Hey everyone
As you may have heard, Guilds are coming to Boundless in our very next update! You’ll see this feature arrive when we update the game tomorrow morning. This is of course a big feature to add to the game, and one we’re all excited about, so let’s get into the ins and outs of the system.
The aim of the Guilds system is simple - to allow players to play together, as we know many of you enjoy. The system allows for a structured and planned style of group play, and we can’t wait to see what players can do when they combine forces. Playing as a part of a Guild will bring a whole new approach to Boundless, and with the game continuing to expand as development continues, the system will make it easier and more fun for you to enjoy all our exciting new features with your friends.
Players aligned with a Guild will be easily recognisable in-game, with the Guild name appearing in their on-screen name and that of their beacon - we’ll have more on beacons in a moment. There are many different roles available to Guild members, from regular Operatives all the way to the ultimate position of Director. While only one Guild can be your ‘primary’ at a time, one player can be a member of up to ten Guilds.
Guild members will share success as the Guild builds up its own store of coin and prestige. While only certain members will be able to control the finances of the group, the Guild members will work together for the fame and glory of their particular organisation.
Beacons can be aligned to Guilds. This will share the prestige of that Beacon with the Guild, allowing the Guild to compete on Settlement and World Prestige tables. Permissions on that beacon can be set to be controlled by a Guild, which is very useful for setting up shared spaces. When a Beacon is aligned or controlled by a Guild the original owner of the Beacon will still remain as the owner, and can unset the Beacon’s Guild status at any time.
The Guilds system also provides a solution to the incorporation of smaller settlements into larger ones. Aligning a beacon to a Guild preserves the identity of that beacon, as well as their settlement status. Thus, smaller settlements can exist within the boundaries of a larger one without being annexed, and retain their name, warden, independent prestige and so forth - but the beacons must be aligned to the same Guild.
To illustrate this in clearer terms - let’s imagine a small settlement called ‘Kingston’ has formed, but a far larger one, ‘London’ has grown around it. Whereas before, Kingston would simply become part of London, the entire settlement of Kingston is now able to exist within the boundaries of London. Of course, there’s nothing to stop the inhabitants of Kingston gaining enough prestige to overthrow London and claim naming rights…
There are a variety of roles within a Guild, similar to existing permissions on beacons. An Operative is the entry-level position, with Builders, Engineers, or Worker rights being assigned to each beacon via the Guild controls. Controllers are the next level. These are able to assign coin, privileges, or buffs depending on their individual job within the Guild. Executives are the next tier, in command of the Controllers and able to name settlements. These report to the Directors, who retain serious influence within the Guild. There can be one Director, or several, but a Director can only unseat themselves, not each other, from their Guild.
Members of all levels can also enjoy buffs from their primary Guild only. These are assigned via Helix Machines, which bestow up to three buffs to every active Primary member of a Guild at the point of activation. To create a buff, a Guild must spend coin and ‘endeavour’. Endeavour is gained for a Guild by its Primary Guild members earning XP. It’s important to note that only XP gained whilst membership is active goes towards this total.
Guild Directors can also form Factions. These are smaller groups within the larger framework of the Guild, in order to better organise permissions and work. Buffs can also be allocated to specific factions within a Guild, allowing flexibility in how the wider Guild approaches their adventure.
We’re really excited to see what veteran players and newcomers alike can do with the Guilds system. It’s a way of making the game more structured around group play, and will allow large gatherings of allied players to pursue their shared goals within the mechanics of the game. Who will be the most powerful Guild in the universe? It’s going to be a lot of fun finding out…
So, same as before?
and I ofc, don’t speak for anyone other than myself. I can tell you folks are putting a lot of effort into the new system. I am looking forward to content & QoL updates in the future 
I know I am going to do it on one of my alts 
hehe