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...