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Contact Bane
Welcome to Bane Guild's flash website. Here you can learn more about us as a potential member, or even check in as an existing member. Check out the "Monthly Bane Update" to the right --->
Bane Guild on Shien
We are Bane; the close-knit international Sith-themed guild registered on the Shien Server
For years, our guild has planned, schemed in the shadows and waited. At last, we will play TOR. At last, we will have our revenge.
Current members, check out our guildlaunch calander for upcomming events.
Last updated: Dec/2011
9.22.08
Bane was formed on this date on Star Wars Galaxies' Ahazi server.
The founding members of Bane met in a guild called AAK. The guild AAK was known for recruiting members with random invites to anyone without a guild affiliation. An inner circle of friends formed within the ranks of the guild. After secret meetings in Dolka's "Temple of Darkness" and the "Sith Training Academy", a small group seperated from the old guild to form a new one. Almost all members of AAK, including the leader came to join the Sith-themed guild which honored Lord Bane.
12.13.08
Exar Kun was defeated as a guild-group on this date. The months following the formation of Bane were completely consumed by the guild's new hunger for end-game. Once a core raiding group was established, recruitment was frozen. With less than a dozen active players at any time, full groups of guild members were rare. Still, all content was completed at one point or another with a full group of guild-mates only .
4.04.09
On this date, the guild gathered for their last full-guild group in SWG. It was known that after this, several member's accounts would expire and they would leave the game. There was simply nothing left to beat. Two days later, leadership of Bane in SWG was transferred to Drexx. Other members left to play in Lord of the Rings Online so as to have something to do while waiting for SWTOR to come out.
9.27.09
The Galactic Holofeed podcast is launched. Dedicated to SWTOR hype and news, this podcast was co-hosted by Suzina and Kalvod for 66 episodes. Suzina left the Galactic Holofeed podcast in December of 2010.
2.2.10
Bane's Star Trek Online branch is formed. Leadership is quickly handed to Denoir. As of 3/2/10, there are 10 active members of Bane's STO branch. Vent server added for STO. As of 5/2/10, De-noir does not intend to resubscribe. Dolka, De-noir, Caz, Suzina, and Daiv go back to SWG.
3.09.11
Bane is registered on the official SWTOR site in TOR's new pre-launch guild managment system.
12.13.11
Early Access for TOR's launch begins. Two of Bane's European council members have splintered off (hopefully temporarily) to create a Republic guild on EU servers.
2,627 years after the Treaty of Coruscant, the Sith'ari will be born. He will call himself Darth Bane. Although the importance of his birth is clear, the ultimate result of his comming is not. We, the belivers of the prophacy as well as those whom we have hired to assist us, have but one goal. We must prepare the galaxy for the comming of Darth Bane.
Our visions of the future do not show us Darth Bane's birth planet, but we know he is destined to study the Dark Side on Korriban. For the perfect Sith to find his place in the galaxy, Korriban must stay in Sith control and we must continue to fight the Jedi and the Republic who seek to destroy our very way of life.
A powerful Sith Lord shortly after the discovery of the Star Forge. The Sith who founded our order glimpsed the future and saw Darth Bane. But he also saw his own future. He saw the Jedi capturing him and erasing his memory so that he might be tricked into serving the Jedi. He knew he could not change his fate. It was his destiny to fall to the Light side. But there was just one hope for all those that harbor darkness in their hearts.
The Sith Lord founded the Order of Bane with the sole purpose of preparing the galaxy for Darth Bane after his death. The Sith Lord was right about everything. His memory WAS erased and he was enslaved by Jedi mind-control. Yet his secret guild of prophets survived, and we the decendents of those prophets keep the old prophecy alive and practice the arts of the Dark Side.
We, the Order of Bane, are to prepare the way. We protect the library on Korriban from which the Sith'ari must study. We protect the Empire which he must one day join. We kill the Jedi to keep their filth from touching the one who will perfect our art.
The Sith Code
Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through p assion , I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power .
Through power, I gain victory .
Through victory, my chains are broken.
The Force shall free me.
Sith spend hours meditating on the Sith Code. Here is a place to meditate.
PREVIOUS
N E X T
As guild leader, I help set the Tone for what encompasses the values of Bane.
Bane is a mature international guild designed to make the MMO experience more fun. We seek to build friendships and enjoy our time in TOR. In Bane, our periodic events help keep us connected as a guild. In Bane, we celebrate each others achievements and contributions to the guild. In Bane, we put effort into our guild and relationships because it's those relationships which enrich the gaming experience.
Player List
There is not a member list on this site at this time. Check the roster on the GuildHQ site.
This form sends a message to me (suzina).
I love hearing from people who saw the site, so please do send me a message.
Your email is safe.
The only thing your email will be used for is the "reply" address on the message this thing sends me, and I'm the only one who ever sees that email address. If you use a fake email (like fakeemail_fake.com) then I'll still get the message, but you won't get my reply.
Vent details
The address is: cobalt.typefrag .com
and the port is: 29581
About Branches
Why Divide the guild into Branches?
Some guilds are hardcore PVP guilds, and some are hardcore raiding guilds. Some guilds are more "casual" in that they don't plan raids or schedule PVP events. First and foremost, Bane is about playing with friends, not raiding or PVP. However, we like the benefits of a well organized PVP team or dedicated raid group.
The solution is to have optional rules sets for different members depending on their interests. Gloom Walkers are the PVP team, the Royal Guard are the raid team, and the Reserves can do whatever they want.
For example, someone on the Royal Guard is garuteed a spot in raid teams, but might be required to get their equipment "raid ready" and let us know if they plan on not attending the next few raids. A Reserve or Gloom Walker woulndn't be bound by such requirements, but they might only get into raids when a regular can't make it.
This system should allow our raiders PVPers and casual friends to all play together in the same guild. Because playing with awesome people like them is what it's all about!
Gloom Walkers - The Peace is a Lie
The Gloom Walkers are the Player-Vs-Player branch of Bane.
The name, "Gloom Walkers" comes from Darth Bane's unit during the New Sith Wars. As a small squad of tightly organized soldiers lead by Darth Bane, they earned a reputation for deadliness that none of them could have created on their own.
Although any member of Bane might participate in PVP, the Gloom Walkers make PVP their main reason for playing. Gloom Walkers love the thrill of danger that keeping their PVP flag on gives them. For them, PVP is best when it's organized, so they prefer to schedule PVP events from the cold battlefields of Illum to the deadly pits on Nar Shadda. Gloom Walkers are willing to defend the Empire against its enemies, peace treaty or not.
Reserves - Ready for Anything, Committed to Nothing
Because there are no special requirements of this branch, the Reserves are the most casual friendly.
Not everyone we want to play with has a desire to deal with raid requirements or participate in PVP. Even those of us who do are not going to feel that way forever. Real life comes up, or already has come up, and we may not have the time and energy to log in on a regular basis, much less check the event calander.
So what does the Gloom Walker do when he wants to give up PVP and focus on alts for a few months? What does the raider do who knows they have too much going on in the office to deal with the raid planner? They go to the Reserves. Crafters, roleplayers, exploerers, and more make this branch the most diverse of the bunch.
Reserves can always participate in the Empire's raid operations, they can always hunt down the Republic should they desire, but they're never required to bother with raid sign-ups or PVP. They have the most freedom and the least requirements of any branch.
Royal Guard - First Choice for the Empire's Operations
The Royal Guard are the raiding branch of Bane. SW:TOR will launch with two raids. These raids are called " Operations " and we want to be prepared for the challenges they present. The best way to take on these challenges is with a static group of raiders who are focused on end-game.
Where some guilds focus entirely on being a "raiding guild", Bane is a guild of friends with a raid team. Based off our knowledge gathered so far, Royal Guardsmen will be required to reach max level, fill the relic slots on their character sheet, and must have every piece of gear at rating 100 or higher. Additionally, Royal Guardsmen may be required to sign up as either "available" or "unavailable" for operations. These requirements will ensure Royal Guardsman are equipped enough to complete the encounter.
Bane members from other branches may be invited to raids, but there are reasons for fulfilling the extra requirements of the Royal Guard. Royal Guardsmen are always first choice for spots in our raid operations, so if we have more than enough sign-ups, guardsmen won't be forced to sit on the sidelines. Also, we will make every effort to ensure that operation times are convenient to Royal Guardsmen who live up to these requirements. Anyone can help in a raid operation, but the Royal Guardsmen commit to being raid-ready and raid-focused.
Leadership Structure
Every guild needs to make decisions. Sometimes that might mean talking to a member who's been breaking the rules. Sometimes that might mean finding ways to recognize and reward a member who has been helping out lower-level members. In either case, fast and fair action makes the game much easier to enjoy.
In Star Wars Galaxies, a vote-by-mail election was held and Suzina was elected guild leader. Her leadership style revolves around finding out what members want and then changing the guild to fit their needs.
The Council of Leadership
The Council consists of five long-time members. Their role is to keep the guild leader in check. If 3 of the five council members agree to over-rule the guild leader on anything, the guild leader has the responibility to impliment what the council orders. Whether that be new rules, ammendments to existing rules, or even a change of leaderhsip.
Coordinators
Sometimes we need a raid leader, a forum moderator, or other action to be done. Sometimes we want an event coordinator. In these cases, we pass control to that person who volunteers to take on the extra responsibility and we thank them for their service.
Good Leadership
I'm of the oppinion that a good guild leader is one who makes the game more fun than it would be otherwise. A good leader should always be tuned into how members of the guild are feeling. Is one person's habbit of being late to their own events causing friction? Are new low-level members feeling left out? Does the guild have enough active members to accomplish it's goals or are there too many new-faces already? Does the guild need a weekly event to enhance unity or is there too much on the calander to do already?
All of these questions should pass through a guild leader's mind at some point. The guild leader sets the tone for the guild, the rules, how often the rules are enforced and dictates the culture of the guild. They help form an enviornment free of drama and annoyance. They set the goals for the team. The guild leader dictates the vision for the guild in the same way a CEO does in a corporation.
Unlike a corporation where keeping people happy is just a means to get a litlte more work out of people, a guild's end-goal is happiness itself. Even being part of a raid team more closely resembles forming a baseball team than a business.
A good leader will delegate responsibility as much as possible. Many guilds make the mistake of relying on one person to lead raids, make disciplinary decisions, and set up events. Any guild that depends too heavily on one person logging in will eventually face difficulties because of that limitation. The guild leader can't do everything and shouldn't create a guild that requires them to.
In short, good leadership in an MMO is about having the right attitude to maximize fun and minimize drama.
Bad Leadership
The founders of Bane were once just players who were tired of their drama-creating emotionally unstable guild leader. Below are some examples of bad leadership. We hate these kinds of leaders:
1. The Leader who thinks you are an NPC.
-This leader has a goal in mind that they are trying to accomplish. A guild was neccessary to meet this goal, so they recruited a bunch of people. If this leader's goals are being met, then they are mostly harmless. Otherwise, this leader insults everyone in the guild and screams at members, "That's a 50 DKP MINUS!" And if you complain about it, they'll kick you out of the guild.
2. The Leader who is tired of being a nobody.
-This leader was sick of being beat up in middle-school, or flipping burgers, so they started a guild to be important. If things are going smoothly by some miracle, they'll make arbitrary decisions just to prove they are still in charge. When someone disagrees with a decision, they are threatened by it. If members ask for a change of leadership, they threaten to disband the guild.
3. The leader who is unrealistic.
-This leader has lots of ideas. Actually executing ideas isn't their strong point. Maybe they want to have the biggest and best organized guild on the server, so they mass-recruit and end up with more people than they can manage. Maybe they want to beat all the raids in the game, but they don't go through the effort neccessary for that goal. Nothing gets done. This leader only sees the end-goal, but they don't see how to get there. Members end up having to organize themselves into cliques.
4. The leader who doesn't lead.
-This leader holds the rank of guild leader, but doesn't do anything. They don't make decisions, they run from conflict, and nothing ever gets done. Again, members have to organize themselves into cliques to get things done.
In any guild, it's a good idea to delegate responsibility to members ready and willing to handle extra responsibility. Not only does it allow things to get done when the guild leader is offline, but it also facilitates a greater sense of ownership among members. The result is a more dynamic and closely knit guild.
Branch Coordinators:
Each of the branches of the guild will need a coordinator. The Royal Guard (raid team) will need a single voice to dictate directions on the voice server as will the Gloom Walkers (pvp team) benefit from a single person capable of dictating strategy. In most guilds, this person is selected very informally.
Event Coordinators:
If someone comes to me as guild leader and says, "We should have a roleplay event!", "We should have a Star Wars triva contest!" or "We need to get all the crafters together for a meeting", I may not have the time or energy to impliment their vision. In this case, it's just better to delegate. With a little encouragement, a member asking for something can be empowered into a member who is now creating something.
Other Roles
Sometimes a member is an artist and wants to contribute to the guild's website. Maybe a audio junkie can make something cool for the guild's podcast. Maybe someone knows how to make cool signatures for the forums. Maybe someone wants to help with seeking new recruits. Maybe someone just helps low level players learn to play the game. Bane benefits from members who contribute, and rewards contributers with recognition, praise, and possibily special titles.
Other MMOs
Lets be honest, while waiting for TOR, Bane members are jumping around in all sorts of MMOs. The best place to check is the Forums to see what we're up to. Several Bane members play on the European Laurelin server for Lord of the Rings Online. Some play on Starsider of Star Wars Galaxies. In WOW, we play on too many servers to name. Again, check the forums and see who is *actually* playing and what server.
We have waited several years for TOR to come out. Now that it's launched, I can't imagine playing anything else anytime soon.
Star Trek Online
Bane's Star Trek Online branch lead by Denoir is no longer active. However, Denoir is still subscribed. You can send him a tell in game to: De-noir_De-noir. Denoir is also hosting a vent server for Bane. The address is at the address: cobalt.typefrag .com and the port: 29581
Enter our Forums
At the start of 2012, Bioware will wipe the GuildHQ and we will therefore begin using our guildlaunch forums instead of the GuildHQ forums.
http://www.swtor.com/guilds/12508/bane
Loot Distribution
Once upon a time, two kids were given a candy bar to share. They argued about how to divide the treat for a few minutes before their mom came in and suggested one kid cuts the candy bar in half and the other kid chooses which half they want. Distributing Loot is like sharing a candy bar. If done right, everyone is happy.
Raid loot has more percieved value than candy. In most raiding games, distributing loot is really progression distribution. You need all of armor X before you can move on to raid Y. Getting new equipment can be as big a boost to your character's strength as leveling.
Loot-distribution systems don't result in there being more goodies for raiders than there would be otherwise, but it can increase the percieved fairness of when each member gets their goodies. Every system of loot-distribution has drawbacks and advantages. Some systems are friendlier to new members. Some systems reward showing up on time to raids. Some systems like /random are friendlier to people who are lucky!
Basically, if you go to raids you should always earn something. Either you're getting new stuff for your character or you're getting points which are like a promise of first-choice on stuff later.
DKP
If you've been raiding in an MMORPG, you have probably heard about DKP. These "Dragon Kill Points" are given to players in the raid who didn't get any new stuff from the raid so that next time they can spend their DKP for first-choice of gear. Maybe you've experienced being in a raiding guild which used some variation of the DKP system. Slight differences in each DKP system affect how fair DKP feels.
Fixed-price DKP systems have a set value for items. So a Juyo lightsaber always costs members 5 DKP.
Auction DKP systems have members try to out-bid each other with their DKP to get the item.
Bane intends to use a combonation of both. A Juyo might cost a minimum of 5 DKP, but if more than one person wants it, then a bidding-war can take place. The ability to have a bidding war decreases DKP inflation over time and serves to fairly price items if guild officers have underestimated the value of an item.
Inflation is an important consideration in a DKP system. If all the members are accumulating more DKP than they are spending, it's going to be very intimidating to a new member who joins and sees all the old members have hundreds of DKP. Inflation is one of the biggest weaknesses of a DKP system, so officers must closely observe the rate at which DKP is earned vs the rate at which it's spent.
DKP hoarding can happen, and it's just as intimidating to new members as real inflation. On the one hand, you want to reward that guy who's been raiding the last six months and passing on every piece of loot that comes by. On the other hand, you don't want him to be able to completely dominate all loot distribution for the next month because it will affect raid attendance. If hoarding is becomming a problem, especially before an expansion (most common time for hoarding), we may increase the point costs/awards of the post-expansion raids. This will deflate the hoarded DKP and give new players na on-ramp to catch up.
Need Before Greed
The old catch-phrase from Everquest is still used to this day. In World of Warcraft and Lord of the Rings Online, Need-before-Greed is actually automated as one of their loot systems. For items which are valuable but not especially rare (like crafting supplies), people generally trust your word as to whether you really need something for your character or if you're going to sell it.
When it comes to super-rare items or items that it takes a dozen people to get for you, questions pop up about what "need" means. If you have a Jedi Master Claok, something that will moderately benefit the surviability of your tanking Sith Warrior or greatly benefit the survivability of a DPS traited Sith Inquisitor, who really needs it? It's certainly a bigger upgrade for the Inquisitor, but the raid's ability to get more loot will be more benefited by increasing the ability to survive of the tank.
These questions need to be asked by anyone who's using need-before-greed as part of their DKP system.
In TOR, it's possible for a heavy-armor class like a Sith Warrior to wear something that is clearly intended for a robe-wearing class like a Sith-Inquisitor. A Sith Warrior doesn't really "need" a robe intended for an inquisitor. We plan on restricting members from spending their DKP on items not intended for their class.
We also plan on restricting members from spending DKP on alts if other people in the raid have main-characters that need the item. It's not much fun watching a DKP horder go through raid after raid just to gear up characters they don't use in the raids anyway.
Of course, if an item is something multiple classes need, it all comes down to spending DKP, or possibily a DKP bidding war.
Other Loot Distribution Systems
Just for fun, lets discuss different loot distribution systems, their advantages and disadvantes in a very small section.
Fixed DKP
Advantage - You know exactly when you will have points for the loot you want. You can save points for later. System is flexible.
Disadvantage - Possible inflation, intimidating to casuals or new members, possible point hoarding.
Auction DKP
Advantage - No need for guild officers to decide on prices for things. Lower inflation than fixed DKP. "Free market"
Disadvantage - Bidding wars may create resentment. You don't really "know" when you will get an item, because price isn't fixed.
Suicide Kings or Loot Ladder
Description: Auction DKP, but you must spend ALL your points at once to win something.
Advantage - More Casual and new player friendly because there is no point hoarding. You know *exactly* when you'll get your turn.
Disadvantage - Because you can't save DKP, raiders are less motivated to raid after they have their gear. System is inflexible.
Loot Council or Merit System
Description: Guild leaders and officers decide who to give loot to, usually saying they are giving it to who "needs" or "deserves" it most.
Advantage - ....uhhh it's easy to keep track of who's getting loot next?
Disadvantage - Creates drama, always subjective and usually unfair, based on favoritism, only works with small groups of close friends.
/Random
Description: Roll dice by typing /roll. Highest roll wins!
Advantage - Very easy to manage. Requires no tracking of points. Casual, New Member, and Pick Up Group (PUG) friendly
Disadvantage - Unfriendly to frequent raiders or people with bad luck. You have NO clue when you will get your loot with a random roll. The rarer the loot, the more jeleousy this system creates. The larger the groups, the more frustration this creates. Some /roll on everything to get more chances to win. You may NEVER win some items because of bad rolls. Lucky rollers get bored with content after winning everything.
