Now that our patience has paid off, and the non-stop calls for guild banks has been answered, I'd like to show my appreciation by doing what any true MMOer would do -- rattle off a wish list of new guild tools that I want to see in RIFT! Read on for a look at what I'd like to see added, and also what I hope isn't put in game.
Guild mail by rank
For guild leaders, it's so handy to be able to type "guild" in the address line and send a message to the entire roster. You're able to send out a rundown of upcoming guild events, long-term guild plans, expectations of where players need to be in order to participate, even last minute schedule changes. Not everyone visits forums, and you can be sure that even if you type it in chat or say it in vent, someone's bound to miss it. But everyone checks in-game mail.
Ideally, I'd love to see the ability to mail by rank, so you can type "officer" and it will only send that mailing to those of that particular rank. It seems like a minor feature, but it's amazing how handy it is. It's one of the first things I missed when coming over from EverQuest II.
The ability to sort the roster by mains/alts
Right now, the only way to figure out which alts belong to which mains is to have the players add it into their player notes. Officers and leaders can't even mark it, which means lots of begging, pleading, and in the end, confusion, because not everyone on the roster takes the time to clarify things.
It would be great if there was a drop-down option to allow guildies to see a person's main character, and then all of their alts sorted below. The definition of "main character," by the way, could be left up to the leader, since it could mean "raiding main" it could be based on which toon was first invited into the guild, or it could be any number of other factors.
Official player page with searchable character database and guild firsts
As broken as EverQuest II's player page is, I always found it extremely useful for a few things, and I would love to see a slimmed down version for RIFT. One thing I miss is a listing of discoveries. I really like the world-wide broadcasts of important in-game milestones, but I'd like some type of database where I can search for them later, and that includes player firsts as well as guild firsts. Leaderboards are a nice record of what is accomplished in game, and even if your guild isn't the first to get something done, it's nice to see where you stand.
A character database is even more handy for a guild leader. I'm not big on making players jump through hoops to get a guild invite, so I stopped using things like forum applications, player sponsors, and guild voting a long time ago. But I still needed a way to tell whether a player would be a good fit or not. Being able to go to a character database and search a player's toon provided me all the information I needed. A quick glance at gear told me how much raiding experience a player has had. I could also do a check of other characters on the account and see if a person was tagged in other guilds with other toons. Someone who had half a dozen toons in a top raiding guild could very well be trying to slum for gear for their alt, and it's something I could follow up on before giving out a tag. Even more crucial, if they had toons tagged in a rival guild, I could make sure they weren't joining up to cannibalize our roster or cause trouble. In short, it was my own private background check, and it turned out to be a far more valuable way of screening out potential guildmates.
I'll admit that I'm a little bit Agassi when it comes to characters (image is everything!) And in RIFT, while I don't dislike the way gear looks in game, it just doesn't catch my eye the way it does in other games. Yes, you can pick out the best geared characters as you run through Sanctum or Meridian, but I haven't yet had a moment where I stop to get a closer look at a particular piece of armor or weapon. I'd like to see the ability to add a guild emblem to your gear in some way, because I think it might help make players stand out a bit more from each other. It could be a tabard, or a cloak, or even a little flag that sticks out of your back like you'd see in a Kurosawa film, but it would be nice to have a way for a guild to choose their unique icon and colors and display it somehow.
More perks
I like the perks that are offered for leveling up the guild, but I'd like to see the system fleshed out even more. In particular, I'd really like to see some sort of "guild attuneable" tag, that allows you to flag certain items as usable by anyone in the guild. It could be a guild perk, and there could be a limit on how many items are flagged, but it would allow a guild leader to select certain items that can be passed from guildmate to guildmate, but cannot leave the guild. So that uber sword of uberness you just awarded to the guildie with happy feet will remain with the guild even if the guildmate seeks greener pastures. It would also help in situations where a guild member is behind in gear or levels, and you want to help him catch up without dragging the guild into old content that they're tired of farming. You can set him up with a few hand-me-downs that members have outgrown but are still decent upgrades. I know something like this is a long-shot, and would be hard to implement, but it would be really handy to see in game.
In-game guild recruiting window
This is another one of those features that seems minor, but is really missed when it's not there. Forum recruitment posts are fine, but they're not the best way to connect with potential members, because not everyone uses forums, and it's cumbersome to wade through multiple pages of guild posts. I'd love to see an in-game window that allows players to search guild listings using a variety of factors, such as size, soul needs, atmosphere, schedule, even the tone of guild chat. In EverQuest II, there was even a one-click contact list that would send a message to selected guild recruiters. We always shouted, "NOT IT!" in officer chat whenever those tells came through, but it was still a nice feature.
No guild halls
Lastly, while I loved our guild halls in Vanguard and EverQuest II, I actually wouldn't want to see them in RIFT. They end up being a sort of team clubhouse where members hang out when they're not out hunting, and while it helps to bring a guild closer together, it really empties out the capital cities. Even though a good portion of people that loiter in the city are afk, I still would rather see that than a ghost town. With the system of guild perks in place, guild halls aren't really needed other than for looks, and the amount of time needed to put that in game is probably better spent on other features.
Whether they're keeping the vigil or defying the gods, Karen Bryan and Justin Olivetti save Telara on a weekly basis. Covering all aspects of life in RIFT, from solo play to guild raids, their column is dedicated to backhanding multidimensional tears so hard that they go crying to their mommas. Email Karen and Justin for questions, comments, and adulation.
