Council Chambers: Last Call for Guild Deployment

Council Chambers is all about the ins and outs of guild leadership in Star Wars: The Old Republic.  Each week, we’ll look at running and managing a guild through good times, bad times and everything in between.  

A couple weeks ago, we talked about the Pre-Launch Guild Program that Star Wars: The Old Republic offered its members and some tips about how to make the most of recruiting with this forums-based system. Early access is now only a little over two weeks away, and the Pre-Launch Guild Program is drawing to a close. That means you have only days to ensure your guild meets the requirements for server placement!

First things first: the LAST day to have your guild ready for deployment in the pre-launch program is Friday, December 2, 11:59pm CST. Guilds who do not meet eligibility requirements by this date will not be eligible for placement under the pre-launch program.

That does not mean you cannot form a guild at launch or have significant long-term impacts for those guilds who do not meet the criteria; all it means is that your guild will not be assigned a server in advance or be created for you by the system at launch.

So what constitutes the eligibility criteria for the pre-launch program and guild creation? You need to have done the following steps by midnight, Dec 2:

1. Formed a guild on the official SW:TOR website at www.swtor.com/guilds
2. Recruited or approved at least three other members
3. Ensured that a minimum of four members have pre-ordered AND entered their pre-access codes for SW:TOR at http://www.swtor.com/preorder/code

NOTE: Pre-Order Codes redeemed after the Pre-Launch Guild Program has ended will not be applied towards your guild’s readiness for import. Interestingly enough, the guild leader does not have to be one of the pre-orders. As long as four guild members pre-order and register their codes, the guild will still be created during the pre-launch program.

It is also worth noting that this is your last chance to designate allies and adversaries for your guild. For those guilds looking to play on a West Coast PvP server, consider allying or being an adversary with our guild effort here at Ask a Jedi!

Remember, any ally or adversary relationship your guild sets up must be the same server type (RP, PvE, or PvP) as well as the same time zone (EU, West Coast, or East Coast). BioWare has stated that while they cannot guarantee every single ally or adversary match will be placed on the same server due to the volume of guilds participating in the pre-launch guild program, they will make every effort to match as many allies and adversaries on the same servers as possible. It also significantly improves your guild ally or adversary match chances if each guild lists the other as an ally or adversary, as well.

The other noteworthy aspect of the upcoming guild deadline on December 2 is that it is your last chance to make any significant changes to your guild, roster, server type, or server time zone. Specifically, guild leaders will no longer be able to do the following:

• Create/disband guilds
• Add/remove guild members
• Promote/demote guild members
• Add/remove Allies and Adversaries
• Change guild’s server type, time zone, and language preference

So for guild leaders out there who have changes to make to their roster, allies and adversary selections, or server types – you’ve only got a couple days left to do so!

At some point after Dec. 2 but before early access, those guilds that met the eligibility requirements for the pre-launch program will be mailed with their guild’s status and server location. That will be the only location the guild will be pre-created for members. However, this does not mean your guild is locked into that server – you always have the option of rolling on any server in the SW:TOR community and directing your members there. The main difference is that the guild will not exist in game as it will on the pre-launch program server, and will require the guild leader to form the guild at their Fleet Station in game.

Ask a Jedi is ready: is your guild?

The final noteworthy deadline concerning guilds and the pre-launch program is that the official website forum support will terminate two weeks after the game launches on December 20, 2011. The developers have stated that the Guild Headquarters will be going through extensive changes and renovations during this time, but have not yet provided further details on when the official Guild HQ site will re-open to guilds or what new features (if any) will be included.

If your guild has been taking advantage of the pre-launch forums and using them for guild communication, information sharing, and any other information you hope to save – again, these will be coming down in a little over a month from now. Guild leaders will want to take this opportunity to start looking for an alternative hosting site, even if temporarily, during the time when the official Guild HQ shuts down for renovations. You’ll also want to make sure and archive any important information for your guild, as this information will not be retained on the current Guild HQ site.

You can read more about the entire Pre-Launch Guild Program at http://www.swtor.com/guilds/faq for any additional questions, details, or issues about the program not covered here.

All of this news means a lot of work for guild leaders in the coming days to finalize their rosters, designate or make any last minute changes to allies and adversaries, and back up their forums information in preparation for early access and the game’s launch on December 20th. It’s also an exciting time though, as it means launch is nearly upon us! Looking forward to seeing my guildmates – and all of you – in game soon.

Got a question for Council Chambers? Drop the author a line at ladyoftherepublic@gmail.com or post a comment here, and you may see your guild questions answered in a future column!