Seriously. What happened to it?

 

It pains me to say it but I almost miss the starter planets. I miss the Dromund Kaas and the Coruscant levels. Nar Shaddaa is probably the last planet I enjoy. From there on out, the planets just drop off in the MMO regard. And I don't even blame BioWare for it. I can see that I'm on a planet with 50 people in the same instance of it as I am. I can see that there are 2-3 instances up.

 

Yet, when I try and start a conversation in /1 I am met with silence, flaming, or the occasional 5 minute later response.

 

I don't say anything outlandish. I don't mention politics. I don't even open with anything that could be seen as trolling or bait worthy.

 

The best example of this that I have is what just occurred when I tried to start some kind of conversation on Belsavis as I leveled. There's 2 instances up. Instance 1 has 50 players and instance 2 has 9. The last white message in chat was someone asking for a group for The Tyrant at 6:33 PM EST.

 

At 7:03 PM EST I say, "Woah, a bonus quest to kill Esh-kha. That's a pretty fresh idea that I haven't seen yet!"

 

Within seconds I'm met with, "So don't do it then."

 

I respond, "So much for trying to start some kind of conversation to pass the time."

 

Someone else chimes in, "^ attention wh*re :("

 

At this point, I pack it in and chalk it up to lost cause.

 

And this isn't the first or only time. This isn't the only planet. Has everyone become so cynical that they assume anyone that talks in /1 is just attempting to troll? Why is the fleet and the first 3-4 planets the only ones where people talk?

 

Seriously. I really want some input on what people think it is.

I have no idea. I don't think I've put as much thought into this, as you have, but it kind of sucks. Even if I didn't always chime in, it's actually nice to see a lively community. A dead silent ignoring-you-all-the-time community makes it really hard to PUG, too. Frankly, unless someone amuses me or says something that I think is relevant to what I'm doing, I tend to stay quiet in chat, myself, but I do empathize with you on the community losing its steam after... I would say Tatooine. I think there's enough ganking that goes on there that the community doesn't stay quiet, even if the community is just QQing and PUGing, as opposed to actually having conversation.

I suppose maybe it's a little different on PvP servers, what with people talking about where PvP is going on/flagged people/etc. On the PvE server I'm on, you're lucky if you see a message that isn't related to LFG.

 

The current Sage that I'm leveling up isn't guilded, so I'm sure that only helps to exacerbate the situation even further. No guild chat going on so I spend more time looking at /1.

 

And it's not that I need or crave social interaction in any way. It just seems like all the fun of getting to meet new people either happens on the first few planets or in PvP/Group Finder anymore. Although Group Finder isn't much better.

Edited March 1, 2013 by iEuthanasia
Spelling

While I enjoy running RP events or group missions with other people, I don't come here to socialize likes its Facebook.

 

Its a game, half the people on any given planet are in a group, the other half running their solo missions. They're not there hanging out waiting for someone to strike up a conversation. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, its happened to me a few times, but no one is obligated to answer you should you throw a comment or two out into general chat. If you do it every once-in-awhile, you're bound to get an answer eventually, I know I have.

 

The community is pretty helpful on my server, PUGs happen often, people sometimes chat it up.

 

Its a game, most people come here to play the game, not looking for long or deep conversations. While its nice to socialize with others, I don't go looking for it, but I participate when it happens.

 

Maybe you just need to re-think why you're really here.

Seriously. What happened to it?

 

It pains me to say it but I almost miss the starter planets. I miss the Dromund Kaas and the Coruscant levels. Nar Shaddaa is probably the last planet I enjoy. From there on out, the planets just drop off in the MMO regard. And I don't even blame BioWare for it. I can see that I'm on a planet with 50 people in the same instance of it as I am. I can see that there are 2-3 instances up.

 

Yet, when I try and start a conversation in /1 I am met with silence, flaming, or the occasional 5 minute later response.

Approximately two to three weeks ago, I bought a subscription, purchased some cartel coins, and created my first three avatars. My avatars are at levels 22, 24, and 27. Once I stepped foot onto Tatooine and Alderaan, my entire gaming experience had suddenly become boring.

 

"Star Wars: The Old Republic" has a great main story quest; however, the game has serious flaws in other aspects. If people are noticing those aspects, I am willing to bet its affecting their gameplay.

 

Unless certain things begin to pick up, I might just leave sooner than later.

Edited March 2, 2013 by Linyivee

Never had this issue. You get a few trolls, and the odd silence here and there. But usually chat is pretty lively wherever i have been on Progenitor. Even on planets that have very few people.

 

I actually feel really bad for you mate. If theres one thing i enjoy, its a little banter while playing. Hope that gets better for you.

 

Regards

 

I think by the time you get to the higher level planets many of the people that would normally be happy to chat have turned off general because it can get so unpleasant.

Its a game, most people come here to play the game, not looking for long or deep conversations. While its nice to socialize with others, I don't go looking for it, but I participate when it happens.

 

Maybe you just need to re-think why you're really here.

 

If I were playing a single player game on my xBox 360 and just happened to be connected to XBL at the same time where I could also chat with friends this would make sense. When you apply the term MMORPG to the game it takes on somewhat of a different meaning than if I pick up a game and the back of the box says "players 1."

 

I'm not looking to discuss topics like the effect of parenting on social development or ways to reduce the decline in mental status of Alzheimer's patients. Just random things about the game, Star Wars lore or tech info.

 

As far as the last bit sounding rather snide, I'll bite anyway. I'm here because I like Star Wars, I enjoy playing video games and I like meeting new people and making friends.

When i play games i generally dont play to make friends or socialize. But i do like to have the option to participate.

 

My advice is, if you want to socialize and make friends, join a guild. That's where most people talk - General talk is usually filled with immature kids, that think trolling is a valid reason for acting like they would'nt dare do in real life.

Edited March 3, 2013 by BKatt

When i play games i generally dont play to make friends or socialize.

 

This strikes me as rather peculiar. I'm not sure why. This seems like an attitude that many people playing MMO's now have and it seems completely counter intuitive to the whole idea of it being an MMO.

 

I'm not playing the game to meet BFF's that I can exchange necklaces with or life long friends who I can call on weekends. It's just nice to know other people.

 

Can I play the game from 1-50 all by myself? Sure, anyone can. Does that seem appealing to me? Not in the slightest.

 

As a poster above said, the game from 1-30ish and the game from 30-50 is a totally different animal. You go from people talking, joking and generally having a good time on the first few planets to planets full of people who don't say a word beyond the occasional LFG.

 

Being in a guild doesn't really do much in increasing the activity on later planets. If anything I would argue that joining a guild has the opposite effect. A person joins a guild and then doesn't have to communicate with anyone outside of the guild unless a certain role needed for something isn't on in the guild.

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm pro-guild all the way. Since posting, I found a home for my Republic characters and things are super. Guilds seem to present a nice microcosm of it. Both the new Republic guild and my Imperial guild have 5-6 talkative social people and the rest are fairly quiet and don't really ever speak unless you ask them something directly.

 

Ah well. C'est la vie.

Why is the fleet and the first 3-4 planets the only ones where people talk?

 

Seriously. I really want some input on what people think it is.

 

I think it's because many of the players who persist with the game after @level 20 do so because they are engaged with the single-player aspects of the game i.e. the class stories. They are soloing their way to 50 and are happy to ignore the other players (and much of the multiplayer content) as they go. More sociable players who are drawn to the multiplayer (MMO) aspects of the game are maybe less inclined to persist with the game after @level 20 because this is the point at which they realise that as an MMO this game offers nothing really new.