Need Help: Recruiting Tips

[Aeromyth]

-Is the new BLM nuking Kirin, or did he know enough to realize this is a melee fight and bring another job? (Even better if they are a Kraken DRK!)
[/b]

I fixed it for you. 8)

[Celebrindor]

all right...all right.....you're right- (takes his elemental staff and sits in the corner)

(yeah we do a quasi-meleeburn now, albeit without the krakendrks,ridillwars, and just one BBmnk....even allowing kirin to pop all minis while being kited and then kite/nuke/netherblast until astral flow we're still down to 30-40 minute kirins instead of 2 hour borefests for melees sleeping TP....yeah call us gimp lol.....still building towards a true meleeburn little by little)

[Elesirdur]

Very true Daahan, very very true.

I just finished up with the HNMLS I built because the sheer amount of idiocy was horrific. A few idiots can be a nightmare, especially if you also have sackholders that are too scared to hurt anyone's feelings by kicking them.

Good times.

qft

Not specifically related to recruiting members, but when looking at your LS executive you need some people that do have a bit of ice in their veins. I've now left two linkshells over this exact problem; Amadeo and me shared one of them.

As I'm in the process of helping to build a new LS, this is definitly interesting to me too. Some things I can echo and add.

-Have an established set of rules for the LS before starting large-scale recruitment. A set of by-laws or a constitution is a great way to go but at the very least make sure you've got rules regarding drop/lotting policy, powers of members and leaders, and the like written down. Once they're displayed in a public venue it makes the leaders accountable to rules just as regular members and can help cut down shenanigans when people start 'creativly interpreting' the rules.

-Membership forms should be your first filtering process. If someone can't fill out a form properly they don't deserve to be in your LS. I don't care if it's a chat, sky, or hard-core HNM LS. Filling out a form and using full sentences is a fundamental life skill in the western world. If you can't even do that for a game then gtfo and enjoy scrubbing toilets at McDicks for the rest of your life.
(I'm really strict on this because I work for a company that does a lot of regulatory work with local, provincial, and federal governments. I get a lot of forms filled out and have people fill out a lot of forms and it drives me up the goddamn wall when people can't follow simple instructions.)

-In the interview process, grill people about HNM and event strategies. If they can't come up with good answers then they might not be the player for you. If you're an experienced player and have been in the end-game scene for a while you don't want to be bringing on inexperienced players. If they're the somewhat greedy type (and really every is to an extent) then they may use your LS as a training ground to get gear and experience that they will leave to go on to a better LS. Again, I've seen this happen a lot in my experience and it sucks balls.

-Try and maintain good relationships with leaders and prominent members of other end-game LS'. When you research your members, you want to be able to get true and faithful responses from his or her's old LS leadership regarding activity, attitude, proficiency, and the like.

[Melchiah]

Not any different from the physical world Wafik, as bad as it sucks.

At least in the real world you can check for an Adam's Apple. (Looking at you, Ann Coulter.)

I hate that republican bitch with such a purple passion. Her and Rush Limbaugh. If they weren't running their conservative pie-holes spouting party rhetoric they wouldn't know what to do. I really think the two of them are completely devoid of any original ideas.

[Deuce]

-Have an established set of rules for the LS before starting large-scale recruitment. A set of by-laws or a constitution is a great way to go but at the very least make sure you've got rules regarding drop/lotting policy, powers of members and leaders, and the like written down.

I've actually been writing down several notes and small rough drafts for rules and the like.

-Membership forms should be your first filtering process. If someone can't fill out a form properly they don't deserve to be in your LS.

I've actually thought of this as well and here's how I plan on doing it. If you can't fill it out properly the first time then it's rejected and you can reapply 14 days later. If the idiot screws up again it'll be rejected again and no more applications from said player will be accepted. Tough luck.

-In the interview process, grill people about HNM and event strategies. If they can't come up with good answers then they might not be the player for you. If you're an experienced player and have been in the end-game scene for a while you don't want to be bringing on inexperienced players.

Thanks for bringing this to my attention. To be honest I haven't thought this thoroughly on the matter, but I'll definitely need to consider this. Seems like I'm going to start drafting a questionairre now.

-Try and maintain good relationships with leaders and prominent members of other end-game LS'. When you research your members, you want to be able to get true and faithful responses from his or her's old LS leadership regarding activity, attitude, proficiency, and the like.

I've been thinking of this as well. I personally want to avoid conflict with other linkshells as much as possible. So I plan on figuring out what their schedules for sky and Dynamis are roughly. I'd rather not interfere with other linkshells and create drama. However, I'm a little reluctant with asking them because some linkshells can be defensive amnd don't like new linkshells. I hate it when someone becomes hostile over a simple question.

On another note what do you think of age? I've been slightly considering that on the linkshell application an applicant would include their age. I myself am pretty young, but I've been around online games for several years and have experience with leading clans. However, with this experience I also know that a lot of people my age can be highly immature and well distracting and unreliable. So would you suggest that I make an age limit of say 16, 17, or 18?

[Gere]

So would you suggest that I make an age limit of say 16, 17, or 18?

How would you enforce that?

[Deuce]

So would you suggest that I make an age limit of say 16, 17, or 18?

How would you enforce that?

LOL Good point. Scratch that idea I guess.

[dilbert]

So would you suggest that I make an age limit of say 16, 17, or 18?

How would you enforce that?

LOL Good point. Scratch that idea I guess.

If your actually serious, Ask for their phone #'s and talk to their parents or spouce or just ask to see a valid drivers license via msn video

Probably a few ways to lie there but thats what I came up with

And anyway, Ive seen some kids that are really young who knows the game alot better than older people. To a certain degree age doesn't really matter in this game. It just matters how fast and easy you can learn the content

[evilpaul]

Require nudie pics to join. If the FBI shows up at your door or you appear in an episode of 'To Catch a Predator' they weren't 18+.

I hate that republican bitch with such a purple passion. Her and Rush Limbaugh. If they weren't running their conservative pie-holes spouting party rhetoric they wouldn't know what to do. I really think the two of them are completely devoid of any original ideas.

I'm still hoping to hear about a pill overdose or plane crash.

Anyway...

For Dynamis you can do them with only a few people get clears and get a decent amount of AF2 drops once you have people who know what they're doing. Having an experience puller, main tank, and a few decent BLMs (and nobody who's completely retarded DoT'ing MNKs or meleeing statues, etc) and you're good to go up to the Icelands.

Reread the Treastise too, it's good info.

[Lordwafik]

Best idea is to have your recruiters either a) in a relationship, or b) can resist the power of e-vagina. I've seen so many items fly to Y chromosome women due to the fact they're e-whoring to people in power.

I definitely would not want this. Any sugestions for how to avoid these situations? A strict rule of no e-relationships inside shell perhaps?

The only real way is know your recruiters, which should be something you've done already (like have good friends).

No e-lationships isn't something i'd want for my LS, because it's nice for the people to enjoy the LS, and it'd be silly to block someone's vision of fun. If the sackholder is in a relationship with a member, just hope that they're going to treat the rest of the LS fairly. This is a big reason why student/teacher relations are shunned.

[Septimus]

If your actually serious, Ask for their phone #'s and talk to their parents or spouce or just ask to see a valid drivers license via msn video

Probably a few ways to lie there but thats what I came up with

And anyway, Ive seen some kids that are really young who knows the game alot better than older people. To a certain degree age doesn't really matter in this game. It just matters how fast and easy you can learn the content

If someone asked for my phone number to get into a linkshell, I would immediately blacklist that person. That's just too damn creepy.

[Elesirdur]

lol I didn't write anything about age limits - who made the quote there with my name on it?

As for age, that's a tough one. For reference, I'm 23, have a University degree (go go BA History/PoliSci) and a job I enjoy. Just because you're over 20 doesn't mean you won't be a whiny, self-centered, cracked out/permafried/alcoholic/kicked by a mule artard, bitch. And just because a member is 16 doesn't mean they can't be rational, competent, and an enjoyable human being.

What's going to be difficult is recruiting quality players. Chances are, they're already in a good LS. What you need to find is good players that are being wasted in shitty LS' and poach them post haste.

I guess the other thing you want to think about it what's your time frame for specific activities? If you can wait 6 months before starting to camp Kings on a regular basis (just an example) then you can afford to train less experienced members up. If, on the other hand, you want to kill JoL as your first event; then you will need to recruit an elite crew from the get go.

[Elipse]

I'll give you a overview of my situation and some things I did as LS leader to help build my shell to where it is today.

You can look at http://www.orionsdoor.com and in our forums, you'll find some rules/guidelines, what we expect of applicants and the application form itself.

Basically our shell started late June, early July of last year. We started in sky (I suggest you start here) and slowly progressed to Sea. By slowly, i mean, even I didn't have sea access and we worked together as a team to get it. We took many breaks from sky activity/mini events to focus on CoP missions.

Fast forward a few months, we had a roster of about 50 players all with sea access and we were then able to clamp down the rule of "Must have sea access".

Since the early days, we've managed to do about 20+ kirins, 7-8 JoL's, 10ish Omegas, 3 Ultima's, tons of KS99s, etc. Tonight we did our first three Ouryu uncapped fights and managed to win them all. It was a great feeling.

Keep in mind, when we started, half the members had only killed Genbu/Suzaku before and never even touched something like Kirin. It was a process of growth and training. However, as time went on, as we started to have a little success, we started to pick up a few more experienced players, and that helped us gain some more success etc.

The leadership team will dictate the success of your linkshell. Make sure you pick your leaders wisely.

Pick the most mature people, and those with the best people skills over those who are just the best players. "How to's" on winning a fight can be learned, looked up on the net and put together by those with brains (ultimately this falls on your shoulders) BUT maturity and people skills are something thats developed over a life time. Its not something someone just picks up on a forum and says "BG says this is how you should do JoL".

You will likely not have the pick of the litter so to speak. You're not going to have every elite player in the world lining up to join your shell. You're unproven, you could fall apart next week for all they know. The only thing you have to sell them on, is you, and the fairness of the system you choose to adopt.

So what does that mean? It means you aren't going to get the best of the best who know the end game inside and out. What you are looking for is character or "Heart". Its all about attitude. I say it like 10 times on the application forum in my various posts. Its all about attitude. Those who are willing to work hard (important, its a long road) and those that have the determination to make things happen.

People say you can hide a personality? I say you can't. It comes out in everything you do. The thing is, most people just don't look at the details. Being "Nice" isn't about personality. Anyone, can be nice for a period of time. Never a judge an applicant on being nice. Judge them on your impression of their character, you're impression of a work ethic etc.

The application is most important, not just because you'll pick out little details about people, but because they filled out an application. I make everyone, even the brother of a best friend, fill out an application. Why? Just to see if they would do it. If they can't take 10-15 minutes out to fill out an application in detail, what makes you think they'll take 3-4 hours out to sit in some boring ass zone camping a mob for someone else to get a drop?

I'm good at picking people out based on their words. I look for phrases, word choices, and overall impressions of the person. DO NOT disregard things. Trust your instincts. Almost every single person I thought in the back of my mind was a risky invite or "Seems good, but something nagging me here" has turned out to be a problem in one way shape or form.

Unfortunately, in the begining unless you have some group together already, you're going to be in a situation probably wanting take anyone you can get, however, do not do that. It is so important you do not do that. You are building a team.

A team of 18 strong players can accomplish more, than a group of 36 players when half of them have shitty attitudes. It only takes 1 bad apple to spoil the bunch. So set your goals accordingly. Drop your dreams of beating say "Kirin" week one, and set a goal of maybe "Farm some sky pops" or do some BCNM's.

Perhaps even farm some limbus's etc. You are much better off with a small group thats good and works well together, and equiping that group and getting them as much experience as possible, then to just pick up whoever you can and growing.

On growth, keep your epeen in check. I see too many "leaders" (they aren't leaders, they have no leadership skills but for the purpose of this post, we'll call them leaders) who go and do broad invites.

They'll invite anyone they can get their hands on and grow and grow to do events. They see their visions of a linkshell with 40-50 members as the ultimate goal. So they recruit anyone they can get their hands on, so they can feel the power of running a large linkshell. Remember, more players, more mouths to feed. So every single player you invite, better be bringing some way to harvest food, or he's just a leech on the group (if you get the metaphore there)

DO NOT recruit just to do events. If you find 18 great people, but are short 5 people to do that kirin, don't go just picking up any 5 people to get it done. You're much better off holding on the kirin goal, and searching around for good players. (or better yet do it with 18, but my point here, is not about numbers.. you get it I'm sure)

On that note, finding good players. All the recruiting for my LS was done with word of mouth. We never posted on KI or anything of that nature to just find bodies. Get friends of people you trust, and people you find to be most mature. Avoid friends of people you find immature or borderline.
Also, go exp alot while you're building it. If you have multiple jobs, go level them all at different times, then you'll see different players, playing different roles.

1 person who became an LS leader (over time), was hand picked by me from a smn burn party. Something about him, he was mature, didn't act stupid, got the job done. When "shit hit the fan" he recovered well and used his brain.

Another player who is also an LS leader now, was found in a blm burn party. All the same reasons, mature, dedicated to the job, handles pressure if something goes wrong etc.

An important thing for you as a leader is to clearly outline and explain everything thats going to happen in the fight. Even if that means taking that extra 20 minutes before a fight going over the details for each job, the stun orders, how to make stun macros, etc. Get right down to the basics.

Now for some practical info that might help you from going crazy feeling you must recruit large numbers:

Sky pop mobs:

Despot, Steam Cleaner, Diorite/Ulli, Zipacna, BB, Water/Olla

Can all be farmed with a group of 6 easily.

As for Faust and MG, I've never had less than 9 people at them, so while it is my opinion that it could easily be done with 6, since I haven't attempted it, I won't pass it on as fact.

So with 6-9 skilled players you can farm everything needed to pop the 4 gods.

The gods themselves could be taken with a balanced group of 12 players no problem, and Kirin, 18 solid players that have gained experience working as a team.


Sea Pop Mobs:

All the Ix'Aerns can be done by a couple blm's. Anything beyond that is bonus. So thats half your Tier II jailer pop sets right there with a couple blm's.

As for Tier I Jailers. We did Faith with 6, Temperance with 8 (I've heard 6 is no problem and I believe it, just never tried it) and fortitude, we've never done with less than 12. I'm SURE it can be done with less. I've just never even bothered to try. We always have the member base to make it happen these days. As a ninja during night time I've kited this thing while the rest of the players pick off the Ghrahs, without ever being hit once. Hes not that fast so if you time it for night time, you only need a nin to kite and everyone else can focus on the Ghrahs.


Limbus:

You can win every basic limbus with a good group of 6 players. Sometimes luck plays a factor, but generally speaking 6 players can farm omega/ultima sets.

On that note, if you look at kanican.livejournal.com you'll find some info on how they fought ultima with 6 and took it to 1% and how they killed omega with I think 8 players, don't qoute me on that.

Anyhow, I know you could find that information anywhere, but I thought I'd post it to show you just how little you need to get started. Focus on quality over quantity.


To finally end my long post, I'll add that I'm willing to offer you any advice you wish on helping you get started. I know how tough it is being a leader in that position. Searching for good players, trying to get events, and hold an LS together, hoping people don't leave for other shells while you're getting the shell together etc.

You can PM me on my LS forums, I posted the link above, and I'm willing to look over any application you recieve and offer you my opinion on their character or any such thing you need. If you dont want the advice, np, best of luck to you ^^

Its a long road, but sheer will power will drive you through it, so don't give up.

[Elipse]

As for age limits, as for people posting above. You can just ask people and get an idea. Some may lie, you can't do much about that, however, from what I've experienced as a leader.

When I look at my list of who has been a problem member and needed to be removed its something like this.

Under 20: 8 players
Over 20: 2 players

So take that with a grain of salt and don't just slam a person cause their young, but maybe keep it in mind as a guideline for your recruiting.

[Deuce]

Thanks for the great advice. I was looking for that kind of insight from someone. It helps knowing what other leaders have done. Personally a goal of mine is to kill Kirin after about 1-2 months. Mainly because my first hand experience is pretty much nill, but I have quite a bit of knowledge on the subject at this point.