Guilding the Lily

For new players on Star Wars: The Old Republic (SW:TOR), there are a lot of opportunities for single play. While there are some quests that require groups, you can set yourself “Looking for Group” (LFG), or respond to a person’s request on general chat if there is a particular storyline quest you can’t complete on your own.

However, for many players, having a core group of other players is part of the fun of an MMO. Using a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) service (Mumble, TeamSpeak, and Ventrilo are a few of the top contenders these days) enables you to speak using microphones and speakers or headsets – which frees up your hands to concentrate on the task before you. SW:TOR, like many MMO’s, has a guild system in place. Each character, or toon, that you play on SW:TOR can belong to one guild at a time, and guilds are limited to faction (either Republic or Sith) and server, however there are some guilds that are duplicated on the other faction (because most SW:TOR players play both Republic and Sith toons).

You may choose to create a guild with other players that you already know, in real life or through other games. The advantage of this is that you are already somewhat familiar with these people, and how they might play. You may choose to develop toons together, so as to complement each other’s skillsets.

Alternately, you could go with one of the larger guilds. Before SW:TOR was even open for beta testing, enthusiasts of the game had started creating guilds, not just on the SW:TOR site, but also on social media powerhouses Google Plus, Facebook,and Twitter, as well as guild hosting sites like Enjin, Guild Hosting, and Guild Launch. In a very short amount of time, there was an overwhelming number of choices available for a new gamer.

So how does one choose?

Here are a few things to consider when selecting a guild.

• Timezone: Where is the guild based? This will help you to determine what times are going to be most active for the members of the guild.
• Language: Ideally you want to be able to communicate effectively with other members.
• Activity level: Are you available every day, a few hours a week, or somewhere in the middle? Some guilds have expectations of play time for their members. Be realistic in assessing your own availability.
• Play style: This may take a little longer to determine a good fit, but generally, are you into levelling quickly, developing a cohesive storyline, or just going out for some good fun? What motivates your choices in the game?
• Personal goals: Take some time to consider what it is you ultimately want out of the game. Will this guild help you to achieve this?

Speak with members of the guilds you are considering applying for. They may invite you to join them for a gaming session (which is easier if you’re on the same server, because you’d ideally have a toon available to travel). This gives you a great opportunity to see how the members interact with each other, and with you. Are they quiet on the VOIP, only speaking about the mission before them, or are they relaxed, chatting about daily life?

Above all, be honest and open in your dealings with them – these are people who you’ll be spending time with, so you want to make sure you’re compatible. It’s not unlike a job interview. But with a lot more blaster fire!

This post was originally written for a Star Wars: The Old Republic game blog that has since been closed down. So I decided to repost it here.