How Cataclysm Will Revolutionize World of Warcraft Guilds

At World of Warcraft's inception, guilds were little more than chat rooms. The role of guilds expanded with the advent of guild banks and additions to the user interface. But, with the upcoming expansion pack Cataclysm, guilds will take on an unprecedented significance. Here's a condensation of what Blizzard has confirmed so far:

Guilds will be able to level, much like players. The guild level cap will be 20. Guilds at higher levels will have access to abilities not available to unguilded players and guilds at lower levels. Guild XP points will also be spendable on items and abilities, much like honor points.

Here are the activities which will yield guild experience:

• Dungeon boss kills by parties or raid groups which are composed at least 75% of players from the guild
• Rated arena or battleground victories achieved by parties composed at least 75% of players from the guild
• The reputation achievements of individual guild members
• The profession achievements of individual guild members

Guilds will also have talent trees, much like players. Like players, guilds gain one talent point per level.

Here is a list of possible guild talent-granted abilities:

• Increased potency of potions created by and consumed by guild members
• No reagents necessary for buffs applied across a guild raid
• Raid-wide summons
• Simultaneous resurrection of multiple players
• Elevated gold drops from creeps
• Lowered gold cost from repairs

Items purchased with guild XP points will be guild-bound, untransferable to players not members of the guild. If a guildmember quits the guild with a guild-bound item in their possession, it will be automatically removed to the guild bank.

Hypothetical guild-bound items proposed by Blizzard include the following:

• Displayable guild flags
• Vanity pets
• Bank tabs
• Guild talent respecs
• Profession recipes. Players leaving the guild would lose the abilitiy to use the recipes purchased with guild XP points
• Reagents
• Heirloom-quality gear

Guilds, like players, will also be able to make achievements. Possible guild achievements announced by Blizzard include:

• Obtaining legendary gear
• Having grand masters in every profession as members of the guild
• Completing instances

The guild interface will also be redesigned in order to accomodate the display of guild members' professions, as well as guild achievements or statistics.