Age Limits for Membership: Does your guild have them and why? - Page 3

Shadow · #21 10-30-2006, 07:16 PM

yes I would agree younger players tell "fibs" but then again if I was 15 again I would lie also. I mean how many guilds don't allow younger players? tons? and if you want to be in a solid guild then you need one that is ran by mature players, most 14 year old clans fall apart ever week, can be very annoying for any younger player. regardless I agree that an interview would be fine because I think that the "time for bed" symdron is the most annoying thing. but also spending tons of time recruiting can be almost as annoying. I think the most important thing like in any large business is fine a "core" group and keep them happy, a solid core group can keep new players to stay and can keep new players wanting to join, so you don't have to recruit as much but still spend as much time interviewing.

mis · #22 12-23-2006, 06:02 AM

I don't believe in age restrictions. Some of the best players we had back in the early days, before we had ventrilo, were like 16. We were shocked when we found out, simply based on maturity that they were much younger than we thought.

Don't get me wrong, not having age restrictions does let in a few "kids". But we know which ones will stay long term and which will be too A.D.D. for VoD. We have had to remove ppl over the years as well. However, we have removed 30+ years olds as well, so you can't judge a person based on age.

Our theory is to bring a person in, get a feel for them and see if that person feels they would be a good fit for the guild.

I can totally understand some guilds wanting to have an age rule though. :P

Fester-Rotcrotch · #23 12-23-2006, 07:40 AM

I'm not fond of age restriction. I myself turned 18 in April, so I have been denied membership to many guilds/clans in the past. I have always been mature for my age, so it irks me when I see an 18+ clan with a load of fools onboard, especially after I have been declined.

Age doesn't always guarantee maturity/skill, infact I have come to believe age has nothing to do with it; anymore I have noticed adults are as bad off as the young in many ways.

Members shouldn't be a gamble, and I think it's well time leaders drop the dice and actually perform a strong interview. If the leader happens to be busy, I'm sure there's someone who isn't. I do this myself with my own clan, none get in without an interview conducted by myself and one of my ranking members.

Humbly,

Fester

Nautar · #24 12-23-2006, 05:10 PM

I don't have any restrictions on age at all, I have known 20 year olds with a lot less maturity than 13 year olds, heh. I always meet a prospective member and get an initial feel for them, then spend some time watching how they react to situations in game before I make any decisions.

Armaya · #25 12-23-2006, 05:16 PM

Two things to consider when deciding to use age restrictions: What will be the "tone" of your guild, and how well do you plan to know the recruits before they become members?

If you plan to keep things PG (watch the language/topic in guild chat, etc) and get to know them before they become official members, there's no reason for age restrictions.

But keep in mind, just as important as the "maturity" of the 13 year old is what your GUILD would be exposing that 13 year old to in terms of language/content.

samhain · #26 12-23-2006, 10:14 PM

I don't enjoy playing with teenagers because most teenagers do not know what respect and courtesy are. I play games to relax and enjoy the game with others. I don't want to spend my in game time reading or listening to adoloscent bickering, bragging and profanity while I play.

On the other hand, we have seen that there are many younger folks out there who were great fits and great guild members.

I will never again play in a guild that allows minors to play as a rule. They should have some flexibility and through a screening process you can usually find some really great kids who are mature enough to play in a guild with a bunch of adults.

Roxianna · #27 12-24-2006, 04:29 PM

As a rule, we don't let people under 18 join Section One. This started as a personal preference in AC2, but once you have a group of adults gamers who joined the advertised as all adult guild and like it, the no kids thing becomes institutionalized. Over the years I have tried to make exceptions. Only two of them worked out--that's not many for a large guild like Section One. The WoW Section One guild laxed up their rules a bit, but pretty much we are still all adult.

If you are a teenager and are wondering why you are constantly being discrimated against, here are some of the things some teens do without even realizing it:

Disrespect other people's time. Most adults have family and jobs to attend to. Their gaming time is precious. Disrespecting that time, by not showing for events, showing up late, going AFK for long periods of time or dumping a group mid-activity are just a couple examples. And yes, rude adults do this stuff too.

Demanding attention: Some teenagers, still being the center of mommy's and daddy's world, fail to realize that their guildies are there to enjoy themselves too. Making constant demands for help in guild chat, then pouting and whining when nobody answers their question or requests is common among teen recruits I have tried.

Section One members are pretty sensative to this since we are not a helper organization in the first place focused, as we always are, on end-game content and competition.

Disrepecting Parents & Guildies: I don't wanna hear how your mother is a bitch cause she's making you do your homework instead of keeping your word to do an event with 39 other people who are now standing around unable to continue.

Things said: I realize I am a crotchety old granny, but don't call me "Dude." If you must call me something "Ma'am" will do. Don't talk to me about "Mom agro" either as I probably am on your Mom's side about whatever it is.

samhain · #28 12-24-2006, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roxianna

Things said: I realize I am a crotchety old granny, but don't call me "Dude."

What about Dued..

or

Dood

?

Vshbaa · #29 12-24-2006, 06:27 PM

None of the guilds I've run have ever had an age limit, and have accepted children below the age of 10*. We, however, have always enforced a strong maturity policy, and have never felt bad kicking a member, regardless of age, for their behavior.

Honestly, my three year old niece constantly plays GTA: San Andreas, and understands completely that the game is not real and the actions she takes are not appropriate for the real world. If I could teach her to play an MMO, she'd be able to fool anyone into thinking she was older (as long as she didn't get into conversations that she wouldn't understand).

*These members were generally accompanied by a parent player who kept them on a tight leash and made sure we didn't do anything inappropriate around them.

Armaya · #30 12-24-2006, 06:43 PM

Again though (and I'm not aiming this at the poster directly above, this is just a general statement) to me it isn't so much the behavior of the child, but the behavior to which the child will be subjected.

Our daughter is 10 and I know without a doubt that she could conduct herself in a manner that would even be appropriate for S1. But do I feel she should join? Absolutely not. Even in S1, with high standards in regards to conduct, there are discussions a child doesn't need to and shouldn't hear. I don't even use ventrilo myself without the headphones on!

S1 has one of the most strict guild guidelines in regards to swearing and obscenities, but that doesn't mean one doesn't escape sometimes (and I admit if I'm FPS'ing, I may be the first one to slip up, I learned to FPS with military men if that tells you anything). I really wouldn't want to hear "Oooh, Mommy, did you hear that word he used??!?!" all night long.