Guild Status - Patrons no more

[Storm_Runner]

<DIV> <P>I posted this as a response in another thread.  I'd really like to get some feedback on it so I'm posting it in it's own thread.</P> <P>I've got to say that I really don't like the proposed changes to guilds that will go live in LU #13A.  Here's what I would do.  Change the way a guild member gets patron status.  Make being a patron not something that is bestowed by a guild officer but something that a person wanting patron status has to earn.  Make becoming a patron the reward (the only reward, no XP, no loot, just patron status) for doing a series of somewhat challenging and tedious quests.  Kind of like an access quest or the betrayal quest.  That way someone who wants to be a patron will put forth the effort and someone who isn't willing to work for it won't want to put in the time and work required to get the title of patron.  The patron quests would have to be scalable with the difficulty depending on your adventurer level that way it would be a challenge whether you're a level 10 fighter or a level 30 warlock.  Because lets face it...not everyone joins a guild at the same level.  In order to weed out inactive patrons what I would do is create a new kind of status points (call them patron points).  If you don't do something to earn status for the guild on a regular basis (say once a week) you lose a set number of patron points.  If your patron points drops to 0 you lose patron status and will have to repeat the patron quests over again to get it back.  Say you start out with 20 patron points...you lose 5 a week for inactivity until you reach 0.  That should be generous enough that real life interference (vacations, out of town on a business trip, etc.) won't cause you to lose patron status.  But...before you can start earning status for the guild again you have to bring your patron points back up to the max (20) by doing writs.  Writs will be worth their regular guild status points and 1 patron point, but you only get the guild status points if your patron points are maxed out.  This should make being a patron something that only those who want to work for the privilege will have.  Any feedback on this idea would be appreciated.</P></DIV>

[SavinDwa]

<DIV>I started to read your message and its really very similar to tons of sugestions spread over the multiple threads.  So let me ask you a question:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>What do you think is wrong with the current system?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>If the answer is nothing, then wwhy not suggest "Don't make any changes"</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Is there something about the new system you do like?  If so what?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>What problem do you think the new system wass trying to address? [I really have no clue... I think someone may have been smoking the wrong weed LOL)</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>If you know what problem they were trying to fix do you think they fixed it?  If not, what would you suggest?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>My probelm when I read your post is I don't knwo why you are making the suggestion.  You are obviously trying to fix something .. but what?</DIV>

[Storm_Runner]

<P>I probably should have made this more clear when I originally posted.  I'm responding to the changes being made to how guilds work that are now on the test server and and are part of live update # 13A (the text is shown below).</P> <P><STRONG><FONT color=#ff0000>*** Guild Status ***</FONT></STRONG></P> <P><FONT color=#ff0000></FONT> </P> <P><FONT color=#ff0000>- We have removed the concept of patrons from guilds. Earned status is now divided by the number of unique accounts in your guild (minimum of 6, maximum of 24).</FONT></P> <P><FONT color=#ff0000>- Example 1: If you have 40 members in your guild (10 of which are alts) you'd have 30 unique accounts.<SPAN>  </SPAN>That's over the maximum cap of 24, so any new guild status earned would be divided by 24.</FONT></P> <P><FONT color=#ff0000>- Example 2: If you have 4 members in your guild and you earn guild status, it will be divided by 6 (the minimum number).</FONT></P> <P> </P> <P>I don't really have a problem with the way guilds are set up now.  But if the devs feel the need to remove the concept of patrons I think that will cause more problems than it fixes as can be attested to by the large numbers of posts on this subject in other threads.  I was just proposing an alternative that I think would work better than doing away with patrons altogether.  It seems to me that if you work to level your guild by doing writs and heritage quests then you've earned your status points.  To have one person work to help the guild and then have the points he earned split among everyone, even those who don't do writs or HQs, seems somewhat unfair to me.  It's like doing a quest and then having to split the reward with someone else just because you grouped with him once in the past.  Maybe I'm misunderstanding what the devs are saying but that's my take on it.  Also this could lead to guild kicking some of the more casual players to get a better ratio so they can level faster.  </P>

[Isa]

<DIV>What I do not like is, this looks to encourage massive guilds.  The whole idea of the patron system in the first place was to discourage guilds from getting to massive.  I know it has not had that effect completely, but atleast there was an even playing field on this account.  A guild of 15 could feasibly make guild level 30 just as effectively as a guild of 200.  But if I am reading this correctly, if you had 70 members their points would still be devided by 24?  Unless they are implying it only takes the top 24 members status points into account.  That would really be my favorite solution.  If someone really wants their points to count, they would work their way up.  Once they passed the 24th person, then they would start contributing.  That way, if you have someone go inactive or leave the guild, the next person in line slips right into their spot.</DIV>