the Method story

First of all, let me give my sincere apologies to MR for my actions the past few months. I hope this post clarifies everything. We hope that other people may learn something from our experience, especially those who intend to compete at the upcoming RWC/RPC 2007 tournament.

Again nice game to MR, BoT, EoD. Thank you for all the memorable moments. Please excuse whatever lapses there may be in grammar or spelling, I never liked writing, I was just unlucky enough to get this job.

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Method of Sakray
1st server champion of Sakray
1st godly item of Sakray
No pots, No Salary system.
“We stand alone”

Unknown to most people, Method was not always the organized guild that won the Sakray server championship. We started with barely 15 people, no gear like everyone else, and with no friends at all at Sakray. We were outsiders as people have always pointed out. The following is an account how less than 15 players manged to form the most respected and feared guild at Sakray.

Part I
Birth of Method

1. Guild Management

“If you look, behave, talk and act like a winner, people will consider you a winner”
“Everybody wants to be on the winning team”

When we entered Sakray, we were aware that it was going to be an uphill battle. We had no friends there, and we were going to start from scratch. It was clear that we had two problems that needed to be addressed.

1.How we are going to recruit members.
2.How we are going to provide supplies to our members.

The conventional approach to this problem is the standard by which the majority of pRO guilds now operate. The guild provides the supplies and salary to its members, as such, the guild with the highest salary usually gets the most members. However, this approach has two distinct flaws. First, a player can only give as much as he received. A knight for example will never exceed the 500 slims he was given, once he is out of supply, he is useless and the guild is paralyzed. He is fueled by the supplies that he receives, nothing more. Second, this is a monumental burden for the guild; we would have been required to bot ten, twenty, thirty accounts just to keep the supplies flowing for the guild.

The approach we chose is the classic way in which guilds were run during the Beta period of pRO. Membership in a guild is a privilege, it is the member’s responsibility to keep himself ready and able to defend his/her guild’s honor at siege or at PvP. This approach solves the two flaws presented by the conventional approach. The knight for example will do everything, just to be able to fulfill his/her obligation to the guild. He will readily go beyond 500, 1000 slims, all for defending his guild’s honor. What fuels him is pride in the logo that he wears beneath his avatar. There is no problem presented to the guild, as supplies for siege are an individual responsibility. With this approach we had a cavalry unit known as the “Phalanx” with 15-20 lord knights, each of them burning 2000-3000 slims for every siege.

3000 slims per member, for every siege is not feasible if it would be the guild’s responsibility.

2. Initial Recruitment

Examine the two quotes at the start of this chapter. “If you look, behave, talk and act like a winner, people will consider you a winner” and “Everybody wants to be on the winning team”

It was clear from the start that 15 people would not be enough to win in Sakray. We needed the best and brightest of Sakray to be on our side if there was going to be any hope of winning. We needed to win and establish a reputation of being the best guild in Sakray as soon as possible. This should be done before the other guilds in Sakray get organized. First impressions last, and the impression we needed to portray was that of a winner.

The 15 people we had from the start did not have the freedom to choose what job they were going to take. This was necessary in order to have a balanced lineup. We had to have complete wizard-priest teams, tanks, support classes, killers. Everyone had a specific role. This initial group would be our tool in destroying every known guild that would attempt in getting themselves organized. This was how we were going to establish our reputation.

The plan was simple, banking on our reputation, and on the image that we projected as winners. We expected the best and brightest of Sakray to join us.

We succeeded.

3. The guildmaster.

The conventional approach was to use a Stalker as the emperium holder. This provides the guildmaster two advantages, stealth and speed through the use of a Soul Linker.

We chose to use a Champion as a guildmaster for other advantages. A Champion has speed, without the need to rely on a linker. He has the ability to buff and warp himself without relying on others. Whatever disadvantage he had for not having stealth is negligible considering that he is capable of defending himself, and attacking others on his own. This champion would soon be voted as the no.1 champ at Sakray, Methods of breathing a.k.a Chicosci (Koef to lydians)

4. Website launch

This was absolutely essential in our plans. In order to recruit others, we had to have a tangible image of the guild. Something that potential recruits can see without having to ask others. All they need to do was check a website. This would also serve as the primary platform for whatever propaganda, PR campaign we may need to launch in the future. The war does not end after siege. Recruitment of people, influencing the public, maneuvering our opponents into a favorable position is all part of war.

The website has several advantages. We could monitor how many people knew about us via a counter. Everyone who reads the site is a potential recruit, thus increasing our chances of getting members. The website is free from the rules of level-up, as such we could post for example, MR sucks, without being censored by anyone.

At the start of the Sakray season, the website had the following goals.

1.Present the guild as a winner, and the best guild to be a member of.
2.Give the illusion that we had superior numbers.
3.Sort the good players from the bad players via insane requirements for membership.

5. Recruitment policy

“To be a member is not easy, we follow the no supply, no salary, no pots policy. Every member is responsible for his/her own avatar. We believe for example that if you cannot burn pots as a knight, then you are better of using another character, something which requires less supplies to burn. If you still think you have what it takes. If you think you are above the rest, if you feel you deserve better, come join us. Post your applications here. Do not register, remember to follow instructions explicitly, the way you post will be examined to see if you are truly worthy.” -excerpts from the Method recruitment page.

Members wanting to join Method had several hoops to go through. First they had to overcome themselves by reading the insane standards we posted, and judging themselves as capable of those insane standards. Second would be how to post their own application at the recruitment thread. This was in way a form of test to see who can read and follow instructions. Third was the interview, something that was only done by the old beta guilds of pRO. The fourth and final test is a skill test at PvP, if you were a champion for example, you would end up having a 1 on 1 match with our champ guildmaster. If in the event that you pass, and be accepted into the guild, you can still be kicked out if you violate any of the guild’s rules. This was all necessary in order to separate the lions from the sheep, to weed out the weak in our pool of potential recruits. Only the best had the right of joining Method, only the strong.

6. Guild Rules

“Rules are but mere suggestions in the absence of good leadership. As such the decisions and policies of the guildmasters are final, non-negotiable and absolute” -from the Method website.

Our guild rules are available via link on top of this page.

Method of Sakray was designed to be a competitive War of Emperium guild. Over the course of history only one system has been proven to be effective in a conflict based environment, a military based system. Method of Sakray therefore adapted a centralized leadership model, where the guild masters have absolute and non-debatable control over everything.

Though having a council may look pretty and fair, its decision making process of having several members to consult, is slow and disadvantageous. One can argue that this form of leadership was a dictatorship and subject for abuse by the guildmasters.

However, it should be noted that our members are in the guild by choice, they follow the guildmasters because they trust the leadership of the guild. Members are free to leave the guild anytime.

It was simple, follow orders or get out of our guild. Period.

Part II
Early sieges

1. Triumphs

After we had strengthened our ranks, we proceeded to smash our way into every guild. We attacked and defeated every guild at that time. Our goal at that time was to destroy the will to fight of the other guilds. We were targeting their morale, that in their continued losses to us, we were hoping that they would give up, and we would have a larger pool to get recruits. We had the idea that if step on every guild that tried to make a name for themselves, we could lessen the number of guilds that would be our problem once scoring starts.

We were successful in demoralizing almost all the guilds at that time. Every castle that Method assaulted at that time fell. However we had underestimated the resiliency of the Sakray community. Our efforts to demoralize everyone only strengthened their resolve.

2. A giant is formed

Sometime before the start of the Purple Maya card event. Aeon Phalanx, Lords of Sakray, New Age Outlaws, 3 prominent resident guilds of Sakray, decided to join forces. They formed Midgard Rebellion, the only guild which presented a credible threat to our plans.

Siege with them around was not pleasant. Guilds which we used to eradicate in less than a few minutes were now capable of deflecting our attacks. We no longer enjoyed the status of being able to take any castle as we please. With Midgard Rebellion, it was just not possible.

I guess we forgot to take into account everyone’s wish in having a server champion that is a Sakray resident, not an outsider like us.

The server was polarized into 2 groups. Method against Midgard Rebellion + everyone else.

3. Purple Maya Event.

Before scoring started, there was an event. The prizes were Purple Maya cards. Though we would have loved to win, as those cards present a significant advantage. We were not prepared to go against Midgard Rebellion at that time. We did not have the numbers, and we were fearful that if we lose even once, our guild’s momentum and morale might be hit.

Therefore, it was the guild’s decision not to pursue the Purple Maya cards. Though the prize may be tempting, it is far less important than the primary goal of winning as the server champion.

Besides we were busy doing something else. When everyone was busy going for the event agits, we were busy completing the requirements for the godly item Mejingard.

It had been decided, that the completion of Sakray’s first player made godly item would be a huge boost in the morale and prestige of Method as a guild.

4. Plans for Midgard Rebellion.

When MR was formed, we had several dilemmas. We never expected most of the guilds at Sakray to unite under one banner. Given the small population of Sakray, we never expected a guild to be formed that was so huge. We were simply not ready to take on a guild of that size. Direct attacks against MR was ruled out. The present momentum and high morale of the guild too important to risk losing.

Given that there was no way to predict MR’s plans or actions against us, a strategy was formulated to force them into being predictable.

A fierce shame campaign was launched via the website and through the ragnaboards against MR. Katsudon banked on hotheaded MR members into attacking his baits of sarcasm, his objective was to make a fool of MR members at the ragnaboards. Included in this strategy are personal attacks into their leaders and implied insults into everything about their guild.

It was simple, to make MR hate Method as much as possible. To force them to use emotion instead of reason during siege.Everything was to be done to make them hate us. The more MR hated us, the better.

Midgard Rebellion was now predictable, they were mad at us, and they were going to make it a point to attack every agit that we owned. Given that predicable behavior, we were now free to plan for our primary objective of being the server champion.

MR lost the initiative.

5. Advance scoring.

“Win a war before the battle starts” -ancient chinese teaching.

The battle for Sakray RPC/RWC server champion started at siege #1 of the series. Wrong.

As far as Method was concerned, the battle for the Sakray RPC/RWC server champion started before siege #1. At that time, we were composed of 1 ½ guilds. A clear disadvantage when compared to MR’s superior number. We were even concerned that when the actual date for scoring began, they would get more members. Midgard Rebellion at that time was in a golden age, they bathed in glory for winning the Purple Maya card event. They were considered the top guild for Sakray, and everyone wanted to join them.

We got alarmed. If this went on until the start of scoring, we would be decimated. Scoring is yet to start, and we are already facing a juggernaut. What if the juggernaut doubled in size? How are we supposed to win now?

Answer: Deliver a blow humiliating enough to shatter their morale and incite infighting among their leaders. (and hope they never recover)

On the siege before the official start of scoring, we planned an all out attack. Members were informed of its importance days ahead. We assigned team leaders to bug their members via YM and via text. It was a simple concept that every member was made to understand.

The outcome of this siege, will dictate how easy or how difficult our life would be at Sakray.

Knowing that MR would be reserving their numbers and resources until scoring has started, this was the perfect opportunity. We attacked their agit as if scoring has already started. In our members mind’s this siege was as important as the last siege of this tournament. It was absolutely critical that we won. We had to break their spirit now, or else risk failing, when they are ready and prepared.

We took their agit 30 mins before siege end. Just enough time to give them the opportunity to attempt retaking their castle, but not enough time to make such an effort realistic.

After we had won. We made sure that our opponents felt their defeat. Our website carried the headline “MR durog”. We had to get as much media mileage from that victory as we can. We posted screenshots and a video of their emperium being broken. All this, was an effort to demoralize their members, and if possible cause infighting among their leadership.

According to our sources, we were quite successful. There were many posts about disappointment by MR members at their boards. Even some of their leaders were posting “disappointment threads”. This was further complicated by their members being insulted by our website, and not being able to do anything about it since it was not bound by rules similar to the ones at Ragnaboards.

To most of the people who did the planning here at Method, we won the Sakray agit lords during that day. In our opinion MR never got back on its feet after that initial loss. They never got back to their form when they won the Purple Maya card event.

In my honest assessment, if we had not beaten them that day, we would not stand a chance against them during the scoring. If only MR was able bring back the condition they had during the Purple Maya event, we would have most certainly lost.

Part III
Strategies and Tactics

1. Why all the propaganda?

People must be asking, did we achieve anything by insulting MR members in public?

Consider one of the sieges before scoring started. We needed to take 2-3 castles per siege in order to complete the materials for the godly item Mejingard. However, due to our small size and limited numbers, this was highly unlikely. This was even further complicated by fact that everyone in the server hated us. Remember that we attacked every guild early in the season.

Recognizing that MR was our biggest threat, a shame campaign was started in public. We skated around the rules of the ragnaboards through the use of sarcasm and implied insults.

This angered MR members and leaders.

During one particular siege, we proceeded to defend an agit. That agit was actually of no use for us. The only reason we took that agit was to present a bait, a means, for MR members to release their anger. At the start of siege, MR attacked us with everything they had. Perfectly understandable considering the insults we threw at them in public.

When siege was almost over. We intentionally allowed them to penetrate our defenses, whatever resistance we gave was just for show. Our priests were ready with warps to three other castles. Castles which had the materials we needed for our planned godlike item.

After MR secured “our” agit. They proceeded to defend it, expecting us to retake that castle. We were meanwhile busy taking pre planned castles for our needed materials.

MR defended against an attack which never came. When siege ended, we successfully got 3 castles.

2. When enemies become friends. Oblivion and Hatred.

People say Method is composed of Lydians. That is unfair to the other members of our guild, everyone gave their part, Sarah, Loki, Odin, Fenrir and Chaos players. Furthermore, what made it successful was the wealth of different experiences different people form different servers brought into one guild.

However, it would also be unfair to ignore where the guild’s leadership came from.

Young and considered inexperienced, Lydians exploded into Philippine Ragnarok history when Hatred captured the RPC championship of 2005. Lydia was barely a year old as a server.

Early life at Lydia was simple, either you were a part of Hatred or belonged to Oblivion. Fire and Ice as old lydians used to say. Though Hatred eventually won as server champion for two consecutive years, only one guild has ever challenged them, Oblivion.

Considered as the big leagues of Lydia, these two guilds were considered mortal enemies.

The initial group which started Method were 1st generation Oblivion members. Majority of whom were already retired. When they first came here at Sakray they were very cautious and very observant of everyone. They were quite fearful of the possibility that their arch rivals were also thinking of the same thing.

Agit lords scoring for Sakray had already started, but we were still worried about Hatred being at Sakray. We had amassed multiple characters, supplies in bulk, preparing for the enemy who did not come. It was not until the 2nd siege of the Sakray RPC series that things started to clear up.

Ludicrous as it sounds, it was a basketball game that forged this unique friendship between two former arch rivals. One of our guildmasters, whom is an ex-Hatred member, was invited to a basketball game with Hatred members. There amid the fouls and occasional jokes about who won and who lost before, did they realize that they were already tired fighting the same people for over two years.

Besides, there was nothing at stake at the commercial servers. Nothing significant to accomplish.

Sakray was different though, there was glory to be taken.

United by a common goal, former enemies started to share secrets. They exchanged PvP techniques that were accumulated in the two years they faced off with each other. It was a marriage of fire and ice. Whatever advantage one side possessed was now given to the other. Weaknesses were patched up, methods combined. The unthinkable happened, Oblivion and Hatred members sharing secrets, working together.

Though it is sad it happened on another server, Lydia had become one.

Method may not be composed of Lydians by majority, an estimate would only put Lydians to be 1/3 of the guild’s population. But it is clear who gave the guild its leadership and its direction.

Comming updates:
1. How to survive alone with no allies against everyone.
2. Why we took BoT as allies, even if we have the no ally policy.

My apologies for not updating this as promised. Got tied up with iRL crap.