Getting The Right Guild

Step 1: First off, you need to decide what type of guild you would like to join or create. The main question will be, "Public or Private?" Public guilds may have a large amount of members since they do not typically have any requirements to join. Most private guilds have some requirements or are specialized to one certain theme. Private guilds can sometimes become just as large as public guilds, but in most cases privates guilds round up individuals who all share a common interest. After you come to a decision on whether you would prefer public or private, the next thing to do is figure out what you want in a guild. There are guilds that focus on all things neo-related; some that strive to improve accounts, some have age requirements, and some are a group of fanatics supporting tv shows, book series, or movies.

Step 2a: When creating a new guild, always be sure to look for a good member base. Starting up a guild with no help or few members is sometimes very difficult to establish. Finding a group of individuals who are willing to dedicate time to setting up the guild and get it ready for the public eye is key.

Step 2b: If you are looking to join a new guild, ask the owner, council, or any other members any questions you may have after reading their website or guild information. Sometimes getting to know the members before joining is the easiest. Questions surrounding areas such as how active it is, what there is to do within, what is expected of members, and member capacity are a great place to start. It is better to ask questions before making the decision to join, rather than to join not knowing anything and ending up disliking the time you spent in the guild.

Step 3: Create or look for a guild that has appealing, interesting graphics! A guild website is the first thing potential members will see, so make sure everything is in place and organized. A guild that spends time creating a well organized website that has appealing graphics will likely have good graphics inside, as well! Also, look for or provide a guild that keeps their graphics updated! Keeping things fresh and new on the graphic front is one of many ways to keep members interested. Having homepage layouts that relate to the happenings in the Neopian world or correlate with the seasons is great! Guilds that don't pay much attention to updating their graphics to fresh, new, and fun things may not care about updating the inner works of the guild, either.

Step 4: Be aware and stay away from things against Neopets terms and conditions! Donation shops, secret santa, newbie packs, and giveaways are all against the rules. Hosting or participating in anything against the Neopets terms and conditions can jeopardize the safety of your account. If a guild is still running something despite the consequences, chances are they are not concerned about the well being of member's accounts! 1 NP auctions are a great alternative to offering prizes while abiding to the terms and conditions. Guild shops ARE allowed, but you may not use the neopoints to purchase items, as that would be considered "pooling." The only thing safe to purchase for a guild is an advertisement on the Notice Board!

Step 5: Look for a guild that aims to keep peace! Sometimes, not everyone gets a long and members have personalities that clash. Most guilds have rules and a warning system to disperse any outbreaks of drama quickly and efficiently. If you are the owner or a council member of a guild, it is important to not show any favoritism. Siding with one member over another is never a good idea regarding any topic, a member in a position of power should always be neutral and hear out all sides of the story and issue warnings as needed. Drama within a guild is often what leads a guild to fading out, however, when a guild has a warning policy in place regarding drama, and can get it removed from the message boards quickly, it is a good indicator that the guild will stick around and be a positive place to chat! Usually a guild will have rules specific to them listed on their guild website.

Step 6: Once you join or create a guild, become active! Guild message boards create one of the best and easiest environments to meet new neofriends! A guild with active, chatty, friendly, and helpful members typically are seen having the longest life span on the guild chat. Guilds with slow or inactive message boards typically don't hold the interest of active users for very long. Having active message boards is one of the most essential parts to keeping a guild running.

Step 7: Get involved! Creating and participating in guild activities can be great! At times there is not much going on in Neopia, so fun activities in the guild can hold a users interest and keep them logging in each day. Unique activities are key, having guild mystery pictures, conundrums, and better than you contests CAN be fun, but keep in mind that The Neopets Team has already created those for every user to participate in. Activities that involve everyone getting to know one another, members working together, or members trying together to achieve a common goal are some great starting blocks for activities.

Step 8: Be open to or make suggestions! A guild that allows members to make suggestions and is actively working to become bigger and/or better has the potential to become amazing. When a guild shows that they care about input from their members and actively works on putting members ideas in motion, it displays that the owner/council care about making and keeping the guild a fun place for everyone.

Step 9: Look for or be a positive, active, and caring leader. If you are the owner of a guild, many of the members will look up to you solely for that. It is important that when running a guild that the leader listens to all members, includes everyone in the conversation, maintains activeness, updates regularly, and provides new and fun things to keep members interested. It is also important for a guild leader to meet all the requirements of their guild. For example, if a guild specifies that they are a 250+ avatar guild, and the leader only has 200 avatars, it may display carelessness, everyone with under 250 avatars should be permitted to join in that case. A leader is responsible for most, if not all happenings in the guild. Look for or become a leader that is passionate about running the guild and cares for the guild even through the roughest of times. A leader who is dedicated will refuse to let their guild become inactive and fade out!

Step 10: The most important things to remember when joining or creating a guild are to have fun and be happy! Guilds and the Neopets site in general are oftentimes an escape or outlet for members. Coming on Neopets is their sense of relaxation and fun, if you are constantly in a bad mood, saying negative things, or complaining, chances are most people will avoid conversing with you. Having a negative attitude can affect and bring down the mood of the entire guild. Remember, it is easier to make friends and stay chatty with someone who has a positive attitude!

Finding a guild that will become and stay successful is never an easy venture. Sometimes it takes a good guild-hopping spree to really find or create the guild that is a perfect fit for you. I hope this article will help individuals find a guild to make their home, and to advise guild leaders on how to make their guild established and successful. If you have any other questions or comments about running or joining a guild, I am just a neomail away!