We’ve all been there before. Even the tightest guilds, filled with RL friends and mature players get bitten by the guild drama bug occasionally. In a game that necessitates so many people working together, it’s bound to happen. It’s human nature. It can also come in a variety of forms, so I thought we’d look at a few that crop up regularly.
Casuals vs. Raiders
The Problem
This is the type that bites my guild in its collective arse most often. My guild is casual at its core, though we do have a contingent of people that like to raid and progress. I don’t think we have enough players that fit the raider mold to make us a “casual raiding” guild, so occasionally the two camps have to battle it out a little.
You see, casual players do LIKE to raid, at least many of them do, but they aren’t necessarily devoted to it. They don’t spend their days poring over spreadsheets, reading boss strategies or studying gear. They want to see the content, they just aren’t really gung ho about it. The way that WoW is presently constituted, you need a certain level of devotion to progress in the raiding environment. (Keep in mind that when I talk about raiding, I’m talking about 25 man content. To me, Kara is more an extension of five man content than anything else.)
The true raiders in the guild, however, can get frustrated if people aren’t as prepared for a raid as they should be. If they don’t bring basic consumables, or if they don’t show up on time.
What this does is causes occasional rifts, where our boards go a little sour as vocal members of both camps argue over what being a member of our guild really means. It can get heated, and it causes problems and hurt feelings occasionally.
The Remedy
So how do you combat this? By being very open, and very frank about what you expect from the guild. There has to be some compromise about the stance of the guild on this issue. Ultimately, you have to decide as a guild which direction you want to take. Take raiding more seriously, or stick with the easy stuff, like Kara?
Another thing that helps my guild is the alliance we are in. We have banded with other casual guilds to run 25 man content, and it’s been pretty successful. There is a defined path for the raiders to take, and the more casual guild members can go about their business.
Phat Lewtz Syndrome
The Problem
Ahh yes, loot drama. This is part and parcel of WoW and any other MMORPG, for the most part. Everybody wants new shinies to look at, and it can cause real problems.
“Why should he get Loot X for his alt, when I still haven’t gotten anything for my main!”
“Why is it he gets 2 pieces of loot, and I get none?”
“I’ve done this dungeon 1.5 thousand times, he’s only done it twice, I should automatically get that drop!”
I’m sure we’ve all seen these situations. I don’t think I need to spell this one out any more, everybody wants loot, and people often want the same drop.
The Remedy
So how do you fix it? Again, this comes down to being very frank, and very up front. You should have very clear loot rules that are understood by everyone. If you have to go over them at the start of every run, so be it. Just make sure that everyone is aware of how things work. You might have rules that state loot goes to “main specs” before “off specs.” One purple per run, something to that effect. If you really have to, look into a more defined loot system, like Suicide Kings or DKP. IMO, the actual system doesn’t matter so much as a strict adherence to it, and an understanding by EVERYONE on how it works.
The Invasion of General Apathy
The Problem
It seems there are quite a few cases of this going around at the present time. We’re in a bit of a WoW downturn, as people have grown tired of what 2.4 had to offer, and now we wait patiently (or not so patiently) for Wrath. It’s happened before, and it will happen again. Sometimes large groups of people just get a little burned out all at once.
The Remedy
How do you fix it? Well, you can read a detailed post I wrote about it here, but I can try to sum up a few quick thoughts as well. You can focus more on alts, maybe polish off a tradeskill. Perhaps you need to start scheduling five man runs like you do raids. It’ll take more work to keep things going during an apathetic phase, but as long as you still have some dedicated players you can weather the storm.
The Bad Apple
The Problem
So you get a new guildy. He gets through the normal process to be added to your guild, whatever that may be, and things go swimmingly for a week or so. Then the problems start to surface. Maybe you got the guy that’s always looking for handouts from his guild, or always looking for help with literally everything. Perhaps you got yourselves a loot ninja in disguise (luckily, those never seem to last long – once you know someone is a loot ninja, they get escorted out of the bar fairly quickly). Heck, maybe you found the guy that, once he gets comfortable, likes to spurt racial or sexual epithets in chat. If nothing else, maybe he just turns out to be a real jerk.
Whatever it is, you recruited the wrong guy. The problem with the bad apple is that if you don’t take care of it quickly, the Bad Apple can cause widespread discontent. The saying “one bad apple can spoil the bunch” isn’t far from the truth. A Bad Apple allowed to spread his disease can turn off other members in the process. They also have a knack for making your whole guild look bad.
The Remedy
If you get a Bad Apple, don’t expect them to change. The chances are pretty good that if someone shows bad behavior repeatedly, they aren’t suddenly going to turn over a new leaf. Heck, in real life people seldom change at the urging of others – why would we expect them to do it in a game? Therefore, if you identify a Bad Apple, kick them to the curb. Don’t worry about being so nice, your guild is paying for the Bad Apple’s indiscretions. /gkick them and don’t look back.
You might also want to look at HOW this guy slipped through. Do you interview prospective guild members? If you don’t, why not? Do they get a trial run? Maybe it’s time you tightened the recruiting reigns a bit. This is one area where my guild does an excellent job. We don’t just take anyone, we have a whole interview process that can be very in depth. We have to KNOW you will fit in before any guild invites come your way. We pride ourselves on being a mature, friendly guild. One of the ways we keep it that way is through strict recruitment policies.
Conclusion
I wrote this post largely due to the third entry, General Apathy. The sort of downturn that WoW is presently in has destroyed many a strong guild. If you are going to keep things going until Wrath, you’re really going to have to be on your guild ball. That means identifying other instances of guild drama and taking care of them expeditiously. My guild weathered the storm before BC was released, and I am 100% positive that we will weather this one as well. It takes some work, but it can be done. Thanks for reading!
Entries (RSS)
On the Phat Lootz and DKP: Try to change the DKP system you use as infrequently as possible. Making any changes no matter how small creates inconsistencies which someone guaranteed will find unfair and unjust, even if it benefits the guild as a whole.
On Bad Apples: Unfortunately, the worst complication you can have in this situation is if Bad Apple is friends with or befriends members of the guild. By doing a simple /gkick, you’ve potentially created more drama as people think it is unfair that the person is expelled. The solution is just like you mentioned and have a thorough recruitment process, but you still might have someone slip through. If someone does and their presence creates major tension, either an intervention situation or a guild vote for explusion is probably the best way to try to address the situation. Maybe the individual just doesn’t understand the guild rules or guild culture. Someone people are willing to change. Those that aren’t shouldn’t be given second chances. If you warn them that their behavior is unacceptable then there’s really no choice except to /gkick. Even their friends will agree.
What exactly is the point of having a guild if you can do everything by yourself?
Stated another way, where exactly is the line drawn over a new guild member who asks for help becoming a “Bad Apple”?
I pay certain key members of the guild gold to prevent me from getting gkicked for when I hurl out sexual epithets. Worked like a charm for years now
@Valenna
That’s a great point to make. Stability in the system you choose is almost as important as the system itself. You can’t flip flop around all the time.
It is very true that Bad Apples can cause real complications depending on their ties within the guild. In my experience, anyone who would “go to the wall” for a bad apple, might just be one themselves, at least a little.
@randumb
I think there is a real and obvious difference from guildies who need help and those who are always looking for handouts.
@Tito
If Amy sees this, I see a demotion in your future.