A few days ago, there was a guildmate asking for a dps for Rise of the Phoenix in a pickup group setting. During this particular group, myself, not having the most experience in this place, had a little analysis time on what was said and especially how it was said.
The inspiration came from a few messages that people said during this pug and particularly how they said it. When I look around my server I sometimes see room for improvement on people’s social behaviour. I think this is very important, especially on tight-knit shards.
Personally, I think one of Rifts main selling points is its shard community. For me, I dwell on a relatively populated shard, so the who-knows-who is somewhat less intimate. I can only imagine that some of the other servers are much closer.
In a game like Rift, server community is important. Would you like to get into one of the better RotP-pugs? People knowing you or you simply standing out from the crowd does make a difference. Every week you do many of the weeklies and see the same people pop up, perhaps you do a Master Mode run for Darkening Deeps and even Caduceus Rise and you see the same names in your group. Even though I doubt there are a lot of folks who write down names of characters they don’t want to play with again, there is this mental note some will take of you and they will remember.
In guild structure, sociability is possibly even more important. Being social, standing out might give you that extra push to get into the main raiding group, or perhaps you’ll be invited quicker for that daily guild expert run. At any rate, being social helps!
So I thought of a few quick do’s/don’ts and tips that some people might find helpful to make the community a better place. Here we go:
Be yourself:
This may sound cheesy at first, but think about it. Trying to impress people by pretending to be someone you are not in order to ‘prove’ yourself simply does not work. Many will see through you like glass. Furthermore, putting up some pretense only costs you useless strain.
Impress with action, not with words:
Do not try to impress people by showing off your gear or achievements. Especially when joining a new guild this is crucial. People will find out themselves what you can do, it’s better to find a silent suprise than a loud dissapointment. When I found myself just joining my current guild and joining my first guild HK run, I chose to be silent and learn rather than try to impress. I prepared well and got all the preparation I needed, it delivered.
Be ambitious, but not overly eager:
One of my main sticking points, when I join a new project, I tend to get very ambitious and turn out getting into more than I can handle. The same goes for guild structure, when you join a guild, think of what you want to put in, as well as what you want to get out of it. Be somewhat realistic, show that you want things to move forward, but don’t let yourself be the only one running the machine.
Do not get mad over one’s mistakes:
There are many ways to tell someone they are making a mistake, including a lot of bad ones! How you speak is very important, but sometimes telling someone they’re making a mistake is necessary. The key is to not show you’re emotionally attached to another’s faults (which can be quite difficult if you’re dealing with sub-10% wipes!). Simply state the mistake, throw in a tip, that will reach the particular player much better than a random swear.
Get to know people and make some friends!:
Sounds obvious, but I don’t see this happen enough! I like to jump onto the guild’s VoIP and start chatting to people, being curious about their gaming origins and whatnot. Simply talk to people, they will talk back. Saying “hi” and a “how are you today?” will get you very far.
When pinpointing somebody personally, do it private:
If you find yourself running that GP-weekly pug and someone really does not know what they are doing, try and send them a /w rather than a public announcement. Some people simply don’t like to be called out on in front of many others, so try and do that personally.
Take initiative!:
Speaking of running weeklies, take initiative! If you find yourself comfortable in a particular instance and you need to do the weekly, run your own pug! Take a few guildies with you and before you know it you might be the one that gets people thinking: “He/she always has the quickest, most fun weekly runs!”.
A few short ones in conclusion:
Caps Lock is a no-no!
A personal one: please try and use ‘you’ rather than ‘u’. It just makes you come across so much better
Any social tips you might have for new MMO-players or veterans alike? Make sure to post them below!
LET'S GET SOCIAL