Much like the rest of the guild, the rank system has changed and evolved a number of times over War Machine’s 5 years of existence. What follows is our current visualisation of what each rank means, as well as any responsibilities and requirements said rank carries with it. Where relevant, a higher rank is expected to adhere to the rules of those ranks below it as well, so those in Raider rank are bound by the rules applied to Members and Trials as well.
Guild Master
The role of the GM in War Machine is to maintain the direction of the guild through its fundamental tenets enforcing policy where required for the greater good.
Responsibilities include:
- Officer recruitment
- Member guidelines
- Veto on decisions made within the guild by officers or other members if required
- Removal of guild members for misconduct
- Changes to process or policy that effects the guild as a whole
- Updating or revising tenets
- Major conflict resolution at any level
- Suggestions and facilitation of guild events
The GM will for all intents and purposes remove themselves from the day to day running of the guild relying on the officers for the more general work. It is expected that as required the GM will fill any of the roles and responsibilities of an officer or member to support player absence or increased workloads. The GM is not required to be present on a consistent basis but will provide the officers with enough independence to continue day to day running of the guild as needed. When not leading, the GM is considered a ‘member’ in raids or events. This is to ensure that raid leaders can function without interruption. All feedback from the GM to a raid leader will wait til after the event or through whispers to ensure there is no undermining of a raid leaders authority. Any feedback, concerns, or comments about raid leaders and officers should be directed to the GM in the first instance through forum private message, whisper, private Discord chat, or in game mail. It is expected that the GM will put the entertainment of all guild members of War Machine above their own.
Warlord
Warlord is our officer rank. An officer in War Machine is an extension of the GM on a day to day basis targeted with upholding the tenets and direction of the guild.
Responsibilities include:
- Member recruitment
- Member promotion
- Suggestion and facilitation of guild events
- Conflict resolution
- Raid leading as required (see raid leader requirements)
- Minor policy changes in line with guild tenets
- Process changes as required
- Posting regular calendar events
Officers in War Machine are responsible for the day to day running of the guild. All changes an officer makes must be in line with the guild tenets to ensure War Machine’s values are adhered to. An officer will not abuse his/her position for self gain and will ensure the entertainment of War Machine guild members are put ahead of their own. During a raid an officer who is not raid leading is considered a ‘member’ and should act accordingly. All feedback should wait until after the event or be passed on through whispers to ensure there is no undermining of a raid leader’s authority. Conflicts will be handled immediately by an officer if required. All complaints from other guilds should be directed to an officer in the first instance unless the complaint is regarding an officer in which case the GM should be contacted. Officers should be present on a fairly consistent basis to ensure the smooth running of the guild. An officer is an extension of the GM and thus speaks with the same authority in their absence.
Raid Leader
War Machine raid leaders are targeted with providing a friendly and entertaining environment for all War Machine members to experience the current and older raiding content.
Responsibilities include:
- Organisation of the raid group including communication
- Detailed research on all roles and responsibilities in each raid
- Ensuring tenets of War Machine are upheld throughout the raid environment
- Conflict resolution during or because of a specific raid event
- Performance management where required
- PuGing
A War Machine Raid Leader’s main priority is to lead raids in line with the expectations set out for that raid and with the larger tenets of War Machine in mind. Raid Leaders must commit to being fair and responsible in their approach to War Machine members and will consider the fun of the raiders before their own. Each week’s raid events will be entered into the guild calendar at the end of the beginning of that week by an officer. Raid Leaders will have the ability to create additional calendar events that do not conflict with existing or planned events and will be responsible for the event end to end. As a servant of the greater good a raid leader will not be able to dictate terms of the event but will have room for feedback and suggestions. Targets for the raid night may be vetoed by officers or the GM to ensure a consistent approach to all raid events. Once the raid leader has started the event however they are in total control (barring pre-determined guidelines) irrelevant of who else is attending the raid. Raid Leaders will show proper courtesy and respect to War Machine members but should also expect the same in return. Communication on performance may be passed to an officer in certain circumstances however improvement in performance and coaching can be delegated to those with the appropriate skill sets.
Prog Raider
This rank is purely for organisational ease and carries the same rights and responsibilities of a regular member. Our progression team is there to help the guild as a whole progress and members in this rank are there so that the progression invites can be sent in an efficient manner.
Old Member
This is an older rank given to members both current and inactive who have been with War Machine for an extended period of time. At this stage there are no more promotions to this rank however no characters will be removed from the rank unless they are also removed from the guild as a part of a cleanup process.
Member (“One Of Us”)/Trial/Unauthenticated
There is little difference between a member and a trial in War Machine as both are expected to uphold the tenets as detailed by the GM and these documents.
Responsibilities include:
- Upholding the tenets of War Machine
- Get involved
- No Swearing or abusive language
- Support of others within the guild
- Help newer members feel welcome
- Provide feedback and complaints to officers immediately when they arise
- Have fun
It is important to note that once you have been through the interview process you are in. There is no difference between a Trial and a Member as it comes to inclusion in War Machine. Initially the rank was designed to ensure that no one slipped through the interview process and had too much power in terms of guild bank access and such right at the beginning. The member rank is often provided not as a validation of acceptance in War Machine but as a reward for something perceived within the game or a special mention by your peers. There is little difference in access between the two ranks and certainly no difference in hierarchical standing.
The Unauthenticated rank is a member who doesn’t have an authenticator applied to their account. For a guild member to have access to the guild bank in any form, their account must have an authenticator attached. This reduces the likelihood of a compromise causing unnecessary issues with retrieving guild bank items.
Alt
Alts are, obviously, alternate characters of guild members. The rank exists mostly as a housekeeping requirement, so that we can determine which character is a player’s “main”. Alt characters are expected to abide by the responsibilities and rules of that player’s main’s rank.