In the World of Warcraft, there are many social venues to explore and adapt to during the gaming experience. Talking with other players on the same realm can be essential in asking questions to find something or someone, learn about game play or join together for dungeons and raids.
What Is A Guild?
In WoW, a guild is a group of people on the same realm that join together to accomplish certain tasks. Some people join guilds just for the socialization of having others to talk to while they play the game. Some join so that they have help to rely on if they get stuck on a quest or have a question about how to do something in the game. Others focus on the end content of the game such as raids for gear, titles etc.
Benefits and Perks of Joining the Right Guild
Notice it is mentioned joining the "right" guild. Not every guild fits just anyone. Make sure to explore the options and find one that has generally the same ideas and goals. If the player wants someone to help them level and complete quests and be there for them, they will need to be looking for a "Leveling Guild." A leveling guild focus's on helping their members do just that, level.
If end content and downing some major bosses for the chance at gear to optimize the toon is the goal, look for a raiding guild. There are typically two types of raiding guilds. Casual and hardcore. Casual guilds try to keep the raid fun but still progressing to further and further bosses and places. Hardcore is just that. Those belonging to a hardcore raid usually have stricter rules, get down to business and don't fool around. They tend to be the guilds that make the most progress the quickest but their strictness turns off a lot of people.
Some guilds combine a little of everything. They have a bunch of people on so there is usually always someone to talk to while playing covering the social venue. There are those who don't mind helping others with requests and yet they still put together groups to raid. It's all up to the player on what they want out of World of Warcraft to match a guild that fits their needs and wants.
Lastly, the higher level a guild is since the release of the expansion, "Cataclysm", the more perks the guild has such extra experience bonuses, reputation gain bonuses, PVE and PVP point gain increases etc. Some bonuses even go as high as special mounts for those in the guild with certain accomplishments and reputation.
Downsides and Pitfalls of Guilds in World of Warcraft
The biggest downfall is the arguing and bickering that can go on. Anytime there is a number of people on the same chat channel sharing things, there is always the chance to annoy someone or be annoyed. Sometimes people can say very offensive things, brag a little (or a lot) too much, clash on differences of opinion, etc. There are hundreds of things that can happen in a social venue.
Make sure the occurrences of being annoyed, offended or angered are outweighed by the benefits and good times in the guild. If the player finds themselves getting wrapped up in guild drama so much that they can no longer play their toons or even log in without being bombarded, perhaps it's time to move on to a different guild and hope that one works out better.
Search for a Guild or Create One
Sometimes it can take several attempts to find the guild just right for each person. With as many guilds there are on a single realm, if joining a guild is a desired action, there is bound to be one out there that works. Also, there is always the option of creating a guild and being the Guild Master. This job can be easy or hard depending on the end goals of the guild.
World of Warcraft is a Game
No matter how a player wants to get around in the online world of WoW, there is a way. Playing solo or with a guild is completely up to the person playing and they have to weigh the risks and benefits and make their own decision. The biggest thing to remember is that World of Warcraft is a game and if something occurs in the game that stops the fun, change it.
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