Guild Database (Boo!) - Guild Wars Forums

Gauwyn Vorec · May 16, 2005, 04:40 AM // 04:40

Sorry... but I personally don't like the database idea at all. Here we have hundreds of guilds (some 2 or 3, some 20 or 30+) that need to get their names out, and all they get is dropped into a mix.

For me, I've started a very unique Guild, but I have no WAY of advertising it here. I've added our name to the Database but it's now lost (towards the end I might add) in a sea of HUNDREDS of others.

I would suggest that you still allow recruitment here but under strict rules that you may only post only so often, and must follow a format (like it used to be).

Tieren Tetsuya · May 16, 2005, 11:10 AM // 11:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gauwyn Vorec

Sorry... but I personally don't like the database idea at all. Here we have hundreds of guilds (some 2 or 3, some 20 or 30+) that need to get their names out, and all they get is dropped into a mix.

For me, I've started a very unique Guild, but I have no WAY of advertising it here. I've added our name to the Database but it's now lost (towards the end I might add) in a sea of HUNDREDS of others.

I would suggest that you still allow recruitment here but under strict rules that you may only post only so often, and must follow a format (like it used to be).

I agree with you about people should be able to recruit members for the clan, but not constantly, but the idea of the Guild database i think is pretty good. ^^

Gauwyn Vorec · May 16, 2005, 01:01 PM // 13:01

The idea is good... but there's no depth to it. All you have is a bunch of names piled together without hope of anyone finding you. As it is, I don't think most people put serious thought into joining a guild, they find one that sounds ok and go for it.

But, somewhere in that mass of names and descriptions is the perfect guild for everyone. Good idea, but bad execution is what I would say.

Oh and what really sucks is since the database only displays 100 guilds on a custom search... you only get up to the R's and never anything past that. There is no second page to view more additional Guilds.

Inde · May 16, 2005, 01:07 PM // 13:07

Yes we do have a little weakness here. We are introducing extra elements (and removing the search elements).

If there are fields (and features) you wish to see added, post them.

Akshara · May 16, 2005, 09:14 PM // 21:14

I'd like to recommend a "competitive" checkbox option, and possibly a "social" or "cooperative" option in addition to the Roleplaying checkbox.

While Roleplaying is a good distinction, it refers to a very specific style of gaming, and alone doesn't really distinguish between those designed for competitive tournament play and those designed around a more casual approach.

For example, my guild is designed for the casual player, however we do like to play all of the game styles - PvE, PvP, GvG and RP. Yet we're not a "Roleplaying" group in the traditional sense, and wouldn't really appeal to the experienced player looking to join a competitive guild.

I guess what I'm hoping for is a simple way to seperate the more serious competitive guilds from the casual social ones when searching. I feel that this is one of those fundamental distinctions which comes up for a lot of people when looking for a guild.

Tribus Koran · May 16, 2005, 09:33 PM // 21:33

I am actually quite glad that the database is the way it is. Back on the old forum, I somehow got my guild listed as the first one on the page (The Tribe). I recieved over 40 new recruits in under two weeks, all from the Guru.

When the database idea was finally put into effect, I have only seen a few random new recruits. Which helped me slow down and be able to spend some quality time with our new folks. We have put togther an awesome team of players with the help of this site. I put a link on my main pages back to here for helping us out so much

.

Anyway, I think there could be alot of changes made to the database to make it a more effective guild finding tool. Like adding search options for types of guilds, and other things like guild of the week, or something like Guildwars.com has, but use the guild database here instead of the ladder. Just a random guild picked and reviewed, or a interview with their leader.

Thanks for the love Guru!

TalonSlayer · May 16, 2005, 09:54 PM // 21:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gauwyn Vorec

As it is, I don't think most people put serious thought into joining a guild, they find one that sounds ok and go for it.

I'm putting serious thought into any guild considered. I was hasty with my first couple here, and it bit me in the ass both times.

I'm going over the database with a fine-toothed comb. As it stands, though, I've pretty much given up.

CatsPaw · May 17, 2005, 08:50 PM // 20:50

Poor Talon! Don't give up!!
I have ran with our group and love it, we just got a few more members and so far they have no complaints. I am open to any ideas and we just keep getting better and better. Sorry to hear about your problems with your guilds, but it is great fun to have a group to hang with and talk to in TS, we have players at all lvls of the game and the higher guys come back and help us low lvl players

There are a ton if guilds out there, just keep looking. Maybe run with a group and if they work well together ask if they are recruting, we get that alot as well...maybe you will find the perfect fit for you. Good Luck!!

*admin how long does it take to get your Guild in the database? We added Guided by Voices the second day the database was out and we are not listed, should we try again??*

Dumb Quixote · May 19, 2005, 08:36 PM // 20:36

I've just checked out the database, and it seems to me it could use a few more metadata fields to search against. Such as age range, location timezone preference, etc. Even an index description field for keywords could help narrow down the list. Ultimately, searching for [X] Recruiting and [X] RP flags just doesn't allow for enough filtering to bypass the "more than 100 returned" buffer.

For someone like me, it leans toward unusable since I can't filter out enough noise.

Inde · May 19, 2005, 09:36 PM // 21:36

I just added a few fields.

http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=10549

Dumb Quixote · May 19, 2005, 10:09 PM // 22:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inde

I just added a few fields.

http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=10549

Cool stuff... can you add the fields to the search page too?

Inde · May 19, 2005, 11:36 PM // 23:36

Yeah working on that - search is a bit ... tricky (as it gets to become pretty complicated internally). Hopefully in the next 24 hours (and the ability to search requirements and description).

Ramus · May 20, 2005, 12:11 AM // 00:11

Well, i'd rather there be a Guild Database then no Guild Database at all.

The search features will be handy though!

Alzbeta · May 20, 2005, 12:38 AM // 00:38

Maybe I lucked out, but I found my Guild (House Kito, tag [HK]) through the database. I searched for what I was interested in, and they'd listed a house website. I liked what I saw, contacted them, and it went from there.

I think when used properly (and perhaps with the added search fields) the database can be a very useful tool. It all depends on what type of information -- and how much of it -- the Guild itself chooses to publish there.

Dumb Quixote · May 20, 2005, 12:59 AM // 00:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alzbeta

Maybe I lucked out, but I found my Guild (House Kito, tag [HK]) through the database. I searched for what I was interested in, and they'd listed a house website. I liked what I saw, contacted them, and it went from there.

I think when used properly (and perhaps with the added search fields) the database can be a very useful tool. It all depends on what type of information -- and how much of it -- the Guild itself chooses to publish there.

I certainly agree the tool is useful... and it looks like efforts to improve the search will only make it more so.

Inde · May 20, 2005, 01:59 PM // 13:59

And search is updated.

Dumb Quixote · May 20, 2005, 03:02 PM // 15:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inde

And search is updated.

Looking sharp... thanks for taking the time!

[EDIT] Suggestion: Instead of Min. Age, I'd search against the Description field (unless you store it as a blob). Maybe even just have a "keyword" that searches against both Requirements and Description. Something to think about...

JjK · May 20, 2005, 04:45 PM // 16:45

If you must recruit people you don't know, you have no chance.

Only guilds with rules, and close members have a chance.

Inde · May 20, 2005, 04:56 PM // 16:56

Both description and requirements are a simple text column ... and instead of breaking down what is typed in as one word each (or doing a fulltext search), I just do a simple %form_input% (this of course applies only to the requirement input box).

As I see it, description is simply about the guild. A person searching for a guild wants to see what is required to get in (thus the input box for that). After that, they can read the description and figure out what they want.

Dumb Quixote · May 20, 2005, 06:11 PM // 18:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inde

Both description and requirements are a simple text column ... and instead of breaking down what is typed in as one word each (or doing a fulltext search), I just do a simple %form_input% (this of course applies only to the requirement input box).

As I see it, description is simply about the guild. A person searching for a guild wants to see what is required to get in (thus the input box for that). After that, they can read the description and figure out what they want.

What you've done is a great improvement. For example, I can search on "mature" and get a wonderfully small subset. That works great for me

As for the reason to search description, sometimes people put locations in their description or play times... so a search on keyword "west coast" or "PST" or "nights" might actually have a result... which could help narrow playing with people during similar timeframes.

All in all your time has been well spent and I appreciate your efforts.

May 16, 2005, 04:40 AM // 04:40	#1
Gauwyn Vorec Frost Gate Guardian Join Date: May 2005 Guild: The Warriors of Wyvern Profession: W/R	Guild Database (Boo!) Sorry... but I personally don't like the database idea at all. Here we have hundreds of guilds (some 2 or 3, some 20 or 30+) that need to get their names out, and all they get is dropped into a mix. For me, I've started a very unique Guild, but I have no WAY of advertising it here. I've added our name to the Database but it's now lost (towards the end I might add) in a sea of HUNDREDS of others. I would suggest that you still allow recruitment here but under strict rules that you may only post only so often, and must follow a format (like it used to be). Last edited by Gauwyn Vorec; May 16, 2005 at 01:01 PM // 13:01..

May 16, 2005, 01:01 PM // 13:01	#3
Gauwyn Vorec Frost Gate Guardian Join Date: May 2005 Guild: The Warriors of Wyvern Profession: W/R	The idea is good... but there's no depth to it. All you have is a bunch of names piled together without hope of anyone finding you. As it is, I don't think most people put serious thought into joining a guild, they find one that sounds ok and go for it. But, somewhere in that mass of names and descriptions is the perfect guild for everyone. Good idea, but bad execution is what I would say. Oh and what really sucks is since the database only displays 100 guilds on a custom search... you only get up to the R's and never anything past that. There is no second page to view more additional Guilds.

May 16, 2005, 01:07 PM // 13:07	#4
Inde Site Contributor Join Date: Dec 2004	Yes we do have a little weakness here. We are introducing extra elements (and removing the search elements). If there are fields (and features) you wish to see added, post them.

May 16, 2005, 09:14 PM // 21:14	#5
Akshara Krytan Explorer Join Date: May 2005	I'd like to recommend a "competitive" checkbox option, and possibly a "social" or "cooperative" option in addition to the Roleplaying checkbox. While Roleplaying is a good distinction, it refers to a very specific style of gaming, and alone doesn't really distinguish between those designed for competitive tournament play and those designed around a more casual approach. For example, my guild is designed for the casual player, however we do like to play all of the game styles - PvE, PvP, GvG and RP. Yet we're not a "Roleplaying" group in the traditional sense, and wouldn't really appeal to the experienced player looking to join a competitive guild. I guess what I'm hoping for is a simple way to seperate the more serious competitive guilds from the casual social ones when searching. I feel that this is one of those fundamental distinctions which comes up for a lot of people when looking for a guild.

May 16, 2005, 09:33 PM // 21:33	#6
Tribus Koran Ascalonian Squire Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Georgetown, Kentucky	I am actually quite glad that the database is the way it is. Back on the old forum, I somehow got my guild listed as the first one on the page (The Tribe). I recieved over 40 new recruits in under two weeks, all from the Guru. When the database idea was finally put into effect, I have only seen a few random new recruits. Which helped me slow down and be able to spend some quality time with our new folks. We have put togther an awesome team of players with the help of this site. I put a link on my main pages back to here for helping us out so much . Anyway, I think there could be alot of changes made to the database to make it a more effective guild finding tool. Like adding search options for types of guilds, and other things like guild of the week, or something like Guildwars.com has, but use the guild database here instead of the ladder. Just a random guild picked and reviewed, or a interview with their leader. Thanks for the love Guru!

May 17, 2005, 08:50 PM // 20:50	#8
CatsPaw Academy Page Join Date: Apr 2005 Guild: Guided by Voices Profession: R/Me	Poor Talon! Don't give up!! I have ran with our group and love it, we just got a few more members and so far they have no complaints. I am open to any ideas and we just keep getting better and better. Sorry to hear about your problems with your guilds, but it is great fun to have a group to hang with and talk to in TS, we have players at all lvls of the game and the higher guys come back and help us low lvl players There are a ton if guilds out there, just keep looking. Maybe run with a group and if they work well together ask if they are recruting, we get that alot as well...maybe you will find the perfect fit for you. Good Luck!! admin how long does it take to get your Guild in the database? We added Guided by Voices the second day the database was out and we are not listed, should we try again??

May 19, 2005, 08:36 PM // 20:36	#9
Dumb Quixote Academy Page Join Date: May 2005 Location: Southern California Guild: and we all got a complimentary bumper sticker that said, "I helped skin Bob."	I've just checked out the database, and it seems to me it could use a few more metadata fields to search against. Such as age range, location timezone preference, etc. Even an index description field for keywords could help narrow down the list. Ultimately, searching for [X] Recruiting and [X] RP flags just doesn't allow for enough filtering to bypass the "more than 100 returned" buffer. For someone like me, it leans toward unusable since I can't filter out enough noise.

May 19, 2005, 09:36 PM // 21:36	#10
Inde Site Contributor Join Date: Dec 2004	I just added a few fields. http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=10549

May 19, 2005, 11:36 PM // 23:36	#12
Inde Site Contributor Join Date: Dec 2004	Yeah working on that - search is a bit ... tricky (as it gets to become pretty complicated internally). Hopefully in the next 24 hours (and the ability to search requirements and description).

May 20, 2005, 12:11 AM // 00:11	#13
Ramus Wilds Pathfinder Join Date: May 2005 Location: Florida Guild: Zero Tolerance Profession: W/Mo	Well, i'd rather there be a Guild Database then no Guild Database at all. The search features will be handy though!

May 20, 2005, 12:38 AM // 00:38	#14
Alzbeta Ascalonian Squire Join Date: May 2005 Location: South Carolina, USA Guild: Order of the Silver Dragon [OSD] Profession: R/E	Maybe I lucked out, but I found my Guild (House Kito, tag [HK]) through the database. I searched for what I was interested in, and they'd listed a house website. I liked what I saw, contacted them, and it went from there. I think when used properly (and perhaps with the added search fields) the database can be a very useful tool. It all depends on what type of information -- and how much of it -- the Guild itself chooses to publish there.

May 20, 2005, 01:59 PM // 13:59	#16
Inde Site Contributor Join Date: Dec 2004	And search is updated.

May 20, 2005, 04:45 PM // 16:45	#18
JjK Lion's Arch Merchant Join Date: Mar 2005 Guild: Knights Templar Profession: W/E	If you must recruit people you don't know, you have no chance. Only guilds with rules, and close members have a chance.

May 20, 2005, 04:56 PM // 16:56	#19
Inde Site Contributor Join Date: Dec 2004	Both description and requirements are a simple text column ... and instead of breaking down what is typed in as one word each (or doing a fulltext search), I just do a simple %form_input% (this of course applies only to the requirement input box). As I see it, description is simply about the guild. A person searching for a guild wants to see what is required to get in (thus the input box for that). After that, they can read the description and figure out what they want.