Hi guys. I’ve been having this conversation a couple of times with new guild masters, so thought I’d compile some tips and tricks on starting a new guild.
Tip 1 - What are you offering?
Think about what is going to compel people to join your guild. What is your core offering to them? Why should someone bother joining this guild? This particularly applies to Duchy guilds and similar styles where it unfortunately often becomes an unintended me-fest about the noble family.
There’s nothing wrong with Duchies and playing lord, but after a while, if it’s all about your noble family, people stop having a reason to engage. There’s nothing for them. So think about how you incorporate other storylines and interests.
Tip 2: First impressions
This applies particularly to military guilds. If you don’t have much of a reputation in the community yet and you’re coming right out of the gate as a Grand Marshal, there are certain conclusions people instantly draw on you, and you’ve set a high bar for yourself you have to defend. You have to defend why people should acknowledge you as a five-star general officer when if you started as something like a Commander, that’s easier to believe.
Additionally, this bleeds into other errors people make. Not giving yourself enough room to grow. Starting at a more humble rank allows your character to grow alongside your guild. As you become more experienced and larger, your character gets promoted from a Lieutenant Commander, to Commander, High Commander, etc. and on it goes.
Applies this same rule to your officers. I cannot stress this enough. Particularly if you don’t know them well. Having them start at Lieutenant also gives them, like you, reason to keep coming back and to grow. Start them off at Commanders and they instantly have no core reason to move up.
Tip 3: Don’t provide too much reward
When I set up a military awards system for my guilds, we had an unfortunate habit of giving away too many medals too soon. Suddenly, when everyone has too many high-level medals or are promoted too quickly, it loses meaning.
If you have a medal the equivalent of a VC, don’t give them to any Tom, Dick, and Harry. They gotta reaaaalllyyy earn it. If only one or two people have it (and it better not be your Grand Marshal character with 200 medals without earning them in RP), then when someone’s characters earns it, it feels really special.
Don’t be too hasty to promote everyone. Give it some time. Let them stew on it. Your guild will become too top-heavy if everyone is a Sergeant or higher.
Tip 4: Be thoughtful about who your employ
Quality over quantity. And this particularly applies to your officers. You’d rather have one or two officers who are great quality, know what they’re doing, and are reliable, than seventeen where only one really does the heavy lifting. I cannot stress this enough.
Conclusions
Have simple themes. Don’t go too heavy or too fancy. Don’t be a badass 7th Legion guild. Be the 2nd Brigade’s 15th Regiment, which has some infantry, medics, and some scouts.
Don’t be a Grand Marshal, be a Captain.
Choose your officers well and reward with a steady hand.
And above all - have fun! Give your guild and your characters room to grow. Ground yourself in realism. A compelling guild is rarely the fanciest or elitest. It’s the one that seems fun, has a great community, and has a compelling reason for people to play. Employing eliteness or overly high-ranking character themes only get you so far.