GWOnline Guild Rules

[Lord Anthrax]

GWO Guild Rules and Provisions
Respect and courtesy are the foundations of the GWO rules.

The GWO Leadership may change these rules at any time.

We trust members will use their initiative to distinguish right from wrong and will engage in honourable and considerate behaviour. If you have any doubts or concerns, please contact a member of the Guild Leadership. Issues not covered by the rules should be brought to the attention of the Guild Leadership.

ArenaNet’s Legal Agreements
The GWO Guild supports all policies enforced by ArenaNet and as such, do not take violations lightly. The policies may be found at the Guild Wars website (http://www.guildwars.com/support/legal/). Members are expected to have read and understood these rules.

GWO and Allies
The Alliance Charter (http://guildwars.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=475936) is set up, and we do ask you to treat our Allies with the same respect that you would Guild Members and to respect their own personal rules while in Alliance Chat. We are currently allied with the following Guilds:


Blade of Souls (http://www.guildserver.co.uk/forums/nbos/) - Guild Rules (http://www.guildserver.co.uk/forums/nbos/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=203)
Blood of the Martyr [Hope] (http://www.hopegamers.com/)
Lore School [GWen] (http://www.loreschool.com/) - [GWen] Guild Rules (http://www.loreschool.com/guildalliancerules.htm)
The Order of DII [Dii] (http://guildwars.incgamers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=91) - [Dii] Rules (http://guildwars.incgamers.com/showthread.php?t=430972)
United Legit Gaming Guilds of Guild Wars [ULGG] (http://www.ulggofgw.com/dragonfly/index.php)
Veritas Invictus [TRUE] (http://guildwars.incgamers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=143) - [TRUE] Rules (http://guildwars.incgamers.com/showthread.php?t=476397)
We Need Therapy [NOW] (http://www.weneedtherapynow.tk/) - [NOW] Code of Conduct (http://www.hekigan.com/now/conduct.htm)
Xen of Onslaught [XoO] (http://www.xoohq.com/)

Section 1. General Rules

I. Guild Activity and Membership
A. Community Atmosphere
"GWO" is a Community Guild with a diverse membership representative of locations and cultures from around the world. With this in mind, we encourage a community atmosphere among our members. We encourage our members to socialize and be active within the guild, be it missions, quests, PvP, GvG, or just general playtime together.
B. Membership Application Procedure
[B]1. Those interested in joining the GWO Guild must have a forum account and have read the rules posted in the public section of the forums.
2. If applicants accept and agree with these rules, they should then post interest and required details in the "GWO Guild Membership Application Thread", located in the public section of the forums.
3. Once space becomes available, applicants will be invited into the Guild.
4. During applicants first month, the Guild Leadership will determine if they meet the Guild requirements.
[B]a. If they meet the requirements, they will be given full membership status and access to the private section of the forums.
b. If they do not meet the requirements, they will be informed and removed from the Guild.
5. Once membership has been attained, new members have 7 days from the join date to post their information in the “Member Info” thread, located in the private section of the forums.
6. Members who choose to leave GWO are asked to inform an Officer of their leaving and to give a reason why so the Officers can correct problems within the Guild. Failure to inform an officer of their leaving can result in banning from GWO.
C. Activity Requirements and Extended Absences
Please inform the guild of any extended absences by posting in the "Extended Absences" thread, located in the private section of the forums. Members who have been inactive for 2 weeks without having posted will be contacted and warned that unless they post on the forums or log on in the next 7 days, they will be removed from the Guild. Those who do not respond or become active, or those on extended absence of 1 month, will be removed. Repeated warnings or abuse of the activity deadline can result in removal from the Guild.
II. Behavior
A. “Level Elitism”
GWO does not condone or tolerate the exclusion of a player from missions or PvP on the sole basis of their level. Discrimination against a player who is of reasonable level (equal to available henchmen in the mission/quest area and equipped with appropriate armor and weapons) is unacceptable. Likewise, members are not to force themselves on a group when they are unable to adequately contribute to the welfare of said group. If anyone feels either situation has occurred, a Guild Officer should be contacted.
B. Guild Chat
Because of our diverse membership and respect for one another, please keep guild chat comments appropriate and family friendly.
1. Flaming or Bullying
Aggressive remarks at another person’s expense will be taken very seriously. This includes discriminatory comments based on race, religion, sex, age, etc. and continued ridicule or criticism of a person’s gaming capabilities.
2. Use of Foul Language
Please refrain from using vulgar or foul language. Repeated, blatant use of profanity and inappropriate language can be grounds for removal from GWO.
3. Spamming
We encourage the use of Guild chat for organizing groups, trading items, asking for help, or just chatting in general, but please use discretion.
C. Impersonating Others
Anyone attempting to impersonate another member for certain privileges, or to offend another player will be severely reprimanded or expelled from the Guild.
D. Account Sharing
We realize that occasionally, friends or family members might “borrow” your account to try the game. You are responsible for your account, regardless of who is at the keyboard. If you allow someone else to use your account, please have them understand there are standards of behavior to uphold.
E. Unfair Trading Practices
This is a general policy regarding member interaction with all GW players, not just other Guild members. Do not overcharge someone for items because they are inexperienced or unaware of current item values. Profiteering from GWO members is unacceptable. The ideal scenario would be that excess items be freely given to those who need them. On the other hand, members should not expect to get everything they need for free from the Guild. All members should be self-sufficient to a degree, and generous to an even greater degree.
F. Leadership's Decisions
Decisions made by the Guild Leadership are final and not open for argument. If you disagree with an Officer’s decision; believe they are not performing their duties correctly; or you have a complaint about one of them, contact the Guild Leader or another Guild Officer privately to review the problem.
G. Guild Image
As an extension of GWOnline.net, GWO needs to maintain a certain image, so please act accordingly. Please try to maintain a certain degree of respectability in naming characters and in your dealings with people, whether in-game or on the various forums.

If the name selected for a character is deemed by Leadership to be offensive you will be contacted in game or by email from the Leadership. You will be informed of the offending name and will be asked to delete the character. Failure to delete the offending name will result in removal from the Guild. If you are not a member of GWO and are requesting membership and the name of an existing character is not acceptable you will be informed by the leadership of the name problem.
H. Summary
The idea of this Guild is to have fun in a community-minded spirit. As much as we enjoy playing Guild Wars, it is still a game and real people with feelings are behind the characters on your screen. Be kind, courteous, friendly, open-handed to all members and enjoy yourself.
III. Other General Policies
A. Rule Violations
If you feel a rule has been broken, try to take screenshots of the incident so that the Leadership have evidence with which to determine whether an offense was committed. Screenshots should not be altered in any way except to reduce size for upload considerations. Alterations may cause the shots to be viewed as unreliable and be considered void.
B. Member Interaction
If you have problems with another member, please contact an Officer privately and explain your situation, rather than voicing it in Guild chat or public chat. The problem can then be resolved quickly without unnecessary drama.
C. Expulsions From GWO
If a member violates GWO policy to such an extent that their removal from the guild becomes necessary, the following policies will be adhered to:
1. A minimum of 3 Guild Officers will meet immediately or when available to consider the offenses. If enough evidence is found to deem expulsion necessary, it will be enacted.
2. In extreme cases, a single Officer may take the action of expelling a member whom they feel has severely violated GWO policy. Evidence of the offense(s) should be provided, preferably in the form of screen shots. Witnesses will be considered.
3. If an expulsion is performed by fewer than 3 Officers, the matter will be taken up for review to consider its efficacy when 3 Officers are available.
D. Reinstatement of Expelled Members
A member who has been expelled from the guild and wishes to be reinstated must:
1. Contact a GWO Officer in-game and request reinstatement.
2. Wait for an answer to their request.
3. If the answer is positive, the former member must post a thread in the Guild forums, with an explanation of why they should be reinstated. The thread must contain a poll (to run for 7 days), allowing all GWO members to vote either for or against acceptance of the former member.
4. If the candidate has been accepted by at least 2/3’s of the vote at completion of the poll, the member will be reinstated with a probationary status of 30 days.
E. Officer Selection
1. Current GWO Officers will determine the number of new or replacement Officers necessary.
2. Current GWO Officers will select new Officer candidates based on the following criteria:
a. Desire to remain with GWO.
b. Be active in game and in forums.
c. Willingness to help others (especially new players) learn and enjoy the game.
d. Readiness to dedicate some portion of in-game time to handling Guild issues (i.e., Guild invitations, dispute settlements, etc).
e. Ability to conduct themselves in a mature manner, and encourage others to do the same.
3. Upon selection of Officer candidates, a thread containing a poll (to run for 7 days) will be started for each candidate, allowing all GWO members to vote for acceptance or not.
4. If the candidate has been accepted by at least 2/3’s of the vote at completion of the poll, they will be accepted as a GWO Officer.
5. Officers of the GWO Guild shall be subject to stricter activity requirements and must remain at a 2-week or less mark. At 1 week, they will be contacted and warned that unless they post on the forums or log on in the next 7 days, they will be demoted to regular member status.
6. Officers are subject to all Rules pertaining to Members as defined in "Part II. Behavior" above.
F. Guild Leader Provisions
1. The Guild Leader of GWO shall be the Executive Officer of the Leadership of the Guild. All Rules which apply to Officers and by extension Members shall apply to the Guild Leader as well.
2. Should the Leadership of the Guild feel the current Guild Leader is not performing to the standards of GWO Guild, a Poll may be posted for the demotion of the Guild Leader in the Officer Forums, said Poll to run for 7 days and carry a 2/3rd's majority for demotion to occur.
3. Should the Leadership of the Guild seek demotion of the Guild Leader or the current Guild Leader wish to step down, a candidate for Guild Leader shall be selected from within the current Leadership of the Guild.
a. Selection of a candidate should be limited to Officers who have been Members of GWO for at least 6 months and an Officer for at least 3 months.
b. Once a candidate is selected, a Poll shall be held in the Private Forums to run for 7 days with a 2/3rd's majority carrying the promotion.

[Lord Anthrax]

Section 2. PvP Rules

The primary goal of GWOG is to be a community oriented guild. All members should have the chance to experience the game as a whole, including PvE, PvP, and GvG. Although concern for ladder ranking is secondary to members enjoying themselves, there are general provisions concerning GvG matches.

I. Rated GvG Provisions

A. GvG Organisation
GvGs will be organised using the Guild's forums. There will be fixed dates and times each week for GvG to occur to keep it consistent. Those who wish to participate in a specific match, should sign up in the relevant thread and make sure they have all the skills, runes and a free PvP character slot required for the match.

B. Build Review
All builds the Guild uses will be posted and agreed on in the GvG forum. The Team Leader should review the builds prior to and following each match. Individual roles should be reviewed as well as team strategy. Evaluating the battles afterward is especially important for individual and team improvement. The discussion should be constructive and in-depth.

C. GvG Initiation
Only the designated Team Leader, chosen by the GWO Leadership, may initiate GvG matches. They should be the party leader so they are able to remove a player who is not listening or is being disruptive. If someone does not have experience leading, they should practice in unrated matches or Heroes’ Ascent before entering a rated GvG match.

D. Team Organization
GvG teams should gather in the Guild Hall using the local chat, not spamming the Guild chat. Once teams are formed, use team chat for final preparations.

E. Use of Henchmen
No henchmen may be used at any time or under any circumstances.

F. Consecutive Losses
If a team is experiencing a losing streak (3 or more losses totalling more than -50 rating points) during rated GvG, refrain from further ranked matches until strategy can be revised. Practice at Heroes Ascent is advised in such a case.

G. Party Member Rotation
Should others wish to take part in a GvG match, be courteous and allow for rotation of team members. If more than one team of eight players are preparing for a GvG match, the team that is ready has precedence.

H. GvG Guests
The Leadership and Team Leader may only invite Alliance members for GvG at their discretion. However, it should be made clear to guests that members of GWO have precedence in GvG participation. If a member of GWO wishes to GvG, the guest will be asked to step aside for the member to join the team.

I. Team Positions
Specific team positions should be determined prior to the match and organized as follows:

1. Team Leader (TL) - gives orders during the match; keeps the team focused and updated on what to do and events.
2. Target Caller (TC) - selects the targets to be attacked. Must be able to choose who and when to attack them.
3. Flag Carrier - In charge carrying the flag for morale boost. Speed buffs and self-heals are useful.
4. Thief Protector – in charge of having the Guild Thief follow the team; normally in the back lines and ensures the thief does not get killed.
5. Catapult Parts Holder - gets the parts for the catapult when ordered to do so.

J. Voice Communication
Use voice chat (TeamSpeak or Ventrilo) if possible. Every member should be on voice chat so they can at least hear what is being said. The Team Leader (TL) and Target Caller (TC) should both have microphones. The TL should be giving commands continuously to keep the team focused. The TC should emphasize when a new target has been called. The more microphones used by the team, the easier it is to have a member alert the team to an event or to something the TL might have missed. (i.e., If the enemy is coming round the back, about to respawn or using specific tactics, etc.) The TL and TC have precedence for talking during preparation for and throughout a match. Conversations unrelated to the match should be kept to minimum as they can be distracting and can interfere with team strategy.

K. Party List Order
Arrange team members on the party list in the best order for usefulness. Options include having the leader first, TC 2nd, and the rest in order of classes (all Warriors grouped and so forth); or two healing monks designated 4th and 5th with the party list divided accordingly (top half or bottom half). Close-working group members of specific builds should be placed next to each other in the list so it's easier for one monk to focus on them.

L. Inappropriate GvG Behavior
A member who consistently causes problems in PvP or GvG by intentionally taking an inactive role in fights; repeatedly starting GvG battles and losing; or any other action that causes other guild members to lose enjoyment in the game; will be asked to refrain from GvG for a set time. Refusal to comply with this form of reprimand may result in removal from the guild.

II. Provisions for Unrated GvG

Everyone may participate in unrated GvG matches as these are friendly matches. Nothing is at stake. Those interested in these matches for practice and fun are encouraged to initiate groups as often as they like. Guild Members that use the forums to sign up for planned unrated GvGs will be selected before those who turn up on the day. Rules concerning inappropriate GvG behaviour still apply.

[REI ONRYOU]

Last updated: 21/06/2008