In terms of the exact "advantages and disadvantages" mentioned in this article, no two organizations were created equal. Compare a guild and a clan for example. In many ways, a guild might serve as a form of higher education, because like a school, its focus is on the advancement of abilities and the sharing of knowledge. A clan on the other hand, is more of a community made up of believers in a common goal, usually based on some sort of charter.

A much more obvious example might be found by comparing the Magic Academy and Combat School. Though both are low-level teaching organizations, they are the foundations of two very different professions.

Religions could be sort of a mixture in community and education. Most followers come in search of a set of beliefs and a place to belong, but many stay for the powers they can acquire, through dedicated servitude. After all, achieving divine favor should carry some extraordinary perks.. and those perks should not be attainable anywhere else. (ie.. any magic that you learn or items that you acquire through religion, can not be learned or earned as a result of any other form of dedication or study..)

That's sort of what I had imagined for schooling. You are gradually rewarded during your studies, by learning new abilities.. but if you finish the school and graduate, you should be rewarded with something other than an ability; such as a rare item or set of items. Like with the Magic Academy; graduation awards you first with the official title of "Wizard" or "Magician" (or something like that).. then with maybe your choice between a special staff, cloak, ring, etc.. It would be just one of many examples of items that can only be acquired through very specific means. The same would go for the completion of Combat School, where you would maybe be given a new weapon of whatever type you're most specialized.

Graduation can then lead fairly clearly to the guilds and other professional groups. After completing Combat School for example, your trainer might encourage you to seek membership with the Warrior Guild.

I could keep writing examples of how I imagine these organizations to function, but I'd like to allow some time for initial feedback. It almost feels like too many different organizations, but it's very hard to determine something like that at this point. Something tells me that we just might have room for all of these and a few more.

-Dabe 05:47, 23 February 2008 (CET)