Guild Wars 2

Dante.1508:

Vayne.8563:

I think there’s another difference between Guild Wars 2 and other MMOs (that I’ve played anyway).

For a lot of people this game is more active and dynamic. I had no trouble chatting in WoW or Guild Wars 1. I didn’t have to move while I cast skills. Now that I’m moving all the time, I find it hard to type and do events and stuff.

Which is why I can talk to my guild via voice, but I can’t play and type at the same time.

Press both mouse buttons and swivel the mouse, leaves your other hand free to type..

Its actually not as hard as it sounds.

Most of my skills are on my mouse buttons, and I’m not getting any younger. And I type with two hands not one finger. Too many years writing and editing. If I don’t have both hands on my keyboard, I’m not chatting. I simply can’t do it.

Muscle memory is an amazing thing…but sometimes it gets in the way.

Is the Game anti-social? No, just the Player(s). I personally am very anti-social IKNOWWRONGGAME , but that’s just me. When and If I feel like it and if the Map chat needs it’s kitten lite on fire I’ll randomly blurt something out. Then the Convo starts and I go silent.

It doesn’t work much in Orr. Then if no one really replies or talks I start talking to myself in map chat. oh the conversations that can be seen will make you Block me or laugh or just say “Dude wtf are you talking about man?” , “Keep going this is interesting.” or the other usual reply “Dude shut the hell up” (my favorite)

Usually I just quote random things from old TV shows I used to watch…..which is why nobody ever knows what I’m talking about. I once recited the entire episode of “Familiar Surroundings” from Rooster teeth’s show Red Vs Blue.

Torqueblue.1945:

Is the Game anti-social? No, just the Player(s). I personally am very anti-social IKNOWWRONGGAME , but that’s just me. When and If I feel like it and if the Map chat needs it’s kitten lite on fire I’ll randomly blurt something out. Then the Convo starts and I go silent.

It doesn’t work much in Orr. Then if no one really replies or talks I start talking to myself in map chat. oh the conversations that can be seen will make you Block me or laugh or just say “Dude wtf are you talking about man?” , “Keep going this is interesting.” or the other usual reply “Dude shut the hell up” (my favorite)

Usually I just quote random things from old TV shows I used to watch…..which is why nobody ever knows what I’m talking about. I once recited the entire episode of “Familiar Surroundings” from Rooster teeth’s show Red Vs Blue.

hahaha! I sing song lyrics – usually Pink Floyd

No it’s not in my opinion. I’m always getting Guild invites or people running up to me and asking for help.

If you’re looking to socialize look into joining a Guild and running Dungeons. Also give WvW a shot.

Edit: Oh yeah, On the Darkhaven server they are constantly chatting.

The game is no more anti-social than any other. I always would try to avoid casual groups because they ended up being more of a bother than fun. Conversation was usually banal as I didn’t know these people and didn’t really expect to meet them again. Also I usually wanted to do something different than what others wanted.

That all changed when I joined a guild. Being in a good guild has made this game one of the most enjoyable and social games I have yet played. However, don’t just join any guild. It is important that the guild you join shares your motivation. If you love PvP you should find a guild that stresses PvP. If you like dungeon running find a guild that does a lot of dungeon runs. The same for WvW or general PvE. If you are hard-core than find that guild. If you like time to do your own thing find a guild that schedules guild activity but allows you your own time also.

Stay away from guilds that just say they are casual guilds that accept everybody and have no direction. In my experience these guilds are like not being in a guild—two or three people dominating all conversation the rest just wanting to be left alone.

Also stay away from guilds that are rude or insulting to its own members or to the general community they are part of. Often the leaders are “know-best” and domineering—these guilds almost always blow up.

Finally avoid guilds that are “high drama”, if you are like me you probably left elementary school a long time ago.

no right click on the chat and invite to party option . i can only report someone …

this is the definition of the anti-social mmo

Reborn.2934:

no right click on the chat and invite to party option . i can only report someone …

yes this option exists. Same with names in Guild window. It only doesn’t work when the other guy already is in a party. And sometimes it just doesn’t feel like working. Known issue (.____.)

I just got done with a party in Orr that I was invited to. I learned what the others did for a living, musical instruments played, and that Paris Hilton has made a new album (didn’t really need to know that—but oh well.)

I’ve found GW2 to be a far friendlier game than WoW. One of the reasons I left WoW was cross-realm zones. More people in a zone is like adding more rats to a cage. GW2 has, by design, addressed many of the reasons people are like rats in other games. But, that said, you do need to be on a populated server, and you really need to be in an active guild if you need continuous interaction. I’m on Tarnished Coast and it is a great server. It’s populated everywhere I play and has a lot of good guilds and people. Try guesting there and see what you think.

Cspence.6921:

Is this game more anti-social then your average MMO? (SWTOR, WoW, Rift, etc)

I’m apparently on a full world…Anvil Rock, but I never see many people..

Everyone I see never speaks, if they do I feel like I’m talking to a 10 year old with no personality because they’re afraid I’m a predator or something.

It’s really disheartening…

Would be a lot more fun to play with friends and this lack of a social atmosphere is one of the reasons I’ve been unable to get past level 25.

D:

EDIT: For example on World of Warcraft it will take you 2 seconds to make a friend. A normal friend who doesn’t think your trying to kitten them because you spoke. It wasn’t difficult on SWTOR either to make friends. How come everyone refuses to speak or form parties on GW2?

Is it because theirs a lack of competition which means you need less close friends to help you accomplish things? Now that random guy you see wants what you want and your both going to accomplikitten together without the need to form a party or have a discussion because neither of you are competing for anything…idk thats my theory.

I’ll be your friend! I’m in Devonas Rest, many people talk there – I’m pretty talkative!

I don’t really see a problem on my server (Stormbluff Isle). Some zones are deserted, but there’s usually people doing something in Lion’s Arch.

Of course, any game with a chat box can be social… it’s just up to the people. You certainly can’t force people to talk, and some just value their privacy more.

Cspence.6921:

EDIT: For example on World of Warcraft it will take you 2 seconds to make a friend. A normal friend who doesn’t think your trying to kitten them because you spoke. It wasn’t difficult on SWTOR either to make friends. How come everyone refuses to speak or form parties on GW2?

Exactly counter to my experience. In WoW I had conversations, and avoided a lot more. I did not join a guild until I responded to a call out for heals for a L72 Dungeon in Wrath. My (recent) experience in SWtOR was that BW did not really want me in the game as a free player — and the player base was actively anti-free player.

In GW2 on the other hand, I have been in 3 guilds. One fell apart when GW2 PvP did not float most of the peoples’ boats. I left the second because we were a bad fit, and the third is just right. I’ve had zero difficulty making contact with folks when I wanted to.

It just goes to show that different people will have different experiences, and that generalizations are not always correct.

My experience thus far has been a total shift from previous MMO’s. To make friends here I had to join a guild, otherwise it’s hard pressed to find folks in the open world to party with just for the sake of partying and doing things together. While map chat may have some chatter boxes and a conversation may be going on and you may even get involved, but that doesn’t mean someone just made your friends list.

Most of the (active) people on my friends list stem from people who I have run dungeons with or were former guildies. I also have some followers but that’s kind of creepy, then again w/the way that’s setup I may be a follower of someone myself.

Anyhow, guilds is where it’s at for making friends. That and running dungeons. SOR has some decent map conversations at times. SOR even has a friendly helpful community (GW2 is just that way in general, to me, so was the first game), but if you want to make friends, you have to do the work and balance that with not seeming needy.

I actually ask map chat from time to time if anyone wants to group for map clears or events in general. Guess that’s another way to meet folks and possibly earn a friend. I usually get crickets, but hey…worth a shot. Folks to me seem like they just don’t wanna group which is why I said hard pressed.

Going back to the original post…I am not sure how a “game” can be antisocial. I can understand “players” being more antisocial on one game than another, however, I have not found that to be the case with GW2. I too played WoW for many years and had very few in-game friends. It’s just my play style. I interact with people in the world…greet them, thank them when they help out, give answers to questions when asked, and acknowledge thanks from other people. I join in group efforts when the opportunity presents itself. I do not, however, go around making lots of friends nor do I want to. I am in a very, very small guild of friends and that is enough socialization for me.

For those that like more socialization; more online friends…I don’t see why GW2 would be any more unfriendly to that style that any other MMO. In Wow, you do not need friends to help you quest or do dailies. If you LFD or LFR, there is relatively little “friend-making” that seems to go on. I agree that true raiding or PVP guilds are likely to be tight-knit but, honestly, it would seem that the same would hold true in GW2.

Am not saying that the OP has it wrong…perhaps this game is not as friendly to that play style as they would like. It’s just that, from my perspective, it seems about the same in terms of opportunity as any other MMO I have tried (WoW, SWTOR, Conan, Everquest…).

Warruz.8096:

This game has created a strange output in that it encourages helping people through actions, but because of thakittens created a strange understood setting in where no one talks because everyone understands what to do.

Part of me feels its due to lack of content that requires conversing.

The problem is map chat. If a map has few ppl on it, no talk. This is the first mmo I’ve played where there wasn’t a world chat. This games needs ppl to be able to world chat. “But there are to many ppl for that, the chat will scroll by!” Then how come every other game I’ve played has managed to have it, and be able to read it…. chat tabs break stuff down to manageable lvls. We need worldwide chat. WvW and PvP excepted. It would just be a distraction to ppl in those, methinks, and end up blocked out anyway.

@ Cspence
I’ve never had a problem socializing in this game myself. But that might be because I try and strike up conversations occasionally be it with /say /map or /whisper. Say something that invites conversation, something besides “hey is anyone out there?”. Same rules apply in here to some degree as just walking around in a city where people may not know you. If you desire social interaction start some yourself it it is likely to happen. Just as it has on this forum for you.

I’m sure the other servers are almost the same but I’ve never had an issue not being able to socialize here on Crystal Desert. If you happen to be on CD my little guild likes helping other players out so give me a shout out if you’d like someone to run with you that doesn’t mind stopping and chatting here and there.

This might be some pretty good advice that can carry over into in game. Obviously the parts about visual contact and body language do not apply.
http://www.wikihow.com/Become-Sociable

TL;DR, Strike up interesting topics and you are likely to have interesting conversations.

I really do think it’s harder to play this game and chat at the same time. In Guild Wars 1, without having to move, I could type and cast skills quite easily. Here, while moving around and dodging and having an event spawn on top of me, I find it much harder to even watch map chat, let alone participate in it.

And if you’re in mumble with your guild you’re already multi-tasking.