Questions for Potential Clan People

[ReubenMcHawk]

So you're thinking on joining or starting a clan. Good for you, clans are an important part of a gaming community. They allow people to build social skills (online or not, still counts), make some new friends, improve your playing skills, help form a sense of camaraderie in the game, and generally have been known to make the game a lot more enjoyable. But let's be honest, clans just aren't for everyone. I've seen way too many clans fail for several reasons. I have some questions here that I'd like for you to ask yourself before you go on. And to note, I don't mean to discourage anyone from starting one, I just want to ensure that every clan that starts is as good as the best.

What do I want from a clan?

Plenty of different people want different things from the clan experience. Some want to improve their in-game skills, others want to achieve fame and glory as the best clan, and others just want to chill and make friends and talk. All types of clans want something different from the last, and you should make sure that the clan you choose is definitely the one you can see yourself sticking with.

Am I clan material?

This is definitely an important question to ask yourself, for you and your clan's sake. Are you a reliable person? Do you have enough time to give to a clan? Do you meet a clan's personal or skill-based requirements? Do you like the people in a clan enough that you'd want to spend time with them? Do you trust the people in the clan? Some people just aren't clan material, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Just kick it solo for a while, see how you like it, then see if you've changed any.

Can I commit to this clan?

Some clans can require a bit. Some of the more combat-themed clans, such as the Komrades, may ask for a certain skill level before allowing one to join. Other social clans, such as LDR and RoT, can just ask for someone who's not a complete imbecile to hang out with them. Either way, some clans can ask a bit of someone, and you need to make sure you have the time and resources available to meet the demands of the modern clan.

This goes double for anyone looking to start a clan. If you can't commit to the clan, put in enough time, find matches, keep your members entertained, etc... then maybe starting a clan isn't for you. But don't let that discourage you from never doing it, you won't always be busy.

What are the clan's standards?

Some clans have higher standards as to who they let in than others do. This can be a good and a bad thing. On one hand, it keeps the trash and riff raff out. On the other hand, the exclusive nature of it can severely limit the clan's size and ability. Of course there is no right and wrong answer, but it's still something to think about when making a clan.

Make sure you consider this if you're joining a clan as well. Some clans might be a bit more exclusive than others, and might not accept you. But don't let that turn you off of clans completely, there's always a clan out there for someone.

Is this the right clan for me?

Some people can make clans that don't work well for them. For instance, a person who's more into clan matches could make a social clan, and bother and upset clanmates by wanting to always play matches and improve skills. And likewise, one could make a combat-based clan and bore their clanmates by never wanting to play and just wanting to chill. One needs to think long and hard about the direction one wants to take their clan when they make one.

This also counts for people looking to join a clan. Around here, "clan hoppers" can be seen as people who aren't willing to make a commitment and/or have short attention spans, which can impact someone's chances of getting into clans negatively. Before you commit to a clan, you might want to double check if it's 100% right for you.

Are these clanmates the right ones for me?

Let's face it, no one likes everyone, nor is anyone liked by everyone. Some people just suck. And do you want to be in a clan with people you don't like, or who aren't somewhat well-liked? Joining clans filled with drama, hatred, and other ridiculousness can wind up unfortunately for the reputations of all clan members, even those who aren't involved. Some fun rivalry never hurt anyone, but keep it in-game, rather than just mindless trash-talk.

This can count for leaders as well. You don't want to accept someone into a clan if they just got kicked out of 5 clans for insulting people, getting banned, going against a clan leader, etc... Just make sure that who you accept into your group is someone whom you wouldn't mind representing your group.



These are all I have for now, I might update later as I get more ideas. But to summarize, I just wanted to try and ensure that every new clan that starts up from here on out won't die a week later due to some form of mess. I want to see the clans section thriving again, with fresh clans full of exciting, interesting, and fun people, and a long and worthwhile life to each of them.

[Doctor]

You need to go deeper.

[FaZe]

^Said she

Back on topic: it's a pretty good guide, but you kind of vaguely summarized some very important parts.

[ReubenMcHawk]

Updated with some new points/format changes.