Seeria
Cadet
Any word on whether or not this is still the game plan. If not, how has it changed?
MMORPG.com: Your website mentions players having the abilities to "join in-game organizations". Can you give us an idea of what this means? Will these organizations give any kind of benefit for membership (specific skill options, items, etc.)?
Aaron Standridge:
There are three primary tiers of in-game organizations, each including a subset of the one before it. The first step is forming a Clan, which may also be considered a “family.” It allows access to such niceties as a custom hierarchy system, an optional article of clothing with the clan’s colors, clan-wide login message, a shared last name and of course, a clan chat channel.
Two or more clans (which meet some minimum criteria) can opt to form a guild, which in addition to a second level of the clan benefits (guild-wide login message, guild chat, etc), includes a guild insignia, special guild-wide abilities granted to each member, and bonuses for grouping with your guild on quests. Note that you don’t have to be in a clan to join a guild.
Finally, Great Houses are composed of multiple Guilds. There are three Great Houses, each representing a major faction in the world. It is at this level that Guilds may unify to tip the balance of power in the world in favor of one faction or another.
Note that in all of these cases, the lower tiers maintain their own identity as well. A clan does not cease to exist as an organization when it merges with another to form a guild. Secession is also a possibility, leading to interesting political situations.
MMORPG.com: Your website mentions players having the abilities to "join in-game organizations". Can you give us an idea of what this means? Will these organizations give any kind of benefit for membership (specific skill options, items, etc.)?
Aaron Standridge:
There are three primary tiers of in-game organizations, each including a subset of the one before it. The first step is forming a Clan, which may also be considered a “family.” It allows access to such niceties as a custom hierarchy system, an optional article of clothing with the clan’s colors, clan-wide login message, a shared last name and of course, a clan chat channel.
Two or more clans (which meet some minimum criteria) can opt to form a guild, which in addition to a second level of the clan benefits (guild-wide login message, guild chat, etc), includes a guild insignia, special guild-wide abilities granted to each member, and bonuses for grouping with your guild on quests. Note that you don’t have to be in a clan to join a guild.
Finally, Great Houses are composed of multiple Guilds. There are three Great Houses, each representing a major faction in the world. It is at this level that Guilds may unify to tip the balance of power in the world in favor of one faction or another.
Note that in all of these cases, the lower tiers maintain their own identity as well. A clan does not cease to exist as an organization when it merges with another to form a guild. Secession is also a possibility, leading to interesting political situations.