I was following this title since they opened their forums on their website. Looked great and couldn't wait for an attempt to get into beta let alone the release. Now after this news sounds like the devs are following in the footsteps of SOE.

Sorry but mmorpg's shouldn't be geared mainly for grouping and guilds and you would be surprised at how much larger the group is that prefer to solo than logging in to just stand in one spot all day talking or joining frustrating groups. No thanks this title does not interest me anymore and is a great disappointment with this news.

Looks like it's gonna be 'Lord of The Rings Online' all the way now.

This article was about guilds not groups. It said nothing about Grouping.

I for one found the fact they will lean more toward guild involvement than solo play in their balance of the game to be a great draw for me. I recommend for you every other MMORPG out there except maybe EVE Online. BECAUSE THEY ARE ALMOST ALL NON-GUILD ORIENTED!!!

God made Oblivion for people like you.

Now as for you getting upset, read the article again. Those in guilds get bonuses in resource gathering and guild oriented things. If you are not in a guild you will not miss out on anything at all.

 I really don't understand how they think rewarding guilded players with more powerful abilities is a beneficial feature to a game that wants to be viable for solo and guilded players. I have been following this game, among others, for a long time and to be honest although some of the features included within the prestige classes sound pretty cool, I can't say I like what is effectively a boost to ganksquads which already dominate 99.9% of PvP games.

 I could be misinterpreting the information and I will reserve final opinion until I see the game in action, but in all honesty I find this news disheartening and a step in the wrong direction in my eyes 

 Unless there is a good reason, probably balance/game pace, why reward guilds just for being a guild? Risk/Reward are meant to be proportional and not inversely related I thought

EDIT:  I see what you are saying Laserwolf, but it does say that only resourceful guilds will be able to craft the higher tier items...which if this game is at all item based, is probably a giant shot in the foot to non guilded players in long term PvP.

Very seldom to I post but I feel the need. Now this may sound like a flame but it is not, it is simply very ‘matter of fact’.

Why do people seem to have such an issue with a game wishing to give a bonus to guilds? Honest question here – do players not join guilds in MMORPG’s? If not then you are missing one of the bigger points of the game.

Having a good guild means you will never be standing around for hours LFG. It means you will make friends, have people to chat with on Vent. It means you will have people to watch your back and help you out when you need it. Guilds allow you to have some protection from the “ganksquads”.

And on this subject – guilds allow you to be part of your very own “ganksquad” because lets face it folks when people are part of the group steamrolling their opponents they never log in disgust over being a ganker. The losers of a fight more often than not are the ones who always cry cheater. PVP is about winning, it is basic human nature to want to win. Sure some people always insist on a fair fight and want to be all noble but that attitude does not work when the rest of the world just wants to win.

Sorry for that side rant.

This game is just putting processes into place that highlight what already happens in all games. Being in a good guild makes you more powerful – end of story. This is the case for almost all MMORPG’s. Take a look at EVE, take a look at WOW (since this seems to a game everyone knows) – want uber phat lootz, you better be in a good guild if you want to raid or rule BG’s.

 Oh don't get me wrong Drimli...you are totally right about guilds. I am guilded in nearly every single game I play because I enjoy the teamwork, strong bonds and group strength that it gives me the opportunity to experience. That is the reward of being in a guild and in a good guild it can be taken for granted that these are only the primary benefits. But if guilding is so beneficial why then give the guilded players further rewards that distance the already difficult gap to breach between solo and guilded players

 Like I said before, I could be totally wrong and maybe when seeing the game as a whole this will make more sense...but from an objective standpoint this just seems like a shot in the foot to solo players to be honest.

 You are wrong about PvP though, I might take part in ganking now and again if a group I am in comes across an enemy, but those kills mean absolutely nothing to me. The true joy I personally get out of PvP is when I have used tact or ability to outfox even or superior odds. I'd rather have 10 kills that I'd worked for and deserved than 1000 ganks anyday

Glad you didn’t take my post as a flame or attack.

I can see your point about why make the inherent benefits of a guild a bigger issue through game mechanics, but I think it might be an effort to ensure longer term subscription. I have no proof or statistics but I would bet that players who are guilded tend to stay in a game longer than those who are not and have a more positive view of the game. I think this might also be a left over from when the game was going to be a PVP game and encouraging guilding would help people ‘deal’ with that type of environment.

I personally am way more worried about the compromises they seem to be making in this game to make it less and less of a PVP game and more of a PVE game. Instanced BG type PVP areas, tavern dueling, PVE servers, etc.

I don’t think I am wrong about PVP. I said some people like even fights (I know I do) but expecting the masses to abide by this idea just does not work and those who can’t get their heads around it will always scream about gankers and get pissed because the majority don’t play the way they want them to.

Good points and a good post.

I don't see it this way rpgmachine.

For me FC is trying to implicate more players in guilds by giving more precise roles as benefices for the guild coming from them. For those who played AO, all guild members don't have any role in it : we all have exactly same possibilities in the guild and nothing differentiate a member from an other (as in nearly all MMO actually). So for some.. there are no real difference between been in a guild or not but a new common channel :P (even if it's already very usefull).

At last, i see that as a try to make more players to join guilds as they want to make no-PvP players at least have a try of what PvP can be, with bar figths. (i encourage to read Gaute Godager interview ).

It's not possible when making a game that everything is liked by everybody :P... but i mostly like all i readed until now :) (for me these ideas are going the good way) and anyway it's still in work.