Albion Online: Casual United

You might have seen the name drop, or seen us running past you during the alpha’s.
You might be a casual, solo or new player yourself and wonder if we are “yet another casual guild”
No matter the reason, you are still reading. So let me tell you what we are about.

How it started
Before winter alpha, just like most of you, I was stranded looking for a game to enjoy. The “free to play” usually meant exactly the opposite.
And here was a game ready to break the tradition of low difficulty, energy based, carebear games.
But hardcore gamers where all the Albion Online Gold, I noted that guilds had harsh requirements that most casuals cant provide.
So I started pondering, and came up with the following:

Together with a small amount of players we headed towards trying this concept. We knew bloody well how hard this would be.
you can read more about it here : a guild for casual solo players

Then what happened?
The unexpected.
We went and survived the first week, then we thrived, then we grew bigger and bigger.
The island had to be rebuild halfway because we became much bigger then expected.
More and more people apparently where stuck playing solo, or feeling left behind because they where not able to play all the time.

The goal was never to let this grow out of proportions. Being casual myself. But that is where we are now.
Together with a student group of socio-logics, psychologist, historians and cooks (never underestimate the cooks) we started brainstorming about what it meant to be casual.
And how guild foundations should be cast to make this guild run its self!

So what was the result?
Many fights, debates, coffee and cookies later we decided on some guidelines.

There had to be no more then 5 laws. (study showed most people don’t remember more then 4, gamers get to 7 easy… think about that)
The laws had to be naturally accepted without need to Buy Albion Online Gold or doctrine. (if they fight the gamers nature, they create friction, friction is bad)
It needs a currency that is not affected by the world around it. ( Casual United debate : Favor points )
Participation effort should be minimal and easily achieved. (the requirements to join would thus be minimalism)
The most precious resource should always be time. (because that is what most people don’t have)