I'm a guild and community leader and have been doing it for a very long time. I'm not bragging, It’s something I've found enjoyment in, seeing and supporting the success of our members and other respected players and guilds. I am also a hobby game and environment designer. I’ve seen my share of games, ideas and designs since the beginning. Tools are essential to a guild and community...

 

I personally don't quite support the XP bonus per account. Our guild does have enough to max it, but I support not only my community, but the success of others who may be looking for something else so there should be support for the smaller guilds too. We're going to have people paying others to have their alts spread around the game in other guilds inactive.. is that what we want? I'd rather have them in the guild with an auto matching guild rank option to the guild leader. If you really want to build community and connection with your players, these ideas should be heavily investigated and implemented as soon as able.

 

That aside, here’s my large list of potential guild improvements and/or ideas, NO they are not all great ideas, some of them can be horrible, but I’m an epitome of ideas and it’s to get the ball rolling on some. So this is an idea thread, think tank, not a debate thread, if you don't have an idea or an improvement of an idea, don’t post. No ranting or debating about who’s wrong or what’s wrong, only constructive criticism is acceptable, everything else will be ignored.

 

Guild Stuff

• Guild Achievements - Based on single or multiple members unlocking specific or groups of achievements personal or guild only that may provide titles access to items, guild commendations, higher percentages of stats or boosts.
  
• Guild Reputation/Currency - Commendations or reputation that may be used to purchase guild items. 48 hours after leaving a guild, or after joining 3 different guilds (not sure why you would, but to help manage a list and reduce accidental loss) will reset the reputation.
  
• Increase Member Cap - I hear max capacity is 500, with the merging of servers, transfer options and XP bonus, this should probably be increased...
  
• Craft Bonuses - Achievement or calculated based off guild members craft levels.
  
• Action Log - Log, like the bank with invites/promotion/kicks/leaves logged
  
• Timestamps - When they joined, the last time they were online. This should have been in since the start...
  
• Member Info - Other member information like, legacy name, crew skills & levels of them, maybe reputation? Light/Dark? This can be expanded upon...
  
• Purchasable Guild Benefits - From bonuses, temporary bonuses, to
  
• Hand me Downs - Ability to transfer BoP items to guild members as long as unused. This would help gear guildies for more active roles in things like operations when/if needed.
  
• Guild Status - A page with all information about the guild and settings. Maybe give everyone access to the details button or an option to see it?
  
• Expanded Descriptions - Lengthen descriptions and add viewable options on ranks and their descriptions, pages and MOTD (MOTD should have an option to show only once every 24 hrs and an option to pop up, or just show in chat).
  
• Stuff mentioned by Tellos (thanks)
  • Guild Tax - Allows the building of the bank without depending solely on donations with allowable decimal percentages of all incoming credits. This would also be viewable by all guild members via a guild status sheet.
    
  • Guild Calendar - Our community doesn’t really need this as we have our own, but it would be really nice to have ingame. Public/Private options would also be good so other players can view other events of that day and participate as well if it’s public. Viewable online also via a long url would also be good so API’s can be made.
    
  • Guild Items - Custom guild items, guild colors that can be unlocked if needed, guild uniforms that can be a selected item and turned into adaptive and purchasable without mods, guild logos they can apply to their shoulders or chest in the optional place of where many symbols may sit already, and anything else that will help a guild represent themselves. Guild colors for speeders.
    
  • Guild Levels - similar to legacy but based off achievements and active time.
    
  • Guild Quests - A set objective mission that rewards some kind of commendation or currency. This may include completing

  [*]Guild Jobs - Allow ranking members to assign tasks, trackable or untrackable by the game with an automated or checkable ‘completed’ box to other members. From regular patrols, distance traveled, time in an area to Heroics, FP’s and Ops.

  [*]Guild Ship - Add a ship to the fleet that’s phased by guild membership with unlockable features within and maybe future space combat with multiplayer. You can also use this to house other settings or set it as the location from which bonuses come from. SWG allowed you to set your cities bonus. Crafting, combat and social bonuses...

  [*]Automation - Any kind of automation, similar to what you have already with the making of leader if no one has logged in for a while. Where a guild leader can set demotions after so much time off line, or promotions after so much time being in the guild.

  [*]Neutral Guilds - Houses members of both sides and shares in the features. May share in guild ship upgrades but would not share location as the guild ship if implimented would likely be in the fleet.

  [*]Guild Allies/Enemies - Allows the designation of guild allies or enemies and/or individuals. Will also prioritize or discourage automated interactions with them, like grouping.

  [*]Guild Page - Public and/or Private note page one can use for information, documentation, rules, requirements and more.

  [*]Guild Search/Directory - Public page a guild may opt to be included in with a short description, tags, level and status.

  [*]Member Status - Some account details, if they’re F2P, Prefered, if they have alts in the guild, maybe who they are?

  [*]Guild Grouping - Grouping with guild members or allies based off how many provide additional stats, buffs, experience or increased reward.

  [*]Map Markers / Area’s - Private, Group and Guild map markers. Private can be stored on your PC or via profile, group would be mostly temporary while in a group or op. Guild are more permanent but are hideable from the map.

  [*]Guild Collections - Trophies or Items that can be displayed or logged linked to achievements or collected/notable items. Regular items may be marked as a notable item and put into the guild collections. Collection items would be unretrievable or inactive but always available for trophies.

  [*]Guild Titles - Allow the showing of guild ranks or number in a name or under the guild name over player’s heads. (ex: <Guild Name - 3/8> or <Guild Name - subscript rank name> or could be on a line below in smaller letters)

  [*]Guild Tags - Allows the use of a short name or tag over player’s heads instead of the entire name. May be only shown over the head if the guild name is longer than 16 characters. But often used in short form for boards, ops and/or groups

  [*]Guild PvP - Bonuses being in pvp with guild members, extra comms per member, tags or guild names shown in end of round board. Round could have a ‘hosting’ guild, when numbers calculated together a guild is chosen as the ‘host’ of the round, or MVP guild of the round.

  [*]Guild Emblem - Using shapes, layers, a preset list of clipart or similar to allow the creation and customization of guild logos or symbols. Can be attached to armor, clothing and speeders. (inappropriate/reported emblems could get disband and/or loose unlocks/benefits as repercussion)

  [*]Guild Theme - I don't know... just a random idea, can be basic midi written ingame or uploaded or playable instruments.

  [*]Guild Banner - Just like the Empire and Republic one, but has your guild’s emblem on it.

  [*]Guild Warzones - Allow a guild to setup any number of players to a team to queue for a private match. This can also be used to challenge other guilds or allies, or even post a challenge on a board another guild or group can accept.

  [*]Guild Roster Export - Allow a Leader or specified member to export the entirety of the roster and it's stored values per member to a CSV or other form of database type. Bulk uploading of member or officer notes would be nice too. Maybe some kind of API stuff?

  [*]Guild Permission Disclosure - Add a permission that would allow members to see what permissions are set to what.

 

Other Ideas that came to mind...

• Group “Sell/Vendor” Roll - Since everyone can carry around a vendor now pretty much and companions take out the trash, being able to sell items on the spot and sharing the currency with everyone through a roll could benefit a group, especially if disassembly is not an option.
  
• Marking Trash / Trashcan - Providing a option on the item, a single line of inventory or unlockable space that the companion selling trash will take also. Trash can be picked up into this area directly, or can just be used for anything else while trash can still remain in your inventory.
  
• Vendor Reselling - Vendors will hold on to the last 100+ items they've had sold to them, mark them up 10?% and provide them for sale to anyone in this tab.
  
• Community Reputation - General reputation gained by everyone through random grouping, being in an occupied area and using chat, group chat or tells to nearby individuals.
  
• Switching Sides - By mission, cartel unlock, or both one can switch a character to the other side... Class and powers remain... In the future this may allow off-classes like. Force Adept (Inq tree’s if Republic, Consular trees if Empire), Bounty Hunters and Smugglers would remain the same, Force Soldier (Warrior tree’s if Republic, Knight tree’s if Empire). Allows the customization of what abilities look like. In the end, they would inherit their respective symbol and class tree name, the powers would only look different.
  
• Account Type - An indicator of the account status on player portraits. Silvergold star like champions for subscribers, gold star for preferred and silver or none for free players.
  
• FP Rebalancing - Provide a good amount of flashpoint modes through all levels, increasing the amount and difficulty in the higher levels.
  
• Character Profile - Pretty much a public notepad players can put stuff, from information about themselves, what they are (tank/dps), to RP stuff or achievements or links of interest. A private ingame notepad would be nice too but not as essential. Or.. just make all flashpoints adaptive based off similar calculations to level matching (below).
  
• Global Notes - Global notes easier viewable for LFG and information a player can post in the global list. The Who list can get buggy and just isn't used often enough, maybe expand on it?
  
• Level Matching - Allows the matching of level to another, so one could help friends or guild members to complete a task. This can be done by locking powers that did not exist at that level and lowering stats, or by lessening the effectiveness of abilities and lowering stats.
  
• Weapon Dyes/Matching - Matches the color of your weapon to your chest or uses installed dye.
  

 

Apologize if there's already a thread like this out there (centered around guild/community features) I looked back several months and didn't find anything, what I did find I already added. I've always got ideas rolling around in my head so I'll be adding them to the list, I'll also add the one’s I see below. During beta, I sent a huge list of bugs, tweaks and ideas to Bioware and over 50% of them you'll find implemented in-game today! If you need a think tank, constructive criticism or some ideas, just ask me!

 

Updates

• 05/28/13: Guild Crews, Guild Speeders
  
• 05/29/13: Guild Warzones by Sziroten
  
• 06/03/13: Guild Crews renamed to Member Info, idea by TW-Cool
  
• 08/18/13: Guild Roster Export / AP & Guild Permission Disclosure idea post from FleurdelisI
  

Edited August 19, 2013 by Xoza
Added something...

Very nice post. Well thought out as well. Hopefully some of this will get implemented within the year.

Some great ideas, any would be a welcome addition, guild need a lot more utility in the game.

 

My favourite is the BoP idea that these raid items can be placed in the guild bank before use. This would seem to be fairly easy to achieve since they have a timer where they can be traded with other group members, the guild bank can be added to the list that the item can be traded to.

Added

• Guild Crews - Show a list of crew skills and what level they are. If anything, at least the production skill.
  

 

As for some reason Grayseven's suggestion thread gave me the idea...

great post! i like most all of these ideas.

 

especially the guild ship idea, and the guild emblems. you could put that on your gear, on a banner, even a holo of it would be cool.

 

not sure about the faction-hopping, but i do like the idea of a "neutral" or combined guild with both repub and sith together. or at the very least giving "allied" guilds more functionality, like guild ally chat, etc.

 

guild calendars are a great idea too.

Added

"Guild colors for speeders."

To Guild Items due to an idea from BlackEyeArtistry, Thanks!

/sign

very nice compilation!

Well said, you have my support.

Added

• Guild Warzones - Allow a guild to set up any number of players to a team to queue for a private match. This can also be used to challenge other guilds or allies, or even post a challenge on a board another guild or group can accept.
  

 

Based off ideas from Sziroten

I only briefly skimmed over some of your suggestions.

 

I think BW needs to be careful with the kind of stuff they do to guilds. I was there when a WoW guild was just somewhere a group of people got together. Eventually guilds turned into something that you can sell once they had levels and perks. When guilds got to the point where they maxed out on perks people would boot all its members and sell the guild. Why start your own guild with low level/low quality perks when you can just buy one that someone already 'leveled' up and is maxed out on perks. I dont know if this was addressed in the OP, but it is something to think about.

 

I havent seen what the guild system in SWTOR is like yet, but i'm guessing that GMs can transfer ownership?

Because all of these are awesome ideas, I wholly support them

I only briefly skimmed over some of your suggestions.

 

I think BW needs to be careful with the kind of stuff they do to guilds. I was there when a WoW guild was just somewhere a group of people got together. Eventually guilds turned into something that you can sell once they had levels and perks. When guilds got to the point where they maxed out on perks people would boot all its members and sell the guild. Why start your own guild with low level/low quality perks when you can just buy one that someone already 'leveled' up and is maxed out on perks. I dont know if this was addressed in the OP, but it is something to think about.

 

I havent seen what the guild system in SWTOR is like yet, but i'm guessing that GMs can transfer ownership?

 

Most of the suggestions are functionality and just general perks for the members and tools, but there are a lot of earnable things too. When a guild earns these things, it often counts on the pride of the members to keep it rolling, if the guild goes completely inactive then there's no reason to let all that work go to waste, but I agree and understand your statement and the possible abuse, don't go joining guilds that you don't trust! Some even now there are 'perks' that you can purchase from a guild like the guild bank that transfers from leader to leader. The only thing I can think of to prevent or lessen this is disallow guild leadership transfer to accounts less than so many days old, haven't been in the guild for so long and have a requirement of accounts in the guild. You could even base the guild perks on the individual who completed them and if they're kicked you lose a percentage of the work they've contributed. If they leave however, their contributions remain even if they were to return later.

Modified

• Guild Crews - Show a list of crew skills and what level they are. If anything, at least the production skill.
  

To

• Member Info - Display additional member information like, legacy name, crew skills & levels of them, maybe reputation? Light/Dark? This can be expanded upon...
  

Due to an idea by TW-Cool

Edited June 3, 2013 by Xoza

Dude props on this post.

Modified

• Member Info - Display additional member information like, legacy name, crew skills & levels of them, maybe reputation? Light/Dark? This can be expanded upon...
  

Due to an idea by TW-Cool

 

Thanks for putting my idea in with all your wonderful ideas. While legacy names are no longer unique... it's still better than not knowing the name at all.

A suggestion for Guilds i thought of was, on the game City Of Heroes, they had something called Coalitions which was were the Supergroups (or Guilds) could be in an alliance and all it did was gave the guilds a channel so they could all see it and they could all talk to one another but still be in seperate guilds. i thought about this so that large guilds could be in coalitions with one another and if no one on your guild is on just ask in the Coalition channel to see if the other guilds in the coalition had anyone online who could do mishions with you or something

No Thanks.

Guild Achievements you need to be careful with..

 

WOW implemented this in their game and it caused issues.. Especially when it came to perks or bonuses..

 

Nobody wanted to join low level guild or guilds that didn't have certain perks or bonuses.. So it became very hard for new guilds to get members.. While people were waiting in line to join guilds of a certain level with a certain set of perks, other guilds couldn't get members to save their lives..

 

So.. I will say that guild achievements are great.. As long as the rewards doesn't in any way devalue other guilds or make them less attractive to join..

1 suggestion - instead of raising the member cap, they need to make guild membership be based on Legacy. If you have 3 alts in a guild, you should occupy 1 guild member spot. It's the same person after all. With a game this heavy on alting and great majority of players having 2/4/6+ alts, it just doesn't make sense to have guild membership not be based on legacy.

1 suggestion - instead of raising the member cap, they need to make guild membership be based on Legacy. If you have 3 alts in a guild, you should occupy 1 guild member spot. It's the same person after all. With a game this heavy on alting and great majority of players having 2/4/6+ alts, it just doesn't make sense to have guild membership not be based on legacy.

 

I like that idea... Again though it's understandable to want to have a 'secret don't bother me alt' Knowing who is doing what helps out alot with grouping and community.

/signed!

I support the OPs list, as amended by the other posters. Guild support is woefully lacking and needs to be addressed immediately. A way to communicate with our members is what we need right now. Therefore, I am adding one more item:

 

Added: Guild in-game mail. Permit a Guild Leader and his Officers to send out mass mailing to the members. Naturally, this requires that each MEMBER of the guild be known, not all of the alts. Communications is our most-pressing problem, in my opinion. We currently have no way to get information out to our membership. The Message of the Day isn't working. First, it's way too small. Second, people don't know that it comes from their Guild Leader so they tend to blow it off in thier haste to get logged on.

I'm immediately in support of most of the items in the OP's thread - for the things I don't immediately support.. well - I'm not against them, either!

 

I definitely agree that the guild tools need a serious revamp / overhaul / upgrade.

I'm immediately in support of most of the items in the OP's thread - for the things I don't immediately support.. well - I'm not against them, either!

 

I definitely agree that the guild tools need a serious revamp / overhaul / upgrade.

 

Thanks for the revival, I had some other ideas I need to post but don't recall what they were at the moment, when they come to mind again I will add them to the list!