Guilds
The guild system in Ashes of Creation allows players to form a community to work together to accomplish a variety of different goals. This can range from competitive elements in PvP or PvE to social aspects of gameplay, such as trade or crafting. Forming a guild requires a minimum member count (5), a material and currency cost, completion of a quest line, and a minimum level requirement.
Guild Membership
A player character may only be a member of one guild. Other characters on a player’s account (“alts”) may join different guilds. Guilds may only have a single leader and the transfer of guild leadership will be possible. Guild masters may also issue payouts to guild members.
Special Note: In a traditional MMORPG most players’ highest devotion is to their Guild; however, in Ashes of Creation one’s highest allegiance may instead be to their node. Citizenship will be a significant factor that can cause one to be flagged as a combatant against their own guild mate if the two guild mates have rival nodes in conflict.
Guild Size and Guild Perks
Guilds are currently capped at a size of 300 members. This maximum size can be attained by leveling the guild and choosing the path focused on guild size over guild progression. This is a trade-off between guild size and guild skill perks. Currently only guilds with a size of 30-50 may be able to obtain all guild skill options.
Guild Progression
Guilds progress through participation in different in-game systems, such as quests, nodes, social organizations, crafting items, and events.
Guild progression grants skill points that the guild can allocate to unlock certain perks in the guild skill tree such as passive skills, augments, and member count.
Guild Halls, Fortresses, and Freeholds
Guild halls function as a customizable focal point for guilds and offer a variety of benefits. Guild halls can be placed on guild freeholds or within a node. In-node guild halls can only be claimed by patron guilds of that node. These guild halls have different perks and benefits than halls placed on freehold plots. When guilds reach a certain level the guild master is granted a guild freehold certificate that enables placement of a guild hall. Guild halls are objectives in guild wars and can only be destroyed by a successful node siege unlike guild fortresses which can be sieged in a guild war. It should be noted that a guild hall can only house a single guild. Guild halls also unlock the ability for a guild to participate in the shareholder system. Some freehold cosmetics may be applied to guild freehold buildings.
Guild Alliances
Guild leaders have the ability to create alliances at a certain level by completing a quest. Once created, the leader can invite up to three other guilds into the alliance. There is no member cap in an alliance, only a maximum of four guilds. Guild leaders will be able to pool resources into a guild alliance bank. There will also be alliance-specific quest lines. Alliance members will share a common chat channel, as well as affiliations and gear that can be obtained. Guilds may also wish to enter into trade agreements with other guilds. As fast travel is not common, guild alliance will be beneficial in order to ensure that guilds can be at certain places at the right time under certain conditions.