Changes to the Stormrage Guild system

[Tal]

My personal feeling is that there should be 3 ranks.

Guild Master: The one in charge of the guild

Lounger: People known to be good for the guild.

Lurker: People who say they are signed up on the forum, but just haven't posted, friends of people, etc etc.  Basically anyone questionable.

I think those three ranks should pretty much handle everything.  Basically people start out as Lurkers and then when its determined that they are right for the guild they are promoted.  Some people may go straight to Lounger too, like if they are already active on the boards.[right][snapback]64292[/snapback][/right]

This would actually be more restrictive than our current system. Under the current system a person who posts on the boards or is a friend of a Lurker (ie someone who you've played with for some time and can trust) is automatically promoted to Lurker. Those who are unknown quantities (ie someone who just joined the site or is someone grouped with quite a few times in game and may be suitable) remain in the trial phase until they are known quantities.

When you think about it, it really is all in the name of the site...The Lurker Lounge.  So what kind of people are here?  Well you have people who like to lurk and you have people who like to lounge.  Those who like to lurk would be the many people who come to the site to read things.  Those who like to lounge would be the many people who come ot the site and actually discuss things.  So I think right there you have the groups you need.  The core of the site is really imbedded in its name.[right][snapback]64292[/snapback][/right]

There are folks regularly that post and ask for maphack but since tehy read the site you'd have me invite them into the guild. Thats counter intuitive to what the Lurker Lounge really is. The Lurkers on Stormrage is a collection of friends who embody what the Lounge is about: discovering the mechanics and strategies of the game while having fun and playing honorably. (legit)

The only question that I have right now is about going from lurker to lounger.  After typing this I'm thinking that I wouldn't do it like I said about, but rather would do it like this:

Guild Master: The one in charge of the guild

Lounger: People who post in the forums.

Lurker: People who lurk around the site.[right][snapback]64292[/snapback][/right]

And how is the fact that they lurk around the site an indicator of whether we would want to play with the game?

A setup like that should pretty much work for everything I think.  It even works for finding people in game and adding them to the guild.  Like for instance, say you meet somebody in game and play with them for a week or so.  You consider them to be the kind of person that we here at the lounge would like.  So what do you do?  Well you tell them about the site and if they say they will check it out then you can add them as a Lurker.  Cause if they are going to check out the site then they will be lurking it basically.  Only catch here is that somebody might want to wait a bit after refering them to the site.  Tell them about the site, then in a few days after they have checked it out you could add them as a lurker.  The wait might be a good idea just to get a feel for if they are going to lurk the site or not.[right][snapback]64292[/snapback][/right]

This would do nothing to eliminate the problem behavior already encountered and that I am trying to avoid in the future. Membership of a forum does not a lurker make in my mind.

Anyway, I think those three groups solve all the problems.  Of course there is one thing to consider.  Mongo's Vision states that guilds are basically up to those who feel like messing with them in game.  So basically with that Vision it means you can make the guild however you want to make it.  It doesn't have to be how Mongo thinks a guild should be.  He has already said that the Lounge itself is hands off with the guild.  So if you want to make a guild with alot of ranks and that adds new people to it in the game without them being active on the site, then you can do that.  The only stipulation in the Vision is quality of play really.  So as long as the people who you add to the guild are up to the Lounge's level of play, then it would seem that you are free to add them.  Personally I prefer the 3 ranks I said above, but according to the Vision you can do as you wish with it. : )
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While Mongo did state that we could do as we will with the Guilds in game I still run these kinds of things past him not because "him big chief" but because I respect his opinion.