Attitude Check: Inclusiveness

One of the philosophies adopted by my guild that most separates us from the community at large is what I choose to call inclusiveness. It’s something you very rarely find in guilds focused on end-game content. A family guild is different in this regard because we accept people based upon who they are rather than how they play. Does this mean that a family guild is filled with losers and know-nothings? Far from it! What it does mean is that a person doesn’t have to level a character to 80 or participate in raids, arenas or heroics to be a very real part of the guild.

This philosophy of inclusiveness directs the guild toward a mutual respect and concern for all its members – from the level 15 Hunter who can’t find Mankrik’s Wife to the level 80 Protection Warrior who is decked out in epics and main-tanks every new raid encounter. It’s a philosophy that produces a nurturing rather than a critical atmosphere for those who are still growing within the game and a stable community and activity base for those who are seeking experience with the end-game. I want to point out three specific areas in which I feel an attitude of inclusiveness has enhanced my enjoyment of World of Warcraft and my love for my guild.

1. Guild Pride – Inclusiveness fosters a “We before me” attitude. It isn’t “me” pushing through a new raid encounter, it’s “us” – all of us, not just the ten players who made the roster that night. When one of us accomplishes something, we all accomplish something. Because everyone is included and respected everyone is made to feel a part of what our individual members achieve. It’s no different than the fans or, perhaps more aptly, the bench-sitters at a football game. You might not have thrown the game-winning pass, but you still feel some sense of accomplishment and jubilation at the victory.


2. Less Drama – Inclusiveness works to prevent the kind of hurtful, selfish, rude behavior that stems from an attitude of self-importance. Sure, we’ve had our share of drama and hard-feelings, but we’ve also always been able to work through the majority of these issues and retain both the offended and the offender. Because we consciously work to include everyone our members are not just told that they are a part of our family, but shown that they are accepted. Knowing that you are accepted by your community and regarded not just as a warm body or a character that performs certain actions, but as a human being makes it a lot more difficult to cause grief to those around you and much easier to output the effort to patch things up rather than simply “moving on” when something goes awry.


3. Greater Diversity – Not only among the types of people within our guild, but among the types of activities organized or provided by the guild. Most guilds organize around what they do (Leveling guild, Raiding guild, Social guild, etc) while a family guild organizes around who they are. You don’t cast a family member aside just because they are annoying or unpopular. Instead the community works to provide the needs of all our members, even those who cannot contribute to the success of the guild’s end-game goals.

We are a guild that raids, but we are not a “raiding guild”. We are a guild that levels and socializes but we are not those type of guilds either. We are a family guild and that one word is the heart and soul of our existence. Inclusiveness is not just a good idea, it is a necessary attitude for maintaining a community that is more than just another guild.

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Jon Blevins is an officer of In Vino Veritas.

He's a pastor, husband, gamer and abstract thinker.

He lives in Minnesota where the snow comes from.