D2jsp Guild Guide Part 1
Joining a Successful Guild
Brought to you by Splatius
On behalf of the d2Jsp Alliance

The D2jsp Alliance was created as a tribute to d2jsp and its donors. We provide teams of specialists who help with all aspects of guild management and promotion while encouraging guild interaction through gaming and contests.

Even though this guide may seem very long, try to remember that it is still only the very basics of joining or creating guilds. The creation of a successful guild is very involved and can be very difficult and a lot of hard work. If you want a guild which will last for years, plan on working hard. Especially in the beginning.

I created the d2Jsp Alliance to help you and your guild. Through instruction, support and inter-guild activities. Please remember we also need your support, through fg donations and volunteers. The fg for the contests we will be running must come from somewhere. Donors to the alliance will receive "special features" in the d2jsp alliance forums. The higher donors would also receive extra (one on one) support. Or one of the alliance teams will join their guild to help get it running properly. The high donors would also receive free forums, graphics and website creation. Thank you in advance for any support you may give to the d2Jsp Alliance.

OK so on to the guides...

A guild is basically a team or group of d2jsp members working together to accomplish the same goal. D2jsp guilds are an easy way for members to organize themselves into teams and play games or just create a group of friends. If a guild sounds like something you wish to be a part of, check this out..

Here are seven things you may want to think about before choosing a guild.

Friendships
This is one of the most important reasons to join a guild. After you've looked at the other reasons to join a certain guild, always keep this in the back of your brain. A successful guild is one that is filled with friends. Playing games together and active communication goes a long way in strengthening friendships within a guild. Ever wonder how my guild has lasted almost 2 years? It‘s because my guild is filled with friendly respectful people. We are all friends with each other.

Mutual Interests
Who do you spend time with, where is the time spent , what do you usually like to do? It wouldn't be much fun for you or a guild if you joined with an opposite interest.

Age of the Guild
If experience and skill is important to you. Look at the guild's creation date. Although you can not judge all guilds by how old they are. A guild that has been in existence for a long period of time generally would have experience dealing with issues and problems that occasionally occur within a guild..

Reputation
Be careful of a guild's reputation on d2jsp. Spend time listening closely to what other guild’s members have to say about the guild you're looking to join. Rumors are just that, rumors. However, an extensive amount can point to some interesting history lessons on that guild you're looking at!

Maturity
This is a difficult and often judgmental quality in many guilds and its players. If you're familiar with the term, then the meaning of it is entirely up to your own standards.

Leadership
Some guilds tend to follow the ranking system of military models. Rank often displays a player's time served in the guild, experience within the game, and ability to hold the guild together as a whole. Most guilds usually have their players rank placed somewhere in the sig tag so their role is well known. Pay attention to the ranking structure within the guild. Often times while in a game with another guild or simply monitoring the chat or posts of its players one can easily see the level of respect for officers. Being that some are stricter than others, it's your call as to what level of seriousness and professionalism you desire. The big picture here is, if there is a poor value system in the leadership it will trickle down the line.

Fun
This is the main reason of your gaming time isn't it? If you aren't having fun then something is wrong. Don't become trapped in a guild that isn‘t fun for you. Sometimes a guild becomes more than that to members. It becomes an ego outlet for some people. We all share the same reasons for joining a guild and playing games in the first place. It's all about enjoyment. If you aren't enjoying it, that should be telling you something.

These tips are some of the best and easiest to remember. While not a required part of finding a guild, it may be in your interest to give these ideas a shot. Don‘t be too disappointed if the first guild you join doesn‘t turn out to be what you expected. There are a lot of guilds out there to choose from. Try not to bounce around too much though, it doesn‘t look good. It is also very possible that the leader could need someone with your insight and talents to help him fix those problems. Or maybe you have what it takes to lead a guild yourself?


D2jsp Guild Guide Part 2
Creating a Successful Guild


There is a very large number of guilds on d2jsp, with many more formed every week. There are a lot of very successful guilds that have been around for a very long time. However, there are also a lot of members creating new guilds. Some decide shortly afterwards that it is either too much work, or is not as much fun as they thought it would be. So, they just as quickly sell them and not only lose a lot of fg but cause extra work for Paul.

What makes one guild thrive while another fails? There are several things that do so. Luck, hard work and dedication are certainly very important factors. But equally important is knowledge.

I have put together an easy to follow (if a bit lengthy) guide that will help get you up and running.
Hopefully it will prevent your guild from falling by the wayside and going inactive. Or becoming another guild sold in frustration. I hope to help you become a benefit to your d2jsp community and it’s guilds.

Starting a guild in my opinion is by far one of the coolest things you can do on d2jsp. This experience does come with sacrifices such as dedicating time, energy and hell of a lot of fg. You should seriously consider the costs involved both when creating the guild as well as the costs of growth and continued existence:

Creating a guild costs 2500 fg, it comes with 10 member slots and 1 extra rank.
250 fg for every 5 members
250 fg for every additional rank.
250 fg for a guild charter.
1000 fg for live chat Mirc.

As you can see costs can quickly add up and this doesn’t even take into account, contests, private forums, ventrilo servers, etc., etc.. If this sounds like a commitment you are willing to make, read on. If you are not willing to commit, I highly recommend you do not start your own guild.

Most successful guilds tend to be created by players who have previously been members of other guilds or clans. So they generally have a basic idea of how they would like things to be run. If you haven't been a member of a guild, yet find yourself wishing to create one it may be worth your while to read Part 1 - Joining a Successful Guild first. You will need to do as much research as possible on your own. Study things like, leadership skills, finance and marketing. Depending on your guild size you should think of it as a small business or a corporation. When you study a guild closely you will find that it requires a lot of the same skills required in business management. Remember that the best leaders are highly skilled in delegation and diplomacy.

Guild Basics
Before you can even think about creating a guild, you must think of a name or title. Believe it or not this may be the hardest part. Your name can provide other players with idea of what your guild is all about. It can also be a humorous display of what you're intentions are. Regardless of the meaning of the name, just remember that it will stick with you. Make sure you have a valuable and meaningful definition of what your guild name represents, because it represents you.

It's time to determine the ranking structure of the guild. Obviously the use of such a ranking system lies primarily on how you wish the guild to be operated on a daily basis. Many guilds are successful and enjoyable without a rank whatsoever. The lack of a rank creates an equilibrium between players within which all are of equal ability. If ranks are of interest to you, then choose them accordingly or create them to your liking. Keep in mind that a ranking structure should be strictly adhered to when placing players in their appropriate position. A successful rank structure within a guild maintains order and fairness. Have you ever been denied a position because someone of lower pay scale or experience passed you up? The same thought should be remembered at all times when promoting or placing rank options within your team. It's a wise idea to always promote players in the order they appear in current rank. Exceptions would obviously include disciplinary action, player inactivity, or inexperience for the position. If you want a good rule of thumb for ranking officers, this may help: Rank should not only be based upon time of service and experience, but also the ability to lead the team and retain its respect.

Now you that have the name chosen for the guild and a ranking system set up, you will most likely choose to create or have created a guild “Sig Tag“. A sig tag is a method of placing desired graphics and titles into a banner used in a member‘s signature. These tags tend to display a players guild name and officer rank. Be creative throughout this process. Remember this is your guild’s main form of advertisement. It is your guild’s flag, if it catches the eye, it also captures interest in your guild.

Rules
One of the hardest aspects of creating and maintaining the successful guild is the way it's run. Commonly referred to as policies and procedures, code of conduct, or simply rules, it's an absolute must for any guild. The length and seriousness of rules depends upon your guild, but in any case. Rules are meant to maintain equality throughout. It is a good idea to have your basic rules in place before recruiting. It is important that members know what they are signing up for, and what will be expected of them.

Recruitment
Once the guild name has been chosen, rank structure organized, rules set, and a solid base for rank positions determined it's time to recruit those members. I can't tell you who to choose for your guild and what they should be like. This is all determined by the type of guild you would like to create. Keep in mind however that the most successful guilds are often filled with the most respectful members.

Here are a few tips on recruitment…

Don't try to recruit through a PM. This is considered spam by d2jsp. If a d2jsp member requests information fine, its ok. But don’t send out mass PMs asking people to join your guild. This could get you in a lot of trouble. Plus it only makes YOU and your guild look bad.

Don’t create spam topics on d2jsp for recruitment. Create one topic that your guild will call home. Have all your guild discussions and contests there. It will promote interest in your guild and provide a place for new members to ask questions.

Try to weed out the members that have been in too many guilds for their own good. Guild jumping can be a good sign of disloyal members who don't contribute much to your guild.

As you recruit do your best to have a fair mixture of experienced members and new members. Believe it or not, anyone can become valued members of d2jsp. Most members can learn and teach others to be good members of this community. Teaching new members of d2jsp to be better members, will work to your guild’s benefit by creating loyal members and building friendship within the ranks.[/SIZE]

Taking Your Guild To The Next Level
There are a few extras you should know about in order to give your guild that final boost. If you are ready to take your guild to the next level these things are a must…

A Website
Websites change the way guilds recruit and announce their presence to the rest of the world.. They've altered the way people search and reference information on the internet. Clearly put, it's an open book to whomever and whatever you're looking for. This is an obvious advantage to any guild looking to gain a World Wide Web presence and center of activity. Most can even be done with 0 dollars out of pocket! To find out more on creating the ultimate clan website, visit Part 3 - Creating a Guild Website.

A Forum
Although d2Jsp is a great source for recruitment, you will sometimes find the need for privacy for your guild. You will need ways to keep records, and promote activities within your guild. There is no better way to do so then for a guild to have it’s own private forums. Visit Part 4 - Creating a Guild Forum

Ventrillo Server
Communication is very important to a successful guild. Ventrillo provides a speak to other guild members using voice chat. There is also a live chat here on d2jsp that some guilds find very useful. I can not stress this enough. Good communication is key to the survival of any guild.

Inter-Guild Participation
Do you notice a lot of fellow guilds joining the d2jsp alliance? Don't underestimate the need to work with other guilds to create contests and activities for your guild. Without Inter-Guild interaction most guilds will die off due to inactiveness. Don't sit back and watch as inactivity takes over your guild, sign up for the d2jsp Alliance. Besides you may just win somethin!

With a little bit of effort and a lot of dedication this information should help you on your way to a successful guild. None of the information here guarantees your guild will run smoothly or last forever, however it does provide the much needed organizational aspects a guild can utilize. It is of course only a basic outline, if you require more detailed information please feel free to post or PM me with questions. I will of course give top priority to members of the d2Jsp alliance since that is the benefit of joining.

Try to remember these things and your guild should do very well…
Remember the key words... Delegation and Diplomacy
Remember the "Golden Rule" Do unto other as you would want others to do unto you. Or in other words...
Treat others respectfully and as you would wish to be treated.
Take and encourage others to take initiative within the guild.
Develop an alliance with guilds of equal values.
Try to involve all guild members in important guild decisions.
Remember that values travel from the Leadership Down.


D2jsp Guild Guide Part 3
Creating a Guild Website


One of the more common ways to advertise a guild is through a website. The options are pretty much endless when it comes to design, function, and purpose.

Before a guild website can even be started, how the website will be used must be decided. Several things need to be decided when installing a website's features and layouts, So consider these things before you start..

Some of the most popular options one can consider placing throughout a site are the following:

Domain Name
Email Accounts
FTP Access
Forums
Guestbook
Member Accounts / Databases
News Listings
Live Chat

Even though a website can be very easy to create, it becomes much harder depending on the options you choose. So, it's not only important to decide on the options or “special features” but you also need to understand how a website works.

Website Basics
The functions of your website will vary depending upon the method in which a webpage was developed. The most common programs to use are (ASP) Active Server Page, (PHP) Hypertext Preprocessor, and (HTML) Hyper Text Markup Language.

1. Hosting Account
The first thing you need to do even to start the most basic guild website is to create a hosting account. A hosting account is space on a server where you place your webpage files. If you have never created a website before and you are just looking for something quick and easy to get you started. Here are a few sites where you can find free website space.

GeoCities
Tripod (Lycos)
HomeTown (AOL)

If you don’t like these there are a lot more places where you can find free web hosting space. Just do a Google search for “Free Web Hosting”.

If creating a website for your guild is only for listing information with minimal graphics, then free website hosting is all you probably need. A lot of the free hosting account make it very easy to create a website. All you have to do is enter text and drag/drop a picture into place. WooHoo, done!

However, if you have a little extra cash and you want to buy a hosting account, then it becomes possible to use some of the more advanced special features I mentioned. To better show you why buying a hosting account is needed for most options placed on a website, I have listed a few of them below:

Hosting Account Options
POP3 Email Account: Allows specified # of email accounts

Cgi-Bin: Required folder to perform scripts such as a guestbook.

MySQL Database: Needed to store files used by scripts such as a message board

Perl, PHP, ASP: Important program files needed to run most of today's scripts.

Email Forwarders: Allows one email address to forward messages to another specified email address.

Email: Enables senders to receive an immediate reply acknowledging that there email was received by your email address.

FTP Account: Enables remote access to transmit and receive webpage files.

Data Storage Space: Amount of space for your website files. One of the most important parts of a website, having large bandwidth ability is key, especially if you have a large amount of photos and media. Bandwidth means: The amount of data that can be transmitted in a fixed amount of time.

2. Email Account(s)
Thanks to d2jsp emailing is not so much of an issue. It does give you the option of sending several emails at once, But I have personally very rarely found the need to send multiple emails. With d2jsp and my personal forums. Emails become pretty much obsolete.

But if you decide you need this option you could register your own domain name (http://www.yourdomain.com) which can allow multiple email addresses for all of your guild members.

3. Domain Name
If you decide you want a paid hosting account with multiple email addresses, then think about this…

You will need a domain name for two main reasons. First it is required to access your hosting account and files. Second, this name will also be used for all email addresses. For example, if your domain name was http://www.d2jspalliance.com then a possible email address for your website would be Splatius@d2jspalliance.com .

4. FTP Access
Before you can place files on your site and download the files you want to add, you must have file access. This is done through what is called FTP Access or File Transfer Protocol.

FTP can be done by a separate program or through your internet browser command line. Since there are so many FTP programs and abilities, I can‘t list them all. Heh I don’t know em. You can find most of the information you will need on FTP from your hosting company.

5. Control Panel
A Control Panel is where most of a websites creation takes place. It usually allows the creation of email addresses, password creation, file transfers, script installations, log reviews, etc.

Most hosting companies use varying types of Control Panel programs and options, so you look closely for the options you want.

There is so much involved in creating a website that it would be impossible for me list it all here. Hopefully these basics have helped you get an idea where to start. Besides my finger hurts already so, I’m going to move on to part 4.

If you have questions or suggestions feel free to post here.
Anyone wanting to help with the grammar problems or willing to make it pretty PM me If I use what you create there would be some fg in it for you.
Part 4 - Creating a Guild Forum
coming soon

This post was edited by Splatius on Feb 26 2007 09:46pm

Nice Guide..awaiting part 2 GZ

This post was edited by Jeight on Jan 28 2007 08:17pm

wow very nice..needs a little editing
but u should make this a stickey

nice guide

alot of grammatical errors but overall not bad

edit

nice guide ^^ stickey it !

yaaaay for members++ I can go get food and finish editing later:) Lots more to come

Nice guide!
More over, nice Guild!

-Josh

EF isnt a guild it's a Empire

lol lucky you
very nice..cant wait for part 2

i like it