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Psychological study of Guilds

DeletedUser

I have always found games involving Guilds fascinating. Playing in most worlds, joining and leaving Guilds is a bit of a hobby of mine. I have never been kicked yet but there is always a first time (bit like being made redundant). So many Guilds start up as laid back, fun, open to anyone, then once they get the bit between their teeth and start being successful the players change and we see the same old cliche. Work hard only for the good of the Guild or get booted. They tend to lose the focus that players have lives outside and are playing for their own enjoyment. It's true not all are like that, those Guilds that poodle about down the league remain hobbyfied. Those near the top are are like working in Mordor where the Leaders and their sidekicks use their all seeing eye to whip the players into shape or else. If they go too far then they lose the goodwill of the players and tend to slide down the ranks abit. OK so it's not really a psychological study, just an observation but I would say a pretty accurate one.
 

DeletedUser

It's a delicate balancing act to keep a guild both functional and enjoyable. I am here for my own enjoyment and I get enjoyment out of organizing my guild, but as long as people are active, I'm pretty okay with them not being driven to win the game. Progress is a personal thing.
 

DeletedUser

I find it interesting that you get enjoyment out of organizing your Guild. Many would think it an onerous task. Can you explain why that is?
 

DeletedUser

In all honesty? I'm a facilitator by nature. My father refers to my planning as "storming the beaches of Normandy" and similar comments. They all appreciate the effect it has, but are completely uninterested in that level of planning. I plan contingencies for just about everything. Catching me completely flatfooted and without a plan is rare. Another game used to have a character who's audio clip was "What's the plan?"... yeah that's me. I am detail oriented, very thorough, and generally interested in the minutia that makes things work. It's good for my career, and in this case it's good for my guild.

Yes, I have MULTIPLE spreadsheets of data on everything going on in my guild and with my cities.
 

DeletedUser2145

Guilds are a vast and debatable topic, really. There are some created only for the purpose of trading, some for fun, some for progress, some for support, etc. There are guilds who enforce their players to attack their neighbors as often as they can, that happens as well. Most, especially the ones at the top, usually focus on progression, to the point where if you don't increase your ranking points on a weekly basis, you get booted.

I think that's the good part about Guilds --- there is something for everyone. No need to be part of the #1 guild if it doesn't suit your requirements. In my guild we focus on mutual support, both through trades and visits. We do have 'requirements' for you to stay in the guild, but they're rather loose (such as you must visit your guildmates at least 5 times over 2 weeks, unless a notice for absence is given) compared to rules other guilds have. We also have a fair trade policy, so people should trade with a 1:1 ratio for same-age goods and 2:1 for one-age-up goods inside the guild, unless they've discussed and made a trade that works for both (then it's okay regardless of the rules).

My thoughts on guilds are that they exist for mutual interest and cooperation between people. I don't care if they battle or make any progress at all, as long as they support each other then they've got my attention.
 

DeletedUser

SLange, what do you consider "near the top"? Have you first hand experience with being whipped into doing what you're told to do? You say "so many Guilds", which implies more rather than less guilds behave this way. What proof do you have that this actually happens? And why do you assume that the fun of a game disappears when there are rules within the guild to follow?

Seems to me that you might have a preconceived idea of the way a guild behaves and are trying to find evidence to support that idea.

How's that for psychological?
 

DeletedUser

SLange, what do you consider "near the top"? Have you first hand experience with being whipped into doing what you're told to do? You say "so many Guilds", which implies more rather than less guilds behave this way. What proof do you have that this actually happens? And why do you assume that the fun of a game disappears when there are rules within the guild to follow?

Seems to me that you might have a preconceived idea of the way a guild behaves and are trying to find evidence to support that idea.

How's that for psychological?

No, I don't have any preconceived ideas. I would regard top 10 as near the top. I join a Guild based on what is put in their profile and then observe. The fun of the game is still there, the Guild can manipulate that enjoyment quite easily. It's fascinating to watch but as it is just a game, no harm done. The Guilds may start out different as The Phantom says but I have noticed they morph as they progress.
 
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DeletedUser2501

my 2cents: IT takes a lot of leadership to maintain a focus in a guild. (whether casual play or Top guild type) Also a lot of time, which most people don't have to play a video game. ya get tired of it and move on. The guild leaders are still just players too. I think that those who are driven to maintain a guild, usually have enough drive and ambition put their effort into the real world. Others (like me) have that organization in the real world, and look at this as a distraction. For me, these games are fun, until they become too much like work.
 

DeletedUser2675

I think it comes down to the fact that if their isn't a new goal to reach the game becomes stagnant. Once you reach the top of the guild rankings where do you go? I think people have found a reason to continue playing this game even though there isn't a tech to unlock or a province to be conquered.
 

DeletedUser

It's a delicate balancing act to keep a guild both functional and enjoyable. I am here for my own enjoyment and I get enjoyment out of organizing my guild, but as long as people are active, I'm pretty okay with them not being driven to win the game. Progress is a personal thing.
I also enjoy organizing and communicating with my guild. I feel it helps everyone be able to improve their cities, my guild has a mutual understanding that progress is self-gained. and we respect the fact that each one of our members help and support our goals, with no complaints.
 
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DeletedUser3364

I think, Based on observations
that there exist Four-Five basic types of Guilds
(at least so Far as I have identified) roughly divided along Player Styles and (not?) coincidentally: Great Building themes.
(By no Means is this asserted as a Normative: more like a 'rule of thumb')

1) Warrior Guilds
Based on mutual admiration in PvP play,
usually Heavily Zeus'd, Aachen'd and Del Monte'd:
has a High percentage of 'Goods' raiders

2) Trade Guilds
Based on facilitating Fast and Easy Development/Expansion through meeting Needs for goods
usually Heavily Babel'd, Alexandria'd, Mark'd and Dresden'd
has a high percentage of "fair trade" rules & guidelines

3) Social Guilds
Based on Message Traffic and intertextual Jokes & Guides
(For the Sake of argument: We'll say that they are Heavily Colloseum'd, Sophia's and Dame'd: T'ain't True, but it's funny)
has a High Percentage of Forum Posters

4) Development Guilds
a mixture of the Above, with a strong feel of Mentoring from senior Guild members
(No propensity to Any GB types per se, but y'know: Basil'd and Deal'd...)
Has a High percentage of Colonial Players

5) Miscellaneous minor Guilds
Usually Smaller and less organized, Groups of off-line Friends or "theme" guilds
(no predisposition towards GB' at all, and probably won't get many)
Has a High percentage of New and'or low level "casual" Players.

I'd like to Think that the Developers are considering the Varying play styles
in their theoretical 'Guild Wars' expansion:
Guild Competition built -only- on Combat is likely to drive some folks off (me, likely).
I'd like to see some sort of Weighted competition based on Play Styles:

Guild competition with rewards for
1) Combat (Well, you'd Have to, wouldn't You?)
2) # of Guild Trades (with perhaps a modifier for Aligned guild Trades
3) # of Messages (ditto the above: subject to Abuse, mebbe, by "blank" messages, but that's Work too!)
4) # of Polish/Motivates (self Evident if you think about it)
5) Guild Ranking (easily left out, since it is it's Own Reward)
6) # of Raw guild members (Ditto)
7) # of -aligned- Guilds, combining the Above Totals en mass

I'd be interested in Others opinions/ additions/ / refutations / rebuttals / on the Guild/Player Types,
and _very_ Interested in Other folks identification of potential GamePlay competitive reward parameters
I've overlooked in this (admittedly) facile and over-simplified "rough draft" of
what Might be (eventually) a Good Analysis...
 
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DeletedUser

Based on those criteria my guild fits into 3 of 5 categories. The only one that I dispute is the development guild being a high percentage of colonials. It only requires some people sufficiently farther advanced than the new members.
 

DeletedUser

I think, Based on observations
that there exist Four-Five basic types of Guilds
(at least so Far as I have identified) roughly divided along Player Styles and (not?) coincidentally: Great Building themes.
(By no Means is this asserted as a Normative: more like a 'rule of thumb')

1) Warrior Guilds
Based on mutual admiration in PvP play,
usually Heavily Zeus'd, Aachen'd and Del Monte'd:
has a High percentage of 'Goods' raiders

2) Trade Guilds
Based on facilitating Fast and Easy Development/Expansion through meeting Needs for goods
usually Heavily Babel'd, Alexandria'd, Mark'd and Dresden'd
has a high percentage of "fair trade" rules & guidelines

3) Social Guilds
Based on Message Traffic and intertextual Jokes & Guides
(For the Sake of argument: We'll say that they are Heavily Colloseum'd, Sophia's and Dame'd: T'ain't True, but it's funny)
has a High Percentage of Forum Posters

4) Development Guilds
a mixture of the Above, with a strong feel of Mentoring from senior Guild members
(No propensity to Any GB types per se, but y'know: Basil'd and Deal'd...)
Has a High percentage of Colonial Players

5) Miscellaneous minor Guilds
Usually Smaller and less organized, Groups of off-line Friends or "theme" guilds
(no predisposition towards GB' at all, and probably won't get many)
Has a High percentage of New and'or low level "casual" Players.

I'd like to Think that the Developers are considering the Varying play styles
in their theoretical 'Guild Wars' expansion:
Guild Competition built -only- on Combat is likely to drive some folks off (me, likely).
I'd like to see some sort of Weighted competition based on Play Styles:

Guild competition with rewards for
1) Combat (Well, you'd Have to, wouldn't You?)
2) # of Guild Trades (with perhaps a modifier for Aligned guild Trades
3) # of Messages (ditto the above: subject to Abuse, mebbe, by "blank" messages, but that's Work too!)
4) # of Polish/Motivates (self Evident if you think about it)
5) Guild Ranking (easily left out, since it is it's Own Reward)
6) # of Raw guild members (Ditto)
7) # of -aligned- Guilds, combining the Above Totals en mass

I'd be interested in Others opinions/ additions/ / refutations / rebuttals / on the Guild/Player Types,
and _very_ Interested in Other folks identification of potential GamePlay competitive reward parameters
I've overlooked in this (admittedly) facile and over-simplified "rough draft" of
what Might be (eventually) a Good Analysis...


There are also women only Guilds/ Religious Guilds to add to that list. Not sure whether there are men only Guilds - unlikely. As to the form of play I think you probably have every aspect covered in that analysis. Like it.

- - - Updated - - -

I think, Based on observations
that there exist Four-Five basic types of Guilds
(at least so Far as I have identified) roughly divided along Player Styles and (not?) coincidentally: Great Building themes.
(By no Means is this asserted as a Normative: more like a 'rule of thumb')

1) Warrior Guilds
Based on mutual admiration in PvP play,
usually Heavily Zeus'd, Aachen'd and Del Monte'd:
has a High percentage of 'Goods' raiders

2) Trade Guilds
Based on facilitating Fast and Easy Development/Expansion through meeting Needs for goods
usually Heavily Babel'd, Alexandria'd, Mark'd and Dresden'd
has a high percentage of "fair trade" rules & guidelines

3) Social Guilds
Based on Message Traffic and intertextual Jokes & Guides
(For the Sake of argument: We'll say that they are Heavily Colloseum'd, Sophia's and Dame'd: T'ain't True, but it's funny)
has a High Percentage of Forum Posters

4) Development Guilds
a mixture of the Above, with a strong feel of Mentoring from senior Guild members
(No propensity to Any GB types per se, but y'know: Basil'd and Deal'd...)
Has a High percentage of Colonial Players

5) Miscellaneous minor Guilds
Usually Smaller and less organized, Groups of off-line Friends or "theme" guilds
(no predisposition towards GB' at all, and probably won't get many)
Has a High percentage of New and'or low level "casual" Players.

I'd like to Think that the Developers are considering the Varying play styles
in their theoretical 'Guild Wars' expansion:
Guild Competition built -only- on Combat is likely to drive some folks off (me, likely).
I'd like to see some sort of Weighted competition based on Play Styles:

Guild competition with rewards for
1) Combat (Well, you'd Have to, wouldn't You?)
2) # of Guild Trades (with perhaps a modifier for Aligned guild Trades
3) # of Messages (ditto the above: subject to Abuse, mebbe, by "blank" messages, but that's Work too!)
4) # of Polish/Motivates (self Evident if you think about it)
5) Guild Ranking (easily left out, since it is it's Own Reward)
6) # of Raw guild members (Ditto)
7) # of -aligned- Guilds, combining the Above Totals en mass

I'd be interested in Others opinions/ additions/ / refutations / rebuttals / on the Guild/Player Types,
and _very_ Interested in Other folks identification of potential GamePlay competitive reward parameters
I've overlooked in this (admittedly) facile and over-simplified "rough draft" of
what Might be (eventually) a Good Analysis...


There are also women only Guilds/ Religious Guilds to add to that list. Not sure whether there are men only Guilds - unlikely. As to the form of play I think you probably have every aspect covered in that analysis. Like it.
 

DeletedUser

I have created 13th Legion to be a helpful supportive guild for all types of players. We have a variety of hardcore, casual, and simple players. we all help each other out, and I believe our members are satisfied. I have a very good number of officers as well, we also have second and third in command members, just incase something happens to me ;D and we believe that an open line of communication and active guild forum is vital to awesome teamwork and membership. :D
 

DeletedUser

I have always found games involving Guilds fascinating. Playing in most worlds, joining and leaving Guilds is a bit of a hobby of mine. I have never been kicked yet but there is always a first time (bit like being made redundant). So many Guilds start up as laid back, fun, open to anyone, then once they get the bit between their teeth and start being successful the players change and we see the same old cliche. Work hard only for the good of the Guild or get booted. They tend to lose the focus that players have lives outside and are playing for their own enjoyment. It's true not all are like that, those Guilds that poodle about down the league remain hobbyfied. Those near the top are are like working in Mordor where the Leaders and their sidekicks use their all seeing eye to whip the players into shape or else. If they go too far then they lose the goodwill of the players and tend to slide down the ranks abit. OK so it's not really a psychological study, just an observation but I would say a pretty accurate one.


I have the #4 guild in Cirgard, and we're just as laid back as ever. We all do work the betterment of the guild however, but we do it with a smile on our faces, instead of whips on the back. When you have a guild where everyone pulls his or her own weight and enjoys the camaraderie of their guild mates, then the guild is stronger for it. I chose quality leaders to lead with me, and the choices and temperament of who leads the guild sets the tone for the rest of the guild. There will always be personality management going on, however, in the 7 months of our guild, we've had our core stick together through thick and thin...and that's a reflection of the quality of the individual members, as well as those quality people that assist me in leading the way. Our strength has always been our commitment to each other and to having a laugh amongst each other. I've found that to be one of the secrets of our success.
 

DeletedUser5612

Guilds and their (anti)social patterns

I find fascinating the way guilds and their members struggle to (re-)create protected social interaction mechanisms. The guild becomes the place where unconsciously individuals create the ideal environment for their social second chance. Strategy games offer a perfect cocoon for such development as they mimic significant parts of our human and social behaviors. This then induces the guild members to impersonate a new self and commit to simple and straight forward rules that the real life has long overcome and deemed as anti-historical. Master example is the extremely common "fair trading policy" where the relation between demand and offer is tentatively superseded by an artificial fixed rate exchange (could we call this "cartel"?) somewhat based on the age availability of the goods rather than its actual presence on the market. I noted that especially on this rule, guild leaders (and surprisingly many of their members) become extremely defensive and quickly exercise their "power" of excluding one from their herd. Certainly a wonderful subject for social interactions and networking studies...
 

DeletedUser4072

fabu, I agree and disagree with your points.

I agree about the "fair trade policy". May be not so much Cartel like, in real life we practice fairness depending on our socioeconomic situation. The barter system not very come accept for some people its still practice, such as I do a trade of mine for a trade of yours i.e. doctor for accountant's work.

I disagree that all guild leaders exercise their power of excluding (not that you said all). Rather they are like a CEO in a company, after a period of time you weed out who is not productive and adds to your company. You ask them to try to work within the guild's guidelines. Some guild members stay and others who did not at the bare minimum honor their agreements and prerequisites of said guild requires of you are let go. You don't want one player to make the game less fun and less efficient for p/ming, trading, and donating to gb (for all fair trading purposes). We all want to reach a specific goal and what better way to do it together effectively.
 

Daley the Great

New Member
Guilds and their (anti)social patterns

I find fascinating the way guilds and their members struggle to (re-)create protected social interaction mechanisms. The guild becomes the place where unconsciously individuals create the ideal environment for their social second chance. Strategy games offer a perfect cocoon for such development as they mimic significant parts of our human and social behaviors. This then induces the guild members to impersonate a new self and commit to simple and straight forward rules that the real life has long overcome and deemed as anti-historical. Master example is the extremely common "fair trading policy" where the relation between demand and offer is tentatively superseded by an artificial fixed rate exchange (could we call this "cartel"?) somewhat based on the age availability of the goods rather than its actual presence on the market. I noted that especially on this rule, guild leaders (and surprisingly many of their members) become extremely defensive and quickly exercise their "power" of excluding one from their herd. Certainly a wonderful subject for social interactions and networking studies...
Guilds and their (anti)social patterns

We don't "struggle" in my guild to create a protected interaction mech...it is the essence of what a guild is to the members. Like-minded individuals in any walk of life will eventually form groups, and a guild is no exception. You may refer to a "fair-trade" rule as anything you wish. FPs for goods type trades take place in most guilds, and that is definitely a "for profit" exchange. Fixed ratios for normal trades are a positive in my book, and are required in my guild. I see many trades posted in the neighborhood market that are undeniably "for profit" and anybody is free to either accept them, or ignore them. If anyone in my guild feels it necessary to engage in this type of trading, they are free to leave the guild and do so...simple.
 

DeletedUser26965

I'd like to add to the discussion of the nearly five year old necroed post.

There are essentially three types of guilds; Casual, Competitive and Casual/Competitive

Casual guilds generally don't do much by way of GvG or GE, keeping in mind of course neither of these existed in the time the OP was posted. As such these type guild will generally not have any requirements, rules or expectations and mainly just be a laid back place to hang out.

Competitive guilds generally focus on one or both of the main competitive aspects of the game, GvG and GE. As such these guilds will generally have requirements, rules and/or expectations to remain competitive. Generally requirements and expectations are strictly enforced.

Casual/Competitive, the hybrid guild type, will have some requirements, rules and/or expectations but typically not so many, more so than a Casual guild but less so than a Competitive guild or at least more forgiving. The reason being for this type of guild is the understanding of many differing playstyles and real life matters but at the same time generally understood the guild should also work to be competitive mostly voluntarily though.
 
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