I want to start out by saying the guild system in GW2 is the most horrendous guild system I have ever seen in any game. Now to prevent the thought that I am just trolling by saying that I would like to give you some examples.
Ranking in at first, we have Guild Wars 1. Loved, loved, loved it. I am a loyal player, when I find a guild I like I move all my characters to that guild and socially interact with that guild so I feel a part of that guild. I loved doing GvG’s, AB’s, Team Arena’s, everything with them. I felt like the more I included my guild members and got people people’s blood going the stronger the bond I created between the players and I, and the players and other players I was bring together. No personal recognition needed, just to see the oil making the machine run more smoothly made me proud.
The real kicker with GW1 was, I didn’t have to move all my characters, the game moved them. The second part that was like a mind blowing add on, was the Alliance system. Wow, a group of Guilds working together, asking for help, etc. The game naturally brought that Guild first, Alliance second feel straight to the game.
Then we have more traditional guild systems, like World of Warcraft. Not my favorite, kind of plain Jane, but did the job. You join a guild on your character, that’s your characters guild. Now like I said before, once I found a guild I liked all my characters went to that guild, of course I had to say “hold on, I have 7 more 80’s I need you to invite”, but I could see where someone may have a few PvP characters they want on a guild, a PvE character on another, and so forth. One thing did remain, you still had good social interaction between the guild members. You used a voice chat or something because that was your guild’s favorite way of communicating. Not quite as tight as GW1, but it does the trick, and still gives air for other characters having other options (maybe you role play on one, and don’t want it in your PvP guild).
Lastly, by quite a bit, we have GW2. Here it seems the strong bonded guild systems created by the amazing, and unique system of GW1 were just tossed straight out of the window. A new one was taken on, which dodged the traditional style completely as well, probably for fear of feeling like WoW, or just to plain like most standard MMORPG’s. Now with this beast of a machine we call GW2, with great gameplay (its won me over on gameplay or I’d of left the game due to lack of PvP, guild halls, gvg, and the guild system), the guild communities have been trashed. I can (on 1 character mind you) join FIVE guilds? Wtf. Already confused by this maximum of 20% split focus among multiple guilds. I “rep” who I want to rep, when I want to rep? I thought the point of a guild was you were a representative when you joined it, not when you wanted to be. It doesn’t stop there, it carries into the guild. You can’t fully include yourself into 5 guilds. No guild I have been in has an active guild chat. No guild I have played in feels even loyal. Some of the bigger guilds I have been in don’t even respond when I ask a question. No one pays attention to “gold chat” because no one knows anyone, or cares to. They have 5 guilds who gives a kitten. Guilds take it hard too, if you aren’t repping, no influence for you. You have to intrude on people, whispering and asking them to rep. I don’t want to do that, I feel like a dick. Then the guild just feels divided and unloved, when you press G and see 30 people online, 25 not repping. Come on.
This has trashed the feel GW1 had. I felt wanted in my guild, my input important, remembered from yesterday.
Can we take a look at this ANet? Please? It’s so apparent just from playing a short amount of time, anyone can see it. I miss being in MY guild. I miss having MY alliance to fall back on, no one needs to switch guilds between up to 5 because they have no one to talk to or play with – that’s what the alliance was for, help.