BioWare have today opened up a very cool pre-launch guild program for their highly anticipated MMO title, Star Wars: The Old Republic.
This program allows players to register and reserve their guilds well in advance of the game going live. Now this doesn't just include the name but the entire guild and its membership as well as the option of forming potential alliances and adversaries with other clans should they wish. Of course other players are able to search through the list of clans and apply to join them also. Letting newbies get to know the people they'll be playing with before retail and reserve themselves a spot.
Now the best part about this is that it's not just some gimmicky out of game feature. Providing the leader confirms the guild is still active when phase3 of this program arrives (shortly before launch) and at least 4 members have pre-ordered a copy of the game (pre-order program details will come soon) by this time too, these guilds will be transferred into the game itself on a server type/time zone of their preference when they created. No hastle of creating our guilds on day one and slowly trying to get everyone invited. We'll simply create our character and be greeted by an invite the minute we log-in, have everything ready and waiting for us. How handy?!
Also to note is that considering we're able to pick a time-zone preference it appears we'll be able to play on EU, US West or US East servers no matter where we're from. Of course the guild itself will have to be on one or the other unless we go with both but this is great news for us as a community. Giving us the option of playing together should we wish.
Going with the forum responses on our previous TOR thread it seems the majority of us (those of whom posted) are either wanting to play as the Sith Empire or will play either faction as their main with only a couple who intend to play as the Republic. Most of us coming from Europe. If you plan on playing too but haven't posted your preference feel free to make yourself heard on the forum. This may change where and who we play as.
Taking said responses into account I have created us a Sith clan on a EU PvP server right here. Please come join us!. (You can find more information on the pre-launch guild program here too.)
Be sure to keep up to date via the forums should we create a US or Republic clan. Ideally our aim is to only confirm one clan for phase3 importing and have everyone join that one if possible but we'll see what happens. ;)
