Are Guild rites Irrelevant? I feel like I understand something now that I didn't before, when taking my office. I feel like I have to force people to come along for...

What? Experience which is negligible?

Perhaps I'm completely wrong, I have the wrong impression of it, or maybe I have poor timing, or whatever millions of reasons you could come up with to lead me to this impression of them, but thats why is is /Discuss.

Basically, am I completely Crazy, or not?

People shouldn't come for the "guild rite". Make an actual ritual, and end it with the rite for dramatic effect.

In a way, I do. Perhaps nobody like to hear an old woman ramble on, but I try to address the guild on matters pertinent to the security of their future. I.E. Court matters, Fears, accomplishments, etc.

I can see why a ritual brings more 'fun' to it than the above. I suppose that just makes me crazy then.

I know you're crazy.

The XP IS Pathetic, but the thing is, most people just don't see guild rites as worth the time.

It's much easier to do them if you tack them on to other things. You can make almost anything a guild rite. Get people together to hunt, and bless it with a wave of your GM artifact. And while the experience is negligible for most players, for the really young, it often bumps them up more than one level.

I gained three levels c/o Ehona, back at circle 6, and then two at 11.


EDIT: although, at circle 79, the XP is worthless, but the Karma's good.

Well, I wouldn't expect the XP to be worth anything at level 79.

I liked your rites.

The continuity and depth of a guild's roleplay ultimately rests on the more senior players within a guild and the better guildmasters were doing the equivalent of 'guild rites' long before they got a sparkly artefact with the power to give a teeny little piece of xp - and it sounds like you have been too. If you choose to work towards the immersion and roleplay of your guild, and long experience shows that the 'best' guilds from time to time are the ones where guildmasters et al do just that, then your artefact can be the cherry on the cake. But I don't think it was ever intended to be something titantic in and of itself.

The experience is pretty good considering you don't have to do anything at all to get it. Also: karma!

Actually, for the 'Singers(and I think for the other guilds), the GM has to raise the baton.

Maybe it's all in how you frame your question...

"Is it relevant to gather your guild for the blessing of your GA artifact."

In and of itself? No. Like you said, the XP/Karma gain is negligible. So, the better question might be...

"What are worthwhile reasons for individuals to drop what they are doing to join a guild assembly."

Is it for guild RP? To host a meeting or guild hunt? I've seen different GA's approach this question through different angles. Guess it depends on your own personal preferences. Just remember you can't please 100% of the people 100% of the time.

What I think is totally relevant to point out here... is that the GA artifact requires a certain number of guild members around to work its magic.

SO

I remember a not-so-long-ago time in Nekotai history where seeing one, maybe two other guild members about was quite average. Four seemed full, and five was unheard of. On that rare occasion when that sixth person came around, it felt like holding the guild rite was obligatory.

It all comes down to that game mechanic. Of course there were dozens of times when using the artifact would have been more appropriate and fluid with guild RP; however, guild attendance and game mechanics dictates the when and where.

Now the Nekotai is witnessing an unprecedented rise in membership, we have more opportunities to host a guild rite. For example, we are seeing 6+ members on a RL daily basis at peak hours. As such, I personally think we are undergoing a whole paradigm shift on the "why" to guild rite.

Which makes me think... of course game mechanics are absolutely necessary to set parameters to prevent GA artifact abuse; but perhaps guild attendance (or at least at it's current setting) might not be the best hard-coded criteria-- after all, it may preclude the GA from using the artifact (though certainly not hosting guild RP). For example, perhaps it would be better to lower the attendance limit, and increase the amount of time between the artifact's use (like say on in game year).

Now I'm certainly not complaining, nor even suggesting the GA artifact needs a change. I only intended to deconstruct a situation to explain why GA's (and in your case, the Nekotai GA) should not feel obligated to host a guild rite based on guild attendance alone.

For the record, it's the GM. The GA gets an interesting book with some stats about guild activity, racial composition, etc.

Dhoh! What Shiri said...

The guild rite command and effect are fine. It's just meant as a little pat on the back for engaging in roleplay - not a substantial reward. We already have an issue wherein some guilds, people will gather for a "rite" to do absolutely nothing except smile at the GM, who will do absolutely nothing but the rite command and then call it a day. We don't need to bolster the exp/karma effect to encourage that even more.

On the other hand I don't think there's anything really wrong with that. Some days people may be busy. Anything that gets a guild together, even for a couple of minutes, sounds good to me.

Ok, if you want people to stop what they are doing to come join organized guild activities, YOU have to make them not suck.

There are few things more annoying than being pulled away from acutal fun and subjected to tarribad forced arrpee that drones on and on and on and on and on and on.

Keep it short, just do, I don't care what you think or why this doesn't apply to you or why you are better than everyon else, just do it.

Change them up some, the same rituals over and over with a few words changed here and there is boooring. Have a brief tea party to check in with people, gather guildmates to oficially introduce new members and then find a reason to lift your arm during the gathering.
If the gathering stalls push it along or dismiss the group.

Edit: the guild hunt is a good idea but make the hunt optional, while asking everyone to come together to give them a good send off

I love guild rites personally. At level 75 they don't do much for me (though I do enjoy gaining a level during a guild rite). Guild rites are mostly for the younger members, but that doesn't mean older members shouldn't attend. It's important for a guild's younger members to connect with the older members. It's like gathering a family around the dinner table. Yes, it inconveniences some of the family members, but it makes the family stronger.

The Aquamancer's guild rites are short and sweet (thank the gods). Telperion uses his illusions to give some words of wisdom (rarely brings up troubles within the guild), and then commences with the guild rite. While people are gathering we interact with one another. If we are having a meeting that month, then we have the rite just before the meeting. Guild rites get the younger members more involved with our guild whether it's giving them the opportunity to be heard at a guild meeting, or simply giving them the chance to talk to hire ranking guild members.

There are few members that miss a guild rite in our guild. Usually when someone misses the rite they have a good reason not to come. I couldn't imagine always making up speeches or events to do with the rite. I agree that guild rites should be short and sweet..and happen every month. (unlike my response here ^-^.)

I absolutely refuse to do guild rites.

Reason: People poke me saying "there are 8 people on. Hint hint."

Response: "Really? Could you be any more transparent?"

I will raise the magic wand after a guild ritual though, and I do try and coincide guild rituals with enough people to raise the magic wand. I just refuse to do a guild rite for the sake of a guild rite, and I absolutely refuse to do a guild rite because someone says the above statement.

The other side of that is the people who come to a guild ritual and then piss and moan because it was a guild ritual and there was no raising of the magic wand.