How To Not Be A Loser

"I'm socially well-off in WG... I don't need this guide."
"I don't think social skills can be taught by guides"
"I'm not a teen. I'm a proper adult. I'll be fine."
"WG has a great community of members. What do we need this guide for?"

Did you think any of the above?
THINK AGAIN

FACT: WG (until about 1 year ago) was the most famous drama-clan in Runescape.
FACT: Drama is the NUMBER ONE cause of leavings in WG today
FACT: A large proportion of this clan does not know the right way to avoid it and diffuse it.
FACT: Learning how to get along with WG members is VERY simple

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AN INTRODUCTION TO THE WILDGUARD COMMUNITY
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So you're new to WG? Or perhaps you're a long-standing member. Either way, you've figured out pretty fast that this community is something different. It can have some pretty sad moments, but on the whole, it's a lot of fun.

What's the secret? Its all the tiny little things. The WG T-Shirt, calling by first name, IRL meetings and the over-use of the Real Life forum... all these make us get to know the person behind the pixels. There's a lot of emphasis on the human and not the character.

And then we have a large amount of low-pressure events too. Our underrated event leaders are making events round the clock. These events ensure we can grow as large as we want, and at the same time keep the community atmosphere.

And third, steady recruitment allows us to give attention to every new member. Too many members too quickly doesn't give each new member the intimacy and they may feel left out. We don't want that.

There a billion other things too that make WG unique. It's irreplaceable and no other clan could attempt to copy it. This is something we want to preserve. The community is our greatest asset. So here is this guide for you to ensure that you are being a positive force in this community.


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A FEW THINGS TO REMEMBER
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• Firstly, most members of this clan are between 15 and 17 years of age. They are still learning the social ropes and some are more advanced than others. I can say with certainty, I have met very immature 50 year olds, and very mature 12 year olds. However as a general rule, it's a learning process. Teenagers... well, it doesn't need explaining. If you are a teen, it's hard to see how older adults view you.
• Second, rest assured, regardless of your age, the leadership treats you like a full adult.
• Thirdly, WG is not a democracy. The leaders are dictators. Yes its true, but don't think we're bad. We're very responsive to our members and very friendly. We never force a lot. When I say dictators, I mean our decisions are made by consultation with the clan, but the clan does not get the final say.
• Finally, the clan is very mixed. We have women, elderly people, kids, gays, people with psychological and/or mental conditions (from irrational fears to bi-polar disorders to ADD to paralysis etc), people from all over the world with different religions and philosphies, and people in foster care... to name a few. As you can see WG is VERY diverse and it is almost impossible to be perfectly compatible with everyone. But this guide is not about getting along with everyone. It just makes sure you know what to do in the case of a fight, and you know what to do to avoid getting into a fight yourself.

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THE STEPS TO TAKE
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If You Are New

If you are new to the clan world you'll find this a bit easier. If you've come from another clan, you might struggle here. Basically, don't start demanding changes until you've adjusted into the WG system. A lot of the time, members may come from other clans and like something from their old clan that they want to see in WG. That's great, actually. We like learning about different methods that may work out better for us. But just exercise caution. These experienced WG members don't take kindly to new people coming in and trying to change things.

"Who is this guy? He's brand new and he thinks he knows how the place is run"

Keep your head low for a bit and get friendly with the members. We're more likely to listen to a friend than a stranger.


Having A Go At People

Now you gotta admit, there is something strangely cool about putting people down. Don't know what it is. Friends do it all the time. "Shut up douche" etc... WG is a swearing clan. Sorry, this isn't going to change, mostly because the Primary Leader is a big fucking culprit. We love to put each other down, especially in the IRC.

"Shut up Lee, you have a 1 inch penis"

The rule here is simple. FRIENDS ONLY. If you're new, you're going to have to wait a while before you can acceptably do this. We won't do it to you, so don't do it to us. For most people, its not a joke until you know each other, so lay off until you know 100% that the person getting it is going to be comfortable with it. Don't assume just because you're in the clan, everyone automatically likes you. It's a great community, but even we can't make instant friends for you.

The other thing to remember is... no minorities. I mean OK I'll let slip "You Asian fag" and such... but only if nobody is offended by it. I'm Asian and I'm OK with being called an Asian. The few gay people I know are OK with people calling each other fags, but if someone's around that doesn't like their minority being slandered, exercise caution. It's not an issue most of the time. If it is I'll let you know.


Getting Into Arguments

Well not everyone gets along. You're bound not to like someone in all likelihood. Tiny arguments come up pretty much every day in the IRC. They mean nothing. But every now and then, usually a few weeks apart, there's a chat room conversation that tears the community apart.

"Forget it I'm quitting. I can't take this shit"

They are nasty, and I'm proud to say they are getting less and less common. It is So0o0o0o0 easy to avoid. Look, people don't like getting confronted in the main channels, #wg and #wg_lobby. There's all these people there. If you call them out on something they do not want to humiliate themselves. They'll fight back. Teens. This might be OK amoungst adults, but teens are still finding their self-esteem and they get defensive much easier (on the whole of course).

They hardly ever back out. They bite back. You want to call them out on some shit that went down? Private message. If they get bitchy to you in private, then either tell a leader, or ignore them. If they get bitchy with enough people, it becomes an issue for the leaders.

Arguments are good. It allows people to see your morals... but as long as its debate and nothing personal, we're all good.


There is a fight in the IRC. Now what?

You can either ignore it, join it, or diffuse it. We all know which of those three is the ideal choice. I'll teach you how to do it.

Immediately, you have to take the stance of peer pressure. Show them what they are doing is not on.

Good Responses to a Fight

• "Guys we don't want to hear it, take it to PM"
• "Fair enough that you're fighting over this, but why are you involving us?"
• "This is not cool. Are you actually TRYING to harm this clan? Give it a rest."

Bad Responses to a Fight

• Trout slapping and hugging - this does not lighten the mood. Lightening the mood does not work. It's passive and ineffective
• Joking around - Again, passive an ineffective. Address that they are spoiling the community head on, and show them you won't put up with it. Leaders included... but be polite.
• Joining in obviously
• Stating "OMG e-drama" is useless and just frustrates the people who are fighting.
• Taking sides AT ALL - "Technically [member] is right" will just frustrate the other person who's now lost some pride.
• "Pretending there is no fight - "!ge steel bar" "Does anyone else want to go to Dagganoth Kings with me?"

The same goes with forum posting. Forum posts are for many to see. Pick a fight with a member on one of those, and be guaranteed a forum warning is headed your way.


More to come in the near future. Please feel free to ask questions as you wish.

Good post, makes sense.

Thanks for using me in your post Made me actually giggle.

WG is a swearing clan. Sorry, this isn't going to change, mostly because the Primary Leader is a big fucking culprit.

Well put.
Mebe you should add a section on good ways to make friends or something around those lines.

I enjoyed the swearing part

Great guide Elias. Made me laugh and pointed out some valid points for new members to know.

haha That's an awesome guide and a lot of this can be applied irl also.

omg no hugging? Depends who is hugging and what the fight is really on that.

"Shut up Lee, you have a 1 inch penis"

LMFAO! Subliminal Messages much? =p

yes yes i read the guide, i see you put alot of effort into it, nice work =). NOW if people can begin to follow it, we'll should see some improvement

I thought Lee had a larger penis than that..who knew??

dam i thought this was for irl lol

Very nais guide, GJ Lawdy!

Excellent, elements from MOB management of organizational behavior. I especially liked the advice for new members about keeping your head low. Oh my gosh then why am I posting????

If someone's looking for a mate it's as simple as /query Nirvanas

elias youve taken like half the things i say and told me not to say them=((


nice guide lol

Thanks for this guide Elias. I saw lots of people leaving the past days. Hopefulle... this will lower the leaving amount

Lol sweet guide, made me laugh at some points.

Good job

we have old people?

Oh my

My rules to me:

1.never back down
2.Say what you think is right
3.if someone pisses u off tell them in the nicest possible way that they are a tosser and get lost


oh and 4. what elias said.^



i be nice if someone is nice to me which is 99% of the time the other 1% ware shin guards im coming to bite ur ankles.

Good guide. Very thoughtful and insightful. And ummmm.....I vote for penis measuring as an event.... *volunteers as judge*

But I like being a loser...

I actually laughed a lot at this... I am definitely gonna have to work on those... I do that !ge steel bar thing LOOOOOOOL hope we don't fight much it'll make it a whole lot easier.. NOW COME BACK FROM VIETNAM!

well said.

lul Lee has a 1 inch pns