This is about a sense of community, that's why you would help someone out. MMO studios now only seem to be interested in forming a community offline on Twitter and the like. The "ever easier mode" nature of MMOsa and the removal of activates that require grouping means you are less likely to need help.
Over the years I have had less and less occasion to offer help and you get asked less and less. Such help is really only a regular feature in guilds now, but like many other negative changes over the years in MMO land guilds stand as a bulwark of what MMOs once were. You know replying to threads like these just makes me realise how much we have lost, I am not sure it can ever be regained.
I believe this is why some survival elements need to be reintroduced into mmo's such as eating, resting and even security.
other players should make those elements easier. If someone has a fire and cookpot set up, you dont have to do it and can just pop in for a bite and a quick rest. Similarly if there are three people at a fire and you show up you should get some kind of security benefit from it.
Rather than have buffs as something you "cast" you get your buffs while you rest at your fire. You can do it all yourself but its more efficient with others present.
The guild I was with in EQ1 was centered around helping others. Helping fight off trains or just someone being chased by a tough mob, helping with camps, corpse retrieval, etc.
Our guild leader has very strict rules about never being an asshat in chat with other people or behaving in a way that was negative like kill-stealing, ninja-looting or intentionally training mobs onto people.
It was very cool being one of the guilds people would come to knowing we would help retrieve their corpse without looting it first. Our reputation was everything to us and it felt good being part of that.
In games I play nowadays I live by a sort of pay-it-forward way. When I'm new, asking questions or getting help, as soon as I'm able to start helping with info or tips I chip in.
I believe this is why some survival elements need to be reintroduced into mmo's such as eating, resting and even security.
other players should make those elements easier. If someone has a fire and cookpot set up, you dont have to do it and can just pop in for a bite and a quick rest. Similarly if there are three people at a fire and you show up you should get some kind of security benefit from it.
Rather than have buffs as something you "cast" you get your buffs while you rest at your fire. You can do it all yourself but its more efficient with others present.
I am still not sure about any of your survival and base ideas, but we need new ideas, we need a fresh approach to get MMOs out of the one template doldrums. I am not sure that my mainstay, a hybrid MMO taking ideas from old school and new will cut it. The genre may have to be more radical than that to reengage as a community rather than a player base of individuals.
I have been playing online games since 2002. My first being Anarchy Online (long may it live), I was level 3, still figuring out how everything worked. A level 100 I think it was stopped into the Backyard (starter area for Clan faction) took me under their wing and it was awesome. In the end I joined his org and even ended up as one of their generals. I have done my best to keep that feeling alive when it comes to new players in any game I play.
In FO76, I find it a bet harder then usual as there is no text chat. I will drop legendary weapons/armor, food/drink and aid items for lower levels. I enjoy checking the map and then zooming over to them. Though it ticks me off when I see some 100s of levels higher bulldoze though a workshop slaughtering a level 10.
I just started playing SWG, when I found out it was still around and the people I have met there so far have been extremely helpful (though I still suck at flying lol).
In general though the speed at which communities turn toxic seems to have increased tenfold. I believe that helping new players helps at least a little to counterbalance the nasty stuff.
I play GW2 exclusively now and always try to help. It ends up mostly answering questions in map chat (team chat for WvW) about how to use the UI or to get an item. However sometimes I will go somewhere so they can port to me or party up with them so they can farm my home instance. One of the best hints I give to most new players is how to access the wiki from in-game chat to find out the answer to questions.
I craft level low level weapons in FO76 and drop them off all around the vault and associated starter area. Its easy to do and really help a new player out.
For some reason the survival games is where the new players need help more than in the MMOs.....I know in FO76 I had a hard time finding enough ammo and Stimpaks in the early levels....After about level 20 or so it got much easier but its a struggle at first.
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Over the years I have had less and less occasion to offer help and you get asked less and less. Such help is really only a regular feature in guilds now, but like many other negative changes over the years in MMO land guilds stand as a bulwark of what MMOs once were. You know replying to threads like these just makes me realise how much we have lost, I am not sure it can ever be regained.
other players should make those elements easier. If someone has a fire and cookpot set up, you dont have to do it and can just pop in for a bite and a quick rest. Similarly if there are three people at a fire and you show up you should get some kind of security benefit from it.
Rather than have buffs as something you "cast" you get your buffs while you rest at your fire. You can do it all yourself but its more efficient with others present.
Our guild leader has very strict rules about never being an asshat in chat with other people or behaving in a way that was negative like kill-stealing, ninja-looting or intentionally training mobs onto people.
It was very cool being one of the guilds people would come to knowing we would help retrieve their corpse without looting it first. Our reputation was everything to us and it felt good being part of that.
In games I play nowadays I live by a sort of pay-it-forward way. When I'm new, asking questions or getting help, as soon as I'm able to start helping with info or tips I chip in.
In FO76, I find it a bet harder then usual as there is no text chat. I will drop legendary weapons/armor, food/drink and aid items for lower levels. I enjoy checking the map and then zooming over to them. Though it ticks me off when I see some 100s of levels higher bulldoze though a workshop slaughtering a level 10.
I just started playing SWG, when I found out it was still around and the people I have met there so far have been extremely helpful (though I still suck at flying lol).
In general though the speed at which communities turn toxic seems to have increased tenfold. I believe that helping new players helps at least a little to counterbalance the nasty stuff.
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Bob
For some reason the survival games is where the new players need help more than in the MMOs.....I know in FO76 I had a hard time finding enough ammo and Stimpaks in the early levels....After about level 20 or so it got much easier but its a struggle at first.