A guild you say? What the heck is a guild and what can it do for me, why would I want to join and how do I select the right one?

Let's see if I can assist you in your choice.

In Dofus, and many other MMORPGs, players can join permanent teams, Guilds. These tend to be groups of people who play together regularly. However, as a guild grows and develops new members will be recruited from outside the social circle. This process can produce some bumps in the road since just like in the real world groups follow a process of development... Forming, storming, norming and performing.

1. Forming: developing friendships and getting to know each
2. Storming: this is the deciding of alpha, now in a guild there is a set leader however people have a tendency to be competitive and established guild members may feel threatened by a new player (especially if the new player is a higher level)
3. Norming: everyone begins to feel comfortable in their roles
4. Performing: everyone is working together and guild becomes a power house

Some of the stages will be apparent while others will pass by un-noticed. However, each time a new member is added the process begins again, sometimes crazier than others. This is important to remember when you join a guild. You will need to give the group a chance to accept you before deciding to jump out and find another one.

What is a guild?

A guild is like a big family. People you enjoy spending time with and meet with regularly. Okay you might be thinking, family; I don't enjoy spending time with my family! So, if that is the case think of a guild as a sports team, sorority, fraternity or just a group of awesome people. There is a guild out there for everyone you just need to find the right group of people.

What can a guild do for me?

As part of a guild, you will have a consistent group of players to associate with. You can set up group hunts for drops or experience points (XP) as well as place a perceptor to help collect drops. Guilds tend to share resources, sets, weapons and strategies which can only enhance your gaming experience.

When it comes to hunting in Dofus, a reliable team is important. The items a monster can drop have prospecting locks (PP). The big drops, the ones that pay out nice in a sale or are needed to make your set will have a high PP meaning your group PP has to meet the minimum required to drop an item. For example, to drop a Turquoise Dofus (who doesn't want to drop one of these) your group will need a minimum of 800PP that isn't something you can do on your own unless of course your computer can run 8 accounts at once.

So, a guild can help you drop items safely, meaning your guildees will assist your hunting and share the drops you need, at least an honourable guildee would. Guilds also tend to share and trade services. Sharing will help both ways, such as I need a hat made and you're a tailor... I get a hat and you get crafting XP.

Joining a guild can be a win-win situation, but remember your manners, you can be kicked from a guild just as fast as you joined it. So be sure to understand your guilds etiquette and rules. Here are a few standards to be aware of:

Guild Etiquette:

1. Treat others with respect
2. Keep the drama down
3. Are you begging for items but not contributing items
4. Share and share alike

Why would I want to join one?

Well not only will you have the above stated benefits, but you will also have group of mentors. You will find your play time more fun. Your experience in the World of Twelve will seem fuller and you will experience things you just can't do on your own with people you enjoy.

Here are a few pros and cons to help you decide whether to join a guild or stay solo:

Okay, so maybe you have joined a few guilds but haven't yet found the right one for you. Selecting a guild can be challenging, so have some ideas of what you want from a guild and what you are willing to contribute. If you still haven't found the ideal group, well have no fear, there are options: keep looking for the best guild for you, buy an established guild and become the leader or start a guild from scratch.

To begin you will need to either drop or purchase a guildalogem. These stones have a drop rate of 0.08% for 100 PP, meaning you can drop one on your own from any monster in Dofus, but this might take some time! You can purchase the stone from the miner seller room faster but they are not cheap. Once you have your stone head over to the Guild temple (1,-9) you must be pay to play (P2P) to use the stone and create a guild. Howeve,r your character can remain the leader if P2P expires.

Now for a few tough choices: what will your colours, shield and logo be, and even harder yet, what is a great guild name that isn't already being used? These are choices I won't try to influence for you, but remember that you want to attract people to your guild and not repel them with a bad logo/colour selection or name. The name is the most important marketing tool for your new guild.

Now, you have a great name, shield and logo but your guild will not become active until it has 10 players. So, get recruiting! Okay easier said than done. Most established players will only join high level guilds meaning you will need to either have high level friends willing to join you or start recruiting lower levels. Incarnam or hanging out at character statues as well as the recruiting channel are all good places to start.

I will suggest finding active players to recruit since your guild level is established by the XP contributions of members. So the more your members play and the more they gain XP, the more your guild will level.

Guild level is important since there are some restrictions set on guilds. There are restrictions to the number of members, houses, paddocks and perceptors you can have. Prior to level 10 your guild will not be allowed to hold a house or a paddock and will only have one perceptor at its disposal.

As your guild levels your perceptor will receive five spell points per level, you will have more tough decisions to make here. Save the points to add another perceptor or level one of the perceptors spells. You can add a perceptor every two levels but to do so requires the use of 10 spell points.

Hmmm... being the leading isn't sounding all that much fun, there seems to be a lot of work and lots of decisions to be made. You will need to give it some thought and weigh the pros and cons of being a leader. The role will become more complex as your guild levels and grows. Are you ready for the commitment or are you just looking for a fun group to work with?|

As a final note, each guild will have different requirements for membership. Ask around, what have you hearing about specific guilds, good or bad, by asking a few questions of players you will have a quick understanding of the guild culture and there are some very creative cultures out there to explore!