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The process of connecting realms to
each other in World of Warcraft is several weeks in now and still as
interesting as the very first time. After the first two connections
going off with much success, Blizzard is ready to go all in. Last
week, six new pairs of realms were announced to be connected to each
other and we can only imagine there are more to come.

While servers usually have a pretty
stagnate player pool these days with only a few transfers and new
arrivals here and there, this mass introduction of tons of “new”
players is really stirring up the pond. This is an especially
exciting time for guild leaders who have floundering guilds that are
dying for some new blood. Previously, they were either stuck with
what the server had to offer or they had to convince players to pay
the costly fee to server transfer. Now, they finally have a chance to
enhance and bolster their ranks and potentially save their guilds in
a much easier fashion as long as they take advantage of the period
before and directly after the server connection. Here are five prime
tips to put your guild in the best possible position to pick up
members in this situation:

Top 5 Tips for Guild Leaders to Make
the Most of Soon-to-be-Connected Realms

Don't Wait!

While you may want to wait till the
server connection takes place, this could be a costly mistake.
Instead of sitting back and wasting valuable time, get out there and
get moving early! So, in the weeks or days before your server melds
with another, head on over to the other servers realm forums and
spend a little time there. Get to know the people, the feel of the
environment and introduce yourself and your guild. Just like you
would do on your own realm forum, be sure to post your recruitment
message here with all the pertinent information related to your
guild. You may even want to consider rolling a character on the other
server to meet people “in-person”.

While this may seem like a crazy idea,
players will be thinking about potential guilds well before the
transfer. Making your presence felt and putting a positive spotlight
on your guild will get them thinking about your guild. When the
connection finally happens, good players will get snapped up early.
Guild leaders who put themselves out there before the connection will
find they are more easily able to pick up these types of players, so
get out there and get to work!

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Best Face Forward

As mentioned above, players from the
realm soon to be connected to yours are going to be scouting out your
realm. With that in mind, this is a great time to remind your guild
to put their best face forward on the forums, in game chat channels,
and any other public place. While their shenanigans may usually seem
funny, new players looking for potential guilds may not find them to
be so appealing. Remind all members to be friendly, helpful, and to
avoid drama at all costs. Good players will flock to guilds who
emanate these qualities.

No Poaching

Poaching is bad in real life and in
game. As a former officer, this is one of my biggest pet peeves and I
am willing to bet that not many other guild leaders appreciate it
either. While it is tempting to view this connection as a
free-for-all player hunting extravaganza, you will want to avoid this
frowned upon practice.

So, if a player is already in a guild,
let them come to you if they want. Don't aggressively try to recruit
them. Remember, you are trying to put your best face forward and
these first few weeks are when players will form an opinion about
you. This is your chance to form a good reputation and poaching can
easily destroy that. Players have long memories and don't forgive
easily. So skip the poaching and only actively “hunt” those
players who don't already have a guild connection.

Flexibility is Key

My realm was connection without a
hitch. Only a bit of downtime occurred and things went on like
nothing had ever happened. While it would be nice to believe that
this will be the case for all realms, it probably isn't going to be
the case. At least until Blizzard has done this a few more times. So
in the weeks leading up to and after the connection plan for extended
maintenance on an unusual day.

Expect downtime and potential poor
performance, but don't let it get your feathers ruffled. Re-schedule
important guild events around the connection day and even then
realize nothing is probably set in stone. Having guild events
still
available directly after a connection will be appealing to new
players. Not to mention, that any new recruits will be impressed by
your cool head and calm demeanor when faced with less than ideal
server performance after the connection.

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Be Realistic

It is pretty easy to get overly hopeful
about realm connections, espcially if your guild is really
struggling. While the connection will infuse your realm with new
life, it will not solve all of your problems. Your realm may be
connected with a realm heavily saturated with the opposite faction or
perhaps players with interests that don't coincide with yours.

So don't pin all your hopes on the
connection of another realm. Sure, you can plan ahead and hope for
the best, but to think that this realm connection is a magic wand
that will fix everything is just a tad bit naïve. Keeping up the
usual recruitment methods is essential. So keep working hard and be
rational about what the newly connection realm could mean for you and
your guild.

Has your realm already had another
realm connected to it? What were your experiences? How did your guild
fare before and after the connection? What would you have done
differently and do you have any tips for guild leaders looking to
benefit from a future realm connection? Share your thoughts with us
in the comment section below!


To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our World of Warcraft Game Page.

Last Updated: Mar 29, 2016

About The Author

Amunet, also fondly known as Memtron, is an organic life form best known for its ongoing obsession with Blizzard Entertainment's numerous properties. To that end, Amu has authored hundreds (thousands?) of the most popular World of Warcraft guides, editorials, and Top 10 lists on the planet. When not gaming and writing, Amu is busy chasing after her three children in a perpetual loop of ongoing disaster.

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