You're really onto something here (I was gonna say that part regarding guilds - damn you! ^^). Would a reasonable amount of carebearness work? Friendly reminders to "set the tone"; "be nice to others" propaganda in-game using messages in the chat windows, etc. Annoying "nanny filters" for bad language do seem to work in some games (e.g. ArchLord), since the player typing will only get a "There, there. Please, try to rephrase your sentence." type of answer instead of getting his/hers message across. The original message gets deleted and the player is more likely to give it up.
I'm thinking more along the line of the inner working of MMORPGs. Instead of loot-based items, make it craft-based items, and re-introduce the player inter-dependency for each other. This will make people to realize that they can't treat others like crap since one day they might need these people's help on something (the player inter-dependency).
Of course, I'm not saying that you should do force grouping, which hurts the solo players. But if you give people a reason to be nice to each other, then they will be "mature" in the sense that you don't see people act like spoil brat that has way too much time on their hand and is able to get a group of guildies to help getting that "uber" armor/weapon that they wanted.
Healthy competition is not a bad thing, and can give players a feeling of achievement (PvP, or just play the in-game economy, i.e. the competition between crafters). The hard part is that with PvP, at times you'll get people who acts like immature brats (these are those gamers who are influenced by the FPS games they comes in contact with). I won't go into detail on this part since I don't have any good solution for the etiquettes needed for competition, but it can still be done.
Aside from that, what you mentioned is the use of rules and restrictions to help guiding the player into being mature and nice, which also works in some games.
alyndale, what you mentioned is based on people within guilds, and those who might join guilds. But the problem of immaturity extends to all players, not just ones who join guilds. Although your idea is sound, it only fix the population withing the guild, not the population outside the guild. People will see your guild and know you guys are nice, but other than that, they still do what they do.
Many of the posts above has good ideas, but mostly focus on the "setting rules" part of the system. But I think the main issue is not the rules, but the settings that breed these type of immature mind set. (in general, the "me" mind set. People want to prove themselves, and boast themselves to extreme.)
If we remove these type of settings, and replace something which encourage and reinforce the idea of a mature community, then the players would break away from the "me" mind set, and get to the "we/us" mind set.
Just my thoughts.
Very true. But stop and consider the importance of the largest guilds on particular servers. What service may they provide folks in the way of aid when distressed, or in the matter of overly rude players, banning or getting the word on these folks. Lineage 2 forums used to run a list that was constantly updated on these types of players. When use the term "ban" i mean black listing those players with records of improper play. This makes it more difficult for them to find groups and therefore they get bored, and when a 14 year old gets bored, he moves on.
What power might a popular forum have? How much influence might be gained through communicating those players that do not abide by a decent code of respect toward others? Influential guilds, I think should have some modicum of server pride. You'd be surprised what a little unity would do help clean up a server.
However, with this said, there will always be some knucklehead out there that "didn't get the memo", so to speak. You just can't always get what you want..LOL...just thought about that ol' Stones tune. But with unity, server pride, strong forum communication, and a guild alliance to police the worst offenders, much can be done.
All I want is the truth Just gimme some truth John Lennon
this is a topic many people who enjoy MMOs make into a widely overblown problem, maturity
Though i have met immature people in my travels through virtual worlds, much like everyone who has ever played an online game has, i dont see it as NEARLY as big a problem as people make it out to be. I never played MMOs before 2000, so i honestly have no clue what communities were like before that, but i have a hard time believing that they were some type of utopia, devoid of immature people.
To an extent however this may have been somewhat true. To put it bluntly MMOs (and RPG games in general) were considered nerdy at the time. They were a little known section of the growning gaming market, which only RPG players knew of. So older MMOs only attracted older RPG players (who were often more mature based on the stereotypical RPG player of the time period, AkA if you had maturity problems you most likely also tried to be "cool" something which RPGs wre not). But now MMOs have broken onto the mass market, what does this mean? it means big name companies making MMOs, and it means the mass market is now introduced to this "new" genre.
There are idiots in the world, there are immature people in the world, now that MMOs are big name things you will get every demographic playing them. For every person who thinks that MMOs are full of immature people, there is someone who is going to complain about how they are full of people who need to "lighten up". Now that everyone is aware of MMOs there is not a certain group of people playing them, everyone is. So the same community you meet in your daily life you will meet in your game.
Honestly there is nothing you can do to change a games community, you could build a game to target a certain community, and hope you get it, but there is nothing besides that. Immaturity to one person is having fun to another, its all an opinion in the end
I think its down to the game on the kind of community it attracts.
Look at wow forums compared to ww2 online forums.
You will notice that Wow is easy to play for all ages so attracts alot of kids.
Then you go over to ww2online and its pretty much all mature seen as ww2online has more of a learning curv that most young people give up on pretty much strate away.
I think WoW and WWIIOnline are 2 good games but when it comes down to the players and community I would say that wwIIonline beets wow hands down everyone you see is helpfull everyone seems to act more mature.
---
So basicly what I am saying is.
If a game is too hard for kids or most kids anyhow then they are not intrested in the community and move on to other games that they can play. But when a game is simple for all ages you can expect the community to have alot of imature people around it.
Regulation is the only way. Strict character naming policy. Strict public chat language enforcement.
Of course how developers treat their customers sets the tone. Be honest unlike SOE, don't make promises you can't deliver, treat your customers with respect.
Regulation is the only way. Strict character naming policy. Strict public chat language enforcement. Of course how developers treat their customers sets the tone. Be honest unlike SOE, don't make promises you can't deliver, treat your customers with respect.
i like the thought you ahve behind the idea, but i think that would turn off a lot fo players, so it may not be appealing to companies, plus im not a huge fan of restriction, strangely enough i like Barrens Chat
Comments
Of course, I'm not saying that you should do force grouping, which hurts the solo players. But if you give people a reason to be nice to each other, then they will be "mature" in the sense that you don't see people act like spoil brat that has way too much time on their hand and is able to get a group of guildies to help getting that "uber" armor/weapon that they wanted.
Healthy competition is not a bad thing, and can give players a feeling of achievement (PvP, or just play the in-game economy, i.e. the competition between crafters). The hard part is that with PvP, at times you'll get people who acts like immature brats (these are those gamers who are influenced by the FPS games they comes in contact with). I won't go into detail on this part since I don't have any good solution for the etiquettes needed for competition, but it can still be done.
Aside from that, what you mentioned is the use of rules and restrictions to help guiding the player into being mature and nice, which also works in some games.
Current MMO: FFXIV:ARR
Past MMO: Way too many (P2P and F2P)
What power might a popular forum have? How much influence might be gained through communicating those players that do not abide by a decent code of respect toward others? Influential guilds, I think should have some modicum of server pride. You'd be surprised what a little unity would do help clean up a server.
However, with this said, there will always be some knucklehead out there that "didn't get the memo", so to speak. You just can't always get what you want..LOL...just thought about that ol' Stones tune. But with unity, server pride, strong forum communication, and a guild alliance to police the worst offenders, much can be done.
All I want is the truth
Just gimme some truth
John Lennon
this is a topic many people who enjoy MMOs make into a widely overblown problem, maturity
Though i have met immature people in my travels through virtual worlds, much like everyone who has ever played an online game has, i dont see it as NEARLY as big a problem as people make it out to be. I never played MMOs before 2000, so i honestly have no clue what communities were like before that, but i have a hard time believing that they were some type of utopia, devoid of immature people.
To an extent however this may have been somewhat true. To put it bluntly MMOs (and RPG games in general) were considered nerdy at the time. They were a little known section of the growning gaming market, which only RPG players knew of. So older MMOs only attracted older RPG players (who were often more mature based on the stereotypical RPG player of the time period, AkA if you had maturity problems you most likely also tried to be "cool" something which RPGs wre not). But now MMOs have broken onto the mass market, what does this mean? it means big name companies making MMOs, and it means the mass market is now introduced to this "new" genre.
There are idiots in the world, there are immature people in the world, now that MMOs are big name things you will get every demographic playing them. For every person who thinks that MMOs are full of immature people, there is someone who is going to complain about how they are full of people who need to "lighten up". Now that everyone is aware of MMOs there is not a certain group of people playing them, everyone is. So the same community you meet in your daily life you will meet in your game.
Honestly there is nothing you can do to change a games community, you could build a game to target a certain community, and hope you get it, but there is nothing besides that. Immaturity to one person is having fun to another, its all an opinion in the end
Look at wow forums compared to ww2 online forums.
You will notice that Wow is easy to play for all ages so attracts alot of kids.
Then you go over to ww2online and its pretty much all mature seen as ww2online has more of a learning curv that most young people give up on pretty much strate away.
I think WoW and WWIIOnline are 2 good games but when it comes down to the players and community I would say that wwIIonline beets wow hands down everyone you see is helpfull everyone seems to act more mature.
---
So basicly what I am saying is.
If a game is too hard for kids or most kids anyhow then they are not intrested in the community and move on to other games that they can play. But when a game is simple for all ages you can expect the community to have alot of imature people around it.
Regulation is the only way. Strict character naming policy. Strict public chat language enforcement.
Of course how developers treat their customers sets the tone. Be honest unlike SOE, don't make promises you can't deliver, treat your customers with respect.
Exactly... ^^
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hmm reminds me of communism
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