So, you want to join Walkers? Great! But, you have some questions, probably. At least if you don't and you've never talked to anyone about us, then you should.
One of the most important things about joining any guild is making sure the guild is right for you. What I'm going to explain is just a little about who we are, what we do, and what will be expected of you. This document is written with the assumption that you have not read the Charter forum, so some policies are explained here in brief blurbs.
Here are a few main considerations you need to consider:
1. Walkers is not a full-time raiding guild. This is probably the biggest factor for most people. We do raid, usually at least twice a week, but if it is a race to the Plane of Time for you, you're probably best looking elsewhere. Our primary goal and most genuine concern is a comfortable family atmosphere. You will never be required to attend any raid, although some members may try to coerce you into coming.  You are free to do pretty much whatever you wish, including leading your own raids if you want to.
2. We're a democracy (with a strong executive as laid out in our charter -- which people take very seriously). This is different than the autocratic model that dominates 99.9 percent of EQ guilds. While it means you as a member have more of a voice in things than you will in most guilds, it also means that we can be, um, not fast in making decisions at times. If this will make you crazy, you've been warned.
3. While we are happy and eager to do things with you, including your epic, you will find this guild of all volunteers is unlikely to do things FOR you. That means if you decide that alt_number_45 needs their epic, you will be getting the solo stuff done on your own, gathering your own single groups to accomplish the stuff for single grouping and only stepping up to the Raid board to make an Epic Monday post (as infrequent as they are at this point) when there's a genuine need for a raid. This carries through to shawl wars, ring wars, you name it. We are your friends, not your bitches.
4. We take our reputation extremely seriously. If you feel the need to be a jackass to people -- as opposed to being a wiseass, which we're deeply in favor of -- you probably won't get in the door, and if you do, you will likely find people inviting you to take it back out again. We're not a bunch of angels, but we mean it about being decent human beings in our charter. If you ninja loot Lodizal, start screaming racial epithets at folks or anything comparable, not only will we not shelter you (if you're guilty), we'll be at the head of the line to kick you in the ass.
If you haven't done so already, I strongly suggest reading through our Charter forum which is open for everyone to read. Our guild charter and policies are posted there, in full. Read through this - you shouldn't come into membership having a question about what you're allowed to do. If you do have a question, ask it. Post it to our General forum, contact an officer in-game, or send us an e-mail: walkers@eqwalkers.com. Please do not be afraid to communicate with us, whatever your needs are.
To become a member of Walkers, you'll need a minimum of 10 supporters. Three of these will have to know you well enough to nominate you for membership, and an additional 7 will have to be able to vouch for your nomination. [Updated to reflect changes in the membership policy as of 9/29/2004.] This is the largest drawback to our membership policy - you need as many Walkers friends as you can get. The best way to do this is to find members, and group with them. You can, on occasion, be invited to our raids. We have a full-time channel set up for informing our guests and applicants about our plans. If you can't seem to find time for groups with Walkers or attend any Walkers raids, chances are it will take you a long time to reach the membership stage. Be patient - joining us is no easy task. We evaluate your personality, not your alternate advancement skills or planar flags.
While you are being considered for membership, it is in extremely bad taste to constantly ask members about your status. No single member of this guild is allowed to disclose information about your application, so you shouldn't spend a lot of time asking about it. Once you have your three nominators and 10 supporters, you enter into a seven-day blackball period where anyone that is currently enlisted in the guild can halt your application by throwing a blackball. The most you will know - and this is the most anyone is allowed to tell you - is when that period will expire. After this, you'll be extended an invite to join the guild, or you'll be informed that Walkers is not interested in your membership at this time.
If you are invited to Walkers events, we operate on a set of standardized rules for loot. You should be aware that unless there is zero interest from guild members present, applicants and guests are not eligible for loot, especially boss loot. Special circumstances might sometimes apply, but unless the Raid Leader or Loot Master says otherwise, it's unlikely that they do.
Once again, if you should have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. You can post to this forum, reply to this thread, contact an officer in-game, or send us an e-mail.
Thanks for your time and interest. 
[Revised on 5/4/2004 for accuracy and consolidation.]
[Revised on 9/29/2004 for accuracy.] Nizz
[Revised on 4/15/2005 for accuracy} Zahasha
Thanks to Whizbang Dustyboots for important sections of this document. |
