Where did the social people go?

[MoriMoriMori.5349]

@"t sakacs.7568" said:Everywhere i go i see tons of people everywhere but no one ever even utters a word at all. The first thing i do when i enter a zone is say "Hi" and i can count on one hand how many times someone replied.

I'm a new player that joined around 2018 - and it was in that state already. People are social only at Lion's Arch, sometimes you'll see conversations at Divinity Reach as well. At other places - very rarely. At best, it will be something asking for help with even, that's about it. I remember that feel like I'm in a word of ghosts - a lot of people are passing by, join events I participate in etc - but nobody talks. Even a simple "good job!" at the end of a fight isn't guaranteed (and if they say it, it feels like sort of obligatory pleasantry anyway, as everybody immediately dashes away).

It really seem like all these people don't enjoy being there, don't dwell in a virtual world. They come to do some job, asap, and then move out. They are not interested in what happens around, aside from that.

[Danikat.8537]

Not sure if this is the kind of thing the OP is looking for but there's someone running a game of hide and seek with riddles in LA right now (on EU). They're putting hints in map chat and if you come and find them where they're hiding you get a prize. :)

[mercury ranique.2170]

I personally would not respond to a "hi" in mapchat. I'm good for social interaction, but it has to have some purpose. It also happens that someone is pushing from social interaction to playing together (while I likely allready have some kind of agenda when I'm on a map as I have my own goals in game).So maybe the kind of social interaction is the issue here. Be more open about what you want and what you would like to chat about and you could get a response from me (if I would be on that map)

[Chichimec.9364]

@"MoriMoriMori.5349" said:

...People are social only at Lion's Arch, sometimes you'll see conversations at Divinity Reach as well. At other places - very rarely. At best, it will be something asking for help with even, that's about it. I remember that feel like I'm in a word of ghosts - a lot of people are passing by, join events I participate in etc - but nobody talks. Even a simple "good job!" at the end of a fight isn't guaranteed (and if they say it, it feels like sort of obligatory pleasantry anyway, as everybody immediately dashes away).

It really seem like all these people don't enjoy being there, don't dwell in a virtual world. They come to do some job, asap, and then move out. They are not interested in what happens around, aside from that.

Can't speak for anyone besides myself but I don't use map chat as a place for social conversations. For one thing, I'm often on maps where you are attacked if you stand still too long. I suspect that's why folks go to LA and DR for conversations. For another thing, extended conversations in map chat among a few players can hamper things when events on a map require any kind of coordination. For me, if I wanted to chat while gaming I'd join a sociable guild and use Discord.

Keep in mind that there are other ways to be social than chatting ingame. While doing Dailies, I'll throw up a mentor tag at a relevant event, announce it in map chat, give the nearest waypoint, and then announce in chat when the event is over. If I see a downed player anywhere near me while traveling around a map, I'll detour to rez the player. If someone asks for help in chat, I will respond if I can help and if I'm not in the middle of a fight. As for enjoyment, I'm usually on a map to do something specific that I enjoy and want to do, not to chat with random strangers. That's just me though. Other folks play other ways and that's fine.

[HnRkLnXqZ.1870]

Best strategy to start a chat: Ask something. Preferably related to the map you are on, or just basic stuff. When you are a returner, you will stumble upon confusing things all the time. You can spend your time searching the wiki or using goolgle and watch videos, or you can interact with us.

I know some veterans get easily annoyed when people ask simple stuff in map-chat, but responding "just google/wiki it" is about as helpful as saying nothing. Same goes for advising people to go to metabattle.com when they have questions about their classes or builds. If you play the class, you can easily give the answer. In the end, you are the ones complaining the loudest when things go sideways. You know that the majority of players who visit that page look up the traits & gear and leave. A short percentage reads the rotation-part and a handful of people checks the additional links.

Cities work well, but some are higher populated than others. Divinity's Reach (human city) is highly populated all the time, Lion's Arch as well. Both are great for all kinds of discussions. Rata Sum (asura city) has a very efficient architecture, crafting stations, Trading Portal, Banks and vendors are nicely connected to each other. It is a good place to talk about crafting and money-making. It is also a good place to get entrance to a free Home Instance farm. Grove (sylvari city) is similar, but more silent. If you have connection issues, that city might be a good option to park your characters and log them out.

If you are looking for populated maps, check the dailies. Especially Daily-Events and the Living World Season 3 & Season 4 maps which are on the daily rotations. Chat might be a little boring, as it mostly is about getting the dailies done. But you can also ask about content-stuff there or make some discussions about random things. Most daily tasks are not really difficult, so people welcome some diversity.

When Festivals are up, check the participating maps. Tagging along the worldboss-train (go to the map of the current/next worldboss and wait at the grouping spot) also leads to interesting discussions. In most cases, people wait a few minutes until the thing spawns. Not many people do the pre-events. It is often just a zerg waiting at the spawn-point.

Last but not least, the starter maps (level 1-15). Queensdale (human) is highly populated, but the other maps are also fine.

Those methods of finding people and populated maps also work quite well to find guilds. Especially the worldbosses are a great opportunity to collect all kinds of guild-advertisements from the mapchat.

[Cyanchiv.2583]

For me I find I don't read the chat very often. I'm either on a voice chat when I'm playing, which is most of the time I'm playing, or I'm likely focused on a specific task. Still when I notice the chat I'll typically try to respond if I have something positive to offer.

[t sakacs.7568]

Thanks everyone for your replies!

[ancientoak.4258]

When in earlier maps it is also maybe, that there are quite some freetoplay players who try out the game. They can only use the say channel, not the map one And many people are introvert at first hand, scared to ask something. I had the same thing in the past. What i do miss from gw 1 is there where always talkative people in the cities, at certain spots. A fellowship of well known sociable people. Like the xunlay chest location in post ascalon or Lions arch 1.0. Only area where i tend to switch of the map chat is queensdale from time to time. There can be quite annoying conversations at certain times. Best times from my experience are in the weekend.

[Super Hayes.6890]

@"Dawdler.8521" said:The veterans of this game are literally 8 years older than they where around launch. Thats a 12 year old now being 20 year old. Or a 30 year old now having one foot in the grave. Its no longer the new and exiting entrance into a fantasy world it once was - people just dont respond to "hellos" anymore, its just idle banter. But if you ask a question or make a request, I often see people answering. Its just that GW2 is well adjusted for people to do their thing with no words. See a tag? Check it out, prolly an event or boss. Do it, move on. No words needed. Simple.

Further tools like Discord have moved some of it outside the game.

How is 38 foot in the grave? Ouch! Once I pull myself out of this six foot hole you put me in I'll get back to answering questions in game for the newbies. Seriously though, I see in game chatter randomly still and I actively join in. Sometimes maps are dead. Thankfully the megaserver keeps enough people together that I really don't see what the OP is seeing.

[Donari.5237]

@Super Hayes.6890 said:

@"Dawdler.8521" said:The veterans of this game are literally 8 years older than they where around launch. Thats a 12 year old now being 20 year old. Or a 30 year old now having one foot in the grave. Its no longer the new and exiting entrance into a fantasy world it once was - people just dont respond to "hellos" anymore, its just idle banter. But if you ask a question or make a request, I often see people answering. Its just that GW2 is well adjusted for people to do their thing with no words. See a tag? Check it out, prolly an event or boss. Do it, move on. No words needed. Simple.

Further tools like Discord have moved some of it outside the game.

How is 38 foot in the grave? Ouch! Once I pull myself out of this six foot hole you put me in I'll get back to answering questions in game for the newbies. Seriously though, I see in game chatter randomly still and I actively join in. Sometimes maps are dead. Thankfully the megaserver keeps enough people together that I really don't see what the OP is seeing.

I'm 54. I'd love to have the youth and vigor of 38 again! I miss my flat belly so much ... :) But I'm still nowhere near my grave, I have 30 or 40 years to go barring disaster. 38 isn't even half a lifespan for most. Now, the difference between 30 and 38 can be that between the grunt beginning of a career and a solidly established expertise. It can mean not having as much time to game any more, or having lots of established friends that get your social time in game.

[crepuscular.9047]

we and anet all got converted by the scrublings wanting single player online rpg, so now we are all a bunch of anti social kittens

[Weindrasi.3805]

I come to GW2 to get away from social interaction. It wouldn't occur to me to respond to a "Hi" in mapchat--if I even noticed.

[t sakacs.7568]

@"Weindrasi.3805" said:I come to GW2 to get away from social interaction. It wouldn't occur to me to respond to a "Hi" in mapchat--if I even noticed.

Well i suppose that is where we are different. I play a Massive Multiplayer game to NOT be alone. Just saying.

[sokeenoppa.5384]

@sorudo.9054 said:they left, why go social when the game caters for meta players.

Tbh only parts of the game these days where i find social ppl is instanced content aka the content that gathers players with meta builds.

[kratan.4619]

The extent of my chatting in game is usually limited to TY or YW. I am just there to play solo and be left alone to do my thing.

[Endless Soul.5178]

Sorry, I'm just not that social. I barely even talk to my guilds.

[Tren.5120]

@Vayne.8563 said:Depends on where you go. In higher level zones, in HoT zones and zones that need more communciation there is more communication.No there isn't.

[Tren.5120]

@t sakacs.7568 said:

@"Weindrasi.3805" said:I come to GW2 to get

away

from social interaction. It wouldn't occur to me to respond to a "Hi" in mapchat--if I even noticed.

Well i suppose that is where we are different. I play a Massive Multiplayer game to NOT be alone. Just saying.

You're still alone. Those pixels on your screen aren't real people. They're no different than randoms in an AOL Chat Room circa 1998.

When I don't want to be alone, I get out of the house and go visit some friends.

[Vayne.8563]

@Tren.5120 said:

@Vayne.8563 said:Depends on where you go. In higher level zones, in HoT zones and zones that need more communciation there is more communication.No there isn't.

My experience differs from yours but ther'es plenty of chatter around meta times in most zones. Not sure why you haven't seen it.

[Jourgound Meister.8561]

I tried to come back to this game today. Need a new guild since I've been gone for a year or more now, couldn't find anyone to converse with. So then I went to higher populated areas and the game engine hit me when my 3k dollar PC went from 140 fps to 24 fps. Then remembered why I stopped playing.

[t sakacs.7568]

@Tren.5120 said:

@t sakacs.7568 said:

@"Weindrasi.3805" said:I come to GW2 to get

away

from social interaction. It wouldn't occur to me to respond to a "Hi" in mapchat--if I even noticed.

Well i suppose that is where we are different. I play a Massive Multiplayer game to NOT be alone. Just saying.

You're still alone. Those pixels on your screen aren't real people. They're no different than randoms in an AOL Chat Room circa 1998.

When I don't want to be alone, I get out of the house and go visit some friends.

Well yes, Physically i am alone unless there is someone beside me.

So you are saying that npc pixels on a screen are the same as a player's avatar on a screen? Hmm, i guess we see things differently when it comes to certain things. No big deal.

As far as getting out of the house to go see friends, that is great. When i talk about playing MMORPGS to play with other people i obviously mean IN the game. You seem like one of those people that would argue with a rock.

[Anemone.5320]

This is one of the most social mmos I've played. Granted I'm in an active guild, but even in map chat and /say people talk. Especially if there's something to talk about, like an event, etc. Racial cities and Lion's Arch won't shut up.

[Vision.7265]

DR. Find the Tinies hanging around the event areas and say hi. There or Minister's Waypoint when special events are not active.

Be wary though. If you say Hi as an Asura to a Tiny, you may be sucked in. Lol.

[t sakacs.7568]

@Anemone.5320 said:This is one of the most social mmos I've played. Granted I'm in an active guild, but even in map chat and /say people talk. Especially if there's something to talk about, like an event, etc. Racial cities and Lion's Arch won't shut up.

haha yeah. I remember it being like that.

[witcher.3197]

Anet is slowly turning GW2 into a singleplayer game, are you surprised that the social people have left?