Is WoW really social anymore?

[Lucarocks92]

Social went out the window in WOTLK, server community doesn't exist any more and it's every man for himself now.

[Akka]

I think the game was on the rise during Vanilla, BC, Wrath

Game was on the rise during Vanilla and TBC. It stopped rising dead in its tracks with Wrath.

Now, the population is lower, and the internet is there to hold your hand. Gear comes easier, so folks that previously might explain how to do something, will now just be pissy that you can't bother reading one of the 10,000 guides on how to do it.

It's one of my argument that a harder game actually tend to tighten the community, and such situations are simple but true examples of it.

On the other hand, folks also vastly overstate how much folks socialized in previous expacs. Most folks didn't raid at all, lots didn't even do dungeons, there were big guilds with social events, yeah, but "LFG" in trade chat wasn't social, otherwise it wouldn't have taken hours sometimes to form 1 damn dungeon group.

I don't believe it's overstated, I simply think that people remember more the especially annoying moments where they had to look for more people for a long time, than the moments it worked rather quickly.
Also, I'd like to point that from the years I've spent on the forums and in the game, I've noticed that a large amount of the people who couldn't find groups/guilds/raids to play with, accused the game of their problems while they were the ones being not social. My personnal experience is that if you typed like a grown-up with full sentences when making a "looking for more" announcement or whispering to someone who was making a group, and joked with people while playing, you managed to find most of the time easily and quickly people and ended up with a friendlist full to the brim.

All the while the same guy continued to spam his macroed bot-like announcement, didn't bother to answer to whispers that didn't interest him and after an hour of fruitless research, abandonned, whined about the game and asked Blizzard to fix it.

[sam86]

Not anymore, end of story

[Deleted]

Is not the wow only its the Whole WORD
You have no idea what ridicilus messages i have seen in another forums some of which have nothing about games.I have the feeling that the todays young generation use some kind of prety shit drugs several yearsago the things was much different

[clevin]

Or anything in old content really. Not just questing zones.

OK, those of you out there who believe that removing LFD will bring back realm social behavior again: LFD is removed. It's gone. Your realm is one isolated family that will be your only resource for forming groups for content. You're leveling, up to 72 now, sitting in Dalaran and want to run a proper five-man dungeon. How much luck do you think you would have forming a group out of your currently online realm population? Proper mix of roles and all at the appropriate level?

Let me know how you think that would work in the real world.

Well I DID that for 3 years, so it can be done. It's called... a guild. And friends. It was also called all of vanilla and TBC - are you new?

Yes, it's harder to do when you're leveling in vastly outdated content, but part of the problem is that people have gotten used to being able to level multiple alts all via dungeons. In vanilla and TBC sometimes you didn't get a dungeon run going - that was too bad, but it was also part of life - you couldn't spam run 5 mans from 10 through 90 and avoid getting out in the world, you pretty much had to quest at least some of the time. Imagine that, interacting with the world... oh wait, that's a good thing isn't it? It's the reason we're told that flying is bad and that we needed dailies in 5.0 - because we weren't interacting in the world.

LFD has good points (being able to find people for level 72 content in MoP), but it also has bad ones and one of the biggest bad points is that you no longer need to be in a guild or add people to a friends list to run things. What can't be done without LFD are on demand groups for people who want to login and run a dungeon RIGHT NOW.

There are adjustments to LFD that could be made that would encourage social interaction - make LFD prefer people on the same realm. Make LFD available only for leveling content and not for max level dungeons. But don't pretend that game design decisions do not have an impact on how people interact. That's just silly.

[Vaelorian]

Or anything in old content really. Not just questing zones.

OK, those of you out there who believe that removing LFD will bring back realm social behavior again: LFD is removed. It's gone. Your realm is one isolated family that will be your only resource for forming groups for content. You're leveling, up to 72 now, sitting in Dalaran and want to run a proper five-man dungeon. How much luck do you think you would have forming a group out of your currently online realm population? Proper mix of roles and all at the appropriate level?

Let me know how you think that would work in the real world.

While you are right in regard that if they removed LFX at this time, it would turn out more like you said.

But you must also realise that Blizzard did not need to make a LFX tool. If they just merged servers and told those people "who claim that once you merge servers, people are going to leave because... well... because.. - BECAUSE!!!" to piss off, we would not need those cross-server tools at all.

The tool in itself for your own server worked imo brilliantly in WOTLK. But as realms got more empty over time, that tool would be insufficient to work on your own realm only. So they added this cross-server thingy.

If they did merge the realms/servers, there would be no less anonimity. People would probably talk some more even in those annoying short dungeons we have. Why? Well because we all want to be reinvited or played with at another time. You'd behave. And because people behave, less fear is there to be shot down if you say something silly. So everyone is more relaxed and more chat will ensue. More chat = more starting friendships etc. I don't know how to make this more clear.

But yeah take away cross-server LFX now and watch the world burn basically. Why? Well servers are now even more empty then before.

[Anguished]

It's a social as you, and others want to make it. Blizzard introduced features that made having to socialize with other players less forced, however, there are still people that start up Raids, whether they be new or old raids, Scenario runs, challenge mode runs, among other things (this is at least true on my server, which is fairly low pop). There are still plenty of guilds around that speak in guild chat, and create social events, you just have to find the right guild.

If there is none of this going on around you, then it's only to the fault of other players.

[Vaelorian]

Game was on the rise during Vanilla and TBC. It stopped rising dead in its tracks with Wrath.

It's one of my argument that a harder game actually tend to tighten the community, and such situations are simple but true examples of it.

I don't believe it's overstated, I simply think that people remember more the especially annoying moments where they had to look for more people for a long time, than the moments it worked rather quickly.
Also, I'd like to point that from the years I've spent on the forums and in the game, I've noticed that a large amount of the people who couldn't find groups/guilds/raids to play with, accused the game of their problems while they were the ones being not social. My personnal experience is that if you typed like a grown-up with full sentences when making a "looking for more" announcement or whispering to someone who was making a group, and joked with people while playing, you managed to find most of the time easily and quickly people and ended up with a friendlist full to the brim.

All the while the same guy continued to spam his macroed bot-like announcement, didn't bother to answer to whispers that didn't interest him and after an hour of fruitless research, abandonned, whined about the game and asked Blizzard to fix it.

Oh my god so much this.

People claim: I was spamming for hours and got no one. Yet if I told people in chat in normal text that I wanted to go somewhere, I had a group in under 10 min íf even that. Sure I cannot but agree that I also had unsuccesful attempts. Yes... You know when that was? Around 02.00 at night. Or frikking early in the morning. Or just when guilds would raid (around 19.00/20.30). So yeah...

Just to make it clear what it is that is most annoying: "WTB (why on earth would you say WTB, fecking kids) VC (why not just say DM, people cán check your level and assume it is NOT Dire Maul you are talking about) needz tankz0r! " - Like saying it in some form of retard speak will ensure that people will get interested in joining you. Especially the smileys make it even more retarded. What this says to me (even though it might not be so): hey guys I am a 12 year old schmuck who has a fucked up sense of humour!

As a player that is slightly older then 12, I will stay the hell away from you!

Then you get into a party and you have people saying:

1. your instead of you're
2. where instead of were
3. their instead of they're
4. u instead of you
5. Pala instead of your name
6. need on the loot - because they are an enchanter and they "needz" it

Stuff like that. Why do those people even exist? Why do these have (if they are at a legal age) voting rights? Why are their parents so willing to give their creditcard information so that their retard kid can annoy someone else instead... Oh wait.. I answered my own question.

[Templis]

It's a social as you, and others want to make it. Blizzard introduced features that made having to socialize with other players less forced, however, there are still people that start up Raids, whether they be new or old raids, Scenario runs, challenge mode runs, among other things (this is at least true on my server, which is fairly low pop). There are still plenty of guilds around that speak in guild chat, and create social events, you just have to find the right guild.

If there is none of this going on around you, then it's only to the fault of other players.

Socialization isn't and was never forced in this game.

[Deleted]

Just about identical to as social as it's ever been. You've always need to be social to do well in real raiding.

Outside of raiding in vanilla you could get by doing basically any other content with a simple "LF xxxx" message and then never saying another word again. Not really 'social'.

All in all, nothing has really changed. You still need to communicate and socialize to raid anything relevant, and outside of that who really cares.

False. Back in the days you actualy needed to communicate even in the low lvl dungeons. there was some planning how to kill different pack of mobs. Now ppl are like "pfffff cmon pull the whole dungeon ffs".
Why blizzard why....

[Vaelorian]

False. Back in the days you actualy needed to communicate even in the low lvl dungeons. there was some planning how to kill different pack of mobs. Now ppl are like "pfffff cmon pull the whole dungeon ffs".
Why blizzard why....

indeed. People who claim otherwise, probably have not played during vanilla AT ALL. And are just going on how leveling/dungeoneering is today. Meanwhile forgetting that Blizzard nerfed the past content into the ground MULTIPLE TIMES starting in Vanilla and removed packs of mobs inside those dungeons to make it take less time to clear and you could not pull any other pack by accident.

[Deleted]

Forced interaction != social.

WoW is as social as RL, you choose when and where you want to interact with other people.

[Dr Perry Cox]

After so many years, and so many game changes, it should not be a shock to see we too have evolved. The social experience has always been more of what you put into it. If you are social, and find others like yourself, nothing has changed. If you are more of a solo player, and try to avoid others in your MMO, this current state should not be a shock.

[Deleted]

Forced interaction != social.

WoW is as social as RL, you choose when and where you want to interact with other people.

In the world of gaming there is no such thing like "choice". People ALWAYS choose the optimal/ best way of doing stuff.
If you choose the "hard way" of doing something to reach the same goal...thats what we call crazy in real life stituations.

Another thing i think is being badly interpreted is the word "social gameplay"
When i talk about stuff being social i dont mean in a "talk, make friends, start a conversation kind of way"...
Im more talking about "interact, gameplay, compete or challenge another players" in the world outside instances.

For example Gurubashi Arena http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb2...s/0/00/WOW.jpg
No friends were made on that place, only enemies but it was fuun as hell. Same thing about Timeless Isle.
I really dont get when people say Timeless Isle is not "social gameplay"....how tha hell can you ask for more? Do you want TI to make your facebook account double its friends?
Its just a place were people gather to play a game.

[Dr Perry Cox]

In the world of gaming there is no such thing like "choice". People ALWAYS choose the optimal/ best way of doing stuff.
If you choose the "hard way" of doing something to reach the same goal...thats what we call crazy in real life stituations.

Another thing i think is being badly interpreted is the word "social gameplay"
When i talk about stuff being social i dont mean in a "talk, make friends, start a conversation kind of way"...
Im more talking about "interact, gameplay, compete or challenge another players" in the world outside instances.

For example Gurubashi Arena --- snipped ---
No friends were made on that place, only enemies but it was fuun as hell. Same thing about Timeless Isle.
I really dont get when people say Timeless Isle is not "social gameplay"....how tha hell can you ask for more? Do you want TI to make your facebook account double its friends?
Its just a place were people gather to play a game.

Just because you put 500 gamers in a room together does not mean they will all respond the same way. In most cases you will see a couple go sit quietly in a corner. Some will be loud and boisterous. Some will strike up some nerd chat. Others may lose themselves in demo games. Others yet will start talking about the comic book tshirt the other is wearing and begin discussing their favorite issues.

Not every physical gathering in close proximity is a joyous experience. Anyone who thinks "Put them all on ground mounts and force them to interact" is a great idea, likely has their head shoved in the sand, or another dark hole with less breathable air. Multiplayer means more than one player. Each player may have more than one playstyle. There is no right way and no wrong way to play an MMO. If you hate the game, you are doing it wrong, or the game is just not for you.

Players should not be forced to conform to the play standards of other players. They should only have to conform to the standards of the game itself. People who play god and pretend to know what is best for everyone seldom has their own shit together.

[Deleted]

In the world of gaming there is no such thing like "choice". People ALWAYS choose the optimal/ best way of doing stuff.
If you choose the "hard way" of doing something to reach the same goal...thats what we call crazy in real life stituations.

Of course there is a choice, there is always a choice. You choose your peers accordingly to your own demands. You choose to participate on in what you want to participate, you choose the group with whom you want. Heck, the simple fact that you play the game implies an initial choice.

Another thing i think is being badly interpreted is the word "social gameplay"
When i talk about stuff being social i dont mean in a "talk, make friends, start a conversation kind of way"...
Im more talking about "interact, gameplay, compete or challenge another players" in the world outside instances.

Social is social, what you are differentiating is single and multiplayer. And those possibilities are all in WoW, don't see the reason for the point.

For example Gurubashi Arena http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb2...s/0/00/WOW.jpg
No friends were made on that place, only enemies but it was fuun as hell. Same thing about Timeless Isle.
I really dont get when people say Timeless Isle is not "social gameplay"....how tha hell can you ask for more? Do you want TI to make your facebook account double its friends?
Its just a place were people gather to play a game.

But that has nothing to do with the topic at hand. If anything, it's the perfect example that WoW never stopped being social.

- - - Updated - - -

Players should not be forced to conform to the play standards of other players. They should only have to conform to the standards of the game itself. People who play god and pretend to know what is best for everyone seldom has their own shit together.

Pretty much this.

[Dabrix32]

#1 toxic community
Blizzard removed every single elite quest from the game and then increased exp for normal quests removing any need for group interaction

Seems like everything they change moves it away from a MMO and closer to a FPS. There is ZERO reason to ever group while leveling. Because of LFR there really isnt even any need to join a raiding guild. They can fix all of this by pulling the MMO back into MMORPG. Make community matter. Make it so terrible rude ninja looting asshole who AFK during LFR arent rewarded. Make it so you need to group up while leveling to finish certain quests. Epics should be EPIC and require raids to get. Not simply hitting up LFD for some wellfare gear.

[Tragedia]

I think its more social now. You can still make friends with random people (I know I have) and do a bunch of stuff together. The thing is now you are not forced to socialize in order to do stuff. However with sites like Openraid we are able to communicate with people from other servers and do dungeons, raids and pvp together. Also the whole Connected Realms and CRZ has added to a bigger community. Barriers such as realms are also being brought down, I can totally make a party with my friend on Y server and and do quests or WPvP.

[Deleted]

#1 toxic community
Blizzard removed every single elite quest from the game and then increased exp for normal quests removing any need for group interaction

Seems like everything they change moves it away from a MMO and closer to a FPS. There is ZERO reason to ever group while leveling. Because of LFR there really isnt even any need to join a raiding guild. They can fix all of this by pulling the MMO back into MMORPG. Make community matter. Make it so terrible rude ninja looting asshole who AFK during LFR arent rewarded. Make it so you need to group up while leveling to finish certain quests. Epics should be EPIC and require raids to get. Not simply hitting up LFD for some wellfare gear.

"Toxic community", "terrible rude ninja looting asshole" and "welfare gear" in the same train of logic...

I, for one, am thankful not to be forced to interact with people like you in order to get fun out of the game. If anything, it makes the game more "social" for me.

[Deleted]

J Anyone who thinks "Put them all on ground mounts and force them to interact" is a great idea, likely has their head shoved in the sand, or another dark hole with less breathable air.

The thing is that probably no one will be forced to revisit the "ground mount zones" unless you want to.
Much like Timeless Isle, you only go there if you like it or want to. People are not forced to go there unless they really want to be there.

You always have the choice of playing "solo WoW" in a capital city queueing for content all day.
i dont see why people are forced to do it, am i missing something? :S