Guilds and Families FAQ

How do you form a guild in EverQuest II?

The first step in creating a guild is registering its name with your home city. The name must be approved before the guild becomes active. Though not yet set in stone, the minimum membership requirement for a guild will probably be six. There will be a cost associated with guild upkeep, but we don't intend for fees to be punitive or unmanageable. We want to encourage players to participate in guilds.

Our goal is for guilds to play a tangible role in society rather than being just a random collection of player names. Guilds will rise in prestige and standing based on what its members do, much like players themselves level and grow. NPCs will react to that progression; city guards may salute when members of a prestigious guild walk by. The guild you belong to should matter just as much as any other aspect of your character; perhaps even more, since the relationships you form within a guild are so direct and so real.

How is guild prestige determined?

Guilds function much like they do in EverQuest, but with an additional political element. When a player founds a guild, it will be registered in whichever city he or she is a citizen. Essentially, each guild will be competing against other guilds to raise its prominence within its home town. The guilds that achieve the highest standings will receive tangible benefits for as long as they continue to maintain their standing.

Do those benefits include guild housing?

Player housing is something you buy or rent in cities. Freestanding houses are a finite resource, and there will be a lot of prestige for the guilds that own them. Of course, the cost and upkeep will be considerable. Guilds that achieve the highest standing in their city will receive access to prestige housing that other guilds will not.

Apartment-like housing will be much more affordable. Some of these facilities can be quite large, too. Both guilds and individual players will have access to plenty of housing options.

Can players from Qeynos join a Freeport based guild, and vice versa?

Where the guild is registered will not impact who can join it. For example, a player from Freeport is free to join a guild that is based in Qeynos, but that player will essentially be contributing to the strength of the opposing city. This won't hurt how that player is perceived in Freeport, but it does mean that this player wouldn't receive all the benefits that a citizen of Qeynos would.

How do families differ from guilds?

Families are registered in a city, but they don't vie against each other in the political meta-game that guilds play. Members of a family enjoy the camaraderie present in a guild without the atmosphere of competition. When a player founds a family, he or she creates a unique surname that will be adopted by any player who joins it. Seeing a character with a surname will instantly tell you which family that player belongs to. Players who quit one family and join another will see their surname change accordingly.

Can a player be a member of both a guild and a family?

Yes, a player can be a member of both of these social structures at the same time. One person can be in a family and a guild simultaneously, because the structures don't compete against each other.

FAQ quoted from: Steve "Moorgard" Danuser, Sony Online Entertainment's Community Manager for EverQuest II