Think I've got a short attention span, but I started to scroll fast. My main issue here is people saying grouping aint forced. Generally not exactly, but in my most hated instance, FFXIV, all the time. When you want it, when you don't want it, when you've just completed a run after an hour and a half of waiting. I cannot stress how much waiting,.. and grouping after a million (slight exaggeration) forced dungeons and instances. Still not caught up.
I'd say Wildstar showed why old school forced grouping and attunement chains just weren't that enticing to players anymore. and that was a long time ago.
"the social elements of the genre are eroding a bit. Should MMOs force grouping..."
Grouping and Social have little to nothing to do with each other. Social is driven by the thind, and often most forgotten, component of MMOs. When I worked as a dev, we called it the coffee shop.
If you want to drive social interaction, you create arenas/venues where people can stop and be social. Where they can get to know their fellow player, even if just for a moment. More importantly, where like-minded players can split off and engage in like-minded speech and activities.
Games rarely offer or encourage actual social activities, because the emphasis is on progression. And, really, creating a progression gate for the purpose of fostering 'social interaction' isn't really liked by any player group other than the ones looking to use others to advance their progress.
If you want social interaction in your game, it needs to be a focus of the game. If not, then stopping to talk or get to know one's neighbor is just in the way of the next tier, raid, loot run, etc.
-- Whammy - a 64x64 miniRPG - RPG Quiz - can you get all 25 right? - FPS Quiz - how well do you know your shooters?
"the social elements of the genre are eroding a bit. Should MMOs force grouping..."
Grouping and Social have little to nothing to do with each other. Social is driven by the thind, and often most forgotten, component of MMOs. When I worked as a dev, we called it the coffee shop.
If you want to drive social interaction, you create arenas/venues where people can stop and be social. Where they can get to know their fellow player, even if just for a moment. More importantly, where like-minded players can split off and engage in like-minded speech and activities.
Games rarely offer or encourage actual social activities, because the emphasis is on progression. And, really, creating a progression gate for the purpose of fostering 'social interaction' isn't really liked by any player group other than the ones looking to use others to advance their progress.
If you want social interaction in your game, it needs to be a focus of the game. If not, then stopping to talk or get to know one's neighbor is just in the way of the next tier, raid, loot run, etc.
I disagree that grouping has nothing to do with social, but the elements you talk about are more important overall.
But they should clearly make known on which side they stand. And what the most effective(but not the only one) to play is. The answer to that is in the (sub)genre name.
Comments
Grouping and Social have little to nothing to do with each other. Social is driven by the thind, and often most forgotten, component of MMOs. When I worked as a dev, we called it the coffee shop.
If you want to drive social interaction, you create arenas/venues where people can stop and be social. Where they can get to know their fellow player, even if just for a moment. More importantly, where like-minded players can split off and engage in like-minded speech and activities.
Games rarely offer or encourage actual social activities, because the emphasis is on progression. And, really, creating a progression gate for the purpose of fostering 'social interaction' isn't really liked by any player group other than the ones looking to use others to advance their progress.
If you want social interaction in your game, it needs to be a focus of the game. If not, then stopping to talk or get to know one's neighbor is just in the way of the next tier, raid, loot run, etc.
- RPG Quiz - can you get all 25 right?
- FPS Quiz - how well do you know your shooters?
But they should clearly make known on which side they stand. And what the most effective(but not the only one) to play is. The answer to that is in the (sub)genre name.