To help players get to grips with the new Guild Services feature this sticky will be similar to our previous Character Services spotlight in that we’ll explain how it works, what options you have and what the limitations are. We’ll then finish off with a FAQ and as always you are welcome to ask your own questions.


So what is it then?

Very simply it's a set of services for your guild that work on a similar basis to the Character Services, allowing you to change the name of the guild, change the faction of your guild or transfer the guild to a different realm.

If you would like a re-cap on our Character Services, our spotlight on that is here: http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/900711106


Why have you implemented it?

With the advent of guild levelling, perks, bonuses and achievements that were introduced in Cataclysm, many players are now more inclined to stay within their guild. However we understand that players may still wish to move to new realms or switch to a different faction or even give the guild an updated name. To this end we implemented the Guild Services to make the transition much easier to organise and prevents starting all over again.


How does it work?

The guild leader will have the option within their Battle.net Management to purchase Guild Services and (in the case of faction or realm transfer) will alert guild members via in-game mail who will then have to purchase the corresponding service to move across with them. If the Guild Master simply wishes to change the name of a guild, then they will implement a new name and provided the name is free and not breaking our naming policy, it will update automatically.

Below are links to each of the services that are offered and they will go into more detail of the process involved.

• Guild Name Change - http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/3010491511#2


• Guild Master Faction Change - http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/3010491511#3


• Guild Master Realm Transfer - http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/3010491511#4

I have more questions!

You can find our FAQ here: http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/3010491511#5

If you have any other questions that haven’t been covered please post them in this spotlight. :)

Guild Name Change

From guilds known across the land as “Cute Flyffy Bunny Killers” that have grown tired of killing innocent bunnies to guilds that have had their leadership change hands and “Guild of Ken” doesn’t quite ring true now (especially as the guild leader is called Susan), this is a service where you can change the name to something more meaningful or just simply to fix that annoying spelling mistake.


Before you begin...

Unlike character name changes you shouldn’t need to log out your entire guild before buying a name change.


Guild Check!

As the guild leader you have the ultimate say over what happens within the guild, but it's worth checking with your guild members before making a change to the name of the guild and seeing if they are in agreement. Names are an important part of identity within World of Warcraft and everyone who is in your guild will be running around with whatever you pick displayed for all to see.


Step by Step

• Log into the Battle.net Account Management page (https://eu.battle.net/account/management/) and choose your WoW account from the list.
• Select the Guild Master Services option.
• Select the realm that your guild is on - your character list will be filtered to only show characters that lead a guild.
• Select Guild Name Change.
• Enter the desired name for your guild..
• Choose a payment option.
• Done!

As with Character Name changes it can take up to 72 hours to process (or longer during exceptionally busy periods), but it will usually only take a few hours.


Possible Questions & Answers

• Are there the same restrictions on guild names as with character names?
  
  
  Yes. All the naming policies for character names also apply to guild names and you can find our Naming Policy here:
  
  http://eu.blizzard.com/support/article/50071


• What happens if the name is not available?
  
  
  If a name is entered that is either taken or not allowed, then an error message will appear informing you that the name cannot be used and you will have to think of something else.


• Is there a 90 day reservation on guild names as well?
  
  
  Yes. The 90 day reservation system is exactly the same as character name changes.


• If I am moving my guild to a different faction, will I need to change my guild’s name?
  
  
  No. The guild name will be unique to the realm rather than the faction.


• If I am moving my guild to a new realm, will I need to change my guild’s name?
  
  
  You would only need to change your guild’s name if there is already a guild active on the new realm with the same name. As with a character transfer, you will be given the option of changing your guild’s name during the moving process if it is already in use.

Guild Faction Change

Do you feel that as a guild of Taurens being mighty Gnomes instead carries more fear into the hearts of your enemies? Do you have guild nights where you all dress up like the Horde? Whatever the reason for faction changing, you can now do it as a guild!


Before you begin...

While you will be moving the entire guild, the faction change process is essentially the same as the Character faction change process. As such you will need to ensure the following:

• Make sure that you do not have anything going on in the Auctipn House.
• Ensure that you are not the leader of any arena teams.
• Your mailbox is empty.
• You have been logged out the game completely for at least 30 minutes.

Guild Check!

When you faction change everyone in the guild will also have to faction change and purchase the service. This means that you will need to obviously inform guild members of your decision to faction change, but to check that anyone who is also moving that they have read the “Before you begin” section above and are able to complete the faction change successfully.


Step by Step

• Guild Leader
  
  
  • Log into the Battle.net Account Management page (https://eu.battle.net/account/management/) and choose your WoW account from the list.
  • Select the Guild Master Services option.
  • Select the realm that your guild is on. The list will be filtered to only show characters that lead a guild.
  • Select Guild Faction Change.
  • Pick someone to take control of the stub guild, and decide on a guild name for the stub guild.
  • Choose a payment option.
  • Done!


• Guild Member
  
  
  The process for a faction change is almost exactly the same as laid out in our Character Services Spotlight (http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/900711106#5).
  
  Everyone in the guild should receive an in-game mail notifying them of a guild faction change. When they log into their Battle.net Account Management page and begin their own switch, it should also alert them that there is a guild faction change in progress and allow them to move with the guild.

Possible Questions & Answers

• Will we lose any guild achievements when Faction Changing with a guild?
  
  
  No guild achievements should be lost when the guild faction changes. However keep in mind that the “Classy” achievements will convert depending on the makeup of your newly moved guild.


• Will I be able to faction change before the guild leader does?
  
  
  No. You will need to wait in the stub guild until the guild leader has finished their faction change. Once they have successfully switched faction you will be able to begin yours.


• Will I be able to stay on the old faction if I choose?
  
  
  Yes. You will remain in the stub guild that is created when the guild leader moves. However if you leave the guild and then faction change, you will not be automatically added to the newly faction changed guild. Keep in mind that while there is no time limit to go to the new location while you remain within the stub guild, if you leave then you will have 30 days to join the moved guild before your reputation is wiped.


• If I wish to transfer the guild and faction change at the same time, will I still need to log into my character before I begin the second service?
  
  
  No. There should be option when you start a realm transfer that lets you purchase both services at the same. This is available both for normal character services and guild services.

Guild Realm Transfer

Fancy travelling to a new Realm and carving out a name for your guild there? Now you can!


Before you begin...

As with faction changes and guild faction changes, the process for a realm transfer is the same and as such the things to check are as follows:

• Make sure that you do not have anything going on in the Auctipn House.
• Ensure that you are not the leader of any arena teams.
• Your mailbox is empty.
• You have been logged out the game completely for at least 30 minutes.

Guild Check!

Again as with a guild faction change, the rest of your guild will need to transfer with you if they wish to remain in the guild. Before beginning the process, it may be worth letting members know so that they can make preparations in following you to the new realm. Keep in mind though that when this process is activated, members will be notified via in-game mail.


Step by Step

• Guild Leader
  
  
  • Log into the Battle.net Account Management page (https://eu.battle.net/account/management/) and choose your WoW account from the list.
  • Select the Guild Master Services option.
  • Select the realm that your guild is on. The list will be filtered to only show characters that lead a guild.
  • Select Guild Realm Transfer.
  • Choose a destination realm for your guild. Note that if the name is already taken there you'll be asked to choose a new one.
  • Pick someone to take control of the stub guild, and decide on a guild name for the stub guild.
  • Choose a payment option.
  • Done!


• Guild Member
  
  
  The process for a realm transfer is almost exactly the same as laid out in our Character Services Spotlight (http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/900711106#2).
  
  Everyone in the guild should receive an in-game mail notifying them of a guild realm transfer. When they log into their Battle.net Account Management page and begin their own transfer, it should also alert them that there is a guild realm transfer in progress and allow them to move with the guild.

Possible Questions & Answers

• Will we lose any guild achievements when transferring between realms?
  
  
  No guild achievements should be lost when you transfer.


• Will I be able to transfer to the new realm before the guild leader does?
  
  
  No. You will need to wait in the stub guild until the guild leader has finished their transfer. Once they have successfully moved will be able to begin yours.


• Will I be able to stay on the old realm if I choose?
  
  
  Yes. You will remain in the stub guild that is created when the guild leader moves. However if you leave the guild for any reason before transferring, you will not be automatically added to the guild on the new realm. Keep in mind that while there is no time limit to go to the new location while you remain within the stub guild, if you leave then you will have 30 days to join the moved guild before your reputation is wiped.


• If I wish to transfer the guild and faction change at the same time, will I still need to log into my character before I begin the second service?
  
  
  No. There should be option when you start a realm transfer that lets you purchase both services at the same. This is available both for normal character services and guild services.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Will guild reputation be moved?
  
  
  Yes. The reputation is transferred during the process. The Guild Leader and anyone who moves with the Guild Leader will have their reputation maintained. However if they leave the guild before initiating the move then this reputation is lost after 30 days. Joining a new guild will wipe the reputation as normal.
• Will guild bank logs and event logs be moved?
  
  
  No. These logs will be wiped.
• Will the guild rank structure remain in place?
  
  
  No. This will need to be re-done in the new location.
• Will there be a cool-down before the service can be done again?
  
  
  There will be a 30 day cool-down before you are able to use the service again.
  
  This 30 day cooldown is shared with all other Battle.net character services, including individual Faction Changes and Character Transfers. This means that a Guild Master Service cannot be purchased within 30 days of any other Battle.net service used by the Guild Leader's character.
• What happens to the guild members if the guild leader purchases both a Faction Change and a Realm Transfer?
  
  
  The guild leader can purchase both services at the same time and members will be informed via in-game mail. However it is important to note that a Realm Transfer shouldn’t be done until after the guild has transferred to ensure that you do not lose your reputation. Once the guild member is on the new realm they can Faction Change and then be invited into the guild.
• Can I transfer a character to a different account during this process?
  
  
  If you are following a Guild that has done a transfer, switching accounts will wipe your guild reputation with that guild and is not currently possible with this type of transaction.
• Do Free Character Migrations work when using the Guild Transfer service?
  
  
  No this would not be possible as it is a completely separate process.
• Will I need an authenticator to use these guild services?
  
  
  You will need to have had an authenticator active on your account for 7 days prior to being able to use the guild faction change and realm transfer services. Guild leaders wishing to change their name do not have this restriction. Please note that this does not apply to players who are moving with the guild.
• I’ve just been made guild leader and I’ve already had an authenticator for more than 7 days, does that mean I can do a realm or faction change?
  
  
  You will need to have been a guild leader for 7 days before you can do any guild service.
• I’ve purchased a guild service by mistake, can I get a refund?
  
  
  We will not be offering any refunds or reversals should you make a mistake when purchasing a guild service.

Right now, they are both completely separate services.

So there's no such thing as 'free Guild migrations' and free character migrations will not work with a normal Guild transfer. Obviously players can use the free migration if it is available on their realm, but they won't carry over the same benefits as using the Guild service.

Of course, now that the technology is in place, we may look at using it to help incentivise realm balancing in the future, but it's not possible right now.

No Thorfurd.

Well, you're almost in the right place Dzsadd. Get your friend to read through this sticky article carefully:

>> Account Hacked/Stolen? CLICK HERE! <<
http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/2226268467

We will do our best to help him. :)

I guess it could be a coincidence Seralia, but it does sound a bit fishy. I advise you make an in-game ticket about this if you haven't already. On of our Game Master agents can take a look at the situation for you.

Name change is included in the transfer service, yes. You don't HAVE to change it though unless the name is already taken on the realm you are transferring to.

That is correct Temptéd, you will need to have been the GM of the guild for 7 days and held an authenticator for 7 days in order to be able to transfer.

(Been GM for around 4-5 days.. so have to wait couple more days for that)

It would be more to do with that than your authenticator Temptéd. :)

I appreciate you wish to give feedback Intothelight, but it would be better off posted in our Raid and Guild Leadership section of the forums here. :)

http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/forum/874786/