Guilds and Halls

** Aaron previously stated that he doesn't like the idea of endless trees or mines in a guild hall and doesn't like the idea of a fast replenishing pond as that would open up to macroing **

Yes, Aaron.  Those were just ideas of insperation to get others to make some contributions of ideas themselves.   Is it possible to maybe have something like a lathe or something in an archers guild to produce the best possible arrow shafts and a fletcher for producing different kinds of fletchings at high archery and high carpentry?  Having different fletching and different shafts would be good because then you could have big fletching that increase accuracy and decrease speed and smaller fletchings that would increase speed but drop the accuracy.

Really, in a true trade guild, the guild leaders/elders would assign a role to the players such that there isn't rivalry.  If you have two people trying to specialize in the platemail tech tree, then there will be some animosity.  But, if everyone has their dedicated part of the tech tree and if the lower levels, who can't make the good items yet, make the raw materials for the higher levels, then there is a good co-operation.  Also, if it is a true trade guild, the guild would sell the items and the profits distributed.  Rather than one blacksmith making everything and pocketing the change, the guild leaders should give some money to poor newbie who needs items to get started or to someone else who needs to purchase some raw materials from the carpenter's guild.  Essentially, you treat the guild like a corporation.  Of course, if the leaders or employees are crooked, you have issues.  Also, if you already have people working on each branch of the tech tree, there's nothing wrong with adding someone else to work on a tech tree that is in demand (for example, if there is a high demand for chainmail gloves).  The two people who now specialize in chainmail gloves should not feel intimidated, because they are working for the common good of the guild and the guild will provide them with the money they need when they need it (salary?).  So, here we have a very good example of why a trade guild would be a good thing.
Now, you argue that it's not fair for the person on the outside... well, in reality, that's how it was.  If you weren't in the guild, they would try everything in their power to stop you from competing with them.  But, if the guild is a good trade guild, they will accept anyone who is willing to work.  Not only will you always have some amount of turn-over (that is, players quitting or going inactive), but you can always use more miners or ore refiners, and if you get paid for your services (reference to corporation concept) then you don't feel it is a waste.  Plus, if the blacksmith guild is the ONLY source of items, then you will have to buy from them and the guild will always have sufficient funds to pay salaries, guild hall rents, etc.
So, in conclusion, I think that trade guilds would be the exact opposite of the anarchy and hatred that you predict.  The catch is that you need to have good leadership.

Spectre touting communism...?

I think, Spectre, that you're too heavily relying on leadership in your examples.  We should not force leadership and co-operation; however if we make them necessary, people will naturally move to them. 
I greatly doubt that any guild in Faldon (or any game for that matter) will ever have players working for the "common good".  It's just not feasible.  So, we either have to force it (all profits go into the guild bank to be "distributed" by corrupt leader), or make co-operation necessary.  Creating this necessity is easy; make it easier to raise related skills in a certain guild hall, make all these skills interdependant, make skills difficult to raise and use Zer's skill specialization idea.  Done. 

I do agree that we need to give more power and ablities to guild leaders and give different powers to other ranks.  Leaders should be able to set taxes (based on income - used in trade guilds to buy raw materials, pay guild rent, etc.), manage a guild item stash (for raw materials in trade guilds), maybe even allow players certain time in the lumber mill (in the example of a carpentry guild), etc.  But you can't give a leader absolute power.

Presumably, this wouldn't happen in a free market system... supply and demand.

In response to your final part - depending how large the player base of Faldon becomes, it would be possible to have more than one guild competing in the same field.  As more players "outside" appear, it becomes possible for them to band together and eventually challenge the other guilds.

I like the idea of of corporation guild, but you know communism was good in theory. 

I don't really understand some of you guys'/gals' point of view on things.  Some things are looked at with a negative attitude, while others are looked at with major positive attitudes.  This seems normal, but it's the reasoning that comes with it.  Some times it's "they would use this to cheat"  other times it's "they could use this to cheat, but it's cool".  I just don't understand where these mood swings come from. lol   Ok, back on topic.

I think that having specialized guilds and general guilds would be a good thing.  What if we had low level specialized guilds to start with.  Maybe instead of having a super expensive guild hall with all these things for the trade (lathe, lumber mill, fletching winder, etc.), let the guild hall have a couple things (lathe and fletching winder).  Then offer the others as upgrades.  Then anyone owning a general guild/guild hall could rent this equipment too.  Make it so that for the low level trade guilds payer a little higher rent and get a couple items (saving a little bit under the cost of the equipment to promote that perticular guild hall), and the general guilds pay a little less rent and pay rent on the equipment added to the guild hall.  Then you could have a band of n00bs so to speak that could start their own guild and work it's way up to a full specializing guild.  What do you guys think?  Remember they are just ideas to help the flow, don't be too rude. lol

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P.S.  I don't like the idea of taxes.  I think the guild should get a bank that is controlled by the guild some how and not just the guild leader.

For a long time, my tag on here was:  ~The Upstart Maker.  I was on that outside and took time to develop my BS, GS, Alch, and eventually Scribe up to challange anyone.

Having a set number of Guildhalls allows a small number of players to control the halls.  In order to prevent others from obtaining their level, they could just buy all the Guildhalls if they have enough money.  The same concept can be done with for the top 10 bonus specialities.  The one guild could specialize in it and make it so no one else could get it.  If its awarded to a Guild based upon their skill, then it should be within range of another guild to take, or be limited in the length of time of ownership.

If houses could be bought and re-formed into guild halls (by having enough land around them to combine two houses together to make a hall), then many "new" guildhalls could be created.  These could have upgrades that you pay for to make them be able to have additional specialized equipment.  Examples could be to add additional stories onto your building, or expand into a 3,4,5 plot of land.  The larger the guildhall, the more pieces of equipment that could then be bought.  This is more realistic, but would be difficult to accomplish a large guild without having tons of money and resources to trade for additional buildings.  Towns are formed when people decide that an area is good.  This idea could allow user created towns, that could then expand, but this would turn Faldon into another type of game that I have seen around.  If anyone could help with the name of that game, that would be good.  Was it Guild Wars or some other game where whole towns could duel against each other?