If I see someone wiping to a mob i don't need, I'll offer help, give them the drops. If I'm ignore i move on. If someones wiping to a mob i need, I'll offer help, if I'm ignored, I'll claim it and keep the drops.
Sometimes i claim a mob people are wiping too, I always have the intention of giving them the drops. If they go crazy on me in say before i can make that known, They get nothing.
Anyway, The bolded part probably happened once a year at best. I'm sorry but 2004/5 Ground king Drama was 1000x worse than anything in Abyssea. old FFXI had a way way way worse community than it has now. There is no denying or getting around that.
Back then, you had ~40 people staring and waiting for you to screw up in anyway, you had MPK attempts, You had people attempting to Spikeflail your claims, Running in your path at King Behemoth, etc. Especially back before the "Depop" update, People would train spiders to nidhogg and die.
BST masters would Uncharm mobs near a Group fighting.
I don't think the game has changed must in terms of community. Just as many assholes exist now as they did back then. The only reason is more "obvious" now is because Abyssea is largely accessible to everyone. More casual "newb" players experiencing content they dont bother to research for would obviously lead to many problems, Like losing claim.
There were hints of civility like you described, but that same "hints of civility" exist today. With people giving those who wiped drops (I do it sometimes), etc. Its really the same, but more people have access, so its happening "more" because the NMs in question can be popped indefinitely 3 times per minute, where as old days it was 21-24.
(You probably agree to all the above anyway? why do i say it?!)
(I'm not saying everyone is a "casual newb", Only using an example).
That being said, I hate vultures, But they've existed forever. Rather it be the group who lost random and tried to claim anyway, or the guy who sits by quietly and watches your group fight Crion hoping for a free mob.
... I don't agree morally with "Waiting to take a white mob". But if i happen upon it, as listed above, I'll do my thing, If i end up claiming, I'll likely give them the drops if they're civil about it. If i get a rage tell/say for my troubles, I'll blist them and move on.
but thats just me :|


