Blizz does all these little zone buffs wrong

[Kokolums]

I'm talking about things like in ZM where you go hover in a spot and get a 1 hour buff to regen HP. That's anti-social. Those sort of buffs should be something that can only be obtained from other players. Like a fort or int buff. You want to encourage social interaction in an MMO. Like I say, I'd add a section to the "talent tree" thingy where you can pick social buffs to help others.

[Lochton]

I'm talking about things like in ZM where you go hover in a spot and get a 1 hour buff to regen HP. That's anti-social. Those sort of buffs should be something that can only be obtained from other players. Like a fort or int buff. You want to encourage social interaction in an MMO. Like I say, I'd add a section to the "talent tree" thingy where you can pick social buffs to help others.

Eh.. Wouldn't call it anti-social to pick up a buff in a zone. It is just a minor buff, and people don't wish to hunt down people to get a buff either? And then convince to have people put the buff on them? I mean, you already now have a chance to be blocked by asking for Fort or Int from the wrong person.

[D4NNYB0Y]

I'm talking about things like in ZM where you go hover in a spot and get a 1 hour buff to regen HP. That's anti-social. Those sort of buffs should be something that can only be obtained from other players. Like a fort or int buff. You want to encourage social interaction in an MMO. Like I say, I'd add a section to the "talent tree" thingy where you can pick social buffs to help others.

Can't say I care about being social in an MMO. I play with my wife and family or alone. Don't have the time or desire to make video game friends.

Not everyone plays MMOs, because they enjoy talking/playing with strangers. I play because I enjoy the gameplay and world. For some reason, it seems social people always want to force their playstyle on others, because it's the "correct" way to play the game and if anyone disagrees they reply with a No True Scotsman fallacy. Always some platitude about MMOs are Massviely Multiplayer games blah blah blah as if we weren't aware. If you want to make friends go seek like-minded individuals and leave me alone.

Not necessarily targeting this at the OP, just where these threads tend to go from what I've seen. Sorry, I think I'm responding to a lot of past threads with this post.

[Jester Joe]

This makes no sense at all.

The zone buffs in ZM are zone buffs because almost all of them are flat out broken as hell and are only for outdoor usage. You can't tie something like that to another player. On top of that, there are a few that work in a party to help your group, like the Pocopoc console has one that heals you and all party members.

And there ARE still buffs from other players, like Fortitude?

[Neuroticaine]

Counter-intuitive gameplay that the vast amount of players would not bother with, and thus would not be applying to many other players.

[Kokolums]

Counter-intuitive gameplay that the vast amount of players would not bother with, and thus would not be applying to many other players.

Of course I'd bury some nice rewards for buffing loads of players. Not revealed nor handed out until end of xpac. Because anti-social players don't deserve it.

- - - Updated - - -

Can't say I care about being social in an MMO.

You are playing the wrong game. An MMO is supposed to be social.

[Biomega]

An MMO is supposed to be social.

Says who?

And what does "social" even mean, and where's the limit? You still can't solo raids or m+ so doesn't that make the game inherently "social" already?

Are you saying that there should be NO activity or function that doesn't require other people? And if not, how do you decide what should and what shouldn't require other people, and why?

[Kokolums]

Says who?

LOL. You are REALLY playing the wrong game.

[Luxeley]

Of all the on-going social, technical and development issues in the game, this probably ranks around #1232.

[Biomega]

LOL. You are REALLY playing the wrong game.

I wasn't being facetious. I'm honestly curious for an explanation as to who gets to decide what "social" means and to what degree things should or should not be "social".

You seem very sure of your own position, can you actually justify it or is this just a giant troll thread along the lines of LUL YOU JUST DON'T GET IT BRUH LMAO.

[HansOlo]

I wasn't being facetious. I'm honestly curious for an explanation as to who gets to decide what "social" means and to what degree things should or should not be "social".

You seem very sure of your own position, can you actually justify it or is this just a giant troll thread along the lines of LUL YOU JUST DON'T GET IT BRUH LMAO.

Social = raid, arena and RBG. It requires active communication.

Not social = spending weeks solo gathering tmog and mounts.

Keypoint here is when is it required to be communicative.

Obviously - you won't clear the new raid solo - so you kinda per default in a social game - unless you have a different interest.

Clear enough?

[Biomega]

Social = raid, arena and RBG. It requires active communication.

Not social = spending weeks solo gathering tmog and mounts.

Clear enough?

But that doesn't relate at all to the topic of the thread.

[HansOlo]

But that doesn't relate at all to the topic of the thread.

Then you explain me what relates...

[Puri]

Yeah great, so instead of not taking any detour to pick up a pointless buff I just could not interact with someone to not get it. Seems ok to me.

[LordVargK]

This makes no sense at all.

The zone buffs in ZM are zone buffs because almost all of them are flat out broken as hell and are only for outdoor usage. You can't tie something like that to another player. On top of that, there are a few that work in a party to help your group, like the Pocopoc console has one that heals you and all party members.

And there ARE still buffs from other players, like Fortitude?

Really? I've only seen like 5% more crit or something like that.

[Zantera]

What a weird complaint. If anything I'd say having a small zone buff at all is more interesting than not having anything. Besides they used to do these back even into vanilla.

[Depakote]

Can't say I care about being social in an MMO. I play with my wife and family or alone. Don't have the time or desire to make video game friends.

Not everyone plays MMOs, because they enjoy talking/playing with strangers. I play because I enjoy the gameplay and world. For some reason, it seems social people always want to force their playstyle on others, because it's the "correct" way to play the game and if anyone disagrees they reply with a No True Scotsman fallacy. Always some platitude about MMOs are Massviely Multiplayer games blah blah blah as if we weren't aware. If you want to make friends go seek like-minded individuals and leave me alone.

Not necessarily targeting this at the OP, just where these threads tend to go from what I've seen. Sorry, I think I'm responding to a lot of past threads with this post.

If you don't like communicating with other players then maybe you're just playing the wrong game.

[Kumorii]

People asking each other to buff one and another isn't exactly what I consider social... It's about as social as for the cashier telling me it costs $3.50 when I buy something. It's not gonna make people interact and talk to each other in a much grander fashion and the ones who do, would probably do it anyway.

Peak social behavior for me in game is when you do World Quests and you see others and without a word you all work together to demolish things quick af.
Not a word or expectations exchanged, just people helping each other out. People starting to ask you to buff them can easily go from a simple request to lots of wasted time by having randoms appear one after another asking for it at best, to harassment at worst.

Creating things that causes expectations such as people taking their time with you specifically is just grounds for toxicness.

--
While writing this I guess you can make it so that to get the buff yourself you have to buff someone else, that way people will be more obliged to help others rather than ask others to help them. Which is usually the better way.

Encourage people to help others. Don't encourage people to demand things from others. Though I guess this could lead to people not having the thing unlocked keep asking people to buff them...

[Neuroticaine]

Really? I've only seen like 5% more crit or something like that.

Toxicialic does pulsing AoE damage every few seconds based off of your max health. When you get it, it is 100% always going to be your biggest damage source, generally by a big margin

[cone of cold]

Like I say, I'd add a section to the "talent tree" thingy where you can pick social buffs to help others.

I think classes should be allowed to buff each other.

The problem is that combat in the outdoor world is so trivial, that it doesn't matter. Nobody needs any buffs so players don't feel like it's a big help to others to buff each other. So they don't feel enticed to do it.

Play Classic and you'll see players buffing each other. Because in Classic it matters. Because the outdoor world throws challenges at you.