads should assist them as needed.

Also teach ur members that slower xp rate in a "hidden" off the wagon area but without the risk of as much PK is drastically faster xp then being in a main area where u will get crashed multiple times.

Lower level guilds in game:

It is in your best interest to conduct a merger of similar guilds so that you may have a chance to compete on the grand scale of the game. This may be against some of your politics but it is in your best interest as a guild especially since the land salary is quite high. Your focus and appeal to recruitment should be on guild unity and hardcore grinding within guild. PK will only slow your leveling down. You also should develop a strong sense of guild unity and leaders and higher levels should ask 3-5 times a day in guild chat if anyone needs help with anything and set up a team to assist. If every guild leader and higher level does that periodically throughout the day between an XP scroll it will only make your guild grow drastically stronger, quicker and your sense of loyalty will be better then ever. Of the smaller guilds I have met I think Sharrigan's guild is the most organized and helpful and will do very well in the future.

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Anyways bye to all the friends I have made in Ascension and GuardianZ. Sure when and if I come back the map will be quite different then it is now. Wouldn't be suprised if none of the current guilds are even around in 5-6 months hence is the way these games work at release constant merger and remerger and disbanding.

Off to run Primal Instinct in yet another game...

-Jagermeister

Sub-Guild Leader of Primal Instinct Runes of Magic
www.piguild.com
www.pigsnet.com