Online role playing games are, by their very definition, social undertakings. Wish places thousands of strangers in one giant world with a series of common goals. The industry standard to promote socialization has been through the formation of guilds. To date, these guilds have been largely superficial organizations with little connection to the game world's past or future. In Wish, we have taken the next step with a unique, part guild system that creates a more inclusive playing environment for new and unaffiliated players.
Guilds in Wish exist in three distinct layers. Rather than limiting players to membership within a single player guild, we have opened up the doors for characters to simultaneously join three different types of organizations:
Player Guild: In Wish, player guilds are everything people have come to expect and much more. Through politics, a group of your own creation can have a hand in the evolution of the world.
Town Guild: Upon creating a character, players are immediately able to choose a city to call home. Once a choice has been made, the player has access to assistance from fellow town guild members as well as benefits from membership to the town guild itself, such as lower market prices and the use of local crafting facilities.
Society Guild: These are the various organizations that make up the living world of Ganedan. Each and every group we mention in our backstory is a carefully planned out organization that a player may join and advance within. These include religions, crafting and trade organizations, military groups, and a myriad of other groups, each with its own unique requirements, goals and motivations.
The three distinct layers of guilds greatly enhance the social experience of Wish. The guild system provides people with common goals and facilitates long-lasting friendships by joining players who otherwise might never have met. One of the most rewarding experiences in online gaming is the feeling of security, camaraderie and friendship that comes with being a member of a strong, player-run organization. Unfortunately, by the same token, their sometimes fickle nature and elitist practices can make the experience less than rewarding.
The partitioned guild system creates a situation where individuals are not more important than the organization to which they belong. Player guilds come and go, and play an important role while they are in existence, but society and town guilds are eternal.
Elitism is also addressed in our system. Being a member of a tightly knit guild is extremely rewarding, if a player is lucky enough to find such an organization. Players do not hold the keys to who joins a society or town guild. They are open to any player who chooses to pursue it.
Player guilds are able to swear allegiance to a town and compete for political control by carrying out deeds for the good of the town. Once a single guild establishes control, they must defend their position from rival guilds. The ruling guild can ensure the longevity of their control by maintaining the support of players who are sworn to the town, but not necessarily to their player guild. |
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This situation is advantageous for the player who does not want to endure the time investment of a player guild. Instantly upon entering the game world, the player has a home town and a guild. This town may be large or small, controlled by an NPC governor or a player guild, but regardless of the political situation, he or she is instantly a member of a group. It is to the advantage of the more established members to help these players out and to teach them the ropes. The more people who actively support the town, the better off the town guild will be.
Society Guilds address the flaw of a typical MMO world's historical organizations being static ones within the future evolution of the environment. These specialized organizations are tailored to specific types of characters and personalities and are, by design, heavily entrenched in the game's backstory. Here are a few of the countless Society Guilds:
The Blue Order: Human spirituality is comprised of three orders, the White, Red and Blue. Players are able to swear themselves into the service of any of these three orders. Based out of a temple in the human capital of Talus, the Blue Order is primarily concerned with peacekeeping and chivalry. Many great knights of Larocia have been members of this order.
Korrath's Brewing Company: Ganedan's most famous brew is produced by the dwarves of Korrath's Brewing Company. Based out of the eastern dwarven kingdom of Cladash, this group has become a beacon for Ganedan's most famous brew masters.
The Pitglories: A group primarily comprised of gladiators who are scattered across the lands of Ganedan, often holding arena battles and demonstrations of physical prowess. As a Pitglory, a player has the opportunity to take part in the many tournaments hosted by this society guild.
These are only three examples from a wealth of Society Guilds that includes unaffiliated mercenary armies, secret societies, and many more. Each Society Guild has its own niche in Ganedan's history, its own requirements for membership, and advantages to joining. Through Society Guilds, players are able to truly feel like they are a part of Ganedan, taking an active role not only in the world, but in the groups that populate its past, present and, ultimately, its future.
Our three-part guild system has been designed with the social of experience of the player in mind. It enhances the newbie experience through the instant support of a town guild, as well as the veteran player's experience (politics and specialized society guilds). Finally, the system creates a richer, deeper and more meaningful world in which players can participate directly.
Dana Massey
World Designer, Wish
Mutable Realms
Originally posted August 19th, 2004 on the RPG Vault. |
