Nov 19, 2011

Posted by in United We Stand | 10 Comments

United We Stand: The Craftsmen’s Guild

United We Stand is an Ask A Jedi series focusing on guilds, groups, and other communities in Star Wars: The Old Republic. By examining the communities that we form, we can create a stronger game for ourselves, build relationships that will last a lifetime, and perhaps even change the world itself.

I know we’re supposed to continue with our model of how to build a guild today, but I had an idea this morning that I want to share with you and see what you think. In the meantime, keep working on your core message and send it to me if you want any input or help! A few weeks ago, one of our Ask A Jedi crafting columnists Zlatto asked in a comment, “What about the concept of crafting guilds?” Crafting guilds have always been a thing that people want and talk about, and some people will stand up and say, “Let’s make a crafting guild!” but they won’t have a plan or a purpose. I want to propose to you a model for a crafting guild, tell me what you think.

1. Build Infrastructure

First you start with your crew skills. Star Wars: The Old Republic has six primary crafting crew skills, so you’re going to need seven members, a master craftsmen for each crew skill and a manager. You can have as many apprentices and assistants as you want, whatever you would prefer, but the primary focal point is these master craftsman.

You have to build an infrastructure that is capable of maxing out these craftsmen’s skills, providing them with adequate materials and organizing them in a way that they can support each other. If you can do this, you can lower your prices to a level lower than any individual crafter working alone. Once you have your system set up with all the skills that you need, you can start selling.

2. Build Clientele

The first goal of the crafting guild is to build reputation and clientele, people who know your guild and your people and trust them to provide the highest quality goods at the best price. Reach out to guilds, players, and other groups and build relationships with them. I bet Momus and Zlatto would love to give you some tips on how to go about doing this the best, but the most important part is that you are known as a well organized, fair, and high quality group of crafters who love crafting and want to help you out. This is also how you build your initial bank of credits, which you will need later.

3. Control the Content

Your second goal is to control the content. Use your relationships with players and guilds to get access to the newest and rarest recipes the fastest. I suggest bargaining with high level raiding guilds and promising them that you will provide them with as many copies of an item that they need, at a loss to yourself, as fast as you can in exchange for them giving you rare recipes or taking you on raids to get the recipes yourself. Once you have the newest, rarest, and best recipes you can sell them to whatever player or guild is interested.

This is where your credit bank comes in, you’re going to have to spend money to make money, even if it means at first buying very expensive materials and selling rare items at a loss in order to obtain more rare recipes. For once you can control the content, you can control the market. Why would someone go to some random crafter, when they can go your highly reputable guild that can sell for cheaper?

4. Build a Better Server

Here’s the kicker, because now you’re just making tons of money and there’s nothing to do with it. In an MMORPG, you can’t infinitely invest in yourself; you are limited by the content that is available, so you have to have some goal for your money. In this case: philanthropy. Give credits to guilds and players, pay your members, and invest in worthy causes. Just spend money doing cool silly stuff like trivia contests, tournaments, or buying stuff for smaller guilds.

You’ll have a purpose, you’ll continue to build a better relationship with other players, and you’ll create a better community for everyone. That’s the real goal of a crafting guild, and really the real goal of any guild: building a better server and a stronger community so that everyone can enjoy the game more.

Leave comments or tweet me @TwinHits with your thoughts, ideas, and stories about guilds, communities, and leadership in Star Wars: The Old Republic.

  1. Outstanding article
    I look forward to creating an alt friendly crafting syndicate at launch

  2. I really really like this idea, so let me know if you want to make it happen because I want to help!

  3. let’s make sure we keep on the lookout for others of a similar vision

  4. Those wanting to make this a cross-server guild, feel free to join in. Could always use help in running this since its mainly going to be my main alt.

  5. One issue is that if a recipie is valuable enough then a guild will not hand it over freely when they can corner the market themselves. Like most MMOs, when you need a high end piece crafted you will likely have to look at draftees in end game guilds to make it for you.

    • That’s true, but that’s the service that the Craftsmen’s guild offers. The Craftsmen’s Guild can take your recipe and provide the item to you cheaper, faster, at higher quality, and without any effort from your members.

  6. Great read! I’ve been toying with the idea of a “crafting division” within my current guild and this article has energised me to pull all the details together! Thanks!

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