I my thoughts what drive me nut about guilds series it very superficial. You take real world data social history etc and just make it game mechanic. For example unless your where master son it very in the craft guild special the more prestigious like goldsmith for example to rise above journeyman. You could make entire game about struggle of just rising through the guild ranks. Depend on the time period and regions the Journeyman would look for master daughter and get into their inner circle masterpiece will approve and half enough capital to pay the fees and to open their own shop. That where the wondering years come in they gain reputation before they settle down work their masterpiece. Some more brave one will join a famous merc outfits to gain war booty to help then reach the right amount of cash but that his huge gamble with your life. The more successful they slowly in generation or so transition into become Merchant will making harder for foreigner to become masters. Because master was huge right passage mean you where social view as full man are made citizen/freemen of city which mean you pay taxes and vote and run for public office depend the city charter. If you family keep rising in the Old Holy Roman Empire they Become a Patrician or Great Burgher thing of it as Urban Nobility. Where in England they start to become a Gentlmen gain the right local office getting their son university education buying land building estate to become landed gentry. France something is similar but they would buy venal office if not for themselves their sons who have right education for it.