How early should guild creation be allowed?

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Creating a guild is usually one of the largest parts of any major MMO. The guild is the place where you'll connect and coordinate with new and old friends alike. Guilds make an MMO what it is, and without them, we'd all be lost in a sea of PUGs.

But the topic of guild creation has varying schools of thought. Most MMOs let you create a guild in the early stages of the game, as long as you have the required resources. Others gate guild creation by level, rare materials, geographical location, or more. I can see how this would be beneficial, as it would allow characters to learn how to work with random strangers before establishing a familiar group. Many times, once players are in a good guild, they don't venture outside of that comfort zone, almost nullifying the "massively" part of the term "MMO."

So now we want to know your thoughts on the subject. Should guild creation be immediate (or even before the game launches, as with SWTOR), or should it be something to work up to?

TH

I think the way SWTOR did it was perfect. It's no secret that guilds are no longer confined to a single game and the fact that the majority of successful guilds have communication tools that can be used outside of the games they play. So allowing all those guilds to be deployed and represented from the start and then using that to allow a progressive deployment from launch made for a smooth experience.