Which MMORPGs still encourage grouping and encounter planning?

[Mangoose]

: all of that is the consequence of what's essentially forced grouping.

No, it's the consequence of choosing to playing a Multiplayer game.

You're forced to play in Multiplayer groups in a Multiplayer game? You're forced to be social in a Multiplayer game?

Wow!!!!

At least in Ultima Online or the like you'd have a reason to not be social. That reason being ganking other players and looting their corpses. Of course then you can say that a WoW PVP server is dumbed down because you can't lose your equipment and gold to someone else.

The only thing that forced you to play Everquest was your own brain telling you to play a Multiplayer Game, while at the same time your brain doesn't like playing with Multiple other people. Or because you're an idiot who thinks EQ or WoW is better than the games I listed.

I bet you hate message boards, too, but the government forces you to go on the Codex.

 

[belowmecoldhands]

: all of that is the consequence of what's essentially forced grouping.

No, it's the consequence of choosing to playing a Multiplayer game.

You're forced to play in Multiplayer groups in a Multiplayer game? You're forced to be social in a Multiplayer game?

Wow!!!!

At least in Ultima Online or the like you'd have a reason to not be social. That reason being ganking other players and looting their corpses. Of course then you can say that a WoW PVP server is dumbed down because you can't lose your equipment and gold to someone else.

The only thing that forced you to play Everquest was your own brain telling you to play a Multiplayer Game, while at the same time your brain doesn't like playing with Multiple other people. Or because you're an idiot who thinks EQ or WoW is better than the games I listed.

I bet you hate message boards, too, but the government forces you to go on the Codex.

Not all multiplayer games are equal. Not all games are equal. People have different preferences.

I played on PvP servers in EQ for nearly 10 years. Off and on played on PvE servers. Yes you oftentimes would avoid other players because you were afraid of being ganked. But I did a lot of PUGs anyway. (A lot of people remember PUGs badly, but the key to them is to be proactive and form them yourself instead of expecting them to come to you.) Couldn't usually rely on my guilds (most of them feeders for raid guilds) for groups. I joined several guilds. The PvE servers were noticeably more social. Better prizes in Bazaar. I liked the harsher environment on the PvP servers, but the social environment on PvE was much better.

I loved UO, but mostly played on private servers. If you liked EQ AND UO you should try Wurm Online. Whoever said you can't ever find something better than your first kiss was wrong. Wurm Online destroyed my EQ/UO nostalgia.

EDIT: Thing about Eq is you met a lot of players because groups were so invaluable. The names are numerous. Turns out one of the guild leaders I knew probably 14 years ago helped with the Al'Kabor server. I didn't know it at the time.

 

[Mangoose]

Not all multiplayer games are equal. Not all games are equal. People have different preferences.

True. Not all people are of equal intelligence.

Edit: But anyway, I've never done this "join different guilds" thing. I find people I have fun grouping with - which means they are fun to talk to and joke around with in chat, and that they are not feeders nor fodder. And then I join their guild. Or I may play with their guild for a bit as a non-member before I join. I only permit close-knit guilds.

The only time I joined a different guild was when (A) I played a new MMO or multiplayer game in general, or (B) members had to quit because of personal life reasons.

I ganked my friends - sorry, guildmates - too. Fun and games. Guildmates that knew each other by real names.

And then I've met them in person, my guild leader let me use his place as a rest stop while I was on a road trip, etc.

Edit 2: If you're typing instead of voice-chatting then you're in the wrong guild.