valenwood_vegan wrote: »katanagirl1 wrote: »I don’t know if I can speak for others, though I feel they posted with the same intent as I did, but I was genuinely just asking a question and was not disagreeing. I removed my post because the response was incredibly rude in my opinion. I have no problem with adding more features to guild management and thought that maybe OP either did not use rank to restrict access or didn’t know about it. I still don’t understand quite what happened but I don’t really care at this point.
Good luck with your request.
Oh totally, the way it was worded originally did give the impression that someone had just joined, wiped out the bank, and quit, and that it had happened before too. We on the forums can't magically change how the game works and imo asking questions and giving advice on how to prevent the same thing from recurring is not remotely related to "supporting the thieves".
I've run into this sort of thing on here before and just brush it off. "It sucks but here are things you can do for now" is completely different from "I support and encourage bad behavior" or "I don't want zos to improve things". Many of us have been asking for improvements to guilds for years.
Just to clarify the situation, we’ve had a system in place for years. New members start in a Recruit rank with zero bank access. Only after they join our Discord and participate in events do they get promoted to Full Member, which includes the ability to withdraw items. The person who wiped the bank wasn’t a new recruit. He spent weeks earning Full Member, stayed at that rank for weeks, and then chose to empty the bank and leave.
I didn’t put all of this detail in the original post because most people online don’t have much patience for a wall of text. They usually stop reading after the first sentence or two, so I focused on the main point: the need for actual bank controls.
With 500 members and only a couple of officers, both of whom are brand new, it isn’t realistic to micro-manage every withdrawal or require people to ask for basic items. The bank exists so members can grab a few things they need without having to track down an officer every time. Most people won’t bother asking for a handful of soul gems or a recipe, and that defeats the purpose of having a shared resource.
This is why withdrawal limits matter. The current “all or nothing” setup doesn’t give guilds any way to prevent a single person from taking everything, even after they’ve earned a trusted rank. A simple per-day cap would solve the problem without restricting normal use.
And this right here is exactly the problem I am talking about.
You are the perfect example of why guilds need actual withdrawal limits.
Your entire post boils down to:
“If it’s in the guild bank, I’ll take everything I want, and if others needed it, too bad.”
That mindset is exactly what hurts large guilds.
You are not thinking about the other 500 people who might also need those materials, motifs, or recipes. You are only thinking about what *you* want in that moment, and assuming that because the system allows it, it must be fine.
That is the same mentality as someone emptying the entire “take a penny” tray because technically no one stopped them.
It is not about rules. It is not about clarity. It is about basic consideration for the rest of the guild.
And this is why system‑level withdrawal limits are needed.
Rules do nothing for people who do not care about anyone else.
Explanations do nothing for people who only see a free pile to strip clean.
Without actual withdrawal controls, the system rewards greed and punishes everyone else.
Ok, so how exactly does this "hurt large guilds"? Whether someone takes 1 item, 10 items, or even 40 items from the guild bank, these are usually low-value or shared items. They’re things members contribute so others can use them.
If someone intends to sell items, then they shouldn’t be putting them into the guild bank in the first place. The whole purpose of the guild bank is to share resources, not to store personal assets for profit.
So I genuinely don’t understand the argument that this system "hurts large guilds." How? Why? It doesn’t make sense to me.
If the concern is that members should only take one or two items at a time, then why not simply restrict permissions? You could require members to ask before taking items. That’s a management solution, not a systemic problem.
You say players like me are the ones who "hurt large guilds." Well, for me, it’s the opposite. Guild leaders with this mindset are exactly the ones I try to avoid. It feels like there’s no respect for the members who contribute items, even if they’re just “trash” items meant to help others. Instead, it comes across as trying to control how members help each other, and even limiting how newer players can develop.
From my point of view, in guilds that think this way, the issue is actually much simpler:
“You don’t really care about the items your members contribute to the guild bank. What you care about is making sure you get access to anything valuable before anyone else does.” At that point, it’s not about rules or fairness, it’s about selfishness. And to be fair, that can go both ways.
You’re treating this as if the items themselves don’t matter, but the impact absolutely does. In our case, one person took over 2,000 soul gems. These are basic resources that every player needs a few of, and they were donated so members could grab some when needed. When one person takes all of them just to vendor for gold, it leaves nothing for the other 499 members who rely on those supplies.
You honestly don’t see a problem there? Think of a food bank. People donate food so many people can benefit. If one person walks in and takes everything for themselves, that defeats the entire purpose of the shared resource. It’s not what the donors intended, and it harms everyone else who needed access.
That’s the issue here. It’s not about value or control. It’s about preventing one person from wiping out a shared resource that hundreds of others depend on.
And this right here is exactly the problem I am talking about.
You are the perfect example of why guilds need actual withdrawal limits.
Your entire post boils down to:
“If it’s in the guild bank, I’ll take everything I want, and if others needed it, too bad.”
That mindset is exactly what hurts large guilds.
You are not thinking about the other 500 people who might also need those materials, motifs, or recipes. You are only thinking about what *you* want in that moment, and assuming that because the system allows it, it must be fine.
That is the same mentality as someone emptying the entire “take a penny” tray because technically no one stopped them.
It is not about rules. It is not about clarity. It is about basic consideration for the rest of the guild.
And this is why system‑level withdrawal limits are needed.
Rules do nothing for people who do not care about anyone else.
Explanations do nothing for people who only see a free pile to strip clean.
Without actual withdrawal controls, the system rewards greed and punishes everyone else.
Ok, so how exactly does this "hurt large guilds"? Whether someone takes 1 item, 10 items, or even 40 items from the guild bank, these are usually low-value or shared items. They’re things members contribute so others can use them.
If someone intends to sell items, then they shouldn’t be putting them into the guild bank in the first place. The whole purpose of the guild bank is to share resources, not to store personal assets for profit.
So I genuinely don’t understand the argument that this system "hurts large guilds." How? Why? It doesn’t make sense to me.
If the concern is that members should only take one or two items at a time, then why not simply restrict permissions? You could require members to ask before taking items. That’s a management solution, not a systemic problem.
You say players like me are the ones who "hurt large guilds." Well, for me, it’s the opposite. Guild leaders with this mindset are exactly the ones I try to avoid. It feels like there’s no respect for the members who contribute items, even if they’re just “trash” items meant to help others. Instead, it comes across as trying to control how members help each other, and even limiting how newer players can develop.
From my point of view, in guilds that think this way, the issue is actually much simpler:
“You don’t really care about the items your members contribute to the guild bank. What you care about is making sure you get access to anything valuable before anyone else does.” At that point, it’s not about rules or fairness, it’s about selfishness. And to be fair, that can go both ways.
You’re treating this as if the items themselves don’t matter, but the impact absolutely does. In our case, one person took over 2,000 soul gems. These are basic resources that every player needs a few of, and they were donated so members could grab some when needed. When one person takes all of them just to vendor for gold, it leaves nothing for the other 499 members who rely on those supplies.
You honestly don’t see a problem there? Think of a food bank. People donate food so many people can benefit. If one person walks in and takes everything for themselves, that defeats the entire purpose of the shared resource. It’s not what the donors intended, and it harms everyone else who needed access.
That’s the issue here. It’s not about value or control. It’s about preventing one person from wiping out a shared resource that hundreds of others depend on.
But now you’re talking about something completely different from what I’m talking about!
If someone removes almost 2,000 Soul Gems, of course something is wrong. He definitely doesn’t need all of that “now.” In that case, I agree with you, after a guild report, he should be punished by ZOS. No one needs 2,000 gems.
But the example I gave you, and the way you’re putting me in the same position as that guy, is very, very different.
In my case, I remember using around 20 or 30 motifs, a lot of recipes, and so on… but I always put the stack back in the bank. I also remember using all the intricate items we had in the guild to level up my crafting lines. Maybe I took a stack of 200 soul gems, or even 400 at most, but definitely not more than that.
The example I gave you, based on how I see what a guild bank is and how it should be used, is completely different from someone who takes 2,000 soul gems, grabs all the motifs and recipe stacks, and doesn’t put anything back, using the excuse “I’ll use this on another character.”
So please don’t take my point of view about how a guild bank should work and use it to put me in the same position as a thief.
EDIT:
At the moment, I have 5 guilds of my own:
- Motifs (Almost full)
- Blueprints, Runeboxes, Sealed Writs (Almost full)
- Recipes, Consumables (Almost full)
- Designs, Diagrams, Formulas, Patterns, and Praxis (Almost full)
- Style Pages, Companion items (Almost full)
I could share all of this in a guild, and I’m pretty sure a lot of people would love it. Do I care if they take it all? No, absolutely not. I don’t need any of it, I’m not going to sell it, and the only thing it does is give me extra work organizing everything.
But I won’t put absolutely anything into a guild bank. And why? Because if I remove 20 motifs that I don’t have, I’m pretty sure I’ll find a leader who will say the same things you did.
And yes… one thing is thievery; another thing is allowing members to help each other without controlling them.
wolfie1.0. wrote: »There are a number of changes that should have been implemented years ago. We have been asking ZOS for better bank controls for almost a decade. In fact the topic comes up EVERY SINGLE Time someone pulls a stunt like this...
And guilds have taken a back seat.
I made a list years ago. It was ignored. Even the guild summit I feel was largely ignored or its going too slow.
I edited my post at the end, so maybe you didn’t see it:
Well, we’ll have to agree to disagree ^^
I respect your point of view, and I’m also against thievery, whatever form it comes in.
But I’ll keep my idea that a guild bank with free access for any member, without limits, is what it should stand for. I like the idea that any member could remove all 500 intricate items from the guild bank, as long as they’re actually going to use them to level up their crafting skills.
Limiting it to 10 items per player, from my point of view, is just… not helping. It’s nothing, because I can get those items faster just by playing the game.
Emptying the entire bank and not putting stacks back after using it, that’s thievery.
Those are two completely different things!
Reginald_leBlem wrote: »Here's the thing:
We've never had limits on withdrawals.
We don't have limits now.
We might, at some unknown point in the future, get some sort of system to limit withdrawals.
This was known when the permissions in the guild were set. You, or whoever set the permissions, knew that literally anyone in the bank could wipe it out on a random Tuesday and you wouldn't be able to do a thing about it and still made the decision to give new members permission to withdraw.
And yes, a couple of weeks (!!!) is still a very new member! Even if they have joined voice chat! Even if they attend a couple of guild events! Give them a nice vanity tag for being social, don't give bank withdrawal permissions!
Every single guild I am in, there are officers and if you would like something from the guild bank and you don't have perms you ask nicely and an officer gets it for you. Done. Very simple. I've been in some of these guild for YEARS and don't have perms. The two guilds I do have withdrawal perms I am on Christmas card and birthday greeting terms with the GMs.
Sometimes, people ask me nicely for something in those guild banks and I fetch it for them. It's not a big deal.
Should the guild system be better? Yes! But it isn't right now.
Was this robbery your fault? No, of course not!
Could you have prevented it? Yes, very easily.
And, since nothing has changed and we still don't have withdrawal limits.... I suggest you change who has withdrawal permissions in your guild. You say this has happened multiple times, your system clearly isn't working.
Reginald_leBlem wrote: »
Reginald_leBlem wrote: »
This always happens in guilds with open banks. Solution: only allow trusted officers to withdraw.
Reginald_leBlem wrote: »
If the expectation is that officers should personally handle every single withdrawal request, then I’d love to know your account name so I can send you a guild invite and put you on the job. We have 500 members and only a handful of officers, most of whom are brand new. If this really is “not a big deal,” then you’re welcome to show us how it’s done, because no one else has volunteered.
Reginald_leBlem wrote: »Reginald_leBlem wrote: »
If the expectation is that officers should personally handle every single withdrawal request, then I’d love to know your account name so I can send you a guild invite and put you on the job. We have 500 members and only a handful of officers, most of whom are brand new. If this really is “not a big deal,” then you’re welcome to show us how it’s done, because no one else has volunteered.
I'm an officer in two guilds already, and I happily withdraw items for members whenever they ask. I also routinely make gear/food as well.
And I would point out that inviting me to your guild and immediately handing over permission to raid the guild bank is exactly the sort of thing you should avoid.
If I was the type of person to steal from a guild bank I'd accept. But I'm not, so I won't.
You can use the in game tools available to solve your problem or you can choose not to. It's up to you. Posters have pointed you to your solution. It's up to you to accept it or not.
Reginald_leBlem wrote: »
If the expectation is that officers should personally handle every single withdrawal request, then I’d love to know your account name so I can send you a guild invite and put you on the job. We have 500 members and only a handful of officers, most of whom are brand new. If this really is “not a big deal,” then you’re welcome to show us how it’s done, because no one else has volunteered.
barney2525 wrote: »Reginald_leBlem wrote: »
If the expectation is that officers should personally handle every single withdrawal request, then I’d love to know your account name so I can send you a guild invite and put you on the job. We have 500 members and only a handful of officers, most of whom are brand new. If this really is “not a big deal,” then you’re welcome to show us how it’s done, because no one else has volunteered.
Well then for you, the answer is Obvious. - Don't have a Guild Bank
If your Guild is not going to take responsibility for maintaining and keeping secure your Own Bank, then Don't have one. It seems like you want to Blame anyone except the Guild for something bad that happened, and don't want to make the effort to make sure the Bank is secure.
Put it to the Guild. Get volunteers to take care of requests and dispersal or No More Bank. You SAY no one has volunteered, But I think you haven't even put that option out to the Guild.
Been watching this thread going around in circles now, with an increasing lack of civility. Let's recap and get on the same page:
- Literally no one would be against adding a robust permissions-based system to guild banks. As @wolfie1.0. point out, some of us have been asking for this for a decade.
We do not have that system...yet. As GM's, we have these 3 options:
- Close the guild bank entirely and use it for auction/raffle/whatever storage.
- Have a "by request" system while locking the bank to all members
- Open the bank to whoever you want, but *know that anyone at any time can wipe the bank* and you need to live with it. Or put in a ticket and see if ZOS chooses to act.
There are permissions in place, right now, that allow you to lock the bank to any rank. Hopefully a WAY better system is coming, as ZOS has hinted at but that is what we have today.
If any of us wanna "roll the dice" by opening our banks, knowing the risk, that's on us.
Been watching this thread going around in circles now, with an increasing lack of civility. Let's recap and get on the same page:
- Literally no one would be against adding a robust permissions-based system to guild banks. As @wolfie1.0. point out, some of us have been asking for this for a decade.
We do not have that system...yet. As GM's, we have these 3 options:
- Close the guild bank entirely and use it for auction/raffle/whatever storage.
- Have a "by request" system while locking the bank to all members
- Open the bank to whoever you want, but *know that anyone at any time can wipe the bank* and you need to live with it. Or put in a ticket and see if ZOS chooses to act.
There are permissions in place, right now, that allow you to lock the bank to any rank. Hopefully a WAY better system is coming, as ZOS has hinted at but that is what we have today.
If any of us wanna "roll the dice" by opening our banks, knowing the risk, that's on us.
My original thread wasn’t meant to start a debate about whether we should just “accept” the current system or shut the bank down. It was started to push for better bank controls. The only way the designers know what guilds actually need is if we tell them.
I’m fully aware of the current options. I’ve been running a 500‑member training guild for years, and we’ve used the existing tools as well as anyone can. But the point of this thread was never “help me manage my bank with the limited tools we have.” It was to highlight why those tools are not enough and why withdrawal limits are needed.
Workarounds aren’t the same as solutions. The whole reason to post feedback is so ZOS knows what improvements players want, not to be told we should just live with the limitations forever.