Static Guilds....a new kind of guild charter

[Mythal]

Static Groups/Guilds!
---
An example of a static guild/group we just formed on Orien:
http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=213851


What is a static group?
A static group is a term used to define a group of players who create new characters together as a group, with the intention to only group together and never play their characters unless grouped together.
This is a very fun added challenge to DDO because of many reasons. One reason is that you get to know the group members in your static group very well (or maybe you already know them and thats why youre creating it - but of course static groups happen frequently with total strangers). Another reason is that you always have the same group, and must confront all challenges given only the resources that you all have. It is also much easier to roleplay, because each of you jumps into the same character that everyone else in the group already knows. Characters develop this way and this is what the whole concept of roleplay is. Another benefit is that every player learns to play their role in that group very well. Otherwise not much is accomplished and the group as a whole must learn to adapt.


What am I proposing?
The concept is simple. Allow a different kind of guild charter to be made that allows restrictions to any guild members. A few simple "options" would be configurable by the guild leader, but otherwise the static guild charter would enforce a few hard-coded things:

1) Any static guild character can only group with other members of the same static guild.

2) Any static guild character can only trade with or send/recieve items via mail to/from another character in the static guild. This means that no access to the auction house is allowed - though I would argue that pawn shops would still be accessible, because they are priced according to game mechanics, not outside player intervention.

3) When creating a character, on the screen where you enter your name, and chose your alignment, there could be another text-field where a player can enter in the ID-tag or static guild name that the character will join. Thus, a character will be bound to the static guild from creation. This would also be the only way to join the static guild. Inviting in-game would not be possible. Removing a member from the guild however, will be possible to allow guild leaders to remove unwanted members etc. (Considerations can be made as to what happens to that character when removed from the guild. If it is deleted, or simply turned into a normal ddo character, etc. -- I leave that to the masses to decide but I would say its best to just turn it into a normal ddo character.) The guild leader could also possibly configure in the guild menu whether or not the guild accepts new members or not. This could be a simple way of making it so that when you want to allow a new member in, you turn the "lock" off and let them create their character, then once they are in, you re-"lock" the guild making it so that nobody can just create a new character and join your static group/guild unwanted or uninvited.

4) When entering a quest, a static guild character must be in a group of at least 1 other static guild member to actually be able to enter. Exception to the rule is of course solo quests or solo difficulty (which is already coded into the game - you cant go into a solo instance while in a group). This means that grouping is enforced, which is the whole point of having a static group/guild. The guild leader could possibly even have the option to configure how many members of a group are required for quests to be entered. There could be a slider from 2 to 6 for example. Requiring that many people in a group before quests could be started.

The effect of these 4 simple things is that you create a band of players/characters, that are in effect isolated in their own adventure setting. This enforces, hardcoded, in the game, exactly what the old D&D PnP setting enforced physically. It allows players to form static groups that actually technically work without any needed rules or policing or whatnot. Static groups is something that has had a very big interest, and would have even a bigger interest given the technical option to create them in-game.

If any Turbine people read this, I urge you to consider this, and anybody who thinks this is a good idea please post and /sign this thread.

[Memnir]

It seems like a good deal of work on Turbine's part for something that you can just be disciplined enough to do on your own, no? A case of work vs. reward. With a group of dedicated and like-minded people, you can do all the things you stated at no extra work for Turbine. In fact, many people already do. The only one you cannot do is #3, and that one seems like an idea fraught with problems - but I digress.



In my opinion, there is simply no reason for Turbine to work on any of this, since it's by and large player choice...

[SealedWrath]

Well.... it's isn't a terrible idea, it is a half baked idea.


The word I want to to focus on is "growth". How does a species survive if it can't have offspring?

How does a guild survive if it can't attain new members? ie; What you currently propose would require all guild members present during Guild creation.

[Roricon]

Man, I thought I saw North korea in this thread...

[Mythal]

The word I want to to focus on is "growth". How does a species survive if it can't have offspring?

How does a guild survive if it can't attain new members? ie; What you currently propose would require all guild members present during Guild creation.

Um, did you actually read my post? The whole purpose of a static group is that you dont specifically WANT to grow. In fact, thinking of this as a guild, per se, at all, is a bit misleading. It's just that using the current in-game guild functionality, this would be a very simple thing to implement. The actual term is 'static group'. Which is something alot of players, on every server, are already doing - however this feature would allow these static groups to flourish via some very simple in-game mechanics, whereas right now they are often very hard to hold together simply due to unrelated issues (often game-related technical possibilities). Static groups are not for everyone. A static group is a group that choses to create new characters and only play those characters with the group. This is, whether you've seen it or not, quite popular (and of course, you will undoubtedly never see it, because the whole point is they only group together when playing those characters).

It seems like a good deal of work on Turbine's part for something that you can just be disciplined enough to do on your own, no?

Actually, if you were a programmer, you would see that the work involved for turbine is very minimal.

Which is where my suggestion comes from, being a game programmer myself. I thought about it in the most simple terms for Turbine to implement.

It would take 1 programmer about a week to implement something like this including it being fully tested. Thats being actually very generous on time, given I do not know the kind of system they've designed, however I can easily say I have experience with much more complex ones. DDO from a game programming perspective is a very small project in comparison to many MMO's, and even huge non-multiplayer titles like the new Dragon Age for example . The changes are minimal to both UI effects in character creation, as well as logical checks when a player accesses the AH, attempts to join a group, or enter a quest.

This kind of guild charter would be obviously only for those who WANT to have such a static guild. Therefore, problems that could arise due to infinite possibilities when it comes to humans , should not be 100% accounted for in its design. At least not initially. It would be an added feature for those who want to use it, abuses of it in anyway would be from a person-to-person perspective, and not in anyway damaging to game economy, or other players.

Besides, what are we paying Turbine for, anyway?
Id rather see the game improved rather than continual added content. There's tons that can be improved on the game rather than having us buy more and more adventure packs.

There is a huge amount of things in DDO that SHOULD already be there. For example, why cant we mark things on our map? Thats a feature that would only help players have a more enjoyable game. Why these multitude of very obvious and simple game design features arent part of DDO, can only be understood as a lack of commitment to making a sustained product better quality for its customers. No matter what happens, in the end, that means the product will fail. Turbine is also in a situation where they cannot allow DDO to fail, or the company will go under. LOTR online is nearly bankrupting them. I'm new to DDO, and have already shelled out $80 for it in store points. I'm starting to think that was a mistake however because the game is so obviously lacking in such a simple way...Why doesnt AH have text-search? Why doesnt the UI allow more customization? This game needs suggestions and more features to actually make it a full fledged product. I have a hard time believing its been running for what, 3 or 4 years and the most obvious design features that pretty much any other MMO has, are completely nonexistant in DDO? Not all mind you, but many of them. I'm a fan of DDO obviously or I wouldnt be here, but I want to see more than mass-churning out of adventure packs that, really, dont add all that much to the game except another instance with another name, another puzzle, another set of monsters....
How about focusing back on the game itself rather than just adding more content?

So here's a simple suggestion to implement something that would give another added feature to their product, something many customers already do currently want.

How anyone could say that is a bad thing and they shouldnt waste their time on it????
That's an obvious lack of understanding how the "real world" works.
DDO is a product. We pay for it. We will stop paying for it if it no longer is a product that attracts us. Features like this attract us. There's a very obvious conclusion here somehwere... ;-)

[Doomcrew]

I would hazard a guess and say, more people are interested in PD play
than static group play. Yet the PD'ers have found a way to enjoy the
existing game as is. Not sure where you are gathering your information
about, "many" players wanting this. As Memnir said, you can do this on
your own, if coding is necessary to play in this style, maybe the players
truly don't want to play this way. As for developing this over new content
...... I'm sure "many" posters will give an opinion on this.

CHeers

[Lorien_the_First_One]

Adding new coding to handle your particular set of self imposed rules seems like a waste. You can enforce those rules yourself, just like PD guilds do.

[Xgemina]

As a member of 3 static teams under the Dedicated Teams banner on Sarlona, I really don't see a need for this. Dedicated Teams is a guild composed of several static groups that play at different times and nights throughout the week. We've been active now for over 3 years and, while I cannot speak for everyone in the guild, we have never spoken of or seen a need for anything so restrictive.

For example: how do you handle someone missing a night due to RL? Or, how about raids? The main rule for any of the DT is that you only play with the team, unless you are making up for missing a night so that you stay close in XP. We team with other DT or RP guilds to do raids.

I'm sorry, but I see no positive aspect of your idea at all. Unless, of course, you don't trust the members of your team/guild to abide by the rules of the guild.

[Memnir]

Besides, what are we paying Turbine for, anyway?

To make a game that appeals to as wide an audience as possible and not to cater to every niche idea that comes along, would be my guess.

Id rather see the game improved rather than continual added content.

Then you are in the vast, vast minority my friend. And in this case the term "improved" is entirely subjective. This would improve the game for your exceedingly small niche facet of the game - but for everyone else it would be ignored and unused. That is why it'd be a waste of Dev time.

"Improved" by my definition would be to complete the PrE's for every class that exists, squash the long standing bugs once and for all, continue to generate quality quests that are fun and interesting, and continue work on new classes/races - for the benefit of everyone. Not just those who chose to game like I do.

[DoctorWhofan]

I pay Turbine for new content and FIXING THE SHROUD!

[Dozen_Black_Roses]

To make a game that appeals to as wide an audience as possible and not to cater to every niche idea that comes along, would be my guess.
Then you are in the vast, vast minority my friend. And in this case the term "improved" is entirely subjective. This would improve the game for your exceedingly small niche facet of the game - but for everyone else it would be ignored and unused. That is why it'd be a waste of Dev time.

"Improved" by my definition would be to complete the PrE's for every class that exists, squash the long standing bugs once and for all, continue to generate quality quests that are fun and interesting, and continue work on new classes/races - for the benefit of everyone. Not just those who chose to game like I do.

/signed (as far as agreement to Memnir's post, not the OP)

And mind you I have been an active member of a static group of a larger static/dedicated teams guild since Summer 07. Turbine devs have few resources as it is, and bigger fish to fry. This will benefit way too small a percentage of players to warrant investment of dev resources.

If you are that interested in this type of play, then go to the home page of the forums and almost all the way down on the left is a section for permadeath play and static groups, check out the ones there. I am a member of the Dedicated Teams guild on Sarlona, but I know there are smaller/less formal ones out there.

[SealedWrath]

Um, did you actually read my post?

Yeah.

And to retort:

Um, did you actually think this through before you posted?

[lifestaker]

To be honest is this one of those sad actions posted by a guy that was leveling with one party for a while and then they were all power leveling you? or was this that you partied outside said group and got showed up?

To be honest I hope you do come to terms with how little thought you put in to this, and if not then I still will not fret over it due to you being in your own little static world. If you want to have a static group then just make one. Don't put restrictions on members of said static group so that they can't either better their toons while leveling or be able to do things with others.

On a secondary note. Just because people don't agree with you in this thread/you have low view on this upmost important topic to you. Don't go and creat threads in other areas to get people to read this. That is even less tactfull then me (any one that knows me can tell you about my hit you with a brick tact).

[ChaelaAnne]

Just because people don't agree with you in this thread/you have low view on this upmost important topic to you. Don't go and creat threads in other areas to get people to read this. That is even less tactfull then me (any one that knows me can tell you about my hit you with a brick tact).

I'm glad that I'm not the only one that found that increadibly annoying. Seriously, if you want to make a post, post it ONCE. There is NO NEED to make the same post in EVERY SINGLE SERVER. Every time I see someone do this, it makes me crazy.

[SquelchHU]

Even if I were in a static group, I would refuse to take part in anything that barred me from the AH and from soloing.

Not signed.

[Aranticus]

seriously OP, this is something you could do with ZERO effort on the part of turbine. you may not want content, but the rest of us do

so what next? a brand new server just for static grouping or dumbing down the quests so that you can complete them?

i would give you neg rep for such a stupid idea but my quota of rep has been used up