When you are getting into a roleplay community, you may have the opportunity to join an organization, or ‘clan’, as they are more commonly called. However, if there are none that initially appeal to you, you may see it necessary to create your own. In this guide, I will talk you through the first few steps to establishing a brand and theme from which you can successfully build off.
Set an Objective
Even though this is usually a given, many amateur clan creators forget to designate a pure purpose to their organization. If you are in a Half-Life 2 roleplay server, your prime objective may be to take down or disrupt the combine rule or strengthen it.
Without a clear-cut focus, your activity will be all over the place, and members will be less inclined to join you due to the ambiguity of your work.
However, this isn’t to say you can’t deal with multiple sectors, but you should first start with one and then clearly introduce more as you grow.
Decide on a Name
This makes or breaks a clan. A common misconception is that your name has to be ‘hip’, ’fresh’ and ‘cool’. This is not the case, as is represented by successful real-world companies such as ‘Apple’, ‘Next’ and ‘McDonald’s; most brands are usually named after someone, or are just one word! You should stay away from the aforementioned types of names, which generate results such as ‘The Black Hand Gang’ or ‘The Annihilators of Scorpio’. These names make me, and I’m sure a lot of other people, go into cringe overload and dissolve any sense of credibility you may have otherwise had.
Contemplate a logo
Again, another misconception is that you have to have a logo. It is not necessary, and should only really be considered when you are attempting to upscale your operations.
No logo is better than a bad logo, as having a misrepresentation of your professionalism compromises the image that we are trying to establish in this guide.
When you feel you are ready for a logo, I would recommend that you either learn how to photoshop yourself or contact a logo maker in your local community. Don’t rip something that has already been created.
Selecting Members Carefully
An extremely stupid thing I see a lot of newer players do when they create an organization is to invite everyone they come across to join them. If this is the case, you might as well set up a one-time roleplay, as you won’t last long with the wave of unloyal and backstabbing hooligans you have just employed.
Remember the key, ‘quality, not quantity, and stick by it. One good player is better than two who don’t do anything. Even though the ultimate objective is to get a large number of good players, this is a gradual process and will take time. Play the long game.
Create Public Documents
If you have the opportunity to, post public documents. This is most likely going to be in the form of a post on the community’s online forums. This will give you exposure and should include an application template, so those who want to join can send you their résumé.
Establish Clan Locations and Push Activity
Now you have all of the admin and brand work set up, you should start looking towards becoming active.
I would personally consider an active clan to be doing some form of in-game group work at least once every two weeks. Keep in mind, the more active you are, the more people will apply to you, and the faster you will grow.
You must build roleplays that complement your objective; if you are a trading clan, perhaps you can build a depot as your offices in which you conduct your events!
These are the first few steps you should take to establish a steady foundation of an in-game roleplay organization. In the future, I will delve deeper into the internal workings of clans, and give you advice on how to grow when you have initial exposure.