How MMO guilds deal with conflicts in World of Warcraft

1. Virtual Power: How MMO guilds deal with conflicts in virtual worlds. Luca rossi - University of Urbino “Carlo Bo” [email_address]

2. MMOs are a good place for social networking ( both bridging and bounding ) but what about guilds? conflicts ?

3. Guilds, not only raiding together, but sharing of a goal. intended goal vs actual goal “ ” We had problem within guild members who thought that was necessary to enrol good players and who thought the guild was just a bunch of good friends …

4. Guilds are not fluid and getting in and out can be quite complicated. At the same time guilds deal with group coordination that means: time and space

5. “ ” The problem is that’s not nice when you just realize that you’ve wasted your evening because of someone who didn’t show up […]

6. To avoid the wasting of time guilds have a number of social and technical tools: online calendar, ML, forum, SMS, mobile phone… “ ” […] every member has the mobile phone number of the guild master and of every officer, so if anything happens you’re supposed to call them. If you don’t do it, it’s obvious that you don’t care […]

7. How can guild solve conflicts when they arise? Does power really exist in WoW? “ ” If someone would show to be not really trustable… then a GM would have a talk with him and as last option there’s always the /gkick Hirschman defines this as the voice/exit couple, the non-destrucitve way to solve conflicts within a social system

8. “ ” In 15-20 we moved away… we disagreed about that way of playing. Anyway I’m still friend with many of them. The exit option: - guildleft - secession - guildkick secession

9. “ ” The exit option: - guildleft - secession - guildkick guildkick In 15-20 we moved away… we disagreed about that way of playing. Anyway I’m still friend with many of them. The exit option: - guildleft - secession - guildkick

10. power in world of warcraft Power: the ability to direct or influence the behaviours of others - [the choose between an action or a less desirable alternative (Luhmann)] gkick as the form of power : power is constructed within social groups by controlling the access of valuable resources. In the game the valuable resources that is needed is the opportunity to gather up in a good group of players reducing the wasting of time.

11. Flexible power ? The need of grouping up depends from many elements that are going to change even in the next expansion.