Opinions Wanted: How to Handle A Dying Guild?

[SeerSGB]

I "inherited" the Guild Wars guild I'm a member of. And by that, I mean all the other officers in the guild stopped playing and I was the only one that would take the job.

Going back over the members time playing and looking at active versus inactive (anyone over 90 days without playing). It's pretty clear that all but a handful of people (myself included) are still really playing the game, plus of those most of those that play haven't used the guild in ages.

Me, I think it's time to disband it and move on. Now here's where it gets sticky: The majority agrees with me, only if I ask the guild's creator (who I've not talked to in months and who never returns e-mails), the rest think it should be up to the guild's creator. No one is opposed to the ideal, but they don't think I have the right to make the decision.

So what do you all think (cause asking the guild is like beating my head on cement blocks, without the progress): Should I let the creator (who left and hasn't had anything to do with the guild in months) decide; or just say the hell with it tell 'em if none of them want the job (the impression I'm getting, is no one is interested) then I'm making the call to disband?

 

[sojourner]

Just leave the guild at let the remaining members hash it out.

 

[Evil Twin]

Have you considered a merger with a more active, like-minded guild? My LOTRO kinship took on a bunch of members from another kin that was in a similar situation as yours last year, and it's worked out very well. In fact most of them have accounted for the most active players in the past month since a good deal of our officer base hopped over to SWTOR (and I'm hoping most of them come back eventually.) As far as the guild's creator, if you're not getting any response from them, screw 'em. As I see it, if they no longer play the game, it's no longer in their hands.

 

[SeerSGB]

Just leave the guild at let the remaining members hash it out.

Yeah, that's been a thought too. But I keep letting sentiment jam up my thinking when I go to do it.

Have you considered a merger with a more active, like-minded guild? My LOTRO kinship took on a bunch of members from another kin that was in a similar situation as yours last year, and it's worked out very well. In fact most of them have accounted for the most active players in the past month since a good deal of our officer base hopped over to SWTOR (and I'm hoping most of them come back eventually.) As far as the guild's creator, if you're not getting any response from them, screw 'em. As I see it, if they no longer play the game, it's no longer in their hands.

Discussed and flat out took off the table. They want "their" guild or nothing.

 

[sojourner]

I just don't see the problem. Some people want to stay in the guild, some don't. Let those that don't leave.

As for the "creator", well he lost all rights when he left the game. It's not like he can make you take any action.

Why do you have to disband the guild? just leave it.

 

[Itisnotlogical]

I once founded a guild on FlyFF, nobody signed on after it was formed. Disbanded it, washed my hands of it, never looked back.

 

[Hoser]

If you can't get a hold of him, then just set the guild creator to be the guild leader, then leave the guild. Unless you're trying to start up a new guild with the old members....which IMHO would be silly unless you're rolling in platinum or your old hall isn't up to snuff.

 

[SeerSGB]

I just don't see the problem. Some people want to stay in the guild, some don't. Let those that don't leave.

As for the "creator", well he lost all rights when he left the game. It's not like he can make you take any action.

Why do you have to disband the guild? just leave it.

If you can't get a hold of him, then just set the guild creator to be the guild leader, then leave the guild. Unless you're trying to start up a new guild with the old members....which IMHO would be silly unless you're rolling in platinum or your old hall isn't up to snuff.

Basically: If I leave the Guild, it'll disband cause no one wants to be promoted to leader. Some one has to be in the "top slot". I thought about just drafting someone and saying screw it.

As for making a new guild: nah, I might down the road but I really don't have the interest at the moment.

 

[sojourner]

Some one has to be in the "top slot". I thought about just drafting someone and saying screw it.

^

"They" want to keep the guild. You don't. Pick one of them at random (preferably the one that has spoken up the most about keeping the guild), make him leader and then /gquit or whatever the command is in guildwars. What the hell is so hard about doing this?

 

[SeerSGB]

Some one has to be in the "top slot". I thought about just drafting someone and saying screw it.

^

"They" want to keep the guild. You don't. Pick one of them at random (preferably the one that has spoken up the most about keeping the guild), make him leader and then /gquit or whatever the command is in guildwars. What the hell is so hard about doing this?

I've never led anything like a Guild or Clan in a game before so I'm interested in people's opinions. What is the netiquette (so to speak).

 

[sojourner]

There ain't one. People leave and join guilds as they please. The guild doesn't have to do jack shit told to them by people not currently in said guild, including the original guildmaster.

 

[Reverend]

Some one has to be in the "top slot". I thought about just drafting someone and saying screw it.

^

"They" want to keep the guild. You don't. Pick one of them at random (preferably the one that has spoken up the most about keeping the guild), make him leader and then /gquit or whatever the command is in guildwars. What the hell is so hard about doing this?

I've never led anything like a Guild or Clan in a game before so I'm interested in people's opinions. What is the netiquette (so to speak).

Given what you've said, if I were in your shoes I'd give them a clear deadline (say, 7 days?) to either nominate/volunteer a new leader or get the creator to come back. If they can't do that, then there clearly isn't enough interest to keep things going. At which point it's no longer your responsibility and you can rest easy knowing you gave them every opportunity. Some will most likely complain, but if they can't nut-up then sod 'em.

 

[The Lensman]

Everything has it's time, and it sounds like it's time for this guild to be relegated to the dustbin of history. The current status is the status of all bad relationships....rather than just leave and end it, people delude themselves that there's some tiny thing there worth preserving and so the thing continues an unworthy shadow of it's former self.

It's time to let it go.

Enjoy the memories of what it once was and either leave or just end it. As for the idea that the original creator needs to approve of the idea...wrong. The guild is yours now. If the creator doesn't like it, he's free to come back and take over or start a new guild.

Ditto for the other members of the guild. If they feel so strongly about the guild, they'll do something instead of making weak excuses.

 

[FordSVT]

GW2 is right around the corner, GW1 is going to die a natural death soon enough anyway. I wouldn't spend a lot of time worrying about it.

 

[Hoser]

I've never led anything like a Guild or Clan in a game before so I'm interested in people's opinions. What is the netiquette (so to speak).

In GW there isn't much for netiquette involving that, at least as much as I remembered it. You sound nice, so I'd just tell the guild that you're leaving for greener pastures and if no one speaks up and wants to take over, then you're handing it to someone randomly. (I said to hand it back to the creator because I assumed he was still a member, just hadn't logged in for a long time). Once a while back I started a guild and when it petered out (it was just me and another TBBS member, and he only logged in to see pumpkins) I handed it to him and guild jumped for a while before co-starting one with a group of friends.

 

[SeerSGB]

GW2 is right around the corner, GW1 is going to die a natural death soon enough anyway. I wouldn't spend a lot of time worrying about it.

Pretty much this. I think it's late this year, so I'll let GW2 be out for a few months, let 'em get most of the release bugs worked out and then in early 2013 make the switch over-- unless they close done the GW1 servers before then.

I've never led anything like a Guild or Clan in a game before so I'm interested in people's opinions. What is the netiquette (so to speak).

In GW there isn't much for netiquette involving that, at least as much as I remembered it. You sound nice, so I'd just tell the guild that you're leaving for greener pastures and if no one speaks up and wants to take over, then you're handing it to someone randomly. (I said to hand it back to the creator because I assumed he was still a member, just hadn't logged in for a long time). Once a while back I started a guild and when it petered out (it was just me and another TBBS member, and he only logged in to see pumpkins) I handed it to him and guild jumped for a while before co-starting one with a group of friends.

That's what I'm going to do this weekend. Just tell them that unless someone steps up by "X" date, than I'm going to close down the guild seeing as no one really seems interested in it anymore.