Longtime ZAM user Adam "Ferrel" Trzonkowski has written a book that gives guidance to guild leaders. Get some details about the book and author in our interview!

ZAM: One common thread throughout the book is your STAFF attributes: Serenity, Transparency, Availability, Flexibility and Fairness. How did you come up with these guiding principles for guild leaders?

Trzonkowski: I came up with STAFF through a lot of pain and suffering. There is really no other way to explain it. Iniquity always did a good job with transparency and fairness. That was the easy part. I had been in guilds that were neither transparent nor fair so I just took those lessons and put them to good use. Serenity, flexibility and availability were all things I learned through my mistakes. I watched what upset guild members the most and where I made the greatest missteps. Once I had done that I developed the system.

ZAM: Your book's incredibly detailed. For example, you include example documents such as a guild charter, raid and loot policies, and recruitment rules. How do you feel guild leaders can balance too many rules versus too few?

Trzonkowski: That is one of the hardest jobs as a guild leader. If you have too few rules a guild takes on a sense of randomness. No one is sure how something will be handled and that uncertainty is dangerous. On the other end of the spectrum too many rules can be inflexible and binding. Depending on a guild’s mission the leader needs to look at having enough rules to cover most things but not a rule for every specific occurrence.

ZAM: Speaking of massive lists of rules, do you have advice for casual guild leaders who are just attempting to run a friendly guild without constricting guidelines?

Trzonkowski: Never assume that a friendly and casual guild doesn’t need some guidelines. Even casual organizations need some structure. Set up some really general rules that cover the important things. How do you join the guild? How do you become an officer? What about loot? What will you absolutely not tolerate? The last one is the most important. Everyone should know what is unacceptable.

ZAM: From your posts on Epic Slant, it's apparent that you're currently playing Rift quite a bit. In fact, your guild Iniquity is recruiting. Iniquity started with EverQuest II, and as you mention in your post, real life commitments have made your progression in Rift slow and steady. What are your thoughts on moving a guild between games and dealing with the lifestyle changes of your members?

Trzonkowski: Shifting from one game to another is dangerous for a guild. Some players will want to remain on the old game while others want to go to the new. You can, quite easily, split your guild in half with neither part able to stand alone. Making a move to multi-game or shifting should always be considered carefully. It is going to happen regardless but you’ll have players who follow the guild and some that will just want to play what they want to play. Always stick to what the majority of your team players want to do. As far as lifestyle changes go, a guild has to decide whether or not they’ll tolerate it. A competitive raid guild probably won’t. They’ll replace old guys like me with younger ones who have less responsibility. Guilds that will tolerate lifestyle changes have to learn to be willing to compromise. There are nights where real life torpedoes our raids and we just accept it and reschedule.

ZAM: All proceeds from your book through June 30 will go to the Fisher House Foundation, which is a great cause. Why did you choose this charity?

Trzonkowski: I’ve worked with the military for years and have been on bases that have primary care facilities for troops wounded down range. It can be heart breaking to watch and just imagine what it would be like to be in Germany, wounded, and not able to have your family there to hold your hand. Americans support our military but sometimes they forget that no soldier, sailor, airman or marine wears a uniform alone. When you put on a uniform your parents, spouse, and children do too. The Fisher House brings those unsung healers to their wounded family member. It lets them hold hands. It reduces the fear and anxiety. There are a lot of worthy charities but this is one I’ve seen in action.

ZAM: Do you have anything else you'd like to add?

Trzonkowski: I just want to thank you for your interest in my book! I’ve been using ZAM since the EQ days and really appreciate the audience there. I also wanted to say that even if you’re not a guild leader or officer you really can benefit from this book. It will give you a great perspective on the “hows” and “whys” behind what your leadership does.

Darryl "Togikagi" Gangloff, Editor-in-Chief