Noob Question: Tips for Finding an Appropriate Guild - Guild Wars Forums

Will_Power · May 03, 2010, 11:44 PM // 23:44

My girlfriend and I have recently picked up Prophecies in an attempt to finally put WoW to bed. We're really enjoying the game so far, but can tell we have a *LOT* to learn if we expect to be decent players. We've already run into a bunch of questions and it would be great to have folks we can ask in-game so we don't have to load these forums all the time.

So, we're looking for a guild. We've talked to a couple folks recruiting in Ascalon etc but they've either been just like 4 players, or not interested in picking up new players etc.

We're looking for a guild that is active, new-player friendly and filled with folks that are a little on the older side age-wise. (We're in our mid-20's and have gotten a little tired of guild chats full of 'yo-momma jokes' and racial slurs.)

Down to the question: Are there any tips you guys can give us to help us find a guild? For instance, are there certain areas that are best to be in when looking? Should we be advertising we're looking for a guild in some chat channel? Is there an in-game tool of any sort available? Is there anything we should be wary of when talking to folks recruiting us?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

MrGuildBoi · May 03, 2010, 11:48 PM // 23:48

Guru actually has a guild section:

http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/g...ions-f263.html

I usually don't use it, though, hehe. Kamadan has a lot of guild spammers. No there is no game tool that helps you find guild (that I know of).

Lord Dagon · May 04, 2010, 12:02 AM // 00:02

since you have picked up prophacies i would suggest getting to ions arch to look for guilds. it seems at least to me always at least 5 guilds looking for people.

and if that fails apply for one of the guilds on the forum or go to seeking guilds. that would be the best method i think ^_^.

Will_Power · May 04, 2010, 12:55 AM // 00:55

Thanks for the advice guys, we'll definitely do that.

Cuilan · May 04, 2010, 01:36 AM // 01:36

If you find a guild and don't like it, don't feel like you have to stay. There's a ton of guilds with different sizes, requirements if any, goals, types of events, strictness, sites, management, and quality players.

Quality players doesn't mean experienced players. I've come across a flood of "experienced" players who are awful or use builds that are stuck in the past.

Some guilds are okay with casual players or ones who may need help learning, but others are not. Many guilds spam for new members in active outposts while others give you a trial to see how good you are at playing.

Ask questions and play with them.

MagmaRed · May 04, 2010, 01:55 AM // 01:55

Don't rush into joining one. Smart guilds will want to recruit smart players. So spend time talking to people in the guild, asking questions about what they do (PvE, PvP, GvG, etc.), how many people are in it, how big is the alliance, which faction is it a part of (Kurzick or Luxon), etc. I'd also recommend asking the guilds you talk with if you can join them for an activity you want to do (things like missions, farming, GvG, etc.). Myself, I spent 2 weeks looking for a guild before I settled on one, and the one before that I spent a month looking. When I join, I join for long term, I don't want to jump around. So the time spent looking was worth it since I was in (and still am in the last one) for over a year.

In short, take time and ask questions.

Chthon · May 04, 2010, 02:07 AM // 02:07

Join RARE, Car will accept anyone!! (joke)

Seriously though, one of the problems with joining a 5-year-old game is that most everyone who you might want to be associated with has long since moved on to end-game content. Some guilds wouldn't let you join. Others would let you join, but probably wouldn't want to spend much time with you in the easier areas. A related problem is the way that having an experienced player in the group can wreck your learning process. On the other hand, there are guilds spamming in Ascalon City that would certainly take you, but these people are generally terrible and you would not be well served to try to learn from them. Given that none of those choices are ideal, I think the least bad would be to find an experienced guild that would accept you, if largely ignore you until you gained some more experience. (Which I'm sure RARE would do. If you'd like, I can admit you to GZL, though it's just a largely inactive RARE satellite.)

Rikimaru · May 04, 2010, 02:11 AM // 02:11

A pretty simple rule of thumb is that you actually should never join a guild posting random recruitments in towns. For a lot of different reasons, those are very often giant jackass hives.
I suggest using the recruitment forum on this site.

SunfallE · May 04, 2010, 03:24 AM // 03:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chthon

Join RARE, Car will accept anyone!! (joke)

Must be true, since they let me join. Or was it a case of Des snatching, who knows?

Anyway, definitely look around. I never did but then I discussed this with friends (who are in RARE) before hand, so I already had a plan before I even bought the game.

Ideally you'd want one that is going to be patient with someone new to the game. It takes time to learn and get comfortable with playing. So having people who will take the time to either explain or direct you to good resources, like wiki, is a definite plus.

And if the one you join isn't working out, keep looking around till you find one that does.

AileFatale · May 04, 2010, 04:46 AM // 04:46

You could post in all chat that you are looking for a mature, friendly guild. Ask for exactly what you asked us, and you are bound to find it. And I agree with the random recruitment no-no. Huge guilds that let anyone in tend to be somewhat chaotic. If you want a helpful guild instead of a mini-town, I suggest spending some time searching around.

Rather Harmless · May 04, 2010, 05:15 AM // 05:15

In my experience, guilds that recruit in towns generally do so to make up for the people who leave on a weekly/daily/hourly basis. The best guilds are made up of like-minded friends who enjoy playing together. For PVE players, guilds and alliances are often just for the convenience of organizing amongst friends. These forums are a good place to start, I recommend looking in the PUGs and Grouping section of the forums to find people who are doing what you are, and play with those people on a consistent basis. That's how I've found good friends and guildies.

LicensedLuny · May 04, 2010, 05:34 AM // 05:34

Given that you're new and starting with just Prophecies, I would suggest trying the guild section here. You could put up an ad about the pair of you looking for a guild.

Over the years and the few guilds I was in before finding a home, I've found the language policy is just as important as the age (well, maturity) level in the guild. Different folks have very different ideas about acceptable language and comments on the guild chat. No one is right or wrong, but that's rather critical information to get up front. If you're the types that prefer clean language you might not be comfortable in a group of folks used to swearing without upsetting anyone. The converse is equally true if you're the type that doesn't mind (and does) swear in passing and join a group that really frowns on it.

I see a lot of ads for guilds in Kamadan (the main town of Nightfall, which you don't have) and Lion's Arch (the main town of Prophecies, which you may not have reached yet as you progress through the storyline.) Some ads aren't interesting at all, but some of them are downright hilarious and can be quite tempting. You can't get to Kamadan without a different campaign, and I don't like the idea of encouraging you to rush through the story just to get to LA and read guild spam.

And I'll state yet another confirmation that you most certainly do not have to stay in a guild if you try it and find it not to your liking! (Hit G and there will be a little button thing next to your name in the roster - click/hold it and there should be an option that says something like "Leave my guild")

I've found the guilds/alliances I got along best in came rather naturally when not particularly looking for a new group - some from PuGing and some from just random chats with folks here and there. Given that you're just starting out, you're rather limited in opportunities to naturally bump into other players in the game just yet. So, again, in your case, I'd say the LFG (looking for guild) section here is the best bet.

I wish you both the best of luck! Welcome to GW & Guru!

@ Chthon - yes, he will ... to the alliance, too!

@ SunfallE - blame it on Savio because that always works!

Will_Power · May 04, 2010, 05:38 PM // 17:38

Wow, I didn't expect such an overwhelmingly helpful response. Y'all have given us several options to choose from, and laid out some great do's and dont's that we'll follow.

I think our game plan is to post an ad in the LFG forums just before we have a day or two that we'll have a decent amount of playtime - that way we can spend some time getting to know anyone interested in our ad in-game. Meanwhile, we'll keep an eye out in chat and PuG's for folks who seems like-minded.

Thanks again for taking a second to help give us some direction; its definitely appreciated. Looking forward to seeing all of you around in-game!

May 03, 2010, 11:44 PM // 23:44	#1
Will_Power Pre-Searing Cadet Join Date: May 2010 Profession: Mo/E	Noob Question: Tips for Finding an Appropriate Guild My girlfriend and I have recently picked up Prophecies in an attempt to finally put WoW to bed. We're really enjoying the game so far, but can tell we have a LOT to learn if we expect to be decent players. We've already run into a bunch of questions and it would be great to have folks we can ask in-game so we don't have to load these forums all the time. So, we're looking for a guild. We've talked to a couple folks recruiting in Ascalon etc but they've either been just like 4 players, or not interested in picking up new players etc. We're looking for a guild that is active, new-player friendly and filled with folks that are a little on the older side age-wise. (We're in our mid-20's and have gotten a little tired of guild chats full of 'yo-momma jokes' and racial slurs.) Down to the question: Are there any tips you guys can give us to help us find a guild? For instance, are there certain areas that are best to be in when looking? Should we be advertising we're looking for a guild in some chat channel? Is there an in-game tool of any sort available? Is there anything we should be wary of when talking to folks recruiting us? Thanks in advance for any advice!

May 04, 2010, 01:36 AM // 01:36	#5
Cuilan Forge Runner Join Date: Mar 2008 Profession: Me/	If you find a guild and don't like it, don't feel like you have to stay. There's a ton of guilds with different sizes, requirements if any, goals, types of events, strictness, sites, management, and quality players. Quality players doesn't mean experienced players. I've come across a flood of "experienced" players who are awful or use builds that are stuck in the past. Some guilds are okay with casual players or ones who may need help learning, but others are not. Many guilds spam for new members in active outposts while others give you a trial to see how good you are at playing. Ask questions and play with them. Last edited by Cuilan; May 04, 2010 at 01:39 AM // 01:39..

May 03, 2010, 11:48 PM // 23:48	#2
MrGuildBoi Desert Nomad Join Date: May 2006 Profession: A/	Guru actually has a guild section: http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/g...ions-f263.html I usually don't use it, though, hehe. Kamadan has a lot of guild spammers. No there is no game tool that helps you find guild (that I know of).

May 04, 2010, 12:02 AM // 00:02	#3
Lord Dagon Desert Nomad Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Inside the Oblivion Gate Guild: The Imperial Guards of Istan[TIGE] Profession: E/Me	since you have picked up prophacies i would suggest getting to ions arch to look for guilds. it seems at least to me always at least 5 guilds looking for people. and if that fails apply for one of the guilds on the forum or go to seeking guilds. that would be the best method i think ^_^.

May 04, 2010, 12:55 AM // 00:55	#4
Will_Power Pre-Searing Cadet Join Date: May 2010 Profession: Mo/E	Thanks for the advice guys, we'll definitely do that.

May 04, 2010, 01:55 AM // 01:55	#6
MagmaRed Furnace Stoker Join Date: Mar 2007 Guild: Our Crabs Know True [LOVE] Profession: R/	Don't rush into joining one. Smart guilds will want to recruit smart players. So spend time talking to people in the guild, asking questions about what they do (PvE, PvP, GvG, etc.), how many people are in it, how big is the alliance, which faction is it a part of (Kurzick or Luxon), etc. I'd also recommend asking the guilds you talk with if you can join them for an activity you want to do (things like missions, farming, GvG, etc.). Myself, I spent 2 weeks looking for a guild before I settled on one, and the one before that I spent a month looking. When I join, I join for long term, I don't want to jump around. So the time spent looking was worth it since I was in (and still am in the last one) for over a year. In short, take time and ask questions.

May 04, 2010, 02:07 AM // 02:07	#7
Chthon Grotto Attendant Join Date: Apr 2007	Join RARE, Car will accept anyone!! (joke) Seriously though, one of the problems with joining a 5-year-old game is that most everyone who you might want to be associated with has long since moved on to end-game content. Some guilds wouldn't let you join. Others would let you join, but probably wouldn't want to spend much time with you in the easier areas. A related problem is the way that having an experienced player in the group can wreck your learning process. On the other hand, there are guilds spamming in Ascalon City that would certainly take you, but these people are generally terrible and you would not be well served to try to learn from them. Given that none of those choices are ideal, I think the least bad would be to find an experienced guild that would accept you, if largely ignore you until you gained some more experience. (Which I'm sure RARE would do. If you'd like, I can admit you to GZL, though it's just a largely inactive RARE satellite.)

May 04, 2010, 02:11 AM // 02:11	#8
Rikimaru Wilds Pathfinder Join Date: Dec 2005 Profession: R/	A pretty simple rule of thumb is that you actually should never join a guild posting random recruitments in towns. For a lot of different reasons, those are very often giant jackass hives. I suggest using the recruitment forum on this site.

May 04, 2010, 04:46 AM // 04:46	#10
AileFatale Frost Gate Guardian Join Date: May 2010 Guild: Teh Cheese Slammers [SLAM]	You could post in all chat that you are looking for a mature, friendly guild. Ask for exactly what you asked us, and you are bound to find it. And I agree with the random recruitment no-no. Huge guilds that let anyone in tend to be somewhat chaotic. If you want a helpful guild instead of a mini-town, I suggest spending some time searching around.

May 04, 2010, 05:15 AM // 05:15	#11
Rather Harmless Ascalonian Squire Join Date: Jun 2009 Profession: W/	In my experience, guilds that recruit in towns generally do so to make up for the people who leave on a weekly/daily/hourly basis. The best guilds are made up of like-minded friends who enjoy playing together. For PVE players, guilds and alliances are often just for the convenience of organizing amongst friends. These forums are a good place to start, I recommend looking in the PUGs and Grouping section of the forums to find people who are doing what you are, and play with those people on a consistent basis. That's how I've found good friends and guildies.

May 04, 2010, 05:34 AM // 05:34	#12
LicensedLuny Badly Influenced Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Buying Humps! (No kidding! Check my buy thread) Guild: Hello Kitty Krewe [HKK] Forever!-ish	Given that you're new and starting with just Prophecies, I would suggest trying the guild section here. You could put up an ad about the pair of you looking for a guild. Over the years and the few guilds I was in before finding a home, I've found the language policy is just as important as the age (well, maturity) level in the guild. Different folks have very different ideas about acceptable language and comments on the guild chat. No one is right or wrong, but that's rather critical information to get up front. If you're the types that prefer clean language you might not be comfortable in a group of folks used to swearing without upsetting anyone. The converse is equally true if you're the type that doesn't mind (and does) swear in passing and join a group that really frowns on it. I see a lot of ads for guilds in Kamadan (the main town of Nightfall, which you don't have) and Lion's Arch (the main town of Prophecies, which you may not have reached yet as you progress through the storyline.) Some ads aren't interesting at all, but some of them are downright hilarious and can be quite tempting. You can't get to Kamadan without a different campaign, and I don't like the idea of encouraging you to rush through the story just to get to LA and read guild spam. And I'll state yet another confirmation that you most certainly do not have to stay in a guild if you try it and find it not to your liking! (Hit G and there will be a little button thing next to your name in the roster - click/hold it and there should be an option that says something like "Leave my guild") I've found the guilds/alliances I got along best in came rather naturally when not particularly looking for a new group - some from PuGing and some from just random chats with folks here and there. Given that you're just starting out, you're rather limited in opportunities to naturally bump into other players in the game just yet. So, again, in your case, I'd say the LFG (looking for guild) section here is the best bet. I wish you both the best of luck! Welcome to GW & Guru! @ Chthon - yes, he will ... to the alliance, too! @ SunfallE - blame it on Savio because that always works!

May 04, 2010, 05:38 PM // 17:38	#13
Will_Power Pre-Searing Cadet Join Date: May 2010 Profession: Mo/E	Wow, I didn't expect such an overwhelmingly helpful response. Y'all have given us several options to choose from, and laid out some great do's and dont's that we'll follow. I think our game plan is to post an ad in the LFG forums just before we have a day or two that we'll have a decent amount of playtime - that way we can spend some time getting to know anyone interested in our ad in-game. Meanwhile, we'll keep an eye out in chat and PuG's for folks who seems like-minded. Thanks again for taking a second to help give us some direction; its definitely appreciated. Looking forward to seeing all of you around in-game!