My personal experiences
with guilds spans back 5 years ago when I had formed my own in the original
game of EverQuest. Since then, I've always had a fascination with guilds,
their structures and how they are led.

This article is the
beginning of an exploration of guilds, their leaders and their ideals.
Many types of gaming backgrounds form the virtual resumes of our community's
guild leaders, and also create different styles of leadership.

Vanguard: Saga of
Heroes is still many months from release, and the ramping up of guild
recruitment is becoming more evident on the official Vanguard forums.
I decided to take this time to reach out to the community and interview
some of the guild leaders and officers for their take on how they feel
they will be successful in Vanguard.

Grab a beverage, relax,
and get ready to meet the Leader of Titan
Guild - Scrawl, and one of his Officers, WyzWun.

I started
off by asking about his history in MMO's, and here is what they had to say:

Scrawl:
I started EQ in 2000 and played my Shaman to 65. In DAOC I decided to
go melee and played a friar up to about 43. Finally, in EQ2 I played a
Brigand to 50. I play alts, but there aren't any worth mentioning

WyzWun:
FYI, even though its Scrawls dance floor... I don't mind any ex-girl friends
from EQ hunting me down :) Nero EQ Thoulexe lvl60 Warrior, Nero EQOA Castle
Light, Wolf lvl60 Warrior and Grunk FFXI Remora/Valefor lvl75 Dark Knight. My
RL name is Robert.

Karas:
That's quite a history, thanks! Now Scrawl, what compels you to be a Guild Leader
as opposed to being a member?

Scrawl:
EQ was my first MMO. I joined a few guilds in that game, but I never really
felt like I belonged in any of them. Eventually I was just utterly fed
up. It was either quit or make a home for myself. Ever since I led my
first guild I felt like that was the only way to go.

I nodded in understanding.
I couldn't imagine being in a guild that I didn't have some influence
on.

Karas:
I see on your website http://www.titanguild.org that you desire a guild that
will, and I quote, ".defeat the toughest encounters and acquire for the
membership the best equipment the game has to offer." What rules do you
establish to help meet your goals?

Scrawl:
We know that items will be very important in Vanguard. Titan wants to
experience all the content, and to do that we will have to raid. We want
to defeat dragons and giants and such. Our members need to maintain a
60% raid attendance and show the determination you would expect of someone
in a top guild. We want to reach our goals, but never at the expense of
the community. This is a guild of level headed players and we expect a
lot from one another.

Karas:
Understood. Let's talk about the dreaded monster - loot. I see you use DKP,
but since most DKP's were written for EverQuest, how do you plan to adjust to
Vanguard, or hope to on release? And also, how will you handle those that have
issue with your loot policies?

WyzWun:
If I may give some insight on your loot questions?

Karas:
Absolutely.

Scrawl:
He's a lot more "fundamental" than I am actually.

Karas: I
find most of my officers in my guild just "mental" ;)

WyzWun:
In the past, DKP issues have been an issue when the guilds I were in (Rites
of the Four Horsemen in EQOA and EQ, NuDawn in FFXI (Valeofor www.nudawnclan.com)
and Exodus of remora (http://www.exoduslinkshell.com) when we had too many of
X class. I believe if you create this problem, which I believe is very easy
to do when starting out, you can use tricks like Lock out DKP to get around
this.

I shook my head wondering
what "Lock out DKP" was, so I pressed on…

Karas:
Not sure I follow. Usually DKP is based on attendance = points. If you have
X amt of a class...wouldn't that still fall into some form of order due to the
point structure?

WyzWun:
Let's say you made a mistake, and now you have 10 warriors. You can't invite
all 10. They show up to the raid but, there is not enough room. "Lockout"
DKP is then given to the warriors who "bow" out. Lockout DKP is normally
1/2 of the normal DKP that would be given. This applies when you have a certain
number of spots open in an alliance.

(Note: After I re-read
this, I understand what he means. You are on a raid with an allied guild.
More warriors show up than is needed. Instead of turning people away,
they can opt to be "locked out" and receive ½ DKP for
attending - Karas)

Scrawl:
All the policies, including DKP, have been written by me to convey two
things to the player base - one is moderation, the other is fairness.
The attendance policy (which always ties into DKP in some way) is providing
a fair medium between forcing people to play and giving them their space.
The DKP policy allows for anyone who can use an item to bid on it. In
the end, those who devote time to Titan have an equal opportunity to get
rewards. There are no plans to award loot based on any factors other than
DKP. As WyzWun said, DKP lockout is one method used to get rid of the
problem he described. There are other problems, and other methods to fix
them built into the core of the system.

Another
problem is figuring out where the first DKP will come from. How will people
spend points they don't have? There are ways to get around these issues.
The point is that while DKP is not perfect, it's about the best we've
got.

Karas:
What things would you like to see implemented for guilds in Vanguard that you
haven't seen done successfully or at all in other MMO's?

WyzWun:
I would say I am looking forward to guild created content, the type of content
that I have only seen in a game like EvE online.

Scrawl:
I would be thrilled if they would put in fully functional guild halls.
And when I say fully functional, I don't mean that you can throw pictures
on the wall and put in a few chairs. I want to be able to tack up notes
on the door that say, "Clerics wanted," or, "Guild meeting
on Thursday." I want to be able to use my guild hall in a real way
that actually adds not only to the functionality...but also to the immersion
that the game can provide.

Karas: Understood (so do I!) So you mean like bulletin
boards, or perhaps a guild message that will flash on screen upon entering the
hall?

Scrawl:
Sort of, but something a little more interactive. I guess a good example
would be the signs in WoW that give out quests to kill monsters. You could
walk up to Titan's guild hall and perhaps we'll have a note on the door
about our recent exploits. I don't expect this type of guild functionality
to replace the guild website in any way, but it could provide some unique
in game fun.

Karas:
WyzWun, could you explain what you mean about EvE guild creations?

WyzWun:
In EvE once you get past a certain sector (0.0 if I remember correct) everything
from that point is created by corporations (Guilds). I am looking forward to
the guilds creating shops, towns, and halls…places that will not only allow
me entry but encourage me to craft and learn.

I think, guilds/clans breathe culture into MMOs. Allowing guilds to create structures
like houses/halls/towns etc will only enhance that.

Karas:
Ok...I'm someone looking to join a high end raiding guild (for example). Sell
me on why Titan Guild is the right choice for me.

WyzWun:
Are you asking, what can Titan do to make you better?

Karas:
Yes...let's go with that. I want the most out of the game...how is Titan going
to offer me that?

Scrawl:
First and foremost it's important to know that Titan will not be for everyone.
I think the best way to find out if Titan is a good choice for someone
is to define what we aren't. While we are a dignified guild, but we are
not a fan of and will never tolerate elitism.

We
will maintain a very simple existence. If you want to join Titan for fame
or glory you should either reconsider your goals or find another home.
Anonymity is key, and while I want to be respected for my own skill and
my own achievements, I want to be first and foremost seen as a member
of Titan. Our members should share this mentality to be successful.

WyzWun:
I believe that when you have a core group of people doing selfless acts people
notice this. Our goal from day one is to not consume the community but to aid
the community.

Karas:
Now for the fun part...if there is anything you'd like to say to the community,
now is the chance for you to "let it all hang out". :

WyzWun:
Well I would like to say, I really look forward to meeting my friends, both
old and new. I really hope that with the foundation Sigil is putting in place
that we will be able to create a community that is everlasting. I now a lot
of us are looking to try and recapture that magic that we once had ... I know
we will be there to help and aid other like minded people.

Scrawl:
The folks out there should know that our primary interest is in adding
to the community. Even if you aren't a raider or a hardcore player, you're
still welcome as a friend of the guild. Our people are friendly, smart,
level headed and determined. When you see a player with a Titan guild
tag over his head you will know that he prides himself on not only what
he has killed, but who he has become.

Karas:
Very nice!!

At this point the interview was closed. I would like to thank Scrawl and
WyzWun for taking time out to talk to Vanguard: Ten Ton Hammer about their
guild and their direction.

Look for more interviews with our community guild leaders here at Vanguard:
Ten Ton Hammer.