This has nothing to do with WoW, its becoming the norm in every game.  Unless theres something people want, like info about new content, or how to defeat something, or where something is....people rarely talk regardless of the game.  The only chatter I see in any game is either trolling, putting people down, or somebody asking questions about something they dont know.  

The only way this is going to change is by getting together with your true friends or by getting in a big social guild.  Who really wants to talk to people you dont know, about nothing that interests you?  I know I dont, especially when most people that open their mouthes have nothing positive to say.  I enter a dungeon, say hello...get what I need, and say goodbye.   It's not that I want to be anti-social, it's just that truthfully.....I could care less about what most people have to say, because it's usually BS anyway....and I think others feel the same way.

Ive felt like the OP for a while, however with MOP ive noticed peopel invitng to groups for dailies and chatting about.   I have alts in a couple different guilds one they dont really talk (Except on sunday) and the other they chat all the time.  Ive also made some friends by talking to people..... and helping them with things.   

Its a community created and easily fixed issue if peopel force themselves to interact,  on the plus side im enjoyign myself again.

It is not just WoW.  It is true for all matchmaking games where you sit, press button and play with some random people.  

Playing most themepark mmorpg nowadays once you have max level (and sometimes even before) is like playing League of Legends of Call od Duty.   Log in, choose game mode, press button for auto-game find.  Play in instance. 

Someone mentioned how this is a society problem and involved with more then just WOW. I agree, I Play many MMOs like many of us have. And I put alot of work and time into the friendships I make because I know that is what Makes the game. No longer am i amazed by grinding real fast or a mega upgrade. I thing is conquering content with friends and the rewards just come gradually . 

But On that subject of its a societal change, Ya know I have to agree. I come from a very priveledged upbringing and have made a business for myself at a young age. I finished 2 degrees and have been extremely socially responsible in my life, and in my mid 20s I can happily afford any gaming habits I have. 

When I play with my old time friends and we do things so intelligently and together, its the most fun in the world. When I even try to group with some random people, and get to know them, It turns into a utter disaster. Then When I am assisting someone in learning the game or how to maximize their class. The like 10 year old talk comes out, then they talk about not having a dad, or growing up in Arkansas with shit for oppurtunity, and all sorts of shit. So im sitting  back with my badass desk, cash stacks, easy life, amazing upbringing, 0 stress, an d thinking.. Man mayb e this dude has the shittiest fucking life I have never known and just logs on to a world to escape his piece of shit life and rather just be a rushing mean piece of shit here. 

Im just thinking some players that outright are anti social, dumb, and mean.... is starting to reflect a very serious issue of horrendous parenting and problem lives, being reflected in a social Medium.  I would feel alone as all hell if im sitting in a room on a computer ( already away from friends ) and cant bring myself to be anything but anti social or a dick to others. 

I just dont get it, I love promoting the right path, helping others, enlightening people, removing their focus from the negatives..... Life is short, to be enjoyed with others ( we cannot live on earth alone  ) so why live on a virtual world alone..... To not deal with ragging morons? Well how do we turn the tide.... where does it start..... or has society gone so far off the cliff... that the future is  a mix of what I am seeing today..... its dangerous. 

Single moms that leave a kid infront of a MMO from age 9 till whatever, and man I seen some messed up 13-14 year olds with no social skills and turning into fat pudgies that will effect their confidence.....

This seems a rant now but its how i Feel. Games designed for the masses are getting less and less reliant on a community design. 

Dro 

*take a dab of cannatonic honey oil*

Originally posted by nollo

Someone mentioned how this is a society problem and involved with more then just WOW. I agree, I Play many MMOs like many of us have. And I put alot of work and time into the friendships I make because I know that is what Makes the game. No longer am i amazed by grinding real fast or a mega upgrade. I thing is conquering content with friends and the rewards just come gradually . 

 

But On that subject of its a societal change, Ya know I have to agree. I come from a very priveledged upbringing and have made a business for myself at a young age. I finished 2 degrees and have been extremely socially responsible in my life, and in my mid 20s I can happily afford any gaming habits I have. 

When I play with my old time friends and we do things so intelligently and together, its the most fun in the world. When I even try to group with some random people, and get to know them, It turns into a utter disaster. Then When I am assisting someone in learning the game or how to maximize their class. The like 10 year old talk comes out, then they talk about not having a dad, or growing up in Arkansas with shit for oppurtunity, and all sorts of shit. So im sitting  back with my badass desk, cash stacks, easy life, amazing upbringing, 0 stress, an d thinking.. Man mayb e this dude has the shittiest fucking life I have never known and just logs on to a world to escape his piece of shit life and rather just be a rushing mean piece of shit here. 

 

Im just thinking some players that outright are anti social, dumb, and mean.... is starting to reflect a very serious issue of horrendous parenting and problem lives, being reflected in a social Medium.  I would feel alone as all hell if im sitting in a room on a computer ( already away from friends ) and cant bring myself to be anything but anti social or a dick to others. 

I just dont get it, I love promoting the right path, helping others, enlightening people, removing their focus from the negatives..... Life is short, to be enjoyed with others ( we cannot live on earth alone  ) so why live on a virtual world alone..... To not deal with ragging morons? Well how do we turn the tide.... where does it start..... or has society gone so far off the cliff... that the future is  a mix of what I am seeing today..... its dangerous. 

 

Single moms that leave a kid infront of a MMO from age 9 till whatever, and man I seen some messed up 13-14 year olds with no social skills and turning into fat pudgies that will effect their confidence.....

This seems a rant now but its how i Feel. Games designed for the masses are getting less and less reliant on a community design. 

 

Dro 

*take a dab of cannatonic honey oil*

I quoted yours but a lot of reponses are saying that it isnt a "WoW" problem but a social problem. I beg to differ with you because WoW was the catalyst for the change. I agree that playing with my friends (particularly early world pvp) was the most amazing gaming experience I ever had, but now that you dont have REPERCUSSIONS for being a dick or ninjaing or w/e, so no reason to interact or anything.

Why would I care to socialize with you when..

1. I won't see you ever again in 30-45  minutes

2. Ill roll need on rog leather as a healer b/c its basically trivial and will be easily replaced

just to name a few (footballs on im somewhat distracted haha)

but for my tl;dr, WoW caused a social gaming shift, not the people changing themselves.

Originally posted by Kyleran
Worse, very often these days, very early a after a games launch, you will see adverts saying "must know fights" which just sort of turns me off MMOs all together.

That would be raiding guilds with no interest in wiping newbs' noses for them.

How undemocratic, I know, right?

Originally posted by lootdudehaha
dude, keep this in mind, it is just a game, not real life

Um its asking a lot to want socialization in an online game? I shouldn't have to struggle to form meaningful online relationships in an online game. EQ was by no means a perfect game but it was structured to make you engage people and have a semblence of significant relations, which personally I enjoy and why I choose MMOs over single player games.

Originally posted by Loktofeit

Was it ever sold as a social game?

 

 Good point.  WoW has great points, but it was the stepping stone to the industry turning into solo to end game mechanics.

Originally posted by Icewhite

Originally posted by Kyleran
Worse, very often these days, very early a after a games launch, you will see adverts saying "must know fights" which just sort of turns me off MMOs all together.

That would be raiding guilds with no interest in wiping newbs' noses for them.

How undemocratic, I know, right?

Raiding guilds wouldn't open recruit for group members.

No, these are just garden variety asshats that have no interest in helping folks learn how to play the game.

Pretty much typical these days.

I generally endeavor to "be the change you want to see" and did this very specifically in WoW LFG because of this subject. And what I found was that other people feel the same way but are looking for someone to start it up.

So if you use LFG and immediately start in with a "Hey guys, how is everyone today?", you are very likely to get some relieved, even enthusiastic responses. The essential point here, as has already been mentioned, is: it starts with you.

Originally posted by Kyleran

Raiding guilds wouldn't open recruit for group members.

No, these are just garden variety asshats that have no interest in helping folks learn how to play the game.

Pretty much typical these days.

And people wonder why we can never seem to find enough people for a raid, or why keeping a raid together ends up being a nightmare.

People don't feel like they  have time to type/chat during dungeon runs because 99% of the time the group is rushing through it. Go go go go! 

I hate rushers and prefer runings dungeons with my guild and/or friends.

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Originally posted by Kyleran

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Originally posted by Icewhite

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Originally posted by Kyleran Worse, very often these days, very early a after a games launch, you will see adverts saying "must know fights" which just sort of turns me off MMOs all together.

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That would be raiding guilds with no interest in wiping newbs' noses for them. How undemocratic, I know, right?

---

Raiding guilds wouldn't open recruit for group members.

No, these are just garden variety asshats that have no interest in helping folks learn how to play the game.

Pretty much typical these days.

 

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Sweeping generalizations and childish insults are indeed pretty much typical these days.

Originally posted by Kyleran
It's pretty much true for all modern theme park MMORPGs, not just WOW, and it's really not so much due to the players as it is to the lack of interactive design and interdependent game mechanics.
Making titles largely solo centric and providing all sorts of non-interactive tools such as DFs and instant travel, combined with little forced downtime between fights means player have little reason to chat, the only goal is to hurry up and fight.
In early titles if someone in the group wasn't quite skilled enough or unfamiliar with the dungeon it was worth the groups time to teach them since finding replacements was more wasted time. Now groups can just kick and replace in minutes, and so they do.
Worse, very often these days, very early a after a games launch, you will see adverts saying "must know fights" which just sort of turns me off MMOs all together.

Well it's true that there is a bit of asshattery in all MMO pugs but WOW, imho, is specially putrid. I have a couple of level 85s that have been parked since shortly after Cataclysm. I left for essentially that reason. I was totally turned off by finger-pointing pug drama.

The bad rep the WOW community as a whole (of course there are good people there too) has is well-deserved.

Ill admit 5 mans people don't talk to each other much, Thats part of the way 5 mans work. Its a pick up group with peope from diffrent realms, Thats nto always true but generally yes.

The guild thing though is way diffrent then i have found in my 6 yrs , ive been in multiple guilds they are all sociable, People talking about there day sayihg happy thanksgiving, Stuff like that. Ill admit smaller guilds are more socialble then the big ones but they all have social aspects. 

some guilds just tend to chat in vent instead of in game, Some do both, Chat in voice on vent while playing and in chat on wow. So the non social guild part i find particularly wrong

Truth is guild chat is usually very active in most guilds ive joined, sometimes its inappropriate for childrean but guild chat in wow is usually a good place to sociallize,