Guilds in Elite Dangerous

[JohnStabler]

Is it going to be possible to join guilds or something similar? I understand that there is a proposed 32 player limit to skirmishes, but that doesn't rule out the usefulness of being in a team of people who share certain goals or values?

For instance, you may all be lovers of the Federation, back the same factions in war, be on the same side of the law and be willing to help each other out on missions and in combat.

I'm talking about something bigger than one of the proposed in-game groups, not necessarily always doing the same thing together; but acting as a pool of friends.

 

[Ironfist]

Taking from Frontier, the Empire and the Federation already didn't get on. Isn't that two faction to start with?

But even there are no in game faction groups of friends will still form. will FD allow that to develop into something bigger?

 

[Robert Maynard]

I would be interested to hear what the proposed benefits / responsibilities of Guild membership would be.

Maybe something as simple as a self insuring Guild where members would pay into a fund that would be called upon to replace lost ships & equipment.

 

[Hamerstein]

Good question.

I don't recall David mentioning the possibility anywhere, as the game could be played with just your guild in a private multiplayer and the limitations of ships per instance (32 is a target minimum - think they'd like that to be more but we're not talking hundreds) is another factor.

I don't even think that formalised grouping has been covered in mass multiplayer, just that you could form a group for private multiplayer.

 

[breakpointUK]

I don't know if ED will have integrated clan support, I would say that at least not to begin with, I think it will depend on what the community wants once other issues are resolved first...

if we have the ability to name each new commander we start, i would imagine we will see clan tags as part of the commander name, so for example [FSG] Titan or whatever... I would also think that clans would have their own forum page set up and maybe a website too, to outline their roleplay goals and what their rules are etc..

this would of course be for the open "all" multi-player mode, clanning in a private group is pretty pointless as I believe that once a commander has gone to private group, it can not be used on the open "all" group again?

And to be clear.. clans in the sense of people working to together to complete certain goals or to roleplay... not groups out to grief other players

 

[Steve O B Have]

I don't think that it would be a bad thing. Having custom insignias for members of your 'group' could be a fun addition. Whether it was taken to a fully supported level within the Frontier forum environment and the like, well I'm personally not overly fussed by the idea. I used to be a clan member for games like COD and Battlefield - even Black Hawk Down all those years ago - but she's a big old galaxy and I'd hope that gamers would look beyond the immediacy of the other people around them and actually explore the content. But if that's your thing then I wouldn't think that it would be too hard to implement on your own using your own forums etc.

 

[JohnStabler]

@Steve

I agree with your point about people growing beyond their local group or whatever.

However, I think we ignore the very basic instinct of people: to socialise in groups. David Braben has hinted that he understands this and wants to encourage the social aspects of the game.

Therefore I find it hard to believe that people wouldn't be able to form some kind of group that is bigger than any short-term agreement (group quests) but that has more attachment than a friends list.

 

[breakpointUK]

I don't think that it would be a bad thing. Having custom insignias for members of your 'group' could be a fun addition. Whether it was taken to a fully supported level within the Frontier forum environment and the like, well I'm personally not overly fussed by the idea. I used to be a clan member for games like COD and Battlefield - even Black Hawk Down all those years ago - but she's a big old galaxy and I'd hope that gamers would look beyond the immediacy of the other people around them and actually explore the content. But if that's your thing then I wouldn't think that it would be too hard to implement on your own using your own forums etc.

I would like an Explorers Guild... a clan that go off exploring deep space and share the experiences of finding strange new worlds and seeking out new civilisations together.

Sharing memories...

 

[Steve O B Have]

@Steve

I agree with your point about people growing beyond their local group or whatever.

However, I think we ignore the very basic instinct of people: to socialise in groups. David Braben has hinted that he understands this and wants to encourage the social aspects of the game.

Therefore I find it hard to believe that people wouldn't be able to form some kind of group that is bigger than any short-term agreement (group quests) but that has more attachment than a friends list.

This is true - I think with the group mechanic you'll be able to create a custom group and through that have some control over who you are immediately available to have contact with. I think the other issue will be that the location based grouping of players - i.e. me being in Aus, you possibly being the UK means that even if I wanted to, I couldn't meet you anywhere anyway. I think it's going to be a limitation of the networking side of things for a bit.

 

[Capt. Hook]

One drawback I can think of guilds would be that it would not be long before a griefing group would be set up in the multiplayer game.

 

[Kerrash]

I would like an Explorers Guild... a clan that go off exploring deep space and share the experiences of finding strange new worlds and seeking out new civilisations together.

Sharing memories...

Shotgun! I want in

I like the idea of extending the player 'group' mechanic to encompass guilds.

 

[abaddon_1974]

I really hope not.
I have played many guild based multi player games and seen the mentality it seems to produce.
I have no wish to be kicked off a multi player mission because I do not have the latest most expensive engines which you can only get by having high faction rank with faction A, which you can only get by being in the guild.

I am hoping that this game is different from the rest, and the rest all have guild based play which the original Elite game did not.

Craig

 

[insanephoton]

I am not against having guilds/clans or something similar, but I'm not sure if we even have any form of in game communication with other players.

There are ways around it, including 3rd party programs such as teamspeak. But that usually needs some initial communication between players. I'm sure that there will be groups formed from people that have played together in other games whether F supports it or not.

 

[Maxeren]

I would like to see guild missions of some kind, maybe npc guilds like an explorers guild where you can earn a reputation by doing exceedingly harder missions for them

 

[Python]

Hope there is a clan based system as playing online is all about meeting other friends and enemies.
None of my buddies play this type of game so I will be looking for wingmen/women to hang out with and watch each others back.
perhaps on start up you automatically begin as empire or fed with an option to leave after a couple of hours play?

 

[abaddon_1974]

Now NPC guilds I like the idea of, especially an explorers guild.

 

[Warbler]

There's no mention of guilds on the Kickstarter FAQ. I wouldn't be against them but I'd be concerned about Elite becoming like EVE as described in this thread.

http://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3425

 

[CmdrBond]

In Ultima Online - if you joined a guild, a 3 letter code was placed against your name automatically e.g. [XXX], removing the need to change your name manually.

Now personally I am not a general guild joiner - BUT I don't despise them either.

I like the idea that if we join guilds and have an OFFICIALLY recognised war footing between these guild/clan/etc... then I see that attacking an opposing guild member far enough away from police patrolled zones should not incur any bounty penalty.

Of course, attacking a non guild member or a member of a guild with which you do not have a war footing then you would have a bounty on your head.

Also if one guild allies with another, this should not automatically put them at war with the other guilds enemies - although they should have the choice should they want to join a war of an ally.

I think this would not only allow for more social play, but also help cater for the PvP players who don't want to be a pirate or spend forever pirate hunting.

Not only this, guild wars could affect the economies of a system - yet not make the system unsafe for non guilded members.

 

[LubeckDave]

I would imagine guilds providing trading advantages such as agreements with stations for reduced docking fees, maybe providing warehouse facilities to members

The Hansa organized a network of trading posts across the Baltic and North Sea arranging beneficial trading agreements with the Princes and Kings of the countries they worked within

 

[bigjizzy]

What about this as an example of a guild/corp that should be acceptable.

Player A (Me) players for 6 months, gets pretty good at combat etc.

Sets up a guild in my own mind + on the forum or whatever called "ED protection" i then train up other members in combat tactics, ship configurations etc, making them into better combat pilots.

My guild offers our services via the forum or in game Bulletin boards etc as escorts or pirate hunters etc, based on the transfer of ingame credits.

Surely this is acceptable and i think DB's whole ethos of multiplayer.

This would also work for a corp/guild of traders who in return for a ingame fee, are given knowledge of sector / market information, milk runs etc..

I think its inevitable that these types of "Group" will get set up, i have no doubt some will have thier own websites and thousands of members.

As long as they dont end up just being groups of players, whos solitary aim is to make other players lives a misery then i feel this should be ok.

J