Clan

A Clan (sometimes, but rarely known as a Guild) is an organised syndicate of players.

Traditional vs Clan Chat
In the most basic form, a clan can be limited to the Clan Chat feature. these groups are more commonly refferred to as "CCs" rather than clans. Open CCs usually do not have requirements, and almost anyone can join and leave at any time.

The traditional meaning of "clan" is much more complicated. These clans use external websites and/or forums, other forms of non-game communication such as IRC (Internet Relay Chat), and VoIP (voice chat) programs such as TeamSpeak, Ventrilo and Mumble. To join usually requires an application process in some form. Many clans will follow this up with a trial period to ensure activity from applicants, meaning that joining can be a lengthy process compared to a CC.

A traditional clan generally ensures much more stability than CCs (which depend on popularity). As well as this, clans provide an increased sense of atmosphere, and many of the limits set by CCs (E.g. one particular focus such as PvP) do not restrict the syndicate. Clans are also more successful - the top clans by far overpower the top CCs.

Types of Clan
There several different types of clans. The 3 most prominenent groups are PvP/Warring, Skilling and Community.

PvP Clans
A PvP clan's main focus is player vs player combat, generally in PvP and Bounty Hunter worlds. CCs such as Welfarers and Pure Hatred are among the more popular, while clans such as Reign of Terror and Echo of Silence dominate the clan world.

Wars
One of the oldest clan events is the war. While the Clan Wars Arena (informally CLW or CLA) is one option for wars, many syndicates choose to fight in PvP instead, as it was prior to the release of Clan Wars.

A typical war involves 2 or more clans meeting in a designated location at a designated date and time. The two clans will fight against each other, and victory is decided when all the members of one clan are completley killed. However, in a PK Run-In (PKRI), clan members are allowed to return and fight again, after multiple deaths. PKRIs usually have a time cap, or end once one clan stops returning. PKRIs have known to last hours at a time. The longest P2P fight was between Reign of Terror and Damage Incorporated, which was approximately 10 hours