24 Apr
Posted by JohnnyLocke as Articles, Clans | 0 Comments
First of all let me say that I do not agree with merging 2 clans, and it is very rare when it does happen. But if you happen to find yourself in this situation, best of luck! haha!
Merging 2 separate gaming clans together into one organization can be quite the delicate task. After all, they are 2 separate entities probably managed in 2 separate ways. Merging is tricky because everyone always wants to be at the top of the totem pole and no one is going to be willing to sacrifice. Let’s just assume, for complexities sake, that both clans have similar ranking systems. There is no sure fired way to have this run smoothly, but here are some points to remember;
You could merge them together, having all members keep their previous rank. That would be a happy solution to a daunting problem. But, is it realistic? Probably not. When a clans member base doubles, the size of their leadership staff probably does not need to double. Excessive amounts of members with power will almost certainly lead to power abuse. Try to avoid this.
ALWAYS merge the two organizations into the largest one of the two. There is no need for 2 clans to share channels or servers, and hold separate websites, and remain two different entities. By size alone, the larger clan is entitled to keep it’s name, channel, and website, and the smaller clan should be merged into the structure already set by the larger clan.
All ranking decisions should be made by the 2 leaders. There is no civil way to go about it. Some people are going to lose rank to their new members. The 2 leader’s shoudl sit down and discuss how well of a job their current leadership staff’s have been doing.
Make sure you know what you’re getting into. Make absolutely sure of it. A merger could effectively dismantle an entire organization if it’s not done right. Know who you’ll be leading the clan alongside, and know him well. Know how he likes to lead his clan, and make sure his your styles will coincide with each others.
Don’t rush into it. Set a date and try to make the shift as seamlessly as possible. Make sure the dissolving clan leaves its members lots of ways to find out where to locate the new channel/server, and website.
Make your new members feel at home. Offer to play games with them, and most importantly get to know them. There is most certainly going to be an awkward timeframe after the merger where the two sides are getting to know each other, but try to deal with it be forging new friendships, instead of pushing them away.
02 Apr
Posted by JohnnyLocke as Reviews, Services, Websites | 2 Comments
ClanTemplates.com has become a commodity in the gaming community. Aside from their large choice of different free web templates for clans, they also boast a very active forum filled with the gaming community’s most sought after coders and designers. You can find everything from templates, to forum signatures, to logo’s here.
Upon browsing through their template database, there is one thing that sticks out to me; quality. Almost all of their templates are of high quality (Yes, the free ones.) The templates are very well designed, and most of them are customizable. Not all of them contain the PSD files, but most of them are open enough for you to work around in photoshop.
Another noticeable quality of ClanTemplates; quanitity. They boast a database of over 70 games, and hundreds of templates. If there is nothing to appeasing in your game, I suggest you check out the “Default” section of the free templates as well. There is truly something for everyone.
If for some reason you just can’t seem to find anything worthwhile in the free section, the premium template section also boasts a huge assortment of wonderful templates. Although, I will say most of the templates in this section look more suited for general gaming websites, rather than clan websites, they are still very well designed and easy on the eyes. Oh, and did I mention cheap too? The average template in this section goes for around $65.
ClanTemplates.com is easily at the forefront of Clan Web Design, and are offering a very great service for free. If you can’t find something you want, I would strongly suggest checking out the forum and seeing if anyone there can help you out.
RATING: 5/5