The question seems to pop up from time to time in either global or help, and hopefully in some of the guild chats as well. There are a combination of answers given, intended to inform, recruit, or disparage, depending on the source. In addition, not looking at the answer has led to what some players consider groups of warm bodies with a tag in chat. So, I will attempt to give a summary of defining points, factual and hopefully unbiased, and then turn it over to the community to add.

Basic definition: A guild is a group of players who have voluntarily formed an association and are given access to a private chat channel and an additional group-based quest. All members of a guild are treated as friends in respect to the game functions, with the same 24 hour delay for certain features. A player can only be in one guild at a time and cannot join another guild after leaving one for 24 hours. Guilds can be started by anyone who builds a guild house on their island, and the number of total members can be added through the purchase of member certificated in the Gem Merchant.

Additional features are possible for guilds, but are not mandatory or chosen by all guilds:

Helping members: Guilds may provide support to members. This can include social support in the chat channel, material help through trading, or educational support. Some guilds distribute adventure invitations within the guild, for support and education. Most guilds have rules or customs regarding how help is asked for and given.

Guild Quests: Guild quests are group-based quests given to all active guild members on a daily basis. Each member receives an individual component quest, and will receive some guild coins for completing their part. For the entire quest to be completed, over 80% of the people who received the quest must complete it. When the quest is completed, everyone who has received the guild quest, including those who have not completed their individual portion, gets a larger amount of guild coins. The amount of guild coins received depends on the level of the player and the TOTAL number of people in the guild. The general difficulty of the individual quest is determined by the level of the player and the TOTAL number of people in the guild. A guild can have one active quest at a time, and will hold a second quest as a waiting quest. It is not possible to complete the waiting guild quest until the active quest is completed and the waiting quest becomes active. Guild members will receive the guild quest if they were online within the 24 hours prior to it being issued. Again, most guilds have rules or customs regarding how the guild quest is to be done, ranging from not completing at all to expecting it completed on a daily basis.

Guild coins: The guild coin is the reward from completing guild quests, which is the only way coins enter the gaming economy. Guild coins can only be spent on specific offerings in the guild section of the Gem Merchant, at which time they leave the gaming economy. However, like any other resource, they can be traded between players, either individually or through the trading office. Guild coins are given directly to the player, i.e. into their storage, when they complete their individual portion of the guild quest. Guild coins are sent to each player by mail when the entire guild quest is completed, where it can be accepted into the star menu. The game items that can be purchased from the merchant change from time to time, and players have some input into the new items to be sold.

Guild Bank: This feature is still in the testing process, not yet in game and an expected release has not been announced. In the previous test release, it is a building that will allow members of a guild to access a shared storage, with customized divisions and access control.

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Individual guilds handle recruiting differently. Some guilds advertise in the global-1 chat channel when they are recruiting. Guild recruiting is not allowed in the help or trade channels. Other guilds recruit only on an individual basis, and some do not recruit at all and may take people who request to join through the guild page interface. The guild page interface gives specific guild information for members of the guild and general information for non-members. Guild pages typically have some information about the requirements and rules for that guild, and may give recruiting information as well. While this is only an opinion, it is wise to read that information before requesting to join a guild, and to ask about the rules and customs before requesting to join the guild. If there is a requirement for joining that you do not do, you may not be invited to join; alternately, if you join a guild and don't meet their requirements, it can result in you being forced to leave.