This is a guide that I posted in late April that was deleated by the hacker. This is a very helpful guide for those who wish to form a clan and for those who wish to join one. Enjoy and give me feedback.
What are clans (how do they exist before a game starts)?
Clans (aka, guild, house, kinship, PA) are a group of players bound to a common cause under one name, eg The Imperial Expeditionary Force. Because the game is not yet released, the existance of all such clans are generally limited to this board or associated clan websites / forums. Although members of a clan cannot play the game with one another yet, they can certainly communicate with each other, ie discuss clan matters, roleplay and simply talk to one other via message boards, email, pm's and chat rooms etc.
Joining a clan
How do I find a clan?
Before you join a clan, you need to find one. Most clans created for Battlefront should have a thread dedicated to them on this board. Either browse this board or do a Search for a particular on these boards. You can also visit the clan database (
http://swbattlefront.netfirms.com/) made by Van Lingo or visit my clan website which is under construction.
Steps to joining a clan.
1. Do your research and spend some time looking in depth at all the clans available. We have a long wait before the game is released, so there's no rush. Remember it's always harder to leave a clan then it is to join one. If a clan as a website read it...ALL of it! If they have forums, read all their threads too and generally make yourself known.
2. Once you've done your research and feel you have an idea that a particular clan is right for you, introduce yourself (if you haven't already) to the members of that clan. Not only is it polite but it's a great way to learn more about the clan. They could have a wondeful website with well-written pages, but it’s the members themselves that make up the clan. Get to know them BEFORE you join. I know I always appreciate it when someone says hello, asks a few questions and gets themselves involved on the boards before sending off an application. It leads me to believe they have put some thought into their decision to join and won't dissapear in a week. Clan leaders are definitely more inclined to accept someone they know from the boards, then a complete stranger.
3. Finally send in your application to join. For some clans this will require you to fill out a form on their webpage, for others simply a post on their message boards. Put as much effort into this application as possible. Describe your character in detail with a description of both your physical appearance and your personality. Clan leaders are looking for someone who can demonstrate their commitment to the clan. Thus if you were too lazy to write more then a few lines in your application, I’d start to wonder how much time would you put into the clan itself. O and cross your fingers
4. The Final Test. This one is for the roleplayers out there, which I assume most of you are. It’s all well and good to pick a great looking clan that’s well established with a host of friendly members and a nice looking site. Who wouldn’t want to join a clan like that? The question you must ask yourself is would your character want to join this clan. From a roleplaying persepective, does becoming a member of this clan remain a consistent part of your character’s persona? If you haven’t put much thought into your character, then it might be best to hold off on joining a clan until you do.
Creating a clan.
The key is preperation. The first thing that you want to do when thinking about creating a clan, even before you come up with a name, is find support and build up a reputation. No one will join a clan that took you 20 seconds to think up and advertised with your first post on the boards. Don’t panic! We have an aeon to wait before the game comes out, so what’s one more week?
Spend some time on the boards getting to know the regulars until you become one yourself. Find out what clans already exist (you don’t want to reinvent the wheel) and become familiar with their leaders and members. If you still feel that there doesn’t exist a clan that fits your needs and the desire to lead still burns bright within, its time to start laying down the blue prints.
Hopefully it won’t take you long to make a few friends in the community (from PMs, email, etc), with whom you can discuss the beginnings of your clan with. Idea’s alwys come back a little better if you bounce them off a few friends. Here is a list of ideas you may want to establish when creating your clan.
1. How and why was your clan formed? Clans don’t just pop up out of no where (at least from a roleplaying perspective they don’t.) and this gives you a good chance to begin your clan's history. If you want to attract roleplaying members, this is essential as it allows them to tie in their own characters history with that of your clan
2. What are your clan’s goals and ambitions? Now that you’ve worked out how and why your clan was formed you need to give your clan a direction and purpose.
3. Where will your clan be situated?
4. What restrictions will you place on aspiring members? Will you only play as certain factions?
5. What will you name your clan? While you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, lots of people do!!! Thus a mature, catchy and creative name that describes the clan well will be a valuable tool in attracting new members. Try not to use the name of a group that already exist's in the movies. Doing so could cause all sorts of troubles for you later. If you aren’t creative or mature enough to come up with a reasonaly inventive and appropritae name, people will question your ability to come up with an inventive and respectable clan.
Making your clan grow
Now that you’ve conceptualised your clan, it’s time to write something down and let the rest of the world know about it. A website will give your clan more substance and a point of reference. It doesn’t have to be fancy but do try to include as much information about your clan as possible. Roleplayers generally appreciate content over eye candy. A good webpage doubles up as a permanent advertisement as well as a pre-game home for your clan. Also, find yourself some forums. They allow members to get to know each other better, provides a place to discuss clan matters and gives curious visitors an insight into your clan that only member discussion can give.
People can’t join you if they don’t know you exist, so now that your clan has been created it’s time to advertise. Your first stop should be this very board. Now if people don’t join straight away, don’t panic. There are a few things you shouldn’t do in this situation.
- Don’t come across as desperate! IE don’t accept anyone and everyone that applies, although this may mean you grow a lot slower it will help keep out the bad apples which will cause you a lot of problems later. Also don’t post with messages like ‘please, please join me, ill give you a high rank if you join early’. No one wants to join a clan that sounds like it ‘needs’ members that badly. Also, make sure every members is qualified, even your best friend! That means thorough tryouts for everyone.
- Don’t try and gobble up smaller clans by advertising on their threads. No one appreciates it and you’ll just find yourself making enemies instead of new members.
-If you will be competative, stress teamwork. To encourage teamwork, work with your members before the game is released on some games similar to Battlefront like Battlefield 1942, Joint Operations and others.
Best of luck to all clans.
-Boran Chistanger