Guild Master of First Legion Germanica; Travis Fulton

When I first started researching my topic I was a little intimidated particularly, by the fact that the WoW culture was so large and broad. After doing an extensive amount of research, I found that there were subcultures within WoW called guilds, and that my friend Travis was apart of one. Having no experience in this game, I knew that doing individual research would only get me so far, and that if I wanted to get a true understanding of this culture called a guild, I needed to do an interview with Travis, and watch him play the game himself.

Travis has been a serious and loyal player of the game WoW. He has been playing for over 5 years. When Fulton first started playing WoW, he joined a large guild, where many things were unorganized and his team was not powerful. As years passed, Fulton has become the Guild master of his team called, “First Legion Germanica,” and he has found a group of members who all share his same skill level and interest for the game. This is why I felt that Travis would be a great candidate to interview about this topic.

On October 6, 2012, I did a one-on-one interview with Travis Fulton, and sat down and watched him play the game myself. During the interview, he opened up, and gave me a clear understanding of how the game worked and what the communication is like amongst his guild called First Legion Germanica. Travis had a headset on and was talking to his other guild members. I noticed that he was using a lot of jargon amongst the game that as an observer I did not understand. After an hour went by, I started becoming involved and intrigued in the game. I began to realize the interaction between the players was vital. If players did not communicate with each other, a team member would be killed or they as a guild would lose the mission. It’s like a football team. There HAS to be communication. Sitting back and observing, I can see how people become so addictive to this game, and why WoW is a multi billion-dollar corporation. If I didn’t have Travis’s expertise, I wouldn’t have such a clear understanding of his guild and this unique culture.

What is your name?

-Travis Fulton

What’s the game of your Guild?

–First Legion Germanica

Why did you join a Guild?

–       When I first started playing WoW, everyone told me that I needed to join a Guild. Obviously when I first started, I had no idea what I was doing, so I joined a larger guild made up of a 180 people. THAT IS HUGE! Obviously, the team had no idea what they were doing. As time went on, I gained experienced and met a lot of similar players to me, and decided a year ago to make my own guild. First Legion Germanica is a smaller guild (around 75 people) made up of family and friends. This really works for me personally, because all the players on my team share a similar interest and share a common goal. You typically want to join a guild that matches your style of play. Being a part of my guild has taken my over all experience of WoW to a whole different level. It’s awesome being able to connect with players from all around the world through this game. I have met some of my best friends off this game.

What’s so different about being apart of this group versus other groups on WoW?

–You are able to enhance your overall gaming experience being apart of any Guild, but especially one where everyone is on the same page.  There are all different types of Guilds, but as I said before, I am in the Friend and Family Guild. I am a personal guy who likes to socialize with others. If I need help, I know where to find advice and receive it.

What’s the advantage of being in a small Guild?

–Having a group of players that are willing to help me is awesome! Being able to have a personal relationship over the Internet with the majority of the members allows me to communicate with them whenever I want, and vise versa. There are times when I need help on a certain level and they are right there to support me and tell me the knowledge and skills I need to get through that particular challenge. Lastly, in my experience, small guilds are more reliable when asking questions or needing help than entering a general chat room or larger guilds.

 What are some good characteristics of Guild members amongst your culture?

–All members are actively participating and willing to help your Guild members out.

-Having good leadership and strong rules, so that there are less conflicts and the members have one common goal and direction.

-Loyalty and generosity, Guild members should be willing to share information and items to help you achieve things and goals.

What’ is the communication like for “First Legion Germanica?”

–          I would say that we have a type of loyalty and bond where members can communicate even when they are not online. So through telephone, Internet or even face-to-face if they are from the same area. What’s unique about our Guild, is that every Monday we hold an online meeting through Facebook, and it is somewhat like a conference. We go over our up coming events and challenges ahead. Also, anyone who has questions or needs help, their answers are solved. It’s a great way to stay in contact with each member and create that special bond, which will only enhance our team and our overall rankings.

The link below is an alternative Interview with a Guild Master in World of Warcraft.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69kuGmRKNOA[/youtube]

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