Alone but not alone .

Grailer

I recall making a lot of friends in EQ1 mainly because the game play was quite slow , you waited for spawns , waited for mana to regen etc , had to talk  to people to get in groups etc etc  .

 

But in this game ive joined dungeon groups and not a single word from anyone . It might be that everyone Ive played with is on console tho .

 

 

tekichan

I have my ps3 and all I did was plug my keyboard into the USB and bam! Easy chat ^_* so consoles can't use that as an excuse ^_^

IntheShadows

Unfortunately it seems like that's the way games are these days. The last few MMOs I've played no one talks to each other. Join a guild, not a word in chat (except maybe "congrats" here and there). Join a dungeon party, no one speaks. Try to talk to people in the open world questing around you, no reply. Maybe I'm just having horrible luck with game communities or maybe it's just the way things are now...

Anthur

Sorry OP, I know it is sad but the social and communication requirements for MMOs have dropped to an all time low since the beginning of the genre.

In EQ1 you needed good social skills and the will to communicate if you really wanted to achieve anything. Nowadays, and that is more less true for any new MMO, you don't need any of those skills anymore.You can achieve anything, be it solo or group content, alone without ever talking to anyone !

If you like a higher degree of communication the only way to go is to play with friends or find a nice guild which can be hard. Usually the smaller/medium guilds are better in this regard.

But the MMOs don't help you  (others would say force you, but not me) in this regard anymore.

KyutaSyuko

Originally posted by IntheShadows
Unfortunately it seems like that's the way games are these days. The last few MMOs I've played no one talks to each other. Join a guild, not a word in chat (except maybe "congrats" here and there). Join a dungeon party, no one speaks. Try to talk to people in the open world questing around you, no reply. Maybe I'm just having horrible luck with game communities or maybe it's just the way things are now...

Not sure what guilds you're joining, but all the guilds I've joined (the few that I've joined) have been pretty active granted most of the time it's in Vent rather than guild chat.  Though I agree there have been a few MMOs I've played where world/area chat was pretty dead.  It just seems the socal aspect of MMOs are just going down the drain, but then again maybe they just need someone to start the chat.

IntheShadows

Originally posted by KyutaSyuko

Not sure what guilds you're joining, but all the guilds I've joined (the few that I've joined) have been pretty active granted most of the time it's in Vent rather than guild chat.  Though I agree there have been a few MMOs I've played where world/area chat was pretty dead.  It just seems the socal aspect of MMOs are just going down the drain, but then again maybe they just need someone to start the chat.

I will admit that I'm probably having bad luck with guilds. Plus I really don't like guild hopping so I normally give it a while before I leave. However, open world/dungeon groups are really bad. I'm usually the person to say "hello" and "thank you for the group" and I'm lucky if I get a reply at all.

Fusion

Originally posted by Anthur

Sorry OP, I know it is sad but the social and communication requirements for MMOs have dropped to an all time low since the beginning of the genre.

In EQ1 you needed good social skills and the will to communicate if you really wanted to achieve anything. Nowadays, and that is more less true for any new MMO, you don't need any of those skills anymore.You can achieve anything, be it solo or group content, alone without ever talking to anyone !

Well said!

Was just about to mention something similar, tho alot of people (guilded) rarely use typed chat these days, but instead VoIP programs.

On the other hand, it might be that all are playing on PS3 (highly doubt it tho) and atleast in FFXI, it was tedious at best, trying to type on the PS2..

bobfish

Duty Finder is cross-world, it isn't a good way to make friends, though my experience is that most people will talk if spoken to.

 

Fate groups are a much better way to make friends, but everyone is really focused on their own thing at the moment.

Derros

well, hopefully people will start to form more linkshells, or more linkshells will start to be advertised, that's probably where alot of the socializing can come into play, since you can join up to 8 at a time.

Rusque

The halcyon days of people sitting around chatting are gone. The newness of connecting with people online wore off long ago. It's not due to game design, it's because people have changed.

 

paulrgod

I guess I've been really lucky, but I've generally had pretty good communicative parties on the dungeon runs, in fact i Ran Halitali yesterday from a Duty finder group and had the most fun in ages - really enjoyed it.

I can offer one tip though - if you don't get a response try saying hello using the Auto Translate feature.  You have to remember that as duty finder is cross server you may be grouped with people who can't read / understand English.

If your not sure how to use it - just start typing the word and then hit tab - you will get a selection of words or terms. ie 'he<tab>' will bring up word or terms starting 'he' such as 'Hello'

 

Knightblast

Originally posted by Rusque

The halcyon days of people sitting around chatting are gone. The newness of connecting with people online wore off long ago. It's not due to game design, it's because people have changed.

 

This is basically right.

It isn't a social experience -- that's not what people want from it anymore.  People just want a pew pew experience now.

Having said that, we have a pretty decent linkshell chat most of the time in the evenings, but that also means very little discussion with anyone else.  It's just the way MMOs are now.

OfficialFlow

Originally posted by IntheShadows
Unfortunately it seems like that's the way games are these days. The last few MMOs I've played no one talks to each other. Join a guild, not a word in chat (except maybe "congrats" here and there). Join a dungeon party, no one speaks. Try to talk to people in the open world questing around you, no reply. Maybe I'm just having horrible luck with game communities or maybe it's just the way things are now...

thats because there is no "need" to speak to anyone everything can be done solo and everything can be found in a wiki

if you ask someone in the game INSTANT noob tag or they just ignore you.

this phenomena was (imo) born due to shallow game mechanics surrounding the shallow combat system

how hard it is to have a game that demands

"hey dude, do you know where the nearest blacksmith is? or can you repair my gear intstead? do ya have the skill? for a fee ofc"

"I found this cool dungeon but i cant do it alone because there is this thing that needs another player, can you help?"

"Hello you look lost, can i help?"

"you look like a capable magician can you enhance my sword?...if you know what i mean "

this can be done if the stuff that is left to NPCs can be done by players in some form or another

Merchants and other professions that combatants are depending on for gear fixes and other stuff.

sure NPCs should do it aswell but only to a point after that it would be more efficient to have a player fix or make your gear.

other thing is PERSONAL VENDORS AND TRADING/ free markets OVER global AUCTION HOUSE

little things like these encourage player interaction IMHO anyway

my condolences goes out to those poor souls who dont know any better and force themselves through endless themeparks and the pattern they endlessly repeat

GeezerGamer

Leveling is pretty much a solo activity. At least at these levels. But I am not sure how far you have gotten into crafting. I can already see the heavy interdependency  between crafts. Players will need to communicate to advance their crafts. They can buy stuff off the boards, but that's the price of self sufficiency I guess. At any rate, if the main classes are set up with the same approach, I would say wait until you get to the higher levels. It will probably change. And communication will be more important.

Justsomenoob

This is common to most MMOs lately, at least ones with an action bar.

 

We're encouraged to use abilities as fast as possible which means concentrating on a rotation of some sort rather than having time during combat to casually chat with the group.

 

I don't like it either.

Four0Six

Originally posted by GeezerGamer

Leveling is pretty much a solo activity. At least at these levels. But I am not sure how far you have gotten into crafting. I can already see the heavy interdependency  between crafts. Players will need to communicate to advance their crafts. They can buy stuff off the boards, but that's the price of self sufficiency I guess. At any rate, if the main classes are set up with the same approach, I would say wait until you get to the higher levels. It will probably change. And communication will be more important.

This I am not a fan of.

 

Solo the tutorial, then I think the content should be group content.

 

 

My 2 coppers.

GeezerGamer

Originally posted by Four0Six

Originally posted by GeezerGamer

Leveling is pretty much a solo activity. At least at these levels. But I am not sure how far you have gotten into crafting. I can already see the heavy interdependency  between crafts. Players will need to communicate to advance their crafts. They can buy stuff off the boards, but that's the price of self sufficiency I guess. At any rate, if the main classes are set up with the same approach, I would say wait until you get to the higher levels. It will probably change. And communication will be more important.

This I am not a fan of.

 

Solo the tutorial, then I think the content should be group content.

 

 

My 2 coppers.

Can't say I disagree with you. I feel the same. But at the same time, having played older games like Anarchy Online. Where, in these games the meat and potatoes of the game is centered around grouped content. But even it hese systems, there are other issues, even within groups. (Such as AFK leveling) The problem now, becomes spending huge amounts of time running around zones trying to find leveling groups when none are available. Games need options. The problem is that if a game has solo leveling options, that's what players will gravitate to.This game has options. But it's the solo content that is most prevalent as that is what players are choosing to utilize.

Electro057

It's a bit depressing to be honest, especially considering most people choose to be antisocial it seems. I try and talk in shouts, since there is no overarching general....No responses, ever...A bit disheartening. 

Kyleran

Game design changed, the timesinks are no longer there, so there's no opportunity to really chat, even if some folks desired to.

I'm playing an oldschool version of DAOC and even with the inclusion of voice comms the text chat in alliance, broadcast and even guild chat far exceeds that found in most modern games, especially if a world dragon or summoner's hall raid is going on.

People still LFG the old fashioned way, and weirdly enough, find groups, probably because the game is designed to support/encourage (and at times force) it.

I've grouped up just recently with random strangers and found out in one case the person was from Israel, a member of my former Mordred guild Shadowclan, and we relieved some of the clan's best activities that we had mutually shared.

Haven't had an experience like that in a modern MMO outside of EVE (and I guess that's not really modern and is full of downtime, right?) and this is not an isolated event, happens regularly since my return to this (new) old world.

So don't blame the players, they are just responding more or less to the game designs they are presented (except for Narius, he doesn't want to chat with anyone    ) and it's not likely to change any time soon.

I've adapted by more or less living with the guilds voice chat and enjoying the communication opportunties when they present themselves.  (heck the darn Hibs/Mids communicate more via emotes when they kill me than most modern MMO gamer do today)

 

Justsomenoob

I think once more people realize how much exp you get just grouping to kill overland mobs, you'll see a lot of grouping.

 

It's pretty embarrassing how fast you get exp in those.

Alexlongwell

If people aren't talking in your instance your partly to blame, I always strike up a convo when I used the Duty finder, and guess what, people respond back. Maybe not all of them but by the end 2-3 of the 4 are engaged in the convo, whether its about the game, dungeon, etc.

Antiquated

Chat box isn't useful--unless you use it.

GeezerGamer

Originally posted by alexl22
If people aren't talking in your instance your partly to blame, I always strike up a convo when I used the Duty finder, and guess what, people respond back. Maybe not all of them but by the end 2-3 of the 4 are engaged in the convo, whether its about the game, dungeon, etc.

There is also the experience that follows players. Overall, I too find communications is a get what you give kinda thing. But now-a-days, it's pretty rare to see a player who doesn't know right off the bat that things like Ads in a boss fight can not be ignored and when they spawn near you, you break from the boss and kill adds. Players have gotten much more synergistic in recent years and are overall better with the unspoken communication element.

Bladestrom

In the good old days it would be boss and switch to adds when called for to manage raid damage overall, manage your position so you are never near spawn points - unless you are tagging and kiting or tanking, avoid dots in add spawn areas, macro targeting and cc for chose n add types. Those were the days

Reizla

Originally posted by Grailer

But in this game ive joined dungeon groups and not a single word from anyone . It might be that everyone Ive played with is on console tho . 

Most random dungeons in most MMORPGs are very silent (sadly). Just look at the one who made random dungeon finders a big thing: World of Warcraft. 99 of 100 dungeons are silent aside from a regular "You n00b healer/tank, do your work". I bet if you're doing dungeons with your FC it'll be more enjoyable...

gessekai332

Originally posted by Grailer

I recall making a lot of friends in EQ1 mainly because the game play was quite slow , you waited for spawns , waited for mana to regen etc , had to talk  to people to get in groups etc etc  .

 

But in this game ive joined dungeon groups and not a single word from anyone . It might be that everyone Ive played with is on console tho .

 

 

have you tried actually talking to people? I made a lot of friends on my social list because im not an antisocial gamer.