Forums » General Pantheon Discussion

Guilds or Groups of Friends/Family?

    • 9115 posts
    March 7, 2016 4:11 AM PST

    With most MMORPGs being group based, do you like to be part of a guild or would you rather play with a group of friends or family members? Feel free to share any cool guild/group stories! :)

    • 271 posts
    March 7, 2016 4:19 AM PST

    I know i'm a minority in this, but none, zero, of my RL friends even know i play "games", let alone playing them themselves. Nor are they of a 'circle' within which one could expect a "gaming" discussion to begin, let alone be understood lol.. so this one hobby, i don't share. I can't even imagine me sharing this information. So it's guilds for me, definitely :)

    However i do know of course that by now it's a given and that most even have "pre-made" guilds with their own twitter feed, online friends dating back years and years and so on..

    Which leads me to ask in turn: Do those of you belonging in this latter category feel guilds can be restrictive? That people shut themselves off, stick to smaller communities to the detriment of the whole? Forget "barrens chat" as the reason behind this, i am asking on a theoretical level. Or that in effect, tighter, premade groups/guilds can at times prevent the expanding of a community? (less reason to talk to strangers, less interaction in groups with stangers, less of a need to expand, therefore less of a need to give 'chances' to people, etc.)


    This post was edited by Aenra at March 7, 2016 4:24 AM PST
    • 1473 posts
    March 7, 2016 4:28 AM PST

    I love being part of a guild. I enjoy making friends with people and I enjoy the chat when I am doing other things.

    My guild story is as follows. I had a friend in RL who used to play EQ before me and he got invited into a guild. I had only just started playing EQ and was too low level to be a member of the guild that he joined but the guild did have a feeder guild for low level players so I joined that. After awhile I made really good friends with the people in the feeder guild and was made an officer. I then continued to level up and finally made the entrance requirements to join the main guild. This must have been in about 2004.

    From that moment on every MMO I have played I have always been in the same guild with the same people. I can't imagine being part of any other guild until now. Unfortunately it seems that I can't get many people interested in Pantheon. To be honest I think they are just waiting till nearer the time that it launches as they obviously don't have alpha or beta access. So for the first time ever I'll be starting a guild with a different name to the one I joined all the way back in 2004. I'm just hoping that I'll make new friends and meet some more great people in-game :). I'm sure I will. I hardly ever meet people I actively dislike.

    So yeah I pretty much need a guild as it makes forming groups so much easier and people tend to help one another out if they are in a guild together which is always nice to see.

    • 9115 posts
    March 7, 2016 4:31 AM PST

    Aenra said:

    I know i'm a minority in this, but none, zero, of my RL friends even know i play "games", let alone playing them themselves. Nor are they of a 'circle' within which one could expect a "gaming" discussion to begin, let alone be understood lol.. so this one hobby, i don't share. I can't even imagine me sharing this information. So it's guilds for me, definitely :)

    However i do know of course that by now it's a given and that most even have "pre-made" guilds with their own twitter feed, online friends dating back years and years and so on..

    Which leads me to ask in turn: Do those of you belonging in this latter category feel guilds can be restrictive? That people shut themselves off, stick to smaller communities to the detriment of the whole? Forget "barrens chat" as the reason behind this, i am asking on a theoretical level. Or that in effect, tighter, premade groups/guilds can at times prevent the expanding of a community? (less reason to talk to strangers, less interaction in groups with stangers, less of a need to expand, therefore less of a need to give 'chances' to people, etc.)

    I am not sure if you are a minority Aenra, I am in a very similar situation, none of my friends play MMORPGs, some play console FPS games (like 2-3 of them) which I play sometimes just to have fun with them but none are PC gamers, so most of my online friends I have met in games and guilds and have kept as good friends for many years! :)

    I haven't experienced restrictive guilds so I cannot comment but I do see it in games and I probably notice it more as a solo player looking for a guild, or at least have done in the past, as I am sure you can relate too also. It can be hard to break into an already formed guild that has made close bonds which is why as a guild leader I try to make it as fun and friendly for the new recruits as possible.

    • 271 posts
    March 7, 2016 4:35 AM PST

    Yeah :)

     

    To be honest, this is half the reason i have so many hopes for Pantheon.. it's not just the old theory in a newer light, it's the damn people. Like, meeting people i can talk to, lol.. i mean 'properly' talk to. Am interested to see how this will all work out, socially speaking. This is a good topic :)

    (and thanks for the /support, lol)

     

    @Grom if they are likeminded, it's probably just a case of taking the safe approach. Time enough for that to change ^^


    This post was edited by Aenra at March 7, 2016 4:37 AM PST
    • 9115 posts
    March 7, 2016 4:39 AM PST

    Cromulent said:

    I love being part of a guild. I enjoy making friends with people and I enjoy the chat when I am doing other things.

    My guild story is as follows. I had a friend in RL who used to play EQ before me and he got invited into a guild. I had only just started playing EQ and was too low level to be a member of the guild that he joined but the guild did have a feeder guild for low level players so I joined that. After awhile I made really good friends with the people in the feeder guild and was made an officer. I then continued to level up and finally made the entrance requirements to join the main guild. This must have been in about 2004.

    From that moment on every MMO I have played I have always been in the same guild with the same people. I can't imagine being part of any other guild until now. Unfortunately it seems that I can't get many people interested in Pantheon. To be honest I think they are just waiting till nearer the time that it launches as they obviously don't have alpha or beta access. So for the first time ever I'll be starting a guild with a different name to the one I joined all the way back in 2004. I'm just hoping that I'll make new friends and meet some more great people in-game :). I'm sure I will. I hardly ever meet people I actively dislike.

    So yeah I pretty much need a guild as it makes forming groups so much easier and people tend to help one another out if they are in a guild together which is always nice to see.

    Yeah, so do I man, guilds are awesome and I love the story, thanks for sharing! :)

    • 9115 posts
    March 7, 2016 4:40 AM PST

    Aenra said:

    Yeah :)

     

    To be honest, this is half the reason i have so many hopes for Pantheon.. it's not just the old theory in a newer light, it's the damn people. Like, meeting people i can talk to, lol.. i mean 'properly' talk to. Am interested to see how this will all work out, socially speaking. This is a good topic :)

    (and thanks for the /support, lol)

     

    @Grom if they are likeminded, it's probably just a case of taking the safe approach. Time enough for that to change ^^

    Absolutely! and you're welcome :)

    • 91 posts
    March 7, 2016 5:44 AM PST

    Guilds... A very complex topic. Cause you have to deal with real persons, not NPCs ;).

    Its hard to say, what i personal prefer. Sometimes, guilds "forcing" you, to use their TeamSpeak, or they bound into Raidforces, blabla... Sometimes Guilds filled with Kids, Trolls or just ********... I remember my very first guild, back in EQ (RoK just got released). I met the first german speaking person ingame and he told me, he is in a german speaking guild. So, what could happen better to me, then a german guild, in an english game, with 99,99% english speaking peoples? ;) It was alot of fun, back then, cause everyone was helping each other, w/o asking for any 'payback'. Years later i joined a Guild in WoW. German server, german guild, incl. Kids, Trolls... This gave me my first 'bitter taste', when it comes to Guilds. Too much youngsters...

    I personally hope, PRotF will be 'more adult' and the guilds also.

    • 9115 posts
    March 7, 2016 6:02 AM PST

    lyrina said:

    Guilds... A very complex topic. Cause you have to deal with real persons, not NPCs ;).

    Its hard to say, what i personal prefer. Sometimes, guilds "forcing" you, to use their TeamSpeak, or they bound into Raidforces, blabla... Sometimes Guilds filled with Kids, Trolls or just ********... I remember my very first guild, back in EQ (RoK just got released). I met the first german speaking person ingame and he told me, he is in a german speaking guild. So, what could happen better to me, then a german guild, in an english game, with 99,99% english speaking peoples? ;) It was alot of fun, back then, cause everyone was helping each other, w/o asking for any 'payback'. Years later i joined a Guild in WoW. German server, german guild, incl. Kids, Trolls... This gave me my first 'bitter taste', when it comes to Guilds. Too much youngsters...

    I personally hope, PRotF will be 'more adult' and the guilds also.

    That is why you shop around and find the best guild for you man! or if you can;t find one, create your own and invite friends and like minded people! I already know Pantheons community is very mature and will be awesome in-game. ;)

    • 110 posts
    March 7, 2016 6:19 AM PST

    Aenra said:

    I know i'm a minority in this, but none, zero, of my RL friends even know i play "games", let alone playing them themselves. Nor are they of a 'circle' within which one could expect a "gaming" discussion to begin, let alone be understood lol.. so this one hobby, i don't share. I can't even imagine me sharing this information. So it's guilds for me, definitely :)

    However i do know of course that by now it's a given and that most even have "pre-made" guilds with their own twitter feed, online friends dating back years and years and so on..

    Which leads me to ask in turn: Do those of you belonging in this latter category feel guilds can be restrictive? That people shut themselves off, stick to smaller communities to the detriment of the whole? Forget "barrens chat" as the reason behind this, i am asking on a theoretical level. Or that in effect, tighter, premade groups/guilds can at times prevent the expanding of a community? (less reason to talk to strangers, less interaction in groups with stangers, less of a need to expand, therefore less of a need to give 'chances' to people, etc.)

    hah probaly not in the minority here at all. Myself at 44 have zero RL friends that game let alone get into MMOs. As far as in game I take my time leveling up and getting to know folks, the different guilds on server and try to pick one based off of what I find out about the two. Im still an acheiver at heart and want to raid etc etc but I prefer to do so in a guild of laid back adults as opposed to the younger folks that are out there. Not that I hate kid gamers, I just dont relate or care to. L33t speak, chuck norris jokes, yo dogs etc all land folks on the "Do not guild with" "Avoid grouping with" lists accordingly. By the time Im ready to join a guild I generally have a real good idea of who to app to or barring that a friends list long enough to form a new guild.

     

    -Garmr

    • 366 posts
    March 7, 2016 6:36 AM PST

    Kilsin said:

    Aenra said:

    I know i'm a minority in this, but none, zero, of my RL friends even know i play "games", let alone playing them themselves. Nor are they of a 'circle' within which one could expect a "gaming" discussion to begin, let alone be understood lol.. so this one hobby, i don't share. I can't even imagine me sharing this information. So it's guilds for me, definitely :)

    However i do know of course that by now it's a given and that most even have "pre-made" guilds with their own twitter feed, online friends dating back years and years and so on..

    Which leads me to ask in turn: Do those of you belonging in this latter category feel guilds can be restrictive? That people shut themselves off, stick to smaller communities to the detriment of the whole? Forget "barrens chat" as the reason behind this, i am asking on a theoretical level. Or that in effect, tighter, premade groups/guilds can at times prevent the expanding of a community? (less reason to talk to strangers, less interaction in groups with stangers, less of a need to expand, therefore less of a need to give 'chances' to people, etc.)

    I am not sure if you are a minority Aenra, I am in a very similar situation, none of my friends play MMORPGs, some play console FPS games (like 2-3 of them) which I play sometimes just to have fun with them but none are PC gamers, so most of my online friends I have met in games and guilds and have kept as good friends for many years! :)

    I haven't experienced restrictive guilds so I cannot comment but I do see it in games and I probably notice it more as a solo player looking for a guild, or at least have done in the past, as I am sure you can relate too also. It can be hard to break into an already formed guild that has made close bonds which is why as a guild leader I try to make it as fun and friendly for the new recruits as possible.

    My sister called me up once back in 1999 to tell me about this new game that came out...:)   I didnt get to play it then, I just had my first child but she did get me sucked into mmo's a lil later on. I do like to play with her, my brother-n-law and my brother, however they do not get the chance to play very often so through my guild I met people who play as frequently as me! Where I live no other person I know MMO games so all my gaming friends I have met online. My kids are old enough that they game too and its pretty cool for them because they get to game with their friends from school - what a lucky generation!

    I found that being in a guild does not restrict me , rather it broadens my base of friends.  My guildmates are usually vetted as being good people and through chat/voice chat I really get to know them well. I am a chatty person in game so I am always meeting new people outside my guild. If I see another player has a "good" guild's tag I know that they may be a quality person too and I may strike up a conversation with them/group up with them.

    My analogy is this  - you see person walking down the street, you may say hi and have a bit of a conversation, but you wouldn't have dinner with them right away - you need to get to know them more. Perhaps bump into them more often.  A guild is more like a house party, you know the host had them over so they are probably a decent human being, with more similar interests so, you can strike up a conversation more easily with them and a bond can happen faster there.


    This post was edited by Zarriya at March 7, 2016 6:37 AM PST
    • 112 posts
    March 7, 2016 6:41 AM PST

    Guilds are great for their purpose, but friends/family are the best party memebers.  Sometimes you are lucky and get both.

    It was a co-worker that introduced me to EQ and his gaming friends back in the day.  Many years and several games later we know each others schedules, preferred roles, and playstyles so well that grouping is pretty organic.  Over the years we have spread out across the US and gaming has become more of a social activity.  We spend most of the time chatting and catching up on the day needing only a few cues to keep the pulls coming steady.  

    That being said, we have always joined a guild for the benefits of raids and support, preferring smaller more casual guilds who don't mind our crazy shenanigans.  Was part of a great guild for 5 years during my WoW kick that was also family/friend based.  There was never a push for best in slot or minimum DPS.  If you needed help someone was always there.  If you couldn't make a raid one night you weren't kicked from the guild.  I never met a single one of them in real life, but still consider them friends. 

    I respect players/guilds who are focused on server firsts and run game like a war machine, but for me its all about keeping it casual and friendly.

    • 308 posts
    March 7, 2016 6:42 AM PST

    Kilsin said:

    With most MMORPGs being group based, do you like to be part of a guild or would you rather play with a group of friends or family members? Feel free to share any cool guild/group stories! :)

    They aren't mutually exclusive, many people do both.  I generally join a top raiding guild but also tend to play with the same group of friends, who may not be guildmates, outside of raids.

    • 428 posts
    March 7, 2016 8:03 AM PST

    Kilsin said:

    With most MMORPGs being group based, do you like to be part of a guild or would you rather play with a group of friends or family members? Feel free to share any cool guild/group stories! :)

     

    Both.  I love the guild and the community it builds.  But I also wont group only with my guild mates Ill group with other friends etc etc.

     

    Ive said it before back int he EQ/EQ2 days 20 of us all decided to go to Dublin Ireland together.  We were 4x raiding Pubs for a solid week.  20 of us that never met in realife became amazing friends because of the guild.


    This post was edited by Kalgore at March 7, 2016 8:07 AM PST
    • 271 posts
    March 7, 2016 8:21 AM PST

    Garmr said: hah probaly not in the minority here at all. Myself at 44 have zero RL friends that game let alone get into MMOs

    horrid isn't it, lol? :D

    I go about in a similar manner, ingame. Take my time, definitely. And again just so, while i do like raiding (still), people come first. It's how and who you share it with that makes the diference. Anyway, i will make sure to pester you when the time comes. Absolutely no worries, spirits tell me i am perfectly sane. I always listen when they talk, so much wiser in the ways of humans. You be in good hands. We do glorious sacrifices together.


    This post was edited by Aenra at March 7, 2016 8:22 AM PST
    • 511 posts
    March 7, 2016 8:22 AM PST

    Reht said:

    Kilsin said:

    With most MMORPGs being group based, do you like to be part of a guild or would you rather play with a group of friends or family members? Feel free to share any cool guild/group stories! :)

    They aren't mutually exclusive, many people do both.  I generally join a top raiding guild but also tend to play with the same group of friends, who may not be guildmates, outside of raids.

     

    Pretty much what I do here. A lot of my friends that play games don't enjoy the high-end raiding scene so often times won't join the same guilds as me. However, we will still do a lot of grouping and questing together outside of raid times.

    • 1778 posts
    March 7, 2016 8:29 AM PST
    Coming from XI we had LSs not Guilds per se. But I had multiple LSs. As a community rule you only had 1 endgame LS at a time. So I grouped with them for endgame and other activities frequently. But I also had a Social LS that I started the game with and leveled with many of the folks and frequently chatted and helped out LS members with various low and mid level and story content. And then there was a very small LS for local friends and family in my home town (about 9 members total). This was basically like the social LS but just much smaller pool of folks anf we didnt get together as often. That was my experience.

    I would hope for a similar experience in Pantheon. Though I doubt I will be playing with any hometown friends and family other than Possibly my brother. But I hope to be part if a very active guild that likes to go all out and take care of business. But at the same time I also want many casual/social friends that I can help or they can help me etc.
    • 106 posts
    March 7, 2016 8:38 AM PST
    I love guilds. I'd rather fight along side 1 or 2 guild mates than a full pug. I'll still do Pick up groups but rather do it with guildies.
    • 671 posts
    March 7, 2016 8:42 AM PST

    Kilsin said:

    With most MMORPGs being group based, do you like to be part of a guild or would you rather play with a group of friends or family members? Feel free to share any cool guild/group stories! :)

     

     

    Many long standing guilds are comprised of friends, family and on-line people. I have known some guild members for 12 years, we are friends now.

    Guilds are about chemistry, and you can definately tell an old guild from a new guild. I think the term and what brings Guilds together, has been lost over the years. They are mostly social clubs, than a force with a purpose. 

    • 62 posts
    March 7, 2016 10:25 AM PST

    None of my friends play MMOs so I end up joining a guild if I think I'll be playing the game for a long time.

    • 1714 posts
    March 7, 2016 10:53 AM PST

    If I'm lucky enough to make friends and play with a close knit group every day, they will become family. 

    • 157 posts
    March 7, 2016 11:04 AM PST

    I’ve been part of the same guild since 2000 or so.  We tend to travel into new games in pacts, and it makes the transition fun – having familiar faces to share the excitement of a new game or a new server, or a new faction.  I have tried some other guilds out – for a more hard-core approach or for a specific server or faction.  After trying out these “special interest” guilds, I can say I’m glad I found a guild that fits my style.

    I am lucky in that I do play with some RL friends.  There is a cohesion and a freedom of conversation and shared goals that comes with that.  As a group, we’ve been hacking our way through MMOs now for almost 20 years.  It’s a nice, tight-knit group that works together.  No drama (well, not until the adult beverages start kicking in … and then it’s all good fun). 

    Guilds and groups of real life friends are both great to have in-game.  Both offer support, comradery, and good times.  I guess it’s like going into any new experience:  you bring your friends first, then your acquaintances, and then the folks in LFG   :)

    • 45 posts
    March 7, 2016 3:05 PM PST

    I have been a member of a few guilds over the years, but only one has lasted the test of time.

    I don't "look" to join a guild - I have always had success in simply joining PUGs and, over time, I get to know who's friendly and worthwhile, and maybe one of those folks is in a guild, and they say "Hey, come join us!" and that is how I end up in a guild.

    Now in more recent years that manner of recruitment has gone the way of the dodo because grouping in general has gone the way of the dodo (as we all know, here!) but if I were in a game again where you actually had to socialize and form PUGs with players who understood the importance of being a responsible and skilled groupmate - then, that would be my preference, again.

    I don't game with any RL friends or family members (sadly, wish I did) because I am what you might call a closet geek, so I always look to make friends online, but over time, and organically, by simply grouping up and getting to forge those relationships, so to say.

     

    • 9115 posts
    March 7, 2016 3:53 PM PST

    Reht said:

    Kilsin said:

    With most MMORPGs being group based, do you like to be part of a guild or would you rather play with a group of friends or family members? Feel free to share any cool guild/group stories! :)

    They aren't mutually exclusive, many people do both.  I generally join a top raiding guild but also tend to play with the same group of friends, who may not be guildmates, outside of raids.

    They're not but for the sake of a CM question, I phrase it so people can pick sides or give me their own experience so I can gather specific information ;)

    • 9115 posts
    March 7, 2016 3:53 PM PST

    Zarriya said:

    Kilsin said:

    Aenra said:

    I know i'm a minority in this, but none, zero, of my RL friends even know i play "games", let alone playing them themselves. Nor are they of a 'circle' within which one could expect a "gaming" discussion to begin, let alone be understood lol.. so this one hobby, i don't share. I can't even imagine me sharing this information. So it's guilds for me, definitely :)

    However i do know of course that by now it's a given and that most even have "pre-made" guilds with their own twitter feed, online friends dating back years and years and so on..

    Which leads me to ask in turn: Do those of you belonging in this latter category feel guilds can be restrictive? That people shut themselves off, stick to smaller communities to the detriment of the whole? Forget "barrens chat" as the reason behind this, i am asking on a theoretical level. Or that in effect, tighter, premade groups/guilds can at times prevent the expanding of a community? (less reason to talk to strangers, less interaction in groups with stangers, less of a need to expand, therefore less of a need to give 'chances' to people, etc.)

    I am not sure if you are a minority Aenra, I am in a very similar situation, none of my friends play MMORPGs, some play console FPS games (like 2-3 of them) which I play sometimes just to have fun with them but none are PC gamers, so most of my online friends I have met in games and guilds and have kept as good friends for many years! :)

    I haven't experienced restrictive guilds so I cannot comment but I do see it in games and I probably notice it more as a solo player looking for a guild, or at least have done in the past, as I am sure you can relate too also. It can be hard to break into an already formed guild that has made close bonds which is why as a guild leader I try to make it as fun and friendly for the new recruits as possible.

    My sister called me up once back in 1999 to tell me about this new game that came out...:)   I didnt get to play it then, I just had my first child but she did get me sucked into mmo's a lil later on. I do like to play with her, my brother-n-law and my brother, however they do not get the chance to play very often so through my guild I met people who play as frequently as me! Where I live no other person I know MMO games so all my gaming friends I have met online. My kids are old enough that they game too and its pretty cool for them because they get to game with their friends from school - what a lucky generation!

    I found that being in a guild does not restrict me , rather it broadens my base of friends.  My guildmates are usually vetted as being good people and through chat/voice chat I really get to know them well. I am a chatty person in game so I am always meeting new people outside my guild. If I see another player has a "good" guild's tag I know that they may be a quality person too and I may strike up a conversation with them/group up with them.

    My analogy is this  - you see person walking down the street, you may say hi and have a bit of a conversation, but you wouldn't have dinner with them right away - you need to get to know them more. Perhaps bump into them more often.  A guild is more like a house party, you know the host had them over so they are probably a decent human being, with more similar interests so, you can strike up a conversation more easily with them and a bond can happen faster there.

    Nice Zarriya! :)