What is Guild Loyalty?

    I am writing this because I was listening to Tauren Think Tank (a Wonderful Podcast) a week or so ago, and they addressed the subject of why people are loyal to their guilds was discussed.  This came as someone had written in asking why with real ID, Cross realm grouping, and other such features people are loyal to their guilds anymore.  He had written up and clarified that he was meaning Loyal to a guild after a guild mistreats you, or doesn't value you as it should, he wasn't just saying you should go guild less.

      We have run out guild for almost 6 years now.  We haven't always been a big guild, or a guild that focused on more then raiding etc...  As a matter of fact, I remember it was at the end of Burning Crusade when we decided to open up to people outside our family, and my mage started porting to the starting areas for all the alliance races and spamming macros to get people to join.  At this point, we were discussing starting to raid, and looking in that direction.  This was interesting to me, because at the time my raiding character, my hunter Lazyeye, was in another guild named Midnight.

     Midnight had made me and my wife officers.  I had already discussed with the guild leader the fact I was also recruiting for Fear Itself, and he knew that I was working on building both guilds in my own way and being careful about not dividing loyalties.  I managed to maintain this without creating any issues and all seemed fine.

     Then me and my wife disagreed with a move the guild leader and co-guild leader (his wife) made.  They had given a character probation, then kicked him the next day before the probation had even truly started (Which didn't match their guild policies btw).  My wife took this personally because she had been the person who would work with this character on fixing the issues people where having with him.  We voiced our opinion to the guild leaders, and the next day, when both where logged out our characters where kicked from that guild.

   This turned out to be for the better.  I was able to fully focus on building Fear Itself, and Midnight imploded shortly afterwards. (The only reason I am using the actual guild name is the fact it hasn't existed on Zangarmarsh since the beginning of Wrath) Several of our friends followed us from Midnight after it fell and joined, and more then a couple are still friends in one fashion or another in game today.

     I mention this, because before we where kicked from the guild... me and my wife where discontent there.  We had discussed leaving already and the kick out the door wasn't ideal but I was more upset with how it was handled, then the fact it happened.  So I look back now, and I wonder why I hadn't left before things reached the point where it ended.  What kept me from leaving before that happened.

    I will tell you.  Attachments to my friends.  Desire to not let their raid team down, when they planned on me being there.  The feeling that I had made enough difference in that guild, that I felt obligated to keep it going.  This all kept me in that guild, splitting my time two ways etc... and those things can keep you locked into a guild today still.

    The question comes back too, does that matter when you can real ID folks from a guild you leave, so you can continue to help them here and there?  What expectations should a guild have on keeping someone?
What should a person expect from their guild?  If you put time and effort into the guilds raid team, do you owe it to them to stick it out or should they thank you for the time you contributed and not worry about you moving on?

     I really don't have the answers here, because I believe that are unique to the individual playing.  There are times I have wanted to work on alts, or considered finding another guild to run with on occasion, but I am always stopped because any effort I put there now, is time I am not putting into this guild that we have built.  I would love to find a night to consistently run older content, but right now it isn't plausible as I have kids and work that comes first.  So if I get that time, it will be folded back into Fear Itself, and not elsewhere.

     I am tied to the guild completely at this point.  I sometimes hide on an alt or two if I want to go level or play quietly, but at the end of the day, my commitments all tie to Fear Itself.  I am not sure what would have to happen to break those ties either.  I have put years of effort into raiding there.  Worked hard to build and maintain the guild.  This thing is my baby.  Short of an all out war with the guild leader (which is never happening) I don't believe I would vacate my home, and at the point I did, I am not sure how long I would play after losing all that I have gained.

What do you think?

Lag/Lazyeye/Dizzty