A guide to SPS

Joined: 14 Jan 2004 Posts: 31

Guide to SPS Membership
Please read this guide before applying to join us.

As has been stated, SPS is a family guild and will never be a hard core raiding guild. We ask that anyone joining us respects and understands this. We don't have membership rules but we do have a few guidelines for those accepting membership to the SPS family.

Guild chat
At any time there may be children online (siblings of other SPS members for certain, and often their friends too), so please refrain from using language that you would not want your own children using and/or reading online. We do not rely on the profanity filter to do the job for us - it is possible to hold conversations without swearing. Allegedly. Wink

Chat about anything you like (the sillier the better Smile

) but please remember the above and use alternative words which will be understood by the friends you are aiming at. Also please do not glamorise inappropriate activities e.g. drinking, smoking etc.

We operate an unofficial watershed of 9pm (gmt), although our junior members are frequently still online after that time.

Working with others
We play online games to have fun, relax and get away from real life stresses, so please don't bring the baggage of real life with you into this guild.

If people make mistakes in groups or raids don?t take it personally. We all make mistakes in life, that's why we have rubbers on the end of pencils (erasers to any Americans reading). Explain diplomatically what somebody has done wrong and how it might have been done better; the trip back from the graveyard is a good time for this. Wink

Don't rage on about how some moron just wandered off and got aggro from half the zone because they wanted to look at the view or because they didn't assist the right person etc.

This is fun, there is no penalty as in EQ and often the funniest moments we have are due to wipes, bad pulls etc. Remember, laughing is a great way to de-stress. Smile

Being uber is a state of mind
We don't need to know how uber or non-uber we are, you are or anybody else is. Think before you hit the ENTER key, because willy-waving is not big and it is not clever.

This does not just go for the guild channel. Treat all other players in the game with respect. Help them out if you see them get into trouble or give advice if it is appropriate (and welcomed!).

You are carrying the SPS tag below your name so all can see with whom you are affiliated. It takes a guild a long time to gain a good reputation, but only a few moments of unthinking typing or behaviour from one individual to lose it all for ALL the other members.

It costs nothing to be polite.

Loot : general guidelines

Specific loot rules are in a separate post called Loot rules Smile

Acceptable behaviour for looting is as follows:

1. Roll for items that you can use on the character you are currently playing.

2. If you have an Alt on which the loot would be usable then ask the others in the group and normally if no one else needs you will be able to take it. Mostly we favour the 'if someone can use it that is better than just flogging it' approach.

3. Use common sense and don?t ask for loot for an alt which you cannot use for ages. Remember other loot will drop in the future and somebody may be able to benefit from it now.

This game uses up cash like there is no tomorrow. We understand that you need to sell looted items to make money, but if you think something might be useful to other members of the guild then consider offering it to them. Remember, what goes around comes round.

As an example: if green items drop which are not worth much in Auction or for vending, consider helping out enchanters. They have a hard time financing their trade skill early on and you will benefit from their enchanting skills. This goes for other drops and trade skills in general.

We sometimes roll for chests (more often we just open and spread the goodness) but if you win a roll and find items which may be better suited to other members of the group then loot what is relevant to you and let others in the group have a chance.

If you are grouped and invite a non-guild member than take the time to explain to them how we organise looting right at the start. Thus they are clear where they stand and stay or go as they see fit. Non-guildies often roll on everything but if that's the only thing they have ever done then it's no good grumbling about it unless you took the time to explain it to them.

NBG Need Before Greed.
It might be an special item, purple even, and you could use it.....but could someone else in the group get greater benefit from it? If so, let them have it. Their need is more than your greed.

Begging
Don't. This applies both begging from guild members and non-guild players.

Ex Members
Members that leave us will have their access to our message Board reduced. Access will generally not be totally removed, to allow people to keep in touch with us if they wish to.

Leaving SPS
If you decide to leave, please have the courtesy to let an Officer know your reasons, otherwise don't expect a re-invite if you later change your mind.

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The ethos of the guild is to help others when we can and work towards getting what we want - not to take the easy route out.

Finally, despite all the above, please remember these words:
It's only a computer game, it's not real life.
If something annoys you count to ten, have a cuppa and then think about hitting that enter key. Smile

Joined: 14 Jan 2004 Posts: 31

Added new paragraph concerning Leaving SPS.