We've identified three ways to categorize guilds: Alignment, Function and Size.
Take note that that some classifications here are common lingo or just made up descriptive terms. Furthermore, this list is a matter of opinion as some guilds may even be more complex or have an outright different category.
This list will update if we do learn more types of guilds that are possible in AQW.
Guilds are typically categorized based on alignment as they're the games most recurring factions. Those that do follow a certain alignment are not always strict with having all of its members join that particular side.
Alignment may just be for the sake of roleplay.
*Good - Good-aligned guilds tend to have holy or light-based themes. A band of knights is a common role-playing premise. Expect honor and sacred oaths.
*Evil - The opposite of Good-aligned guilds, they may also have knight-like role-playing but with an added twist of necromancy or doom. Expect adoration of Empress Gravelyn.
*Chaos - Of course they exist too, even when the Chaos-alignment isn't available. Composed of Good/Evil players, these guilds prefer not to side with the Alliance and willingly serve Drakath.
*Unity/Order/Balance - While Unity, Order and Balance are sometimes treated as separate alignments, they can be merged here for simplicity's sake. These guilds simply don't look at in-game alignment as thematic basis. Some may even claim to be a separate alignment altogether. Others are aligned with Order, thus they're against Chaos.
*Other Factions - Some guilds also try other themes such as being Lycan or Vampire based. If it exists in-game, there might be a guild built around it.
Guilds can be either competitive or casual. Whatever the case, guilds can be classified on what game mechanics they focus on.
*PvP (Plaver vs Player) - These guilds have very high level requirements and typically demand being active in-game. They may also have scheduled PvP exercises, weekly brawls, random duels, etc. These guilds are typically competitive.
*PvE (Player vs Environment) - These guilds shy away from brawls and duels preferring to optimize all the other aspects of AQW. Their focus would be fighting monsters rather than other players. Surprisingly, not everyone enjoys PvP and these may be the type of guild for them. These guilds are typically casual.
*Helper Guild - The disbanded AQW Ambassador guild is one major example. These guilds are dedicated to helping out fellow players. They may or may not have the intention of getting new recruits, but some genuinely feel good about helping others.
*Roleplay - See Alignment. Some guilds include a fictional backstory and give roleplaying roles for their members. You've got to admit, roleplaying is fun. AQW is an MMORPG after all.
*Generalist/Social - Some guilds probably tried everything listed above without specializing in one specific field. Like pure PvE guilds, Generalist guilds just simply look for fun while hanging out with guildmate buddies.
And finally, guilds can be categorized based on their size. A guild's starting number of member slots is 15 but can be raised to 50 with Adventure Coins.
*Title Guild - This is a guild in-game but not really a guild in its essence. These false guilds are simply self titles given to the one who created it and only has one member.
*Basic/Starting Guild - These guilds just started and may not have an exact goal yet. They may still be in the process of recruiting, or are satisfied with what they do so far. May lean to being a PvE guild or a social guild.
*Friends/Family Guild - These guilds are mostly friends who know each other in real life. They do not actively recruit new members but may have a few online friends included. If they stick to that principle, they may have no need to expand at all.
*Composite Guild - Sometimes, the 50-member slot limit is not enough. A guild may resort to creating smaller guilds, commonly known as sub-guilds, to hold more members. Other composite guilds allow some of its members to create a sub-guild for expansion rather than buying ACs to expand the main guild. Some composite guilds can be identified in-game if they're marked with a number such as branch II, branch III, etc.
