There’s the Carneval of the Ascended world event currently going on in Rift and having re-subbed a couple of weeks ago, I did of course jump into the whole affair while trying to remember how to play my old character. Out of a whim one night (and desperation), I decided to use general chat to get some guidance, not expecting much in terms of help on boring noob questions.
I was shocked to be proven so utterly wrong. Not only did I receive a perfect answer within the minute, I received several more tells from different people. My rusty thank-you muscles were sore afterwards. Surely that was first time luck though, some rare cosmic constellation working in mysterious ways! I had to try again.
And so I did, several more times over the coming weeks. Nothing changed. I was never ignored and never met with uncivil tongue though I must have offered plenty of temptation. Moreover, sometimes players would send me tells after 5 minutes, making sure I had actually received an answer to my problem, while a quicker player was still briefing me on more than I originally dared ask for –
What is it with these friendly, helpful Rift players???
Sadly, I am a complete stranger to this level of support. I gave up in WoW years ago and other MMOs that will even feature beginner channels (such as AoC), were just as big a disappointment. I can only begin to speculate why Rift’s community is so different – is it the cosier size? The numerous WoW quitters? The fresh air in Telara?
….Or do I just happen to find myself on a freak server? Whatever it is, I am duly impressed. Maybe the stars do have something to do with it after all, though; Kleps just ran into an outrageous bunch of Robin Hoods recently, in WoW of all places. If that’s not supernatural, I don’t know what is!
I have to admit, I’ve never been shy about using a game’s /ignore function. And my list of /ignored players is much, much smaller in Rift than in any other game that I have played that much. No clue why, though.
It’s baffling. a topic worth looking into more deeply, methinks.
Way back over a year ago, I was musing whether Rift would foster a better community because of the way it encourages players to work together with all other players, not just their narrow guild grouping (shameless plug: http://tremayneslaw.wordpress.com/2011/02/11/i-think-rift-might-be-a-next-gen-game-but-not-in-the-way-people-are-thinking/ ). Once you get used to working with others to take down rifts and invasions or use public grouping to do quests then you start to see them as PEOPLE, not just some sort of NPC that rolls for the loot you wanted for yourself.
It probably helps that the most immature, abusive element of any game community is also the one that hops endlessly to the latest game, so they’re probably just finishing up plaguing SW:ToR and heading over to turn the GW2, TERA and WoW expansion betas into a living hell for others.
I’ve read your article now; you make a good point about the different generations of MMOs and players. it’s interesting how a genre can form people, but likewise people form a genre. Blizzard has had big part in changing things too, of course.
I hope however, that with GW2 and future games going back to cooperative focus, we’ll see a next, fourth generation. It would be sad if “generation clown” has the last word. 😉
it feels good but on the other side it is scary too somehow.
I notice the same in LOTRO, and DDO.. I generally think that the games that are left with core fans and not the “WoW crowd” trying it out and then going back to WoW, always have a nicer community.
I also agree with the grouping comment above – it´s noticeable that grouping with people in SWTOR gives you benefits, and so people are prepared to be that bit nicer.. they might need you again 🙂
The focus of the game and gameplay principles certainly play a role. it’s interesting that both you and Tremayne mention the WoW kids having moved on; I was first thinking Rift might be a nicer place because many players fed up with WoW have actually moved there. but then, maybe both is part of it.
I think it is both. The “WoW crowd” never represented all WoW players, and I’m not even sure they represent a majority – they’re just the loudest and most visible faction. They aren’t in Telara any more, and anyone who moved there to avoid them is probably going to be a decent human being 🙂
Agreed!