Proposal for using guild treasure-WE HAVE AN UPDATE!!!!

[Osom]

I also think it would be cool if guilds could have their own buildings in towns for the members to go chat and such, so perhaps purchasing one of those locations. c:  

[Oblat]

I haven't read what everyone has said but I guess the one read point I want to make is that gold is donated voluntarily and users know that whatever happens they gave that gold up with the knowledge that the gold may be used contrary to what the donor desires. I guess you should make a BIG OLD WARNING when users donate that outlines the agreement the donor is making.

With that run-on sentence out of the way I'll add my two cents in.

- The treasury can have parameters set to it. Limiting what the gold can be used for; much like it is now but add some options.

• Limit the gold that can be used a month.
  
• Do not allow the guild leader to take the gold directly from the treasury to their own account.
  
• Make a new shop that is for gaia guilds. Where guild leaders can spend the gold on specific update for the guild. Such as purchase a new layout style (well if the GGN Devs decide to allow for custom CSS for example.) Or say buy new ranks (if the Devs bring in a new ranking system that allows guild leaders to create ranks, name them and set permissions.) Or even buy specialty items for the guild members, for example a guild Tabard or Flag that guild members (and only members of the guild) can purchase and wear on their avatars to show their support/allegiance. Maybe crowns, cloaks or banners that sport the guilds colours and symbol (symbols that guild leaders can select from a list of symbols and colours. If you play WoW you know what I mean! >D)

 

[Pilotslover]

I don't approve of a bank I'm afraid, especially one that gives interest (Gaia's Site Feedback FMI sticky specifically states that this will not happen).

Pan is sadly correct, unless this system can be fully and completely moderated there is nothing in place to stop an unscrupulous individual from taking the gold from their guild; I speak specifically of captains of course since they'd be the only ones allowed to dole out the gold in the first place, there is nothing to stop that captain from creating a mule and transferring money out to that even if there is a cap.

Plus where would the limit be set? Some of the larger guilds have 10's/100's of thousands of gold in their accounts, who's to say how much they'd want to give out in a contest? I've entered contests where the top prize is 50k, I'm sure there are ones out there for more then that.

I can't see a way around it myself, I don't think there's a solution for this particular issue that won't be abused (Please someone prove me wrong, it's the most logical use of those funds after all!).

I love the idea of a guild hall and guild shop to put things in said hall, maybe they could use the Towns and have an actual guild meeting place (The guild pays 10k for a nice town hall and additional for the pretty things in it).

I also love the idea of charging to remove subforums and think this would be a good use of funds; set the rate at half the buy price of said forum and that's fair.

Advertising is another great idea.  

[ele360]

While I am not for paying to remove subofurms, I will say that another gold sink could at least be a step in the right direction. For the sake of killing two birds with one stone, or in this case getting two request granted with a single wish, I would say to simply add more things to the guild function that cost gold.

Examples would include sub forums inside sub forums (<--This!!!), start charging for the guild announcements (could cut down on the spam), guild resets that basically wipe the entire guild clean of all post (could save alot of time and require a modest fee), a line or word counter for the post (If the devs are willing. A lot of guilds, especially rp guilds would appreciate such things), maybe some new layouts, and lastly the option to change the default post style in your guild. (Maybe for what ever reason you want all mods to post with a document post style. This setting would auto post all crew members in the document post style).


In any case, that was my wall of ideas on the subject.  

[Ravenwolf]

The advertising idea sounds amazing. It's killing two birds with one stone, and both are really annoying birds that could use some killing.

I also like the ranking idea; I've been trying to set something like that up in my guild forever, but it's never gotten off the ground. That would need some more detailing, though....

I really can't think of a way to make the guild account completely viable for contest prizes either, though. I'm kind of in favor of Strude's idea, just warning users that there is a possibility that their gold can be abused. If they did add an open log of guild transactions, like wingedcentaur said, people would be able to judge for themselves that the guild has been honorable in the past, and they can make their own decisions. Perhaps also with the ability to report transactions? This would eliminate the need for active moderation, and if members notice that their entire guild treasury was inexplicably sent to one person, they would report it.

On the subject of deleting subforums, may I add rearranging them? I've always found that making subforums Crew Only was good enough to get them out of the way, but the inability to rearrange them is pretty annoying.  

[YoukaiTori]

I just have a simple suggestion that might have already been proposed... What about when using guild funds, it needs the approval of the captain and vice-captain(s)? Assuming that the members of the guild are donating/joining for good reason, that should be approval enough of the capability of the captains and vice-captains. This way, one person isn't spending all of the funds, but instead relies on the approval of others.  

[Purple-eyed Dreamer]

Illuminati sumus / adhus divinitus|
Praeditio maledictum / infernus rex foedus|

At last! I'm glad to read that is is being considered finally.
Many guilds use mules that work as bankers, it is now very popular. Mine has one as well. The guild members have put their trust in it since we use the gold to sponsor guild contests. And, actually, I can't see any other reason to use the gold from treasury...

In my guild, we send gold directly to the one who organises the contest or the winners. Whatever the way, there is more than one person who receives the gold and I believe it's similar in other guilds - there's no point in limiting the number of people who the gold can be sent to.

Please DO NOT limit the gold unless it's in percantage of the amount. Setting is as a certain amount would be pointless - as we all know, some guilds are rich, some not.

Please DO NOT make the options that are currently free of charge requiring some amount of gold (I'm not sure if I understood the idea of the guild shop mentioned by Strude correctly. If not, sorry.)

To be honest, my idea is not to give any limits at all. Before you think I'm crazy or greedy - think about it. Gold donated to the guild comes from users. If they see the captain or the crew abuses their donation, they won't donate any more. End of donation, end of gold, end of abuse. Solutions to problems are always obvious.

Plus, I'd like to be able to connect current banker mules to the guild somehow. There are too many of them to simply get rid of them. My question is - will they become against Gaia ToS when guild treasury becomes available for the crew?

Hibernus tempus anni / ventorum furia|
Obscuritas naturae / aeterna tenebra|

 

[Tantooden]

wingedcentaur

To help avoid abuse, I would suggest that all guild transactions would be a matter of public record, so to speak. A page that shows all transactions, a reason for them, etc. So that members can see if the gold is being used responsibly. No one would want to be a part of a guild that wasn't honest about their funds.

I second this 3nodding  

[Tantooden]

Ravenloue

Nanieru, I like the concepts behind your suggestions, but some of them are a bit too easy to abuse. Voting can always be manipulated and zomg/clans = towns 2.0. The cinema idea is a pretty neat one, but Gaia would have to deal with the sponsors with that one and I'm not sure it would fly past them ^^;

Thank you so much.
And yes...that's is why I left it as a last option, because I know how difficult could be for Gaia.
0~o And about the weakness....yes probably, I forgot that people tends to have lot of mules in the same guild but that can be work out, I think.

And second the adverticement idea,
Ele360 Sub forum for subforum
and strude observations and ideas, too. 3nodding  

[Pilotslover]

The sub forum within a sub forum is an idea that comes up a lot, I like it.

Still don't like using guild gold for contests though sweatdrop , it's just too open to abuse.  

[Kaput Cards]

LollyxBeans

I think it would be useful to use the guild money for things less related to buying and selling, however, and more related to the guild itself. Customizations, features, and advertising are just a few of the things that they could offer. It would be like a 'guild store', in which you buy things to 'dress up' your guild.

For example:

Some people want a word counter (I'm just using something from the previous posts as an example) in their guild. So, they would go to this guild 'shop', and purchase the feature with the guild gold. It would be activated, and stored much like the Gaia Labs features - except it would be only applicable to the guild.

I like that idea. Different customizations work better for some guilds more than others, and because the setup would be kind of similar to Gaia Labs it's not something the developers haven't done before.  

[mamarita]

So far so good. I like what I am seeing- a couple of things I definitely think would like to submit and we will keep adding ideas:

1. Selling back subforums for 1/2 the cost- we sell back items to stores at 1/2 the cost of the items- why not subforums.... Excellent idea!!! And that will wipe out all the threads at the same time- no need to delete them one by one!

2, If the guild goes to the shops or marketplace and buys items, have the guild have a viewable inventory that all members can SEE, but only the Captain or Vice Captain can access (which means only the C or VC can shop with the treasury). This would be a BIG programming change I believe. Will need to run this past Panagrammic ahead of time to see if the Guilds themselves can be considered a user.

3. Guilds actually have a building to meet in. OMG, how long have we had a virtual coffee shop in the guild but we can only imagine what it looks like? What if we could actually have one? LOVE THE IDEA!!!

4. Viewable listing of how the treasury is used. Excellent idea. How else can we keep the Captain and VC in check. There is already programming in place for a log of crew activities, so we just expand it so the entire membership can view a log of treasury activity. That shouldn't be a far reach for the developers.

5. To set the record straight, we do pay for announcements. And everytime I send one out, I put the gold into the guild treasury to cover the cost out of my own personal funds. And yes, the GGN Vice Captain is the current guild mule that we use for contests. He could conceivably become defunct if we get actual use of the guild treasury and is current gold balance would be transferred here. BTW- all crew members have access to the guild mule.

6. Paying to rearrange subforums isn't a good idea, but I will throw that one out to Panagrammic now anyway to see if there is a way he can give that to us.

7. Advertising is a great idea.

KEEP THE IDEAS COMING

AND I THINK WE ARE ADDRESSING THE ABUSE SUBJECT QUITE WELL. I AM SO PROUD OF ALL OF YOU!!!!!!!!!  

[DGwar]

First and foremost. Any use of the funds to buy items, give to players, or other things of that like will more than likely get shot down. Those are serious red flags as they can easily be used to abuse the funds.

However, using the funds to delete subforums, change the layout colors, or even get a bit creative and perhaps have guild ranks we can buy and use. Additionally, things like custom icons or something could be a genuinely good concept. Yes, it could be abused, but most people i think wouldn't do so. Captains could opt to use the funds to set up ranks, with a custom icon next to the person"s name that would show thier rank. Additional to the icon would be the rank name?

All in all though, really, this is a complex and risky thing to if the funds are allowed to do ANYTHING outside of purchasing things for the guild.

Hell, you could have a guild town house even, that would allow for a lot of fund usage and still keep it from being abused.

 

[DGwar]

Strude

I haven't read what everyone has said but I guess the one read point I want to make is that gold is donated voluntarily and users know that whatever happens they gave that gold up with the knowledge that the gold may be used contrary to what the donor desires. I guess you should make a BIG OLD WARNING when users donate that outlines the agreement the donor is making.

With that run-on sentence out of the way I'll add my two cents in.

- The treasury can have parameters set to it. Limiting what the gold can be used for; much like it is now but add some options.

• Limit the gold that can be used a month.
  
• Do not allow the guild leader to take the gold directly from the treasury to their own account.
  
• Make a new shop that is for gaia guilds. Where guild leaders can spend the gold on specific update for the guild. Such as purchase a new layout style (well if the GGN Devs decide to allow for custom CSS for example.) Or say buy new ranks (if the Devs bring in a new ranking system that allows guild leaders to create ranks, name them and set permissions.) Or even buy specialty items for the guild members, for example a guild Tabard or Flag that guild members (and only members of the guild) can purchase and wear on their avatars to show their support/allegiance. Maybe crowns, cloaks or banners that sport the guilds colours and symbol (symbols that guild leaders can select from a list of symbols and colours. If you play WoW you know what I mean! >D)

This basically was what I was talking about for the most part.