World Class Guild: Rebel Rising

PlayerVox: When did the guild form up, and how did it happen? Was there a particular incident or thing that the founders bonded over?

Three Pounds: The guild officially formed up in early December after Awowa and I left Treacherous Empire [Te]. We decided to form a new guild that would be unlike all the others, one that would focus heavily on self criticism, improvement, persistence, and respect above all else. From day one we made a pact to never give up, even when everything looks dark and bleak, and it has brought us to where we stand today.

PlayerVox: Who were the founders? Are they all still around today?

Three Pounds: Awowa Classic and Three Pounds (myself) are the founders of RAWR: Rebel Rising. We are definitely still around, and plan to be as long as the game is active!

"Secretly, we all have a hidden passion for PvE that is dying to come out, but no one will admit it."

PlayerVox: Whats the thing you guys are most known for?

Three Pounds: In the early days when we jumped up ranks in the ladder, we were known as the guild that could only play hexes. Then as we emerged with our balanced build, we were known as the guild that only plays balanced. In other lands were known as Rawrians or Hey! Thats the guild who won gold capes! And even sometimes we’re known for our rebellious roar. I’d like to think we’re known for our positive attitudes, good sportsmanship, and player respect, but thats harder to see sometimes. =).

PlayerVox: Tell me about a typical play session for your guild — when do you play, how long do you play, what’s your goal for the session, how much time do you spend just hanging out, etc.

Three Pounds: We normally play five days a week, scheduling our GvGs around AT times and general times that most people can make. This ends up being around 8pm-midnight EST for weekdays and weekends. Each session normally lasts for about 3-4 hours that are spent frivolously trying to get in as many games as possible. If the ladder seems particularly empty on a given day, we sometimes break out some in-house scrimmages or end up hanging out in Vent talking about strategy and tactics. On the occasions when we need a break from GvG, our guild does a fun PvE run. Apart from our scheduled GvG times, our guild spends a lot of time guild bonding (as I like to put it) by doing HA, TA, AB, or more commonly, PvE.
(Editors note: No idea what these abbreviations are? Want to learn? Try Guild Wars!

PlayerVox: Do you ever hang out in the physical world as well as online?

Three Pounds: Unfortunately [in terms of the ability to socialize in real life], our guild is spread out around the world. We have players in Denmark, Australia, Canada, and all time zones of the USA. This makes it hard for any of us to hang out IRL. However, one of our standing goals is to make it to the next World Championship and have all our guild members flown off to an exotic country to hang out and meet up for the first time.

PlayerVox: What makes you different from all the other guilds out there?

Three Pounds: Our guild focuses a lot of self-criticism and improvement. We find that a common flaw in most other guilds is their arrogance that comes almost naturally when becoming a top competitor. Because of this, we constantly enforce taking a step back and realizing there is always something to learn, and nobody is perfect. One way we do this is by encouraging the guild to make a personal list of something they could have done better during the match, and posting it for the guild to see. This is easy if we’ve lost a game, but much, much, harder if we’ve won every game that night. Indirectly, this emphasizes that one should always respect ones fellow players and keep an open mind. We focus not on the mistakes people make, but the reasoning and decisions that lead up to it.

PlayerVox: What would you describe as the "typical" member?

Three Pounds: Most of our members are friendly, open minded, and mature. The average age of our members is in the early 20s. We’re all very competitive and dedicated to becoming the best at what we play. Secretly, we all have a hidden passion for PvE that is dying to come out, but no one will admit it. A typical member of RAWR is a true rebel. =)

A RAWR PVE Trip

PlayerVox: Got any funny stories that might sum up the guild personality in a nutshell?

Three Pounds: I’d say the one that stands out the most is when one of our members, Lego, didn’t have internet connection for a few days. But being the dedicated player he is, instead of taking those days off, he would drive around in his car looking for a wifi spot to connect to the internet on his laptop. He would be miles away from his home playing with his laptop scrunched between the wheel and driver seat, no bathroom or food in sight, and almost getting arrested by cops, he would come on every night to GvG at our regularly scheduled time. Now THAT is a true Rebel.

PlayerVox: If I wanted to join you guys, how would I go about that?

Three Pounds: Well, first you’d have to submit an application! Then whatever area you would like to focus on in your Guild Wars career (GvG, HB, HA, PvE, etc), be dedicated to it and work at it with determination. If you have a true heart of a Rebel, you will stand out.

PlayerVox: If I made you pick a guild motto, what would it be?

Three Pounds: rawr! That word alone encompasses the fierceness, power, and strength that this guild holds.

PlayerVox: If you had to pick an animal that represents your group, what would it be?

Three Pounds: A dragon, of course! It’s swift, strong, powerful, and resilient. It’s a creature to be respected and feared. Above all, it can breathe fire… which is way cool.

PlayerVox: Can I link to your guild page?

Three Pounds: Yes! www.rebelrising.net

PlayerVox: Who were the founders? Are they all still around today?

Three Pounds: Awowa Classic and Three Pounds (myself) are the founders of RAWR: Rebel Rising. We are definitely still around, and plan to be as long as the game is active!

PlayerVox: Who were the founders? Are they all still around today?

Three Pounds: Awowa Classic and Three Pounds (myself) are the founders of RAWR: Rebel Rising. We are definitely still around, and plan to be as long as the game is active!

Creating a Family

Some guilds are formed to kick ass. Others are formed more to provide a chat channel for like-minded people. And some guilds are simply real life friendships brought online, a continuation of existing relationships. All of these guilds can (and do) lead to lasting relationships, bonded by common interests and experiences. But it seems like the guilds that got their start in real life lead to the deepest friendships even for members who joined up long after the original group of friends.

Yes, even the people who meet the real-life friends online tend to bond just as deeply as the original group. The experiences people have in such a guild become things they talk about years later, and often change their very lives. This is not an exaggeration. In my years of doing online community work, I’ve seen marriages and children result from online friendships. But I’ve also seen people pulled back from the edges of suicide, poverty, alcoholism, and more. Dozens of people have told me that their guild was their salvation during a dark night of the soul.
Can you make your guild into something so meaningful? No. Can you create an environment that allow relationships to thrive? Absolutely.

The first step you can take as an officer is the easiest — say hello to members as they log in. It’s that simple. Dissatisfied guild members, regardless of game or guild style, are often the newest ones who feel lost in the crowd, or even of less importance than established guild members. It’s not "Dozens of people have told me that their guild was their salvation during a dark night of the soul." that they expect to know all the in-jokes, or to be as beloved as the founder who knows everyone. But they do want to feel like they’ve joined something in which they are no longer an anonymous player who has no impact on other people. Nothing is lonelier than being alone in a room, logging into a bustling chat channel, and going completely unacknowledged. So set the tone for your guild by making a point of greeting everyone who logs in to play. You may be the only one at first, but eventually your members will follow your lead.

The second step is to encourage out of game interaction. Players of today’s faster-paced MMOs don’t sit around chatting with each other for six hours waiting for their turn at a zone, and they almost never sit around while their characters are ghosts or corpses. This improvement in general design has lessened the feeling of community for guilds that are continuously in action. Relationships form over shared experiences, but they are cemented by conversations about other aspects of life besides the game.

Start threads on your own message board, set up an IRC channel for your members during the day, and organize annual, even monthly gatherings for people to meet and deepen their friendships. If your guild is scattered across multiple time zones and national boundaries, consider appointing regional officers to coordinate these activities. And consider webcams at live events, so even the most distant member can say he was there the night of the Epic Guitar Hero Showdown. Above all, host a photo and screenshot gallery – these images are the history of your guild, and they serve to make your virtual friendships tangible.

Finally, take a page from development professionals, and track personal information using a contact database, or even a simple spreadsheet. Development is business lingo for fundraising in the non-profit sector. Big money donors (and small money donors with the potential to become bigger) are studied more carefully than the reproductive organs of endangered pandas. A typical contact information sheet for a big donor has their name, nickname, spouse/partners name, pets name, birthday, participation history, political leanings, preferred seating at fundraising events, and favorite color. Thats a TYPICAL sheet. Ive seen many that were far more involved. All of this effort allows the development director to send birthday cards, to inquire after the health of loved ones, and make pleasant conversation easily.

Does this sound terribly impersonal, and completely contrary to the spirit of creating a virtual family? It wont feel that way to the new member who is celebrated on his birthday, and it could make a huge difference in the day of someone feeling down on a difficult anniversary. You’re only one person, and your family is enormous. Use technology to help you keep track of everything.

Got any other ideas? What works best for you in terms of creating community? Post in the comment thread!

Announcing the Espressos

Today we’re starting a tradition at GuildCafe that will be fun year after year. We’d like to acknowledge the best player-created content: maps, mods, machinima, blogs — you name it. Like everything on GuildCafe, this is going to be directed by our own community. Here’s the press release we issued about it today:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GuildCafe Launches First Annual Espresso Awards
New Award Program Honoring Player-Created Content in Games

CAMBRIDGE MA, December 7, 2007 – GuildCafe is proud to announce their sponsorship of the First Annual Espresso Awards, presented by the members of GuildCafe.

“Our awards are about celebrating player-created content, recognized by other players as being the best,” said GuildCafe Director of Community Sanya Weathers. “The world didn’t need another Game of the Year Award, especially not with so much fantastic material created by gamers, for gamers.”

GuildCafe will celebrate the new year by giving out Espresso Cups to winners in thirteen categories ranging from Best Fansite to Best Player-Created Level to Best Rant. Nominations and votes will come entirely from the members of the GuildCafe community. As with many of the projects and features of GuildCafe, the staff will not exercise any editorial control at all, letting these awards be entirely driven by the preferences and respect of the gaming public.

Nominations close on December 31, and actual voting will take place during the month of January. For more information on the awards and the various categories, or to nominate player-created content, visit the Espresso page here: http://www.guildcafe.com/espresso

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