The Guild Help Service of Grand Chase- New guide for guild leaders has been finished!

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zecks1 Posted: 06-03-2009 6:37 PM

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So as some of you may know I use to be very active in the guild lounge awhile back. I spent quite a bit of time offering advice and helping people build, manage, and improve their guilds. Myself and others offered up our free time to help improve the guilds of this game to insure that anyone that wanted to run a guild could have that chance.

This is The Guild Help Service. Myself and others are here to offer our advice and wisdom to help those seeking insight into building and maintaining a guild. Our primary goal is to offer assistances to anyone asking for help, meaning if you don't ask or refuse our help we may not come to you. The basic services we offer is:

1. Helping people get a guild started.
2. Offering advice to those who are at a lost as to how to start or what to do next.
3. Giving advice to a guild that may be failing to insure that it has a much better chance of staying afloat.
4. Helping solve guild disputes. Obviously if its an internal affair we can't do much to solve it and it should really be left up to that guilds leader.
5. Helping guilds find people to make things such as banners or signature images.

In addition to myself I hope that some of our older and more experienced guild lounge members may be willing to offer a little bit of their time and help out as well. Obviously each person has their own personal life and of course can't be on 24 hours a day, so keep in mind it is important to leave request and wait patently for a few days until someone has time to help each person with their problem.

An important thing to remember is that each persons opinion is very important and matters just as much as anyone else's. As Guild Help Service members we are no different than anyone else. We simply have a better understanding of how guilds work and want to offer our advice and wisdom to those who need or want it.

Lastly For those who are request keep in mind that as average people there is only so much we can do. We give every guild the same effort and treat everyone equally so know that we are here for anyone and everyone that needs help. All you need to do is ask.

Application:

If you need help with your guild leaves your guild name and what you need help with and we will do the best we can to get to you as soon as possible. Heres a few rules to follow when seeking our help.

1. Please remember that you need to post a request in order for us to help. We won't know you need help unless you ask.
2. Do not send Private Messages to our members asking for help. Its rude to bug the members of The Guild Help Service when their not working on guilds and its also rude to the other people requesting help who have gone through the application process. Any Violation of this rule will result in rejection of current and future services.
3. Do not message (whisper) our members in game. For many of us its a chance to unwind and relax so most of us don't want to discuss guild related business while playing.
4. Be clear with your request. Simply saying "I need help" doesn't give anyone a clue as to what you need. Be sure to address the issue your having.

Current Members:

zecks1

Thefonebook

ArkMaster364

iwantmuni33

SwtLilAngel

Approved Guilds:

lSSl ±SoulStricken±

·Avalon· The Everdistant Utopia

~Choas~

Ideology - |AiR| Altruism in Reality

Section Nine

Kingdom Knights

This is a list of guild that have met the requirements of the Guild Help Service and no longer need help or advice from us. Keep in mind that this is simply our opinion and if you think that you don't need our approval or we're wrong just let us know and we'll handle it from there. If you wish for assistance after you are approved feel free to ask.

Guilds:

First things first. Guilds are a very important responsibility and are much harder to run than most people think. What it really takes to run a guild is good leadership and a good bond with your guild members. As some people may have heard me say "No on wants to follow a jerk". This is very true as you sometimes see people that make a guild but don't understand that people join to have fun and work together. Remember that a guild is a team and being a guild leader just makes you team captain. Just remember as a guild to have fun and play with your guild members because at the end of the day your all just friends playing the same day.

Getting Started:

To start things off always start off easy. You often see people try to start off big and end of spending all the energy for nothing. No its not bad to have a big goal but remember by starting off easy gives you not only time to figure out what you want to do with your guild but it also gives you time to improve things as you move along. A simple method of getting set up is what is called the GIFES (Guild In Five Easy Steps) Method.

1. Title- Give your guild a name. Its important to think of your name before you start as often times people choose to give their guild a theme based off the name.
2. Rules- Be sure to list your guild rules clearly. Its a very important thing that you think of everything that you that you want your members to do. Rules will provide them a guide line on how to act because remember that they are representing you and your guild with their actions.
3. Guidelines- Be sure to state your guidelines. Each guild has not only has its own theme but also its own guild lines. For example if your guild is a Player vs. Player guild you may want your member to follow the guild lines of friendly behavior and avoid any unsportsmanlike like conduct.
4. Member list- Having a list of your current members is a good idea. People often want to know who is in their guild and where they stand in the guild as a member. By having a member list people can add their guild members and see who they are ranks (if you choose to use rank).
5. Spell Check- it is very important to make sure you spell everything you can correctly. Most people that see "Ths Ish bst Guld evr" will not take the guild seriously. People are going to notice mistakes faster than they do anything else so be sure to spell things correctly and go back and fix mistakes.

By following these simple steps its easy to set up a basic guild in under 10 minutes. Always remember that after you have your guild set up people we be quick to spot errors and try to tell you how to fix and run your guild. The more important think to remember is that it is your guild and not theirs so the only opinion that matters is yours. This being said don't just ignore the advice people offer you but instead use it to make your guild how you want it to be, so in the end when you finish you'll have a guild you did all on your own and it will be something you can be proud of.

Fine Tuning:

Now that you've got your basic guild its time to mold it into something to brag about. First remember that each guild has its other theme to it. Each of these themes are different and holds a its own requirements, benefits, and game experience for the player to enjoy. These themes can be broken down into four categories

1. Player vs. Player- This type of guild is for those who are rearing and ready to go fight in the PvP (Player vs. Player) mode to prove their the best. These guilds often have high level members along with requirements like a certain number of wins or a good PvP ratio.
2. Dungeon- These kinds of guild are for those who want to prove themselves against the worst the game has to offer. Often time these guilds have any number of requires ranging form low to very high level members. This is a good guild type for those with a more relaxed play type.
3. All Around- This type of guild is for the players who want to master every aspect of the game. These guild will sometime have a much tougher requirements and are both Dungeon and PvP based meaning that the guild is active in both areas and requires its members to be the same.
4. Themed-This guild type are for those who wish to change their game play from competitive to more of an adventure. These kinds of guild will often have a theme such as Knights or Thieves, asking their members to sometime role play to change the game experience.

With each type of guild come different types of challenges so keep in mind that sometimes you may find that what you thought at first either may not work or may not be what you wanted in the end. This is ok because being a guild leader is a growing process and requires you to learn from your mistakes in order to grow as a leader. After all we all do make mistakes and if at first you don't succeed try, try again.

Adding The Finishing Touches:

Ok now that you've got your basic guild structure down and also have picked your theme, its time to add in the finishing touches. Now every guild has its own way of standing out. There are several ways to make a guild stand out. Below are several different methods:

1. Banner- a banner is a large image that goes across the top of a guilds first post. Banners usually has an image that pertains to the guild theme along with the guild name and either the guilds catch phrase or a inspiring quote.
2. Back story- Often times guilds will give themselves a kind of back story that sets the mood they want for that guild. These aren't as crucial as other things but their not a bad idea to have. What may help is if you choose to have a back story just have fun and make up something. Remember they don't have to be long either.
3. Rank- Everyone wants to know where they belong in the guild based on their performance. Rank is a very important feature to a guild for a number a reasons. One it sets up a structure for your guild giving people an idea of where they are at in terms of importance as well as giving members a sense of closeness with others at their ranks. Rank also give members a sense of accomplishment when they reach a new level. Also rank greatly helps the guild leader in the fact that you can assign tasks to certain ranks. Making your job much easier and helping everyone in the guild become closer.
4. Announcements- Announcements are a great way to keep your guild members up to date on any changes you have made or plan to make. Announcements are also a great way to inform your guild members of any future plans to update the guild or change guild policy.
5. Events- Events are what helps keep a guild alive and helps it grow. There are as many events are a person can think of. Offering prizes are a great way to inspire higher activity in the guild and stimulate guild activity. Some examples of events are PvP tournaments, dungeon challenges, best screen shot competition, etc.
6. Badges- Guild badges are not crucial but can be a fun addition to a guild. Badges show members off on the forums and also inspire the members to be more active which can help the guild grow. Just remember that guild badges are a symbol of your guild and should only be given out to members.

Ready to Roll:

Now that you've got everything set up its time to kick things into high gear and get things rolling. A big part of keeping a guild alive is to as helpful as you can to your members. This sometimes means having to go the extra mile by helping in game or just talking to a member because they had a bad day. Remember being a guild leader just means your in charge of managing the club house. Just remember as a guild leader the biggest thing to the job is to just have fun with your members and have fun with your guild.

So now you've got your guild all set up and your ready to start getting members and hosting events. Well thats all well and good but there is much more to running a guild than simply making sure you've cleared the "check list" on the guide above. This guide is going to go into greater detail on some of the aspects of being a guild leader that the guide above cannot teach you. The important thing to remember is that being a guild leader is the hardest job in a guild and is the most difficult to learn. There isn't a guild leader out there that didn't have to learn how to manage a group at some point or another.

The Basics- To start with its important to address what the role of a guild leader is versus what people think it is. A guild leader is someone who has taken the responsibility of leading a group of people in a certain activity. Guild leaders are in essence a manager. Thats right, just like the guy at McDonald's. The key thing to remember about this is just like a manager at a store, what people think of you is what they think or your guild and vis versa.

If you decide its okay to swear or act rudely in the game or on the forums then anyone watching you will see that the leader of that guild is a rude and childish person and in turn will think very little of that persons guild. It also works in reverse. If a guild member is acting rudely or causing problems for people then anyone who knows they are in a guild will assume that the entire guild is like that. What is important to remember is running a guild is no different than running a business, people will make their opinions based on what they see from its members which is why it is important to lead by example by acting mature, courteous, and kindly toward people to set a pleasant image for your guild.

Role of A Guild Leader- The roll of a guild leader is to basically manage and develop the guild. What most people do not understand about running a guild is that there is more to it than simply adding members and hosting an event. Ask any manager you know and they will tell you that there is more to being a manager than telling employees what to do and filling out paper work. The key thing to remember about being a guild leader is that there are more things than just managing the thread to make a guild work out and help it grow. What makes a guild work far beyond what just keeps it alive is a leader that takes an interest in the guild and its members.

What people want in a guild leader is someone they can look up to, respect, work with, and come to when they need help both game and life related. It is not un-come for guild leaders to mix personal life with the game and develop bounds with members, as a matter a fact that is one of the most important thing to being a guild leader. Most of the time what members want is not someone whos high leveled or good at the game but someone whos fun to play with and wants to help them succeed. 

Dealing With The Guild Drama- When it comes to being a guild leader expect to have issues between members. "[____] said [____] to me and thats not right, I'm leaving the guild". This actually happens quite often and for people not use to managing a group of people this can be a bit of a shock at first. The key to getting around this is understand that most of the time their choice to leave is cause by something outside of the game and though they may be mad at you its not your fault and you should never take it personally. What you should do instead is approach them in game or in a PM ( just make sure its private and between the two or you) and offer to listen to them and help. Most of the time people just want to be heard out because they feel no one wanted to hear their side of the story or they just want someone to know how they feel.

Don't forget that on the other side of your monitor is another person and they have feeling just like you. Once you start to develop a bound with your members you'll notice them starting to be more open about themselves with not just you but other members as well. This is a sign of a friendship and closeness in a guild that is far more important that events or anything else. Don't forget the reason most people start guild is because they just wanted to make friends and have fun.

How To Handle A Guild When It Comes To The Members- Members are of course the most important part of the guild. More over its important not to forget that the guild is just as much theirs as it is yours. Your members are what make your guild work and develop. With out them you have all these building material but no blue prints. New ideas come from members based on what they want or what they need. Things such as events, rules, rank, and member rank placement should be something that the guild members have a say in it. Members can sometimes know whats best for the guild rather than the guild leader smetimes and thats why its important to make sure you listen to what they have to say. I myself have found many a time asking members what they would like to see and after taking their advice our numbers when up and the following event was more active then the one we had before.

Rank is a big issue in guilds because members like to know where they stand and what they can do in terms of guild changes. There are some people who start offering their highest and more important ranks to the first people that join. This is bad for two really big reasons:

1. If they turn out to be a jerk or lazy or what have you then their taking the space of someone who could do not only a better job but also their not helping you out by not doing their job and in turn is making your job harder and making running you guild harder.
2. If the person you select to be your new second command because he was the first to join turns out to not be what you thought he was, he has a considerable amount of sway in your guild. Certain people are not meant to be leaders and when they are put in a position where they are meant to lead a group of people that can panic or become arrogant and start trying to lead the guild themselves.

By making people earn rank or a position in the guild they become respectful of the rank because the recognize the effort it took to get to where they are and will try to live up to the rank in order to advance further. The true important thing about rank and members is they need to remember that you are in charge and you have the final say. This being said do not cast aside what they tell you, in stead treat them not as members are fellow players and try to get them involved in the guild development so that in the end its not what you wanted to make but what you and your made together.

Being More Than A Guild Leader: The last message in this guide is being more than a guild leader. Instead become a mentor, friend, student, and family with your guild members. What matters more in a guild than anything else is how your members feel about you and how your doing as a leader. Your members are what make the guild and if you fail to meet the expectations they have they will leave. In this aspect instead of trying to simply have a good guild structure or active events, try getting to know your members. I've often found myself logging into the game and end up just chatting with friends about work, school, life, and things of personal interest. I've been a guild leader for more than two years and I can tell you without a doubt that my members have made everyday with it. By getting to know them and becoming friends with people whos face I may never see I've come to enjoy this game far more than anything the game play could offer. Understand that being a guild leader doesn't mean standing at the top alone trying to running the guild, but instead setting things in motion and enjoying the game with your members.

Banners and Sigs:

As some of you know I and some of the other members of the guild lounge make Guild Banners and Signature Images upon request. In my profile I have a list of rules and an application process in order to order a sig from me. In terms of making banners I will make one banner for a guild once the meet the requirements I have set. These requirements are not meant to discriminate against anyone but are set in place so that only people that are serious about running a guild and intend for it to last will get the full use of a banner instead of a guild that is sloppily put together and dies in a week. The Requirements are as follow:

1. The guild must be pre-approved by a member of the Guild Help Service.
2. The guild must be active for longer than one week with constant activity of a few posts a day relevant to the guild. Meaning the guild can't just spam talk for a week.
3. The guild must have at least ten active members. They don't have to be on the forums everyday but you can't have a guild with people that aren't active in the game.
4. After a guild has met the first three requirements the guild leader must request for the banner on the Guild Help Service thread so that if one member can not work on it right away the information is available to the others.
5. Be clear on what you ask for. If you are vague we will simply guess. Also if you have certain images in mind please post either a link of the image itself so that we can take some of the guess work out of the projects.

Here are a few examples of sigs and banners I have made-

Sig

Banner

Heres a few sigs and banners that Ark has made-

sig

banner

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Thefonebook replied on 06-03-2009 7:02 PM

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well I can't wait until the under construction is over ^_^

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MrYamazuki replied on 06-04-2009 4:27 AM

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I was getting ready to post mine Zecks ._., started it a while ago and was going to post it like tomorrow

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zecks1 replied on 06-04-2009 5:37 AM

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Oh...well one thing I told gratlin is if you want to join this one all I'm doing is managing it, I'm not in change. Plus I'd love to have someone as knowledgeable as you helping out. ^_^

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MrYamazuki replied on 06-04-2009 6:34 AM

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Well I'll post mine today if I complete it fully, and see what you think.

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zecks1 replied on 06-05-2009 4:46 PM

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Ok we're open for business.

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ArkMaster364 replied on 06-05-2009 8:27 PM

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I expected nothing less from you zecks.

Keep up the good work

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alanthebman replied on 06-05-2009 8:29 PM

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i honestlt think MrYamazuki's guild guide thing is better

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zecks1 replied on 06-05-2009 8:38 PM

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ArkMaster364:

I expected nothing less from you zecks.

Keep up the good work

Thank you Ark.

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zecks1 replied on 06-05-2009 8:40 PM

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alanthebman:

i honestlt think MrYamazuki's guild guide thing is better

Well Alan if you have nothing nice to contribute to this thread please do not post. Also I think you meant to say honestly not "honestlt"

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ArkMaster364 replied on 06-06-2009 12:01 AM

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Well, zecks

If you're interested, i wanna join you and Fone  with the GHS, if you want

I think i learned a lot being here and watching things flow, so thats why i wanna share what i learn here =)

also...look at how much my guild has grown the last time you saw it, thanks to you and Yu and Tebryn =) for helping me when i got started

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Sickler replied on 06-06-2009 7:32 AM

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I've got a question.

In some guild forums when you sign up for their guild they tell you to sign up at the guild main or something like that.   How do i do this?

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zecks1 replied on 06-06-2009 9:18 AM

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ArkMaster364:

Well, zecks

If you're interested, i wanna join you and Fone  with the GHS, if you want

I think i learned a lot being here and watching things flow, so thats why i wanna share what i learn here =)

also...look at how much my guild has grown the last time you saw it, thanks to you and Yu and Tebryn =) for helping me when i got started

^_^

I was waiting for you to ask. I would be happy for you to help.

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zecks1 replied on 06-06-2009 9:20 AM

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Sickler:

I've got a question.

In some guild forums when you sign up for their guild they tell you to sign up at the guild main or something like that.   How do i do this?

If its what I think most guild have s separate site for their guild off of the Ntreev GC forums. My guild for example has a separate site on xfire.com

the best way to find this out is to ask the guild leader directly.

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Thefonebook replied on 06-06-2009 9:21 AM

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zecks1:

ArkMaster364:

Well, zecks

If you're interested, i wanna join you and Fone  with the GHS, if you want

I think i learned a lot being here and watching things flow, so thats why i wanna share what i learn here =)

also...look at how much my guild has grown the last time you saw it, thanks to you and Yu and Tebryn =) for helping me when i got started

 

 

^_^

I was waiting for you to ask. I would be happy for you to help.

maybe you could help us with some of the graphics too ^-^