Don't be shy... Key to unlock full potential

delete5230

By now most of us have an understanding.  Pantheon will be heavy group and low solo, no reason to rehash this.  

- Most mmo players are shy and quiet, that's a fact.  
- Many are not shy in real life, but are shy playing mmorpg's, that's a fact too. 


#1 reason is fear of being exposed !

Short story: 
I was a technician in a very large DVD CD Blue ray factory, I repaired this equipment.  Several years in I took an office job, later this job got eliminated and I was back on the floor.... In the few years of absences new modern equipment replaced some of the old. 

I had a good reputation and developed a strong ego.  But new equipment and everyone was good at it !..... Major fear and dread set in.  I was afraid of being exposed.  I felt I had to hide it and hated to go to work, I also avoided the new equipment.  

" Life was hard "  

One day, a good friend noticed what I was doing.  He came right out and asked " you don't know this stuff, do you ? ".  My fear based plan was discovered !!!!!.... He spent the next few weeks training me on the side. 

" It turned out to be no big deal. None at all "

 

- Since then I refuse to let fear and ego get me !
- Now I say " I don't know anything, show me" ! 
- It has to be instant in everything I do. 
- I see so many people doing the same.....living life in fear !  

This totally carries over to social based mmorpg's...... In fact ten fold..... More than anything else in life, just less important !  



I'll expose a heavy kept secret:  
I suck at mmorpg's !
I'm better at getting groups together than anyone I know !
I don't have a clue on the content !
I count on someone taking the lead, or on occasions we all wing it !  

Most important: 
I'm having huge amounts of fun....The same for people I play with.... ALL WITHOUT HAVING A CLUE

SavageHorizon

Let's hope the usual twats don't come here and pick an argument with ya. I do agree with you to a point though. 

Fangrim

Tanking is the worst for this kind of thing, you're expected to know all the strategies for all mobs and boss scripts even if you've never been there before and it's new content ! This is why I prefer to play through zones on a dps or support character first.
I'm mainly talking about pugs here though,when in a good guild I like to go tank them as soon as possible.
 Finding a good guild for me is important in a new mmorpg. It's a balance between finding one you think will last and fit in while avoiding the ones you get spam invites from. I really hate guild hopping too or having characters in multiple guilds.

flizzer

 One big reason I worry about this game.  I don't consider myself skilled MMO player either and have no problem taking advice.  But it is unreasonable to expect people to teach you everything or even guilds to spend the time to show you everything you need to know.  Sure, Ive met people who have spent time to help me out but everyone's play time is ultimately their own.  

These days I do prefer solo oriented games and the fact this will be a group centric game means I will probably be passing. 

Amathe

It will be interesting to see how players (not the OP) whose past gaming experience is a world filled with gear scores, damage meters, repetitive "must know all fights" speed runs, instant group/kick, etc. will adapt to the intended social nature of Pantheon.

Of all the issues facing the game, that one worries me the most, because the quickest way to become shy or frustrated about groups is repeatedly running into L33t dudes when you try. 

Zindaihas

How did we go from group-oriented MMOs (like EQ) to solo-oriented ones (like...I don't know...say, Age of Conan)?  I don't think when they were building EQ, the devs specifically intended to focus on group content because they were breaking new ground and it just seemed logical to make players pool their skills so they could kill tougher mobs.  Plus they were using tabletop Dungeons & Dragons as their model which is a game centered around grouping.

In a way, EQ's success probably contributed to the evolution from group to solo content.  Gaming companies wanted to cash in its popularity and a lot of them rushed into the market; and as a way to attract new gamers, they simplified gameplay by making the majority of it solo so players could just jump right in and not bother forming groups.

People tend to take the path of least resistance.  Why go out on limb to form a group and get to know others when you don't have to?  I don't think it's just MMOs that attract shy introverted people, I think the internet as a whole has brought those traits to the forefront.  Why make new friends In real-life when you can make online friends on social media?  Why bother to go to the store and interact with people when you can now buy whatever you want on Amazon?  I'm not the most outgoing person in the world, but I'm also not the shiest.  But I think having the online world at my fingertips has made me a bit more introverted.  Once that becomes your comfort zone, it's not easy to break out of (I don't know if there are any Big Bang Theory fans here, but Sheldon Cooper has a good line - ""Why on earth would I want to go outside my comfort zone?  It's called a comfort zone for a reason.")

As a result, the Pantheon devs have had to consciously design their MMO toward group-oriented gameplay because that is no longer the norm.

Thinking back to my early days of EQ, the thing that always made me the most anxious was being asked to pull mobs in a dungeon because I was constantly concerned I would pull a train that would wipe the entire group.  But I hated saying "no" because, as a ranger, I usually felt like one of the least useful members of the group and pulling at least made me feel useful.  And usually my concern was unfounded because if we had a good enchanter, he/she could clean up my mess and surviving a train pull was quite an exhilarating feeling.

MadFrenchie

I specifically agree with you on the path of least resistance point, @Zindaihas.  It amazes me how many ignore or aren't aware of how that natural tendency in humans plays towards the solo trend of MMORPGs once they hit mainstream.

Grouping is inherently more resistance than solo gameplay.  Nothing about that means group centered gameplay is unattractive, but that if you offer the players an easier avenue by virtue of not having to go through even the logistics of finding others they will generally take that as it's the easiest and most reliable path.

I've always said MMORPGs should include solo content.  It should never be the most efficient or effective way to experience the game, though.

Wizardry

I find my gaming experience depends on the other players in group.
I often feel pressured to speed up or hurry through a zone or dungeon ,whatever,i don't like that feeling because i like to always play relaxed and am never in a race or hurry.

I don't think people should know the content,that is the purpose of the play through,you learn and work together.

I also have varied tendencies,some days i am full of vinegar ,ready to lead,others i am tired and just want to sit back and keep quiet.It still comes down to feeling relaxed,weather i am leading or following,i want a nice relaxed pace,more about having fun,talking a bit and go away everyone happy.

So this in reality means the best option is to form a static group,you know each other,and can determine if your made to hang together.If you just random the group idea,it can be a nightmare,you'll never have a steady flow of the type of people you want to hang with.

delete5230

Wizardry said:

I find my gaming experience depends on the other players in group.
I often feel pressured to speed up or hurry through a zone or dungeon ,whatever,i don't like that feeling because i like to always play relaxed and am never in a race or hurry.

I don't think people should know the content,that is the purpose of the play through,you learn and work together.

I also have varied tendencies,some days i am full of vinegar ,ready to lead,others i am tired and just want to sit back and keep quiet.It still comes down to feeling relaxed,weather i am leading or following,i want a nice relaxed pace,more about having fun,talking a bit and go away everyone happy.

So this in reality means the best option is to form a static group,you know each other,and can determine if your made to hang together.If you just random the group idea,it can be a nightmare,you'll never have a steady flow of the type of people you want to hang with.

Well addressed, I think everything you say here applies to all of us ! 

- Feeling pressured and everyone knowing the content.  Pickup groups could be a letdown, you often have that one or two trying to speed run...... Sure, often everyone know the content or they google it...... However speed runs can be reduced if the content is made for crawling.  

Deep first hand knowledge of this: 
I play Vanilla World of Warcraft.  Often retail players come on and try speed runs, they know the content just like everyone else, yet will all get killed until they settle down.  So, yes hard fixes that !  


- Varied tendencies, this is a BIG BIG one.  Our moods !.... We all have them, lets not pretend were robots ! 

This is why Pantheon better have a good percentage of Solo.  EVERYONE needs an escape to run off and do their own thing....... Add that it's fun to spend some alone time character building. 

Kajidourden

Oh look, another delete thread........please, do just that.  

Sovrath

delete5230 said:

By now most of us have an understanding.  Pantheon will be heavy group and low solo, no reason to rehash this.  

- Most mmo players are shy and quiet, that's a fact.  
- Many are not shy in real life, but are shy playing mmorpg's, that's a fact too. 


#1 reason is fear of being exposed !

Short story: 
I was a technician in a very large DVD CD Blue ray factory, I repaired this equipment.  Several years in I took an office job, later this job got eliminated and I was back on the floor.... In the few years of absences new modern equipment replaced some of the old. 

I had a good reputation and developed a strong ego.  But new equipment and everyone was good at it !..... Major fear and dread set in.  I was afraid of being exposed.  I felt I had to hide it and hated to go to work, I also avoided the new equipment.  

" Life was hard "  

One day, a good friend noticed what I was doing.  He came right out and asked " you don't know this stuff, do you ? ".  My fear based plan was discovered !!!!!.... He spent the next few weeks training me on the side. 

" It turned out to be no big deal. None at all "

 

Honestly delete, I think this says more about you. It's not a bad point in that there are people who don't want to be known as "the one who wipes the party" but all it takes is for someone to ask for help, for training, or even use the interwebz to get the info they need.

Also, what type of company takes an employee and throws him/her into a situation where the tools have changed without giving them training?!?!?!

Also, why would you not say "thanks for moving me back to the floor instead of just laying me off. Is there anything I need to know to make this transition? If I find that there are gaps in my knowledge given that I haven't done this work for a bit, who can I approach for training/mentoring?

Or maybe I'm just spoiled by my awesome company!

kitarad

I am actually curious to know how far you have progressed in Everquest. If you cannot find the time to progress in Everquest or have you given up already how do you expect to play a game like Pantheon. I suspect you're all talk. I should not have wasted my time writing all that stuff on the Project 1999 thread.

BLNX

I'm sorry but I don't get this post/topic at all. Is it about how some people are shy that play the game? That all MMO players are shy at first? I have real life friends that would scoff at that assumption. That players become shy when exploring the unknown? I thrive when it comes to that.

I don't like inductive reasoning when it comes to classifying other people; I'm not sure what this post is trying to accomplish, or why it is about Pantheon.

delete5230

kitarad said:

I am actually curious to know how far you have progressed in Everquest. If you cannot find the time to progress in Everquest or have you given up already how do you expect to play a game like Pantheon. I suspect you're all talk. I should not have wasted my time writing all that stuff on the Project 1999 thread.

I know, I'm letting my best friend down too, I haven't been playing anything. 
Not much free time