Allthisledtomeenduringsomuchstressinthegame,thatwhenaRLemergencycameup,Imorethanjumpedatthechancetotakeamonthoffofplaying,whichIdidwithnowarning,wellinmydefenseItriedtoapproachhimaboutwhatwasgoingonandhewaslessthanconcernedwhichcementedmydecisiontotakeawelldeservedbreak.ThislefttheguildinahardspotsinceIbailedoutonthefriendsIbroughtover,whoprettymuchstoppedplayingtheirmainsintheguild,aswellleavingtheguildwithonetank,whowastheGMhimself,sincetheresthadeitherquittheguildorbeenrunoff.Soprettymuchfromthatpointtheguildreallyfelltopieces,evenfillingKaraspotsinternallybecameastrugglesoIhavefoundout.
Inhisletter,hesaidthat:Whentheguildstartedbleedingmembersmyfirstactionwastotrytoworkwiththepeoplewhowerebeingleftoutofeverything,tothechagrinoftheGM,whofeltthatconstantrecruitingwouldreplacethosewhoweren'thappyintheguildwhichultimatelyleadtoarevolvingdoorofplayersjoiningandleavingtheguild.TheGM'sfeelingwasthatweakermembersweren'tworththetroubleofworkingwithtomakethembetterandthatgettinggoodmemberswasaseasyasofferingguildinvitesafteraseriouslyinformalapplicationprocess.
Ijustgotbackintothegamethispastweek,andtheGMisn'tevenonspeakingtermswithme,evencordially.He'schangedtherankingswherenearlyhalftheguildarenowofficerswiththeiraltspromotedasofficers,heshuttheguildbankdowntotherestofthemembershipunlessyouranofficer,andimplementedthedkpsystemwithnowayforanyonetocurrentlyearnpoints.I'vepickedbackupplayingwithmyfriendsIbroughtoverfromthecasualguildbutseveralalreadyplanonquittingsoonnomatterwhat,otherswanttoquittheguildifthingsdon'timprovewhileseveralworryaboutnotbeingabletogetintoanotheractualraidguildatlevel80.CompoundingtheproblemI'vegottentellsfromafewoftheremainingnon-officersstatingifIweretobreaktieswiththisguildtheywouldlikelycomealongwithifIweretoformaseparate,obviouslymorecasual,guildforlevelingintotheWotLKcontent.
So,whatdoIdofromhere?I,andsomeothers,areonthefencewhetherweshouldtrytostickwithitthroughthehardspotandgetintotheWotLKcontentwhiletryingtoworkwiththeGMonlooseningbackup.Hereallywasn'tsuchabadguybeforewewereabsorbedintohisguildandhewasmadeGM.OrshouldItakethispointintimeasagoodoneforseveringtiesandbeginningWotLKanewwithacoregroupofaround10peopleorso?Theonlycaveatisthatwhenyouleavethisguildyouareoutforgoodasthere'snochanceforredemptionorreturn.
Prettysoonthesefavoredofficersaregoingtobetheonlyonesleft.Whatwillhappenwhentheofficersaretheonlymembersleft?Iimaginetheentirethingwillimplodeundertheweightofitsbloated,top-heavyrankingsystem.Theofficersmighteventurnoneachother,curryingfavorwiththeirguildleaderbybackstabbingandspreadingrumors.
AlongtimeagoIwroteacolumncalledHowtoDestroyYourGuild.It'salmostcomicaltomehowmanyofthosedestructivechoicesthisguildleaderandhisofficershavemade.
Thisguildwillneversucceedwhileitsleadersrunitinsuchanarbitraryandcorruptfashion.Let'sgothroughthefailurepointbypoint:
1.Therearedifferentrulesforofficers.
SpecialtreatmentcanbeOKsometimes.Ifsomeonehassacrificedalotoftimeandenergyforthegoodoftheguild,thenmaybethey'veearnedgettingthatultrarareenchantingrecipewhenitdrops,becauseyouknowthey'llstickwiththeguildthroughthickandthin.
Butwhentheonlywaytobringanalttoaraidistobeanofficer,andyoujustpromoteallyourfriendstoleadershipranks,that'sbeyondspecialtreatment.That'sjustenforcedunfairness.
2.Theofficersdon'tvaluetheirmembers.
Goodluckfillingyourrosterwithqualityraiderswhenyounevertakethetimetohelpanyonegetbetter.Youcan'ttreatyourmembersasdisposableiftheydon'tmeasureuptoyourstandards.You'llendupwitharevolvingdoorwhenpeoplefigureoutthey'reonebadrunawayfroma/gkick.Whowantstobepartofaguildlikethat?Elitistjerks?
3.Policieschangeallthetime.
Theofficersclearlydon'tknowwhatthey'redoing,andsothey'rejustmakinguprulesastheygoalong,probablytosuitwhateverbenefitsthemthemostinanygivenweek.Itsoundslikethey'venowsetupacrookedDKPsystemsothatonlytheirfriendsgetloot.
4.Theguildleaderisemo.
Refusingtospeakwithamemberbecausehetookabreakforareal-lifeemergency?Isthisguy10yearsold?Growup!Getoveryourself!
Andthefactthatheactuallygotupsetwhenyoutriedtoresolvesomeofthedramatellsmehe'snotmatureenoughtohandleanyoneelsetakinginitiative.Heprobablyconsidersitathreattohisposition.
5.Theguildleaderhasletpowergotohishead.
Yousayhewasn'tabadguybeforehetookover.Clearly,thepowerhenowwieldshasrevealedhistruecolors.HehastotalcontrolovertheguildbankandtheDKPsystemandheisn'tlettinganyonewho'snotanofficerhaveevenasniffofeitherone.He'sbasicallyrunningtheguildlikeacorruptdictator,showeringfavorsonhisfriendstotheexclusionofeveryoneelse.