What do you think about...#2 - Today's MMO community?

[Elloa]

Article originaly written for LadiesofMMOs.com

Today's MMO community?

Those last years the MMO community have changed a lot. There is probably many reasons for it. Veteran players that left gaming (or switched from hardcore to casual), new generation of players educated by World of Warcraft easiness (not speaking about how hard are the raids here, btw), too much new MMOs on the market, the desire for something really new and different, players spoiled by the gaming industry, gaming industry spoiled by greediness, etc, etc, etc.
In my eyes, the community as it is today is formed by a majority unstable players, impatient and unforgiving that tent to jump from one games to another, beeing very negative on their way and spreading their eternal unsatisfaction everywhere on the web. In the middle of this, I have to confess I feel lost, and sometimes depressed.

God know how much I miss those old times, when I was raiding with my old guild in World of Warcraft! There were this feeling of belonging to something, a family, a tribe, and a sense of purpose, of final goal to achieve together. We wanted to be good. We wanted our guild to succeed. We prided our achievements! And we played together for months, for years! That gave that extra dimension to the game that were so addictive. It gave a greater meaning to anything you could do in game.
At that time, players knew each others. Guild were admired or disliked. There were some kind of friendly (or less friendly) competitions on a same server. And most of it, even if you had your share of guild/server hoper, the roster was more stable. You knew you would play with the same friends for the months to come.

It's three years I've lost that feeling and I'm trying to rebuild a stable, strong, faithful and loyal community. I've worked a lot for it, and sometimes I've succeeded. But the task is close to impossible with the gaming situations. Players play a game for two or three months, then change for the new title, play it one or two months, and so on...
I was dreaming of having my "New World of Warcraft" and my new "raiding guild" and as I knew it wouldn't work that way, I tried the "multigaming" community alternative. But even that way, it's not really working because you can't create a sense of "achievement" when players are splitted in different games and playing very casualy.

I feel like a traveler on the road. I'm not lonely. I'm meeting a lot of people. Crossing old aquaintances. Meeting new and interesting players. Discovering the MMO world under different perspectives. I learn a lot on games and people's behaviours, and on myself aswell. It's almost a mystical quest of self improvement. But I must confess, I can't stop dreaming to find accross my travels thorugh the alternate dimensions, a tribe with whom I can settle and grow old with...


And you? What do you think about the MMO community evolution? The general unstability and unsatsifaction? How are you dealing with the situation? How does it affect you?

[A.O.D]

Great article Elloa, you hit the dead center.

Its as you said, lots of hope in the beginning and in the end only depression and "lonely" feeling remains! Especially for people who grow up with such a community who cared about the game and its "inhabitants", both the good and bad parts of it and not just for some "temporary fun".

I think around 2009 was the time when it became visible and it became worse ever since. How it effects me? Easy to tell, have not been able to really enjoy any MMO or for that matter even other type of online games since.

Dealing with it might be the hardest part. You cling to the little hope you have left and hope that some day you will ones again find such a feeling in a community/MMO.
Here is something that might fit perfectly to the explanation i am trying to find if you think about it (MMO).

"
Life is like a roller-coaster ride. There are usually more downs
than ups and you force yourself to ride again just for those ups.
In life, you continue on to the next ride and hope its better then the last ...
"
- Molly Kips AMV: Various - Black Balloon (Goo Goo Dolls)