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They said this would be a social game...so where is the community?
Southpaw.Gamer
Member CommonPosts: 572
I enjoyed the few hoursI spent in the game upon launch, it is a neat concept and the kart racing really reminds me of Mario Kart. However the more I played the more it felt like I was playing in a bubble. I could see other people, but interacting with them was very limmited since in any multi-player mini-game there was no means of talking to each other. My example is kart racing, in the lobby where you find people to race you can join a room... and that's it. You cannot talk to those you are about to race... then outside just wandering around it seems they try to limmit what you can say through pre-made sentences, why? Why can't I simply type a phrase for it to show up? So long as it's not profanity I should be able to say whatever I want and how I want to say it.
Another thing that really turned me off was the fact reading Leaderboards are limmited to Members only... I really did consider playing this game a lot to get good at the Kart Racing/Demo-Derby games but after reading only members get full use of the leaderboards I might just pass. As cute and fun as this single player experience is I see no reason to pay for it. It feels far to limmited and bubble like.
Full Sail University - Game Design
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What were the steps that you took to build community? Start from there and work your way out.
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yeah, communities do not come premade. you get out what you put in.
Sorry friend but when I go into a game and see no one interacting with each other and just hovering over various NPCs as they are in instanced zones either doing a mini-game or fighting mobs (by themselves) I feel quite alone in the world. I can see this being fun if you drag real-life friends in but one of the reasons I enjoy MMOs is to meet new people. Free Realms just makes it far to hard to do anything actually social... I don't consider it talking to someone when I am limmited to pre-made sentences. I can't truely judge a persons character by them using forced words... I'd rather befriend people who are able to speak for themselves and are who they are.
And yes I did try using those pre-made sentences. Guess what? People may have paused for a second before then running off to another instanced mini-game. So really FR is not an MMO but a very poorly made virtual chat room with various mini-games people can play by walking up to.
It is fun, but it lacks communication badly.
Full Sail University - Game Design
And that is why there is little community in MMOs... or most neighborhoods for that matter.
Community is something built through the efforts of the individuals. The more work each individual puts towards that goal, the more vibrant the community. And, yes, community building is work. In the end, I'd say it pays off rather well.
To expect efforts towards community building from everyone else but not be willing to put forth efforts of your own is a bit hypocritical.
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The reason they limited chat options was to protect the kiddies. This game is really aimed at 8 to 14 year olds, and they needed to protect them from adult conversations or worse. Sony's reasoning, not mine.
Very true. Toon Town does the same thing. It's more of a reflection on society than on the game designers.
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limited to premade sentences? I can type and "say" what ever i like. the game does have a strong "filter" but im ok with that. Have you tried hitting enter and actually typing? heh
How amusing or sad, depending on your perspective, is it to see some people claiming it is the individual players fault if no community exists.
When a developer uses instancing and other anti-social mechanisms and doesn't provide tools to easily engage with others or foster design which encourages interaction, how is it the players fault?
because devs can NOT force you to make an effort to befriend people or be civil.... you get out what you put in.
We are talking about the game that starts immediately with a massive panel that includes which of your friends are online, right? The one whereyou can chat with others like any other MMO, correct? And where clicking on a person pops up the options to invite them as a friend, duel them, group with them, etc?
Is it that you saw an instance and based your entire view on that? It can't possibly be that you actually played this game.
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from wiki
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Realms
players are able to send links, share images and videos, and chat with friends from their own, personal, customizable social networking page, which is all optional for parents that want to restrict their child’s access to user generated content.
EQ2 fan sites
like to add
you can also hop onto any server with your character -- anytime, to hookup with friends
EQ2 fan sites
It doesn't help that the whole adding friends bit doesn't even work right now, and there is no family subscription. If I were looking for a friendly game for my child to engage in cooperative play with other children, this is not the game I'd buy. As fun and adorable as it is, most things are solo and there's not a very social atmosphere. At least not yet. Maybe there will be eventually. If you're looking for some good mini-game fun for your kids or yourself, this game is great, but so far it's failing as a cooperative game, in my opinion.
Of course I share another view. And note that some things that I write here is purposely exaggerated, sorry for that in advance.
There is so many (social) sites and games that have been and are hunting ground for sick people. People that seek contact with minors with bad intent.
I do not think that MMO game is exempt from that. Maybe not as bad hit as other social places with a lot of kids, maybe not just yet.
In this thread we have adults, 47 years old, 22 years old, seeking social gaming in a game with a big audience in children. Like said 8-14 years old. No, there is not a problem with discussing the eventual lack of thereof (social interaction). And of course there is not a problem for an adult to socialise and playing a kids game. But, the big one, I would think and ponder why a 22 year old would even be remotely interested in seeking contact and make friends. As I also think that some would raise and eyebrow if their kids spent time socialising with someone unknown 4 times the age. This is teh internet, huh, not in this case though.
On one side of the rope is the responsibility that lies on SOE shoulders to make prevent these kind of things, yes a publisher do have if not written in law, they have a moral responsibility.
They don't have all the responsibility. I as a parent also have that, in all what it means. But there is so much that I can do. Would SOE offered me a way to approve my daughter friends list, there actually would be a chance that I would use that. Meaning, I won't let her add people on MSN that she doesn't know.(And yes she is reporting suspect cars that drive around her school.)
So me being almost 4 times older than my daughter. The reason for me and my wife to play this game is a fun thing to. Like when we play some games on WII or playstation. But even if I do that I'm not considering to be a friend of my kids, they have enough of that. They need parents. And I would be the last one to complain not being able to add friends or socialising with kids in her age. I think they will manage that pretty good in the end.
But anyway with what have happened at other social sites for kids I have to understand and also are ok with the premature reduction and somewhat control. And if you as "knowledgeable" mmo players fail at making social connection in this game I can actually see that as a positive thing.
Oh, I also are intrigued to as why you didn't succeed in this as it is far from impossible to succeed in.
Well I might ask, why did you not succeed in it, when last night I was online playing the community was bursting with players?
I'm so broke. I can't even pay attention.
"You have the right not to be killed"
I believe the game just launched... like yesterday. Expecting kazillions of kids to already have formed communities in browser based game that just launched yester day seems a bit... well childish. <--- pun?
Yes, the game just launched but it's most of the mini-games and quests themselves that don't seem to be made for co-op play. I think a lot of people were expecting that.
There is an adult audience for the game, and to be honest I don't appreciate someone here even just speculating on the idea I might be a predator.
I was simply stating that for an MMO there is no communication between players in situations where it would be nice to have. Read my previous post about the Kart Racing game where there is no talking between those taking part in the game. I am not wanting to wander around aimlessy trying to talk to everyone. However if I wanted to the game makes it far to restricting though yes I agree with all that there is online for the kids sake it should be limmited. They market this game as a community game when really it is not. Maybe in time it'll come, but right now I have yet to see people work together... and when people compete they have no way of speaking to those they are competing with.
As for my age how the fuck does that make me more likely to be in the wrong? At the age of 22 I have served my country honorably and have left to start University. This is the last time I post in this thread and to be frank it's people like those who have posted in this thread who make this community so very iffy at best.
This thread was about lack of communty and communication... which there is. Keep it to that or just delete this thread before everyone starts calling everyone else a pedofile.
Edit: I know you are a parent, I know you are worried about your kid(s). This thread was never meant to talk about the possibility of the online freaks. Hell I don't really even play this game anymore as I was simply bored and heard it was out so naturally went to check it out. I agree limits are needed for the kids, but why make it a choke-point? Why can't I talk with those I am about to race and wish them luck or gloat a little? Even just the ability to do that would make those games easier to fill since you could ask people to be patient and wait for a full room. Instead you have a host there who could be AFK without ways of knowing he is unless you PM the host..
you make a sound case, but please reframe from looking at people as threats or you will live out your life in fear of what-ifs.
Full Sail University - Game Design
I just hopped in game, clicked the first person I saw, selected Add Friend, he accepted, and he is now on my Friends list.
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like to add
you can also hop onto any server with your character -- anytime, to hookup with friends
That is the feature that has always stuck out in my mind when I was reading about the game. I hope it really turns out well and other developers adopt the same approach.
This thread is a good place to get people to understand what a community is.
You and 20 strangers moved into the same neighborhood at the same time. The very next day you overhear one stranger say to the next, that you and the others are not social and he's thinking about moving out. Wouldn't your reaction be something very similar to "WTF? I just got here, dude."
And, if so, your reaction would be understandable. People, in general, do not go out of their way to build community. The days of showing up at a new neighbor's house with a "Welcome to the Block" package are gone. If peopel don't happen to see you outside getting in/out of your car or mowing your lawn, you are probably not going to have much interaction with them.
If you log into Florensia, you will notice a good community there. It's one where people say Hi when they log in and say good night to each other when they log out. It is one where people work towards knowing the others in the community. This further strengthens the community because when you grow to know someone, you are less likely to be a complete dick to them. There is more respect for each other and more cognizance of these being other people instead of "tools I need in order to form a group."
It takes effort on the part of every individual to build and maintain a community. Community is has never been - and will never be - the result of any magic ingame tool.
- RPG Quiz - can you get all 25 right?
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No I did not want to paint you out as anything and if I did and you are offended I understand that and can only say sorry for it.
I'm so broke. I can't even pay attention.
"You have the right not to be killed"
This thread is a good place to get people to understand what a community is.
You and 20 strangers moved into the same neighborhood at the same time. The very next day you overhear one stranger say to the next, that you and the others are not social and he's thinking about moving out. Wouldn't your reaction be something very similar to "WTF? I just got here, dude."
And, if so, your reaction would be understandable. People, in general, do not go out of their way to build community. The days of showing up at a new neighbor's house with a "Welcome to the Block" package are gone. If peopel don't happen to see you outside getting in/out of your car or mowing your lawn, you are probably not going to have much interaction with them.
If you log into Florensia, you will notice a good community there. It's one where people say Hi when they log in and say good night to each other when they log out. It is one where people work towards knowing the others in the community. This further strengthens the community because when you grow to know someone, you are less likely to be a complete dick to them. There is more respect for each other and more cognizance of these being other people instead of "tools I need in order to form a group."
It takes effort on the part of every individual to build and maintain a community. Community is has never been - and will never be - the result of any magic ingame tool.
My question then is to you, how do you build a community when there is no communication between people when playing the game? How? How is it possible when the only people playing together will be Real-Life friends?
There is no communication in any mini game between players, no reason to really just shit around and talk either. So how is a community formed in a game where people don't talk?
Full Sail University - Game Design
We are talking about the game that starts immediately with a massive panel that includes which of your friends are online, right? The one whereyou can chat with others like any other MMO, correct? And where clicking on a person pops up the options to invite them as a friend, duel them, group with them, etc?
Is it that you saw an instance and based your entire view on that? It can't possibly be that you actually played this game.
I concur, very well said. And let's not forget the simple fact the original poster expects everything to be free. God forbid you have to actually PAY for something =O "ohh nooo"
yeah interetsing thoughts...heres the issues...
1. THE GAME IS FREE....your not paying for it, you take what you get or leave.
2. The game also happens to be BRAND NEW, why not give it more than a few hours befor you judge it lol
In the end I think your expecting WAY too much from something your not putting a penny into.
Bain, I don't see why you are being so obtuse about this. Form your replies, it seems your real issue is with instancing and has nothing to do with any attempt to build community. That being the case, there really isn't much sense in trying to explain further how one can talk to other people in a video game. You've made it clear that you don't want to hear it.
- RPG Quiz - can you get all 25 right?
- FPS Quiz - how well do you know your shooters?