Game is not very social to me wether in a FC or not

[Ooshima]

Yes chatting is my only way. Non verbal gestures do not work. Bigger problem is the high chance of being ignored, which leads to this:

I've turned off my LS/FC chat because I get ignored in them anyway, so tells and say are pretty much the only forms of chatting I have right now. Can get very lonely as I can go days at a time not saying anything.

Now by design, this game doesn't support socializing well, nor do these forums. Maybe you all should ask Yoshida what's up with that.

Maybe it is your topic having a mismatch or? You can't force people to engage in a topic that doesn't interest them?

I don't have problem cooking up a random chat anywhere in the game, really.

[Zorvan]

Ignoring the rest of your post, you have to keep in mind this is a MMO. An MMO NOT being social sounds extremely counter-productive don't you think?

Not really. MMO is a size descriptor, not a gameplay style. I, for example, am here mainly for the game. As I am in most mmos, simply because the game world is larger than what I would get in a singleplayer game and also more content than in a singleplayer where one or two dlcs drop then game is over and done. For all intents and purposes, other players in the world around me are nothing more than moderately advanced AI. If it weren't for the storyline being continually ( and frustratingly ) gated behind the duty finder, I'd have never partied with anyone at this point.

[Varilae]

Not really. MMO is a size descriptor, not a gameplay style. I, for example, am here mainly for the game. As I am in most mmos, simply because the game world is larger than what I would get in a singleplayer game and also more content than in a singleplayer where one or two dlcs drop then game is over and done. For all intents and purposes, other players in the world around me are nothing more than moderately advanced AI. If it weren't for the storyline being continually ( and frustratingly ) gated behind the duty finder, I'd have never partied with anyone at this point.

That's great that you have fun with the game like that, but that's still not the point of MMOs. They're intended to be games with social interaction.

[Rendecrow]

That's great that you have fun with the game like that, but that's still not the point of MMOs. They're intended to be games with social interaction.

*****Social interaction to a point*******

Just thought I would add that!!! While some MMOs have more social interaction than others, very few MMOs are designed to have social interaction 100% of the time.

It is perfectly acceptable to ignore other players for a few days while you are questing in the "wilderness" and to occasionally group for a fate or teleport to a crowded city to sell goods to other players on the market board. It is also perfectly acceptable to be in a group talking to other players every 5 minutes.

While I do agree that the point of an MMO is to be "social", to many people in this thread are interpreting it as being social the majority of the time. Even if you are only social 10% of the time, that is still fine. There is not a social meter where if you dont /tell someone enough you are failing.... :P

[Koenignovi]

*****Social interaction to a point*******

Just thought I would add that!!! While some MMOs have more social interaction than others, very few MMOs are designed to have social interaction 100% of the time.

It is perfectly acceptable to ignore other players for a few days while you are questing in the "wilderness" and to occasionally group for a fate or teleport to a crowded city to sell goods to other players on the market board. It is also perfectly acceptable to be in a group talking to other players every 5 minutes.

While I do agree that the point of an MMO is to be "social", to many people in this thread are interpreting it as being social the majority of the time. Even if you are only social 10% of the time, that is still fine. There is not a social meter where if you dont /tell someone enough you are failing.... :P

Well said! MMOs are a descriptor of what size of game it is. Though the game is meant to be multi-player, it does not have to be for all people. That's like saying going outside to a park where people roam is meant for people to interact and what not. But more than half of them are there just for themselves anyways. Not everyone is going to wave hi to you or ask for a convo.

The entire time I've been on this thread is to merely make the point that you make the socialization in the end. Yes, someone can jump out and start a convo with you, but in the end it's up to you to take it or leave it. You have to be engaged to stay engaged. Opportunity will always be there, you just have to see it and step to it.

[Varilae]

*****Social interaction to a point*******

To a point, yes. A big point, considering it's one of the main selling points on the back of the game's box. I'm in agreement that not everything needs to be a social experience in MMOs. There always has been and always will be some form of content that is soloable. That's all fine. I think the point of this thread and the main complaint is that there isn't enough of it as is (required by the game) or there isn't a big enough incentive to actually go out and socialize, not that everything needs to be like that.

[Zorvan]

To a point, yes. A big point, considering it's one of the main selling points on the back of the game's box. I'm in agreement that not everything needs to be a social experience in MMOs. There always has been and always will be some form of content that is soloable. That's all fine. I think the point of this thread and the main complaint is that there isn't enough of it as is (required by the game) or there isn't a big enough incentive to actually go out and socialize, not that everything needs to be like that.

And where on the "back of the box" are you reading that everyone is meant to socialize and play together the majority of the time? If you mean the "play with thousands of other players", I do that the minute I login. I am playing the game with thousands of other players at the same time, which is all "the box" promises. Nowhere, on any box of any mmo, does it say "socializing and/or grouping mandated for the majority of the time".

See, you seem to be confusing game style ( raiding focused, group focused, etc. ) with game genre (mmo). UO had a focus on PvP, EQ focused on group PvE and later on raiding aimed at the "hardcore", these mmos were that way because the genre was a niche at best and these were the only styles anyone had bothered to make. Here in the present, FFXIV just happens to be focused more on solo and casual play and is one amongst hundreds of different mmos each with a different style of gameplay as the focus. In fact, FFXI was probably the last "old guard" mmo made. There's a reason FFXIV isn't "FFXI: II." In case you haven't noticed, mmos that focus on storyline and play more like singleplayer games with multiplayer as a bonus addon ( TSW, TESO, SWTOR, FFXIV ) are the direction the genre has gone. The "casual" player overwhelmingly won the coin toss.

I remember getting pretty heated when I played those older games and casuals would come in demanding the devs make things more to their liking. I'd tell them the same I'm telling you. Why do you feel the devs should change how they develop their game for you, when you could just go to a game that is developed the way "you" prefer? Believe it or not, not every game is made for every person.

And no, I'm not telling you the equivalent of "go back to EQ". I'm just saying, it's a lot easier to find a game you can enjoy as is than it is to demand one be changed to how you feel it should be.

[Varilae]

And where on the "back of the box" are you reading that everyone is meant to socialize and play together the majority of the time? If you mean the "play with thousands of other players", I do that the minute I login. I am playing the game with thousands of other players at the same time, which is all "the box" promises. Nowhere, on any box of any mmo, does it say "socializing and/or grouping mandated for the majority of the time".

I never implied it was mandated. I implied it was a selling point for the game. I guess you're playing with other people if you simply count "playing" as the same thing as "being in the presence of others".

See, you seem to be confusing game style ( raiding focused, group focused, etc. ) with game genre (mmo).

The relationship between the two is still heavily implied by the term "MMO", even if there's more solo content right now. Keep in mind I never said solo content was a bad thing.

I'd tell them the same I'm telling you. Why do you feel the devs should change how they develop their game for you, when you could just go to a game that is developed the way "you" prefer? Believe it or not, not every game is made for every person.

There's some irony here given that this is coming from someone looking to a MASSIVELY MULTIPLAYER ONLINE role playing game for a single player style experience.

[Zorvan]

There's some irony here given that this is coming from someone looking to a MASSIVELY MULTIPLAYER ONLINE role playing game for a single player style experience.

And? Unlike yourself, I understand that MASSIVELY MULTIPLAYER means MASSES OF PEOPLE PLAYING and nothing more. You keep mistaking what YOU *think* mmo means for what it actually means. It's not MASSIVELY ONLINE SOCIALIZING. Go to Disneyland, that's a real life equivalent of an mmo. When you go to Disneyland, do you expect to be socializing with everyone simply because there's a massive amount of people? No? Welcome to the themepark.

[Varilae]

And? Unlike yourself, I understand that MASSIVELY MULTIPLAYER means MASSES OF PEOPLE PLAYING and nothing more. You keep mistaking what YOU *think* mmo means for what it actually means. It's not MASSIVELY ONLINE SOCIALIZING. Go to Disneyland, that's a real life equivalent of an mmo. When you go to Disneyland, do you expect to be socializing with everyone simply because there's a massive amount of people? No? Welcome to the themepark.

Not quite the same thing given that this is a video game and you're not going to Disneyland every day or every other day, especially considering the fact that you're not likely to see the same people there every time. That's not a great comparison at all. I'd say my definition of MMO is fairly standard. Certainly more standard than looking to a multiplayer game for a solo experience.

I think at this point you and I are going to have to agree to disagree. It's pretty clear that neither of us are going to budge here.