Originally posted by ShakyMo I don't know about the action combat thing ice. Planetside was a very social game and had more actiony combat.
I've been beta testing PS2 and I can tell you that the majority of the chatter are people calling out tactics, that is, if they aren't doing it on voice chat, which I avoid like the plague. It's the tactical requirements of the meta game that force people to communicate with those around them that there is any chatter at all in that game. Very rarely have there been any discussions and general chatter on a map channel or /yell.
The thing to keep in mind in GW2 (after reading OP's locked thread with the "scientific" data) is that grouping in GW2 isn't necessary. You can jump into a DE with 6 other people and finish it without grouping. There is no real need to talk outside of doing a dungeon or getting a group of friends to run around with and talk in your own chat. Compare that to LOTRO where some of their quests require you to find a group and a balanced one at that and there is your difference. GW2 is designed to bring people together through DE's and the way they do that is to make it easy for anyone nearby to take part. This may discourage chatter, but in my experience I make friends in a guild or doing a dungeon, not DE's. The reason for this may be that you do loads of hearts and DE's (for me on to alts at this point) and if you chatted with everybody you met or tried to friend everybody you met you would have a mob of people on your contact list within hours. Also with the way the system upgrades the difficulty of DE's depending on how many people are playing, most can be done solo. This also allows people to come and go as they please, and do an event or two together then go their separate ways.
Also when I'm onine there always seems to be at least some map chatter. Loads in LA but at least a bit here and there in almost any zone alerting people where a DE is.
It's just a different game with different ways to go about it. At level 80 the endgame is sparse I would say, comparing that to other MMO's but this is still my favorite MMO I've played. And that's because I can just grab a group just about anywhere (almost anytime) and do a dungeon, without waiting for a certain class. No more "LF monk to go" or "Don't need another thief/war/ranger sry" in chat. I think eventually they will add more endgame and expansions and I'm happy to wait for that time.
I cannot say about this game,but my personal worst experience was during the Vanguard release.
Vanguard was designed to group alot however when asking in chat i got tons of total silence.The ONLY thing chat was used for was WTS and WTB and WTT it was pathetic and turned me off bad.I had never seen that nonsense playing FFXI,so i knew the player crowd had come from Everquest.
When a developer puts out the effort to design a trading post,players shoudl use it.To think YOUR goods are more important to sell than everyone else's then you are more than disrespectful to the community.If yo uhave 25k players all spamming chat with their wares,chat is a non stop scrolling spam wheel ,just like entering EVE noob chat,only that is spammed by RMT ISK,not slefish players that think they are above everyone else.
Other than that,the rest of the blame lies on the developer,if players are not grouping,then the game has a poor design or one that is designed to solo,that would remove it from the MMO status.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
I honestly do not know if it is the anti-social communities, the sheep-like behavior of the majority who follow the vocal anti-social trolls who belittle friendly people or any form of conversation, or the game design making communication absolete.
Any MMORPG I have played in the last 5 years is exactly the same.
You talk in global chat about something relevant to the game, genre, or just for conversation sake. Four people immediately tell you to shut up in a very anti-social fashion, isntantly discouraging anyone from talking, being friendly, or participating in the conversation. Sheeple either join the anti-social trolls in bashing the socializer(s) or stay out of the conversation due to the fact that they will become a target for anti-social behavior (insults, rude attacks, trolling) if they join in on the conersation. 99% of players regardless of social involvement never even read the chat and continue their mindless grind and single-player or guild-inclusive experience.
That sums up MMORPG communities. If you aren't spamming "WTS/WTB [item]" or "LFG [dungeon content]" then you're ostracized for talking.
Want to ask a question? "Google it moron."
Want to talk about an element of the game? "Go back to WoW."
Want to talk about what you want in the genre? "Go back to WoW."
Game too frustrating due to flaws in balance or bad game design? "This isn't EZ mode. Go back to WoW."
Like the game but want to talk about the parts you dislike? "If you don't like it, quit."
Love the game but want help in an aspect of the game? "You suck. Google it."
Can't find a group? "Stop spamming chat. It's because you suck and no one likes you."
Want to disagree with someone? "Go do the world a favor and kill yourself."
^^^^ All of this because you wanted to be social, have a conversation, speak your mind, or ask a simple question that takes seconds to answer.
Why havve a community when you can google everything?
Why talk at all when you could be shutting up and playing the game?
Why socialize in a MMORPG? Didn't you know this is a singleplayer game?
I have never had this problem it seems im always in a group rather its guild and or with strangers..
I dont chat in the field other than to clarify what we are doing because that belongs in LA or a boring game with nothing to do and GW2 is far from that..
The thing to keep in mind in GW2 (after reading OP's locked thread with the "scientific" data) is that grouping in GW2 isn't necessary. You can jump into a DE with 6 other people and finish it without grouping. There is no real need to talk outside of doing a dungeon or getting a group of friends to run around with and talk in your own chat. Compare that to LOTRO where some of their quests require you to find a group and a balanced one at that and there is your difference. GW2 is designed to bring people together through DE's and the way they do that is to make it easy for anyone nearby to take part. This may discourage chatter, but in my experience I make friends in a guild or doing a dungeon, not DE's. The reason for this may be that you do loads of hearts and DE's (for me on to alts at this point) and if you chatted with everybody you met or tried to friend everybody you met you would have a mob of people on your contact list within hours. Also with the way the system upgrades the difficulty of DE's depending on how many people are playing, most can be done solo. This also allows people to come and go as they please, and do an event or two together then go their separate ways.
Also when I'm onine there always seems to be at least some map chatter. Loads in LA but at least a bit here and there in almost any zone alerting people where a DE is.
It's just a different game with different ways to go about it. At level 80 the endgame is sparse I would say, comparing that to other MMO's but this is still my favorite MMO I've played. And that's because I can just grab a group just about anywhere (almost anytime) and do a dungeon, without waiting for a certain class. No more "LF monk to go" or "Don't need another thief/war/ranger sry" in chat. I think eventually they will add more endgame and expansions and I'm happy to wait for that time.
Just my take.
The soft grouping mechanic makes it easier to play along with people, but it definitely negates the need for any verbal (or typing) communication.
I find it a step backwards because the whole genre MMORPG and hell even RPG was based on social interactions amongst others. This is again, one of the many reasons I consider GW2 more of a MMOAG (Massively Multiplayer Online Action Game). The amount of discussions I have with people outside my guild is basically equal to that of a BF2 match....
I honestly do not know if it is the anti-social communities, the sheep-like behavior of the majority who follow the vocal anti-social trolls who belittle friendly people or any form of conversation, or the game design making communication absolete.
Any MMORPG I have played in the last 5 years is exactly the same.
You talk in global chat about something relevant to the game, genre, or just for conversation sake. Four people immediately tell you to shut up in a very anti-social fashion, isntantly discouraging anyone from talking, being friendly, or participating in the conversation. Sheeple either join the anti-social trolls in bashing the socializer(s) or stay out of the conversation due to the fact that they will become a target for anti-social behavior (insults, rude attacks, trolling) if they join in on the conersation. 99% of players regardless of social involvement never even read the chat and continue their mindless grind and single-player or guild-inclusive experience.
That sums up MMORPG communities. If you aren't spamming "WTS/WTB [item]" or "LFG [dungeon content]" then you're ostracized for talking.
Want to ask a question? "Google it moron."
Want to talk about an element of the game? "Go back to WoW."
Want to talk about what you want in the genre? "Go back to WoW."
Game too frustrating due to flaws in balance or bad game design? "This isn't EZ mode. Go back to WoW."
Like the game but want to talk about the parts you dislike? "If you don't like it, quit."
Love the game but want help in an aspect of the game? "You suck. Google it."
Can't find a group? "Stop spamming chat. It's because you suck and no one likes you."
Want to disagree with someone? "Go do the world a favor and kill yourself."
^^^^ All of this because you wanted to be social, have a conversation, speak your mind, or ask a simple question that takes seconds to answer.
Why havve a community when you can google everything?
Why talk at all when you could be shutting up and playing the game?
Why socialize in a MMORPG? Didn't you know this is a singleplayer game?
Are you talking about games or this website? :P
You want me to pay to play a game I already paid for???
The thing to keep in mind in GW2 (after reading OP's locked thread with the "scientific" data) is that grouping in GW2 isn't necessary. You can jump into a DE with 6 other people and finish it without grouping. There is no real need to talk outside of doing a dungeon or getting a group of friends to run around with and talk in your own chat. Compare that to LOTRO where some of their quests require you to find a group and a balanced one at that and there is your difference. GW2 is designed to bring people together through DE's and the way they do that is to make it easy for anyone nearby to take part. This may discourage chatter, but in my experience I make friends in a guild or doing a dungeon, not DE's. The reason for this may be that you do loads of hearts and DE's (for me on to alts at this point) and if you chatted with everybody you met or tried to friend everybody you met you would have a mob of people on your contact list within hours. Also with the way the system upgrades the difficulty of DE's depending on how many people are playing, most can be done solo. This also allows people to come and go as they please, and do an event or two together then go their separate ways.
Also when I'm onine there always seems to be at least some map chatter. Loads in LA but at least a bit here and there in almost any zone alerting people where a DE is.
It's just a different game with different ways to go about it. At level 80 the endgame is sparse I would say, comparing that to other MMO's but this is still my favorite MMO I've played. And that's because I can just grab a group just about anywhere (almost anytime) and do a dungeon, without waiting for a certain class. No more "LF monk to go" or "Don't need another thief/war/ranger sry" in chat. I think eventually they will add more endgame and expansions and I'm happy to wait for that time.
Just my take.
The soft grouping mechanic makes it easier to play along with people, but it definitely negates the need for any verbal (or typing) communication.
I find it a step backwards because the whole genre MMORPG and hell even RPG was based on social interactions amongst others. This is again, one of the many reasons I consider GW2 more of a MMOAG (Massively Multiplayer Online Action Game). The amount of discussions I have with people outside my guild is basically equal to that of a BF2 match....
While I agree that not much conversation happens in the PvE open world of GW2 (with the exception of map chat)...my problem with your point is that the same is true for just about any post-WoW themepark.
In fact, in WoW, I remember even LESS positive conversation in the open-world. At least in GW2, there may be a "thanks" or "good job!" after rezzing or helping someone. But in WoW, the only conversation in the open world that I remember were things like "WTF! That was my mob!" or "Hey wanna group? Oh, already did that quest? See yah!"
And even if you go back to EQ...there really wasn't all this "great" socialization going on in the open world. You would basically find a group, and then typical conversation consisted of "pull" or "OOM."
The only worthwhile socialization that goes on in these games is that which happens in guild chat typically. So that's why I just don't get your point. It's the same with EVERY game. What game are you remembering that had such superior socialization?
The most social MMO ever was old runescape. I sure do bring up runescape a lot...
But yeah, I would often get into hour long conversation in runescape while doing the tasks in the game, not to mention I never once had a guild but my friends list was always full. Runescape was something special back in the day.
I remember one time I got into a conversation with a random person on a random world and an hour later I found out he was from my highschool and a grade younger than me... we both agreed that was the most ridiculous coincidence probably in our entire lives.
120,000 people online in 200 different worlds and I end up talking to and meeting someone from my school at random.
The thing is that GW2 is not a group / community oriented game in the traditional sense. It is designed for the ultra casual experience which is what some people prefer. The game's mechanics and systems are very well streamlined, fast paced, and a bit shallow. There is little to no interdependence between people. They provide goals that require cooperation but little to no coordination. It was designed for someone to log on and have a little fun for whatever time period they wish to play. They made it so that it isn't dependent upon other people. They have systems in place so that anything that requires more than one person can be done with minimal required interaction. It kind of reminds me of a cooperative RPG on a console but on a much larger scale.
Whether a person likes this style or not is personal opinion. To some, the required lack of interdependence and coordination makes this a community and social lite game that no amount of convincing will change their minds. To others, this is heaven and they have found what they are looking for. To each their own.
The thing to keep in mind in GW2 (after reading OP's locked thread with the "scientific" data) is that grouping in GW2 isn't necessary. You can jump into a DE with 6 other people and finish it without grouping. There is no real need to talk outside of doing a dungeon or getting a group of friends to run around with and talk in your own chat. Compare that to LOTRO where some of their quests require you to find a group and a balanced one at that and there is your difference. GW2 is designed to bring people together through DE's and the way they do that is to make it easy for anyone nearby to take part. This may discourage chatter, but in my experience I make friends in a guild or doing a dungeon, not DE's. The reason for this may be that you do loads of hearts and DE's (for me on to alts at this point) and if you chatted with everybody you met or tried to friend everybody you met you would have a mob of people on your contact list within hours. Also with the way the system upgrades the difficulty of DE's depending on how many people are playing, most can be done solo. This also allows people to come and go as they please, and do an event or two together then go their separate ways.
Also when I'm onine there always seems to be at least some map chatter. Loads in LA but at least a bit here and there in almost any zone alerting people where a DE is.
It's just a different game with different ways to go about it. At level 80 the endgame is sparse I would say, comparing that to other MMO's but this is still my favorite MMO I've played. And that's because I can just grab a group just about anywhere (almost anytime) and do a dungeon, without waiting for a certain class. No more "LF monk to go" or "Don't need another thief/war/ranger sry" in chat. I think eventually they will add more endgame and expansions and I'm happy to wait for that time.
Just my take.
The soft grouping mechanic makes it easier to play along with people, but it definitely negates the need for any verbal (or typing) communication.
I find it a step backwards because the whole genre MMORPG and hell even RPG was based on social interactions amongst others. This is again, one of the many reasons I consider GW2 more of a MMOAG (Massively Multiplayer Online Action Game). The amount of discussions I have with people outside my guild is basically equal to that of a BF2 match....
While I agree that not much conversation happens in the PvE open world of GW2 (with the exception of map chat)...my problem with your point is that the same is true for just about any post-WoW themepark.
In fact, in WoW, I remember even LESS positive conversation in the open-world. At least in GW2, there may be a "thanks" or "good job!" after rezzing or helping someone. But in WoW, the only conversation in the open world that I remember were things like "WTF! That was my mob!" or "Hey wanna group? Oh, already did that quest? See yah!"
And even if you go back to EQ...there really wasn't all this "great" socialization going on in the open world. You would basically find a group, and then typical conversation consisted of "pull" or "OOM."
The only worthwhile socialization that goes on in these games is that which happens in guild chat typically. So that's why I just don't get your point. It's the same with EVERY game. What game are you remembering that had such superior socialization?
LOTRO for one. Vanguard. DDO, EQ, EQ2.
Edit: I also tend to roll on the RP server (if they have one) for any given game....I've found they tend to have the best communities.
And I seriously mean it. And I've been playing these games for 14 years straight now.
That's on my personal scale of course.
Why?
This game has zero bonding requirements. For everything you can do at endgame, you can zerg or PUG your way through. Encounters that really need planning and strategy are scattered far and few; And even then, you PUG (or pick up your vent friends), some carebear explains the encounters, if everything goes smoothly nobody talks, if you fail people quit without further notice. End of story.
There is practically no communication going on aside from meeting up with your buddys in Vent/TS and trashtalk in zonechats as there is no trading aside from what I lovingly call "the stock exchange", no need for coordinated world PvP what I lovingly call "the zerg ball", no roleplaying which I lovingly... erm wait, whatever...
Everything else is top notch, its the hell of a fun experience leveling to 80, it even comes close to a single player game with player driven NPCs.
But at 80, you're a sociophobic loner in a black uniform lfging for other loners that hopefully don't want to talk but zerg down some random mob...
I'll keep playing - with my vent buddies that transferred over from other games - but to be honest, the moment I re-entered LOTRO for Riders of Rohan it took some 200 yards until some player walked up to me, /bowed and whispered "hey, wanna quest together?" and it took 2 hours until I knew his real name, that he was a father of two and been playing LOTRO for 4 months...
... 180 hours into GW2 and I have zero people on my friendslist aside from the guys I already brought over.
That's hardly the way I interpret the term "multiplayer".
M
To each their own I guess. If some random dude walked up to me and /bowed and asked me to quest with him, I would of ignored him and walked off. Shit like that is a little creepy. If I want to socialize I join a guild!
Playing: GW2 Waiting on: TESO Next Flop: Planetside 2 Best MMO of all time: Asheron's Call - The first company to recreate AC will be the next greatest MMO.
And I seriously mean it. And I've been playing these games for 14 years straight now.
That's on my personal scale of course.
Why?
This game has zero bonding requirements. For everything you can do at endgame, you can zerg or PUG your way through. Encounters that really need planning and strategy are scattered far and few; And even then, you PUG (or pick up your vent friends), some carebear explains the encounters, if everything goes smoothly nobody talks, if you fail people quit without further notice. End of story.
There is practically no communication going on aside from meeting up with your buddys in Vent/TS and trashtalk in zonechats as there is no trading aside from what I lovingly call "the stock exchange", no need for coordinated world PvP what I lovingly call "the zerg ball", no roleplaying which I lovingly... erm wait, whatever...
Everything else is top notch, its the hell of a fun experience leveling to 80, it even comes close to a single player game with player driven NPCs.
But at 80, you're a sociophobic loner in a black uniform lfging for other loners that hopefully don't want to talk but zerg down some random mob...
I'll keep playing - with my vent buddies that transferred over from other games - but to be honest, the moment I re-entered LOTRO for Riders of Rohan it took some 200 yards until some player walked up to me, /bowed and whispered "hey, wanna quest together?" and it took 2 hours until I knew his real name, that he was a father of two and been playing LOTRO for 4 months...
... 180 hours into GW2 and I have zero people on my friendslist aside from the guys I already brought over.
That's hardly the way I interpret the term "multiplayer".
M
To each their own I guess. If some random dude walked up to me and /bowed and asked me to quest with him, I would of ignored him and walked off. Shit like that is a little creepy. If I want to socialize I join a guild!
Well, sounds like you are not into Roleplaying...which is fine. But I think the problem is people won't talk to each other at all because there really is no need to in this game.
Well, sounds like you are not into Roleplaying...which is fine. But I think the problem is people won't talk to each other at all because there really is no need to in this game.
There is for us. In sPvP and WvW, talking is a requirement. Also, when in dungeons, we absolutely have to talk to the people that we use as pickups sometimes and sometimes those people end up joining the guild.
Actually, the only situation I can think of where you wouldn't "need" to talk is while leveling. And in that case, it's like every other MMORPG in existence.
GW2 would be a better game if it had "close area voice chat", this would also make it easier and faster to come together with other people ingame.. by the time you type "hi, do you want to group up and quest with me?" they have either run off or you are half dead from the mobs kicking your ass.
And I seriously mean it. And I've been playing these games for 14 years straight now.
That's on my personal scale of course.
Why?
This game has zero bonding requirements. For everything you can do at endgame, you can zerg or PUG your way through. Encounters that really need planning and strategy are scattered far and few; And even then, you PUG (or pick up your vent friends), some carebear explains the encounters, if everything goes smoothly nobody talks, if you fail people quit without further notice. End of story.
There is practically no communication going on aside from meeting up with your buddys in Vent/TS and trashtalk in zonechats as there is no trading aside from what I lovingly call "the stock exchange", no need for coordinated world PvP what I lovingly call "the zerg ball", no roleplaying which I lovingly... erm wait, whatever...
Everything else is top notch, its the hell of a fun experience leveling to 80, it even comes close to a single player game with player driven NPCs.
But at 80, you're a sociophobic loner in a black uniform lfging for other loners that hopefully don't want to talk but zerg down some random mob...
I'll keep playing - with my vent buddies that transferred over from other games - but to be honest, the moment I re-entered LOTRO for Riders of Rohan it took some 200 yards until some player walked up to me, /bowed and whispered "hey, wanna quest together?" and it took 2 hours until I knew his real name, that he was a father of two and been playing LOTRO for 4 months...
... 180 hours into GW2 and I have zero people on my friendslist aside from the guys I already brought over.
That's hardly the way I interpret the term "multiplayer".
M
To each their own I guess. If some random dude walked up to me and /bowed and asked me to quest with him, I would of ignored him and walked off. Shit like that is a little creepy. If I want to socialize I join a guild!
Well, sounds like you are not into Roleplaying...which is fine. But I think the problem is people won't talk to each other at all because there really is no need to in this game.
Your are beating a dead horse ...this isn't any different then anygame I've played since Daoc ...Lotro was less group friendly ...Rift was for sure even though you were put in a group ....Swtor was for a pair of folks and two pets ....and on and on the list goes ...this is a good topic for sure but not a GW2 topic
Well, sounds like you are not into Roleplaying...which is fine. But I think the problem is people won't talk to each other at all because there really is no need to in this game.
There is for us. In sPvP and WvW, talking is a requirement. Also, when in dungeons, we absolutely have to talk to the people that we use as pickups sometimes and sometimes those people end up joining the guild.
Actually, the only situation I can think of where you wouldn't "need" to talk is while leveling. And in that case, it's like every other MMORPG in existence.
I didn't include those because those parts of the game I consider optional. And, no, I don't agree with your last statement. In many MMORPGs you need to have some sort of discussion in order to discuss tactics and roles. This then tends to lead to other forms of communication.
And I seriously mean it. And I've been playing these games for 14 years straight now.
That's on my personal scale of course.
Why?
This game has zero bonding requirements. For everything you can do at endgame, you can zerg or PUG your way through. Encounters that really need planning and strategy are scattered far and few; And even then, you PUG (or pick up your vent friends), some carebear explains the encounters, if everything goes smoothly nobody talks, if you fail people quit without further notice. End of story.
There is practically no communication going on aside from meeting up with your buddys in Vent/TS and trashtalk in zonechats as there is no trading aside from what I lovingly call "the stock exchange", no need for coordinated world PvP what I lovingly call "the zerg ball", no roleplaying which I lovingly... erm wait, whatever...
Everything else is top notch, its the hell of a fun experience leveling to 80, it even comes close to a single player game with player driven NPCs.
But at 80, you're a sociophobic loner in a black uniform lfging for other loners that hopefully don't want to talk but zerg down some random mob...
I'll keep playing - with my vent buddies that transferred over from other games - but to be honest, the moment I re-entered LOTRO for Riders of Rohan it took some 200 yards until some player walked up to me, /bowed and whispered "hey, wanna quest together?" and it took 2 hours until I knew his real name, that he was a father of two and been playing LOTRO for 4 months...
... 180 hours into GW2 and I have zero people on my friendslist aside from the guys I already brought over.
That's hardly the way I interpret the term "multiplayer".
M
To each their own I guess. If some random dude walked up to me and /bowed and asked me to quest with him, I would of ignored him and walked off. Shit like that is a little creepy. If I want to socialize I join a guild!
Well, sounds like you are not into Roleplaying...which is fine. But I think the problem is people won't talk to each other at all because there really is no need to in this game.
Your are beating a dead horse ...this isn't any different then anygame I've played since Daoc ...Lotro was less group friendly ...Rift was for sure even though you were put in a group ....Swtor was for a pair of folks and two pets ....and on and on the list goes ...this is a good topic for sure but not a GW2 topic
Not a good topic for GW2? Look at the number of people saying the exact same thing.
Comments
Definitely not. Especially considering some games make you pay to talk in global chat. I believe Runes of Magic did this.
You don't have to talk to people, but players have been pretty nice and helpful in map chat for me.
Yeah this game lacks bottom osculation and tin gods.
Those that enjoy and crave for that kind of socialization will be disapointed.
Those that enjoy to free flow with no purpose or direction will love it.
Currently playing: GW2
Going cardboard starter kit: Ticket to ride, Pandemic, Carcassonne, Dominion, 7 Wonders
I've been beta testing PS2 and I can tell you that the majority of the chatter are people calling out tactics, that is, if they aren't doing it on voice chat, which I avoid like the plague. It's the tactical requirements of the meta game that force people to communicate with those around them that there is any chatter at all in that game. Very rarely have there been any discussions and general chatter on a map channel or /yell.
If this site was rpg.com instead of mmorpg.com, your point would be valid...
The thing to keep in mind in GW2 (after reading OP's locked thread with the "scientific" data) is that grouping in GW2 isn't necessary. You can jump into a DE with 6 other people and finish it without grouping. There is no real need to talk outside of doing a dungeon or getting a group of friends to run around with and talk in your own chat. Compare that to LOTRO where some of their quests require you to find a group and a balanced one at that and there is your difference. GW2 is designed to bring people together through DE's and the way they do that is to make it easy for anyone nearby to take part. This may discourage chatter, but in my experience I make friends in a guild or doing a dungeon, not DE's. The reason for this may be that you do loads of hearts and DE's (for me on to alts at this point) and if you chatted with everybody you met or tried to friend everybody you met you would have a mob of people on your contact list within hours. Also with the way the system upgrades the difficulty of DE's depending on how many people are playing, most can be done solo. This also allows people to come and go as they please, and do an event or two together then go their separate ways.
Also when I'm onine there always seems to be at least some map chatter. Loads in LA but at least a bit here and there in almost any zone alerting people where a DE is.
It's just a different game with different ways to go about it. At level 80 the endgame is sparse I would say, comparing that to other MMO's but this is still my favorite MMO I've played. And that's because I can just grab a group just about anywhere (almost anytime) and do a dungeon, without waiting for a certain class. No more "LF monk to go" or "Don't need another thief/war/ranger sry" in chat. I think eventually they will add more endgame and expansions and I'm happy to wait for that time.
Just my take.
I cannot say about this game,but my personal worst experience was during the Vanguard release.
Vanguard was designed to group alot however when asking in chat i got tons of total silence.The ONLY thing chat was used for was WTS and WTB and WTT it was pathetic and turned me off bad.I had never seen that nonsense playing FFXI,so i knew the player crowd had come from Everquest.
When a developer puts out the effort to design a trading post,players shoudl use it.To think YOUR goods are more important to sell than everyone else's then you are more than disrespectful to the community.If yo uhave 25k players all spamming chat with their wares,chat is a non stop scrolling spam wheel ,just like entering EVE noob chat,only that is spammed by RMT ISK,not slefish players that think they are above everyone else.
Other than that,the rest of the blame lies on the developer,if players are not grouping,then the game has a poor design or one that is designed to solo,that would remove it from the MMO status.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
I honestly do not know if it is the anti-social communities, the sheep-like behavior of the majority who follow the vocal anti-social trolls who belittle friendly people or any form of conversation, or the game design making communication absolete.
Any MMORPG I have played in the last 5 years is exactly the same.
You talk in global chat about something relevant to the game, genre, or just for conversation sake. Four people immediately tell you to shut up in a very anti-social fashion, isntantly discouraging anyone from talking, being friendly, or participating in the conversation. Sheeple either join the anti-social trolls in bashing the socializer(s) or stay out of the conversation due to the fact that they will become a target for anti-social behavior (insults, rude attacks, trolling) if they join in on the conersation. 99% of players regardless of social involvement never even read the chat and continue their mindless grind and single-player or guild-inclusive experience.
That sums up MMORPG communities. If you aren't spamming "WTS/WTB [item]" or "LFG [dungeon content]" then you're ostracized for talking.
Want to ask a question? "Google it moron."
Want to talk about an element of the game? "Go back to WoW."
Want to talk about what you want in the genre? "Go back to WoW."
Game too frustrating due to flaws in balance or bad game design? "This isn't EZ mode. Go back to WoW."
Like the game but want to talk about the parts you dislike? "If you don't like it, quit."
Love the game but want help in an aspect of the game? "You suck. Google it."
Can't find a group? "Stop spamming chat. It's because you suck and no one likes you."
Want to disagree with someone? "Go do the world a favor and kill yourself."
^^^^ All of this because you wanted to be social, have a conversation, speak your mind, or ask a simple question that takes seconds to answer.
Why havve a community when you can google everything?
Why talk at all when you could be shutting up and playing the game?
Why socialize in a MMORPG? Didn't you know this is a singleplayer game?
I have never had this problem it seems im always in a group rather its guild and or with strangers..
I dont chat in the field other than to clarify what we are doing because that belongs in LA or a boring game with nothing to do and GW2 is far from that..
Playing GW2..
The soft grouping mechanic makes it easier to play along with people, but it definitely negates the need for any verbal (or typing) communication.
I find it a step backwards because the whole genre MMORPG and hell even RPG was based on social interactions amongst others. This is again, one of the many reasons I consider GW2 more of a MMOAG (Massively Multiplayer Online Action Game). The amount of discussions I have with people outside my guild is basically equal to that of a BF2 match....
[mod edit] People who can't make friends whine how the game doesn't force other people to be their friends... Pretty much every MMO made...
Now, if you want to play an actual 'anti-social' MMO, try Eve Online.
Are you talking about games or this website? :P
You want me to pay to play a game I already paid for???
Be afraid.....The dragons are HERE!
While I agree that not much conversation happens in the PvE open world of GW2 (with the exception of map chat)...my problem with your point is that the same is true for just about any post-WoW themepark.
In fact, in WoW, I remember even LESS positive conversation in the open-world. At least in GW2, there may be a "thanks" or "good job!" after rezzing or helping someone. But in WoW, the only conversation in the open world that I remember were things like "WTF! That was my mob!" or "Hey wanna group? Oh, already did that quest? See yah!"
And even if you go back to EQ...there really wasn't all this "great" socialization going on in the open world. You would basically find a group, and then typical conversation consisted of "pull" or "OOM."
The only worthwhile socialization that goes on in these games is that which happens in guild chat typically. So that's why I just don't get your point. It's the same with EVERY game. What game are you remembering that had such superior socialization?
Are you team Azeroth, team Tyria, or team Jacob?
The most social MMO ever was old runescape. I sure do bring up runescape a lot...
But yeah, I would often get into hour long conversation in runescape while doing the tasks in the game, not to mention I never once had a guild but my friends list was always full. Runescape was something special back in the day.
I remember one time I got into a conversation with a random person on a random world and an hour later I found out he was from my highschool and a grade younger than me... we both agreed that was the most ridiculous coincidence probably in our entire lives.
120,000 people online in 200 different worlds and I end up talking to and meeting someone from my school at random.
The thing is that GW2 is not a group / community oriented game in the traditional sense. It is designed for the ultra casual experience which is what some people prefer. The game's mechanics and systems are very well streamlined, fast paced, and a bit shallow. There is little to no interdependence between people. They provide goals that require cooperation but little to no coordination. It was designed for someone to log on and have a little fun for whatever time period they wish to play. They made it so that it isn't dependent upon other people. They have systems in place so that anything that requires more than one person can be done with minimal required interaction. It kind of reminds me of a cooperative RPG on a console but on a much larger scale.
Whether a person likes this style or not is personal opinion. To some, the required lack of interdependence and coordination makes this a community and social lite game that no amount of convincing will change their minds. To others, this is heaven and they have found what they are looking for. To each their own.
LOTRO for one. Vanguard. DDO, EQ, EQ2.
Edit: I also tend to roll on the RP server (if they have one) for any given game....I've found they tend to have the best communities.
To each their own I guess. If some random dude walked up to me and /bowed and asked me to quest with him, I would of ignored him and walked off. Shit like that is a little creepy. If I want to socialize I join a guild!
Everything you need to know about Elder Scrolls Online
Playing: GW2
Waiting on: TESO
Next Flop: Planetside 2
Best MMO of all time: Asheron's Call - The first company to recreate AC will be the next greatest MMO.
Well, sounds like you are not into Roleplaying...which is fine. But I think the problem is people won't talk to each other at all because there really is no need to in this game.
There is for us. In sPvP and WvW, talking is a requirement. Also, when in dungeons, we absolutely have to talk to the people that we use as pickups sometimes and sometimes those people end up joining the guild.
Actually, the only situation I can think of where you wouldn't "need" to talk is while leveling. And in that case, it's like every other MMORPG in existence.
Your are beating a dead horse ...this isn't any different then anygame I've played since Daoc ...Lotro was less group friendly ...Rift was for sure even though you were put in a group ....Swtor was for a pair of folks and two pets ....and on and on the list goes ...this is a good topic for sure but not a GW2 topic
I didn't include those because those parts of the game I consider optional. And, no, I don't agree with your last statement. In many MMORPGs you need to have some sort of discussion in order to discuss tactics and roles. This then tends to lead to other forms of communication.
Not a good topic for GW2? Look at the number of people saying the exact same thing.