Hey, White.
I want to begin by saying that I empathise completely with everything you've written here. I lead the kind of "very small, exclusive, strict FC with a hardcore "no BS" policy." you mention.
Tiergan Vashir(a dear and long-time friend) and I founded our current FC with exactly the same goals and concerns as you've mentioned. Between the two of us, we have almost 15 years worth of experience in leading roleplaying groups in various MMOs. We've been in just about every kind of RP group in terms of attitude and quality, from the very large laissez-faire groups who'll take just about anyone, to the (unfortunately rarer) smaller groups which are more discerning in their recruitment.
What Tiergan and I found was that we enjoyed RP much more in the groups which were more selective in their recruitment process. But we found that there just weren't enough of these, and their recruitment policies were rarely enforced with any kind of strictness. So we got together and asked ourselves, "What would be the perfect roleplay guild for us?" Then we built an FC from our answers to that question.
We are demanding in our recruitment standards. We look not only for the basic skills such as good spelling, grammar and punctuation, but also for well-rounded characters and a positive attitude. We do not necessarily recruit on the basis of the applicant's roleplay experience; we accepted a wonderful new member who was brand new to MMO RP, and he's become a much-loved and valued member of the group.
But I don't kid myself that our standards aren't what some would consider 'elitist'.
And we make no apologies for that. Tiergan and I have been RPing for years. We've seen all of the tropes, stories and character types that would likely make more experienced RPers cringe. But we're both in our mid-(coughlatecough)twenties now, and we want roleplay and story-telling of a higher quality. We accepted at the birth of the FC that we would eventually run into accusations of elitism or snobbery, possibly also your mentioned concern of rejected applicants and members holding a grudge against us. This is all fine.
We have developed the following views and guidelines to help us along. Perhaps they'll help you, too.
In short, I agree with what Austratus has added to the discussion above. I’ll also add that your main consideration should be what kind of guild you’d be happy to lead. You have a right to play this game and RP in a way that pleases you, and no-one has a right to tell you otherwise. You may eventually rub people the wrong way by doing this, but that doesn't mean that you’re in the wrong.
Basically:
![[Image: giphy.gif]](http://media.giphy.com/media/61DWu0CdPah8c/giphy.gif)
I want to begin by saying that I empathise completely with everything you've written here. I lead the kind of "very small, exclusive, strict FC with a hardcore "no BS" policy." you mention.
Tiergan Vashir(a dear and long-time friend) and I founded our current FC with exactly the same goals and concerns as you've mentioned. Between the two of us, we have almost 15 years worth of experience in leading roleplaying groups in various MMOs. We've been in just about every kind of RP group in terms of attitude and quality, from the very large laissez-faire groups who'll take just about anyone, to the (unfortunately rarer) smaller groups which are more discerning in their recruitment.
What Tiergan and I found was that we enjoyed RP much more in the groups which were more selective in their recruitment process. But we found that there just weren't enough of these, and their recruitment policies were rarely enforced with any kind of strictness. So we got together and asked ourselves, "What would be the perfect roleplay guild for us?" Then we built an FC from our answers to that question.
We are demanding in our recruitment standards. We look not only for the basic skills such as good spelling, grammar and punctuation, but also for well-rounded characters and a positive attitude. We do not necessarily recruit on the basis of the applicant's roleplay experience; we accepted a wonderful new member who was brand new to MMO RP, and he's become a much-loved and valued member of the group.
But I don't kid myself that our standards aren't what some would consider 'elitist'.
And we make no apologies for that. Tiergan and I have been RPing for years. We've seen all of the tropes, stories and character types that would likely make more experienced RPers cringe. But we're both in our mid-(coughlatecough)twenties now, and we want roleplay and story-telling of a higher quality. We accepted at the birth of the FC that we would eventually run into accusations of elitism or snobbery, possibly also your mentioned concern of rejected applicants and members holding a grudge against us. This is all fine.
We have developed the following views and guidelines to help us along. Perhaps they'll help you, too.
- You can't please everyone. Some people will get upset no matter what you do. It's best to just accept it.
- You have a right to enjoy your own FC. If your enjoyment of your FC depends on having a higher quality of RP, then you need to put policies in place to ensure that.
- You do not have to compromise on your standards for anyone. This one sometimes needs to be repeated, somewhat like a mantra.
- Demanding certain qualities and skills of your members is not a crime. Balmung is a big server with plenty of RP groups open to people. If someone isn't a good fit for your group, they'll find a home elsewhere. It’s okay to say no to people.
- Diffusing responsibility for the membership is a good way to lend legitimacy to decisions; while Tiergan and I decide whether to accept applicants based on our standards, whether or not those members pass their trial period is down to our established members. Everyone in the FC who has passed their trial period gets a vote on whether new members stay or not. Democratizing the process gives people a sense of ownership over the FC, and absolves you of any possible accusations that you maintain an unfair, tyrannical stranglehold over who gets in.
In short, I agree with what Austratus has added to the discussion above. I’ll also add that your main consideration should be what kind of guild you’d be happy to lead. You have a right to play this game and RP in a way that pleases you, and no-one has a right to tell you otherwise. You may eventually rub people the wrong way by doing this, but that doesn't mean that you’re in the wrong.
Basically:
