Whole Guild server transfers in the hopes to recruit.. Does it actualy work out?

[brunnor]

I have done all ends of this over my years. One of my guild elected to stay on server and attempt to merge there with another guild, another one elected to stay on server and try to recruit and my current one elected to server xfer to a better realm.

All the reasons for an "action" were the same. We couldn't keep getting good enough people to progress the way each guild wanted. I can tell you that xfering in my most recent guild is what saved us and made us better.

Picking a server was an interesting issue due to how many people want a server in a cluster closer to them for lower ms. In the end, you just need to pick one that fits your guilds needs. In our case, we picked a server with some close on server competition in hopes to push players more to do better, it worked well. If you are going for something similar, you'd need to do good guild research on where you are going. You don't want to go to a server that has lots of guilds that raid the same times as you but are distinctly better in progression because that would mean you will have trouble recruiting as you are the "2nd" guild in that time slot etc.

The biggest thing is make sure the move actually will fix your issues. Don't just xfer because you are having troubles and want something new to hope that it fixes everything. Make sure that it is ONLY a recruitment issue you are trying to fix. Nothing will kill a guild faster than xfering in a bad condition.

It worked out well, recruitment opened up hugely, the new server got some life back in to people cause they could actually go and do things instead of just afking in towns and the economy was hugely more useful to us.

[Azvanna]

Thanks everyone for replying. I read through everyone's responses and it seems from people's experiences that whole guild transfers only work if you have a highly reliable core group, choose the right server and put in a lot of time to create infrastructure for new recruits that both scouts and shapes raiding habits. If there is no one there to do this, the guild is at risk of crumbling.

Personally, I would love to stay on the server and see a recruitment plan that extends beyond advertising on forums in action. I can see the very same issue occurring on a higher populated realm without mega changes in recruitment style.

So, if the move is to go ahead, at least now I have a clearer picture on what the leadership will need to do to make this work:
-Choose a realm we suspect will be similar in raid progression.
- Choose a medium populated server (high over full).
- Create and maintain a recruitment plan that brings renown to the guild, enables scouting and gives under-geared raiders a chance to gear up while fostering a sense of belonging.

I think the third part will be the hardest and it's what is lacking even now.

If it were up to me, I'd be happy to stay on the server and just work on a recruitment plan, but most people are keen to move for one reason or another.

[Vaelorian]

Thanks everyone for replying. I read through everyone's responses and it seems from people's experiences that whole guild transfers only work if you have a highly reliable core group, choose the right server and put in a lot of time to create infrastructure for new recruits that both scouts and shapes raiding habits. If there is no one there to do this, the guild is at risk of crumbling.

Personally, I would love to stay on the server and see a recruitment plan that extends beyond advertising on forums in action. I can see the very same issue occurring on a higher populated realm without mega changes in recruitment style.

So, if the move is to go ahead, at least now I have a clearer picture on what the leadership will need to do to make this work:
-Choose a realm we suspect will be similar in raid progression.
- Choose a medium populated server (high over full).
- Create and maintain a recruitment plan that brings renown to the guild, enables scouting and gives under-geared raiders a chance to gear up while fostering a sense of belonging.

I think the third part will be the hardest and it's what is lacking even now.

If it were up to me, I'd be happy to stay on the server and just work on a recruitment plan, but most people are keen to move for one reason or another.

So, if the move is to go ahead, at least now I have a clearer picture on what the leadership will need to do to make this work:
-Choose a realm we suspect will be similar in raid progression.

I don't think this is a good option. But you are ofcourse free to differ in opinion. Explanation:
If you choose a realm that is the same in progression as your current one, you will likely end up in the same situation you are in now. That realm you'll transfer too will probably have the same issues your current server has.

What you need to figure out is: "Will my guild have the ambition to be better then we are currently in terms of progress?"
If the answer is YES, you are probably going to be in a better place with a realm slightly better in terms of progress then your current one. Other players won't mind transferring to that server either. I mean if they can't get what they want from your guild they might /gquit and go for another guild on that same realm. So options are better for those players. Sure you want em to stick to your guild, but most people (especially ones that do not know you yet) want to keep their options open even if they are very loyal.

- Choose a medium populated server (high over full).

You are better off at a high populated server IF you think you can be "up there" with the better progressed guilds. Medium servers are right now pretty low imo in population.

- Create and maintain a recruitment plan that brings renown to the guild, enables scouting and gives under-geared raiders a chance to gear up while fostering a sense of belonging.

pretty good idea yes

But if you think "scouting" is just as easy as writing it, you're in for a big pile of dissapointment. Scouting used to be pretty easy. You could run heroics or PUG (on your own server) raids and see who would maybe be the ones you wanted in your guild. You could then approach them. Nowadays it is much much harder. LFX does not take very long anymore. Especially LFD. If you want to try it via LFD my advice would be:
- make sure you know beforehand what your guild needs in terms of classes: if you need a dps you take with you 1 tank, 1 healer and 1 dps from your guild with you into that LFD. Why? Well for one: you can compare what your guildies are capable of and compare to the puggers. You can also try and make those puggers engage in social conversation more easily = easier to befriend someone. You're better of taking people from your guild that are really good so the puggers have an idea of what the level of skill is in your guild. Same applies to LFR but it is even harder to approach someone there. I would suggest Flex. Again take as many of your guild as possible and try to make it look like it is a total guildrun. Talk a lot, show the effort in downing the bosses and how you do things. Never badmouth anyone not even your own guildies (even if it is meant as a joke).

The other advice is go search in the many websites where applies are being made. NEVER REPLY on a post unless you could not contact them ingame (and say you did the effort of trying to contact them ingame) and say when you will try again. The potential recruit will see that you took effort into recruiting him/her. You see so many idiot guilds thinking they can recruit by copy/pasting their recruitmentstatement. This game is a social game. If YOU want people YOU need to go the extra mile other guilds do not.

And last advice: your guild needs to have something other guilds do not. Do you have special and more fair lootrules then other guilds especially to newcomers? Does your guild love profanity in chat as a part of humor? Is your guild 18+ or higher? You need to set yourself apart from others. And you need to research what the other guilds on your server are like. Talk to people around. Sometimes the best way to do this is just ask a member of those guilds you are in competition with as a level 1 alt (guildless) and say you are interested in that guild. It may be sneaky but you get the best results.

Also get in touch with the other GM of that server who you are in competition with. It helped me a lot and due to that it created a better competitive server without all the drama that sometimes can be created.

Ok final advice: BEHAVE and be HELPFULL even to non guildies.

[Draahl]

Tbh unless you turn out to be a top 5 guild on the new server, no it dont work. Recruitment is stale everywhere unless you have a proven community in the guild.

[Vaelorian]

Tbh unless you turn out to be a top 5 guild on the new server, no it dont work. Recruitment is stale everywhere unless you have a proven community in the guild.

Also pretty good advice

[Azvanna]

Tbh unless you turn out to be a top 5 guild on the new server, no it dont work. Recruitment is stale everywhere unless you have a proven community in the guild.

Totally agree. Although I think ranking matters less than community! We are currently ranked 2nd ten player team on our server, probably technically 1st depending on how well the other guild is going on the next boss. We still have to do a bit of leg work to recruit.

[Meillquei]

I was in a similar situation about a year or so ago. I used to be in a huge guild with a ton of people and 4 10 man raid groups. Some drama happened and my raid group ended up splitting off from the guild. This guild was on a quiet server, and my group transferred to a huge server.

The experience ended up OK I suppose. We landed in a guild with 2 other 10 man groups. It worked well until summer rolled around. We started having attendance problems left and right. This was when TOT was current content, and both our tanks ended up quitting within like a week of each other. Being on a huge server didn't help us fill the spots much. Our group fell apart because the attendance problems grew to be too much and my raid leader couldn't take it anymore.

So to answer your question, it is a so-so situation. Keep in mind that a lot of groups do the same thing.