This week Avari Press released Legend of The Syndicate by Sean Stalzer, famously known as the Guild Master Dragons. For those that don’t know, The Syndicate is one of, if not the oldest guilds in the world of online gaming today. Having been a working and unified guild since the beginning of the online gaming trend ten years ago, Dragons and his guild were present at the birth of what is now an international phenomenon with 8 million players in games as diverse as they are exciting. Writing from this viewpoint, Dragons creates an atmosphere of a seasoned camp fire story teller, ready at a moments notice to spin a tale of wondrous worlds that he not only was a part of, but helped steer and create with programmers and multi national companies alike. The book focuses on how the guild was born, and how through a strict regimen of rules, standards, and friendship The Syndicate became the torchbearers for the burgeoning online world.

Sean Stalzer began The Syndicate more than ten years ago after dealing with less than satisfactory “guilds”, which were not much more than people playing the same game and wanted the benefits without any demands or consequences. Sean, creating the moniker Dragons, decided that the only way to get the most out of any online game was to create a group of people that were defined by creed and friendship, not level or current quest. He understood that a true guild was for life, and demanded both passion and dedication from everyone who joined. This paid off tremendously in games like Ultima Online, where the Syndicate grew in fame and power, taking on lesser guilds and greater threats than any other group of adventurers in Britania. The book tells an intriguing behind the scenes look at the growth of the online gaming format, and how input from gamers like the Syndicate helped mold and shape the virtual worlds we play in today.

Legend of The Syndicate’s real shining moments are when the author describes the history of the gaming world seen through the eyes of his guild. Testing fledgling games like Everqeust and World of Warcraft, their input was invaluable to programmers and game creators. The camaraderie in the guild itself was inspirational, as many members are now life long friends and some have even found spouses in their guild mates. The book is written in a time line format, from the beginning of the guild with Dragons and just a few others, to the most sturdy and populated guild in existence. While an intriguing history of the online gaming, the book could have benefited from some general editing. The author switches between first and third person, causing confusion and losing the thread of continuity in the writing. Overall, this book is an interesting history lesson about MMO’s and a starting guide to what it takes to create an online group with real staying power. Putting aside its sophomoric writing and sometimes fragmented ideas and chapters, Legend of The Syndicate is a quick and informative read that gives an insight into the most successful online gaming guild in the world.

-Adam Bleeker for Markee Dragon news

The book can be found at Amazon