If you’ve played an MMO, then chances are at one point you’ve thought about forming your own guild. Well today is the day to dust off those leadership skills because we’re going to tell you how.

DO think about whether you’re really up to all the work it takes to run a guild. You need to be someone who signs on more than twice a week. You have to be prepared to deal with the dreaded, but inevitable guild drama (“But that armor drop was mine and he ninja-ed it!”). You’ll be the first person that has to put up gold for anything the guild needs. You’re going to have to be the one to boot someone that refuses to be a team player. Haven’t scared you away? Let’s get on it with it then!

DON’T pick a “fad” name that you (and your guildmates) are going to regret in two months. Funny is okay as long as it is timeless. Generally in-game humor will last better than current out-of-game humor. Picture yourself explaining “Leave Britney Alone” for the hundredth time to a potential recruit. Stay away from political, religious, and lifestyle references. What you may find funny may very likely offend that healer your guild so desperately needs.

DO make a guild website. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, just go with a free site where you can have a calendar for guild events (scheduled guild events/runs are very important!) and maybe post a screenshot of the first time the guild downed [insert big boss here]. The more your guild members feel part of a community, the less likely they are to leave.

DON’T send an invite to a random person without speaking to them first. It’s rude (yes MMO’s have etiquette!) and annoying and you’ll lose a lot of potential guild members with that method of recruiting. If you see someone running around town without a guild, go ahead and send them a tell. The best place to recruit is running a dungeon or a party quest. You can check out the abilities and personality of the recruit while they check out yours.

DO get your guild members involved. If you try to do all the recruiting/managing work yourself, you’re going to run yourself dry. Get the regular members to help scout out new guildies. Promote officers who are above all mature—people who can handle disputes when you’re not around, take turns being raid leaders, and generally work for the guild’s wellbeing.

Some Final thoughts: This guide caters to guilds that intend to do endgame raiding and group PvP and the like. Casual guilds are fun as well, but you should be prepared for a lot of players to “graduate” from your guild to do the content that requires a larger, more organized, more tech-savvy guild. If you’re very serious about the guild, you’re probably going to eventually need a voice chat program like Ventrilo or Teamspeak. The most important thing to remember to prevent guild failure is that having fun is just as important as getting gear. No get out there and start that guild!

Article by Marie Barnes, Freemmogamer.com - Posted 8/5/09