Guilds in Elite Dangerous

[deMangler]

My experience of in-game player-run guilds and the in-game mechanisms that support them is that they ruin immersion.
This is because they inevitably include a lot of stuff brought in from out of game. For example you get things like the guild of Russians or the guild of Minecraft fans or the guild of Christians or whatever. I don't think that guild names are the only problem here but just the obvious example.
I am not against guilds for gaming groups - they are fun and I enjoy guild play myself but it is the mechanisms within the game that support guilds that are an issue here. So many games that could be good for an immersive RP experience are ruined by this. Think EVE and LOTRO for example.
I think that it is easy enough to put together a forum out of game and get vent or skype going or use Google+ or whatever to organize guilds and play.
I am very suspicious of in-game guild mechanisms that could spoil immersion and I would hope that FD think very carefully about this.
A good compromise would be in-game private chat and e-mail and so on that could support guilds but be invisble to anyone not in the guild. Anyway just my thoughts.

 

[Steve O B Have]

I agree with pretty much everything you said DeMangler. Having played LOTRO and EVE - I know exactly where you're coming from.

 

[Brian]

Alliances Guilds Groups Gangs etc.

Could we have a new topicy forumy thready thingy for the Gangs Groups Alliances Clans and Guilds etc. please?

or two, one under the Private backers forum, and one for the everyone else? (is that a bit too "Elitist"?)

It will just make things a bit more tidy

Brian

 

[STABB666]

A fantastical idea!

Could we have a new topicy forumy thready thingy for the Gangs Groups Alliances Clans and Guilds etc. please?

or two, one under the Private backers forum, and one for the everyone else? (is that a bit too "Elitist"?)

It will just make things a bit more tidy

Brian

I second this motion which I also proposed in a completely seperate and unrelated thought process...

 

[Capt. Hook]

makes sense +1

 

[ianw]

Yes - this would seem to make sense as alliance threads are starting to pop up.

 

[Perseus]

Whole heartedly agree!
I personally really like the idea of a separate PB version but , if I'm honest, I think it's a tad unfair.
Come on FD, let's have the Alliance Forum!

 

[natte hond]

logic

Is there a point in starting the game in all ready build factions?
and should their forums be public.
the only allegiance that has reason for forming here, is some kind of a ED-backers allegiance.
witch is not a trading company or force in the game.
but addresses fair play or problem,s that arise in the game.
I think any one who has access to the private backers forum is serious enough to be a member of such a board.
A board that has no active roll in the game but has the right to point out Unfair play.

 

[JeffRyan]

I'm amused by the alliance/guild posts popping up. Is there a DDF topic on if there will be any in-game support for them? I want to play with Psko and Mobius.

 

[Brian]

I think that we're all grown up enough to allow total transparency in our guilds/gangs/alliances etc. forums. It is after all only groups of like minded people having fun.

I certainly dont mind anyone and everyone popping to "The Interesting Times Gang's" thread and seeing what we're up to. Lets face it we wont be up to much until the game is out in full. And even when it is out its only a bit of fun.

Brian

 

[JeffRyan]

And even when it is out its only a bit of fun.

Brian

Famous last words.

 

[STABB666]

It's all harmless, mostly...

I don't really see any unfair advantage at all. If anything, making the threads visible to thousands of private backers, or even on the open forums would give a disadvantage over those who have a private, off-game voice chat going with their buddies.

And it is in the spirit of role playing fun. I don't really believe that I'm a pirate that's going to hunt anyone down, steal their cargo and suck the marrow from their bones.

 

[Aewarin Jameson]

And it is in the spirit of role playing fun. I don't really believe that I'm a pirate that's going to hunt anyone down, steal their cargo and suck the marrow from their bones.

*puts the straw down and slowly backs out the room*

 

[STABB666]

Live Action Role Play can be deadly

*puts the straw down and slowly backs out the room*

Of course, some are more committed than others...

 

[JKF]

Doesn't vBulletin have a groups option that would be better suited to guilds, alliances, etc. than dedicated forums or threads?

 

[Hellhawk666]

I'm not sure if this has been covered before, if so please point me to the relevant thread.

Without going into too much detail at this time, has any mention of guild support been made in relation to ED? Most MMOs provide some support for guilds within the game, and it would seem to me that with the grouping features that ED will employ there is a terrific opportunity to give strong support to player-managed guilds/clans.

 

[Bingo Brewster]

There is no support for guilds. You can read about grouping in the DDF archive.

 

[Cosmos]

There is no support for guilds. You can read about grouping in the DDF archive.

As far as I am aware this is correct - I don't think the game is designed with a guild like system in mind, and certainly not with large numbers of players congregating together.

I think much of the argument against it is that if guilds are available then you are required to be in one but, whilst I have sympathy for that argument, I think we might end up with a poorer game for it.

It is presently open knowledge that the game can support 32 players in a single instance. That is a decent amount of players and such numbers could when co-ordinated together combine to create some epic battles of varying complexity and fun.

As I understand it, the multi-player element of the game is highly optional and at best you can hope for is grouping with your friends to play the game with. What you do if you have no friends is a different issue entirely and one that seems to have been overlooked in the evangelical myopia of avoiding pitfalls of online gaming.

 

[Rubbernuke]

As I understand it, the multi-player element of the game is highly optional

Off topic: are multiplayer and single player modes interchangeable? That is, if I start a singleplayer game, can I then go to multiplayer with that commander / game? Will doing this 'sync' my singleplayer game up with online events?

 

[Nagual]

Off topic: are multiplayer and single player modes interchangeable? That is, if I start a singleplayer game, can I then go to multiplayer with that commander / game? Will doing this 'sync' my singleplayer game up with online events?

I believe while playing the 'single player / solo online' option your game is sync'd up as much as anyone else's. You can move from solo to the all group and back again etc, if you wish. If you have a offline character, this can't be brought in to the online version.