Shipmates,
Unkle Bhug be taking a long overdue break
from adventures. He needs some serious time
in the sweat lodge, but shall return.
Back when I joined Caffeine there were
only two 70s so I became an officer more
by default than merit - the sexyness
of my latte being perhaps overestimated.
But I do regret not having done more to help
solidify and organise the guild.
So, to at least pay lip service to my
commission I want to drone for a bit here
about admin issues and such. It's all
quite long and dull, so, you know, don't
actually read it for god's sake.
When I joined Caffeine I had never
been in a real guild and had no idea
what to expect. In some ways I'm still
not entirely sure. I don't mean that
as any sort of complaint, just that
questions come to mind.
What is the purpose of a guild? What is
expected and desired by and of it's
members? What is our common tie? Who
the hell are you people and where are
my pants?! Are these even important
questions? I really don't know but I'm
putting them out there. The guild rules
basically just say have fun and don't
be an ass, which is plenty for me I reckon.
My point, if indeed I have one, is for
both officers and grunts to consider what
their agenda in the game is and what they
want in a guild, and to make it known so
that we can either better serve our members
or at least know which ones to ostracise
and henpeck.
I will now advance two opinions regarding
guild admin and gameplay that I've been
meaning to harp on for while.
Firstly I would suggest that some sort
of selection process be implemented
for new members. That's not a pointed
statement at anyone here - I love you
all except Xander who once fished my
school of tastyfish - but we have had
a few jackasses come through in the past,
and I've seen a lot of the revolving door
syndrome of people joining for a few
days and leaving.
Of course people shouldn't stay in a
guild they don't like, but maybe this
would happen less if folks had a better
idea what we're about before they join.
And beyond that, as a guild gets larger
it gets harder to maintain any sort of
family atmosphere. I personally think
we've reached the size where some sort
of xenophobic selection procedure and
humiliating initiation rites are in order.
I mean as it stands I know for a fact that
a shady half-breed foreigner can get in here
and become shaman officer just for the asking
and post crackpot manifestos on your message
board. You gonna continue to stand for that?
Secondly I want to say something on the
subject of RP - and I'm not talking about
cyborz or recreating the dialogue from a
bad 80s fantasy movie. I'm saying we need
more user created content.
Burnout can happen in this game, and at
that point it's either delete or make
our own fun. I mean surely we can think
of something more interesting than "bring
10 infected bear bladders to Thunderhoof
Thunderhorn in Totemhoof villiage".
Lastly, and with tongue back out of
cheek and all blatant lying aside, I
want to reiterate one thing from the
guild info blurb: Respect At All Times.
As you were.
Subject: Guild ruminations 
Thu Apr 03, 2008 7:36 am
