Comments on: It came from the PUG: PUGs say the funniest things!

By: Brian 'Psychochild' Green

Brian 'Psychochild' Green — Sat, 01 May 2010 14:41:35 +0000

(sorry gnome players, we all think of you as pets.)

That’s not true. Some think of gnomes as vermin and think the real shame of the fate of Gnomeregan is that some gnomes survived.

As for chattiness, I don’t mind it. On Massively’s Wednesday night DDO outing I was in a group with a really chatty guy on voice chat. He had obviously played a lot of DDO and was going on about the game, which was kind of useful. It was okay listening to him and throwing in the occasional comment, too. But, I can see how some people might get annoyed. I don’t like suffering in silence, though, without even in-game discussions going.

By: Teppotastic

Teppotastic — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 16:50:14 +0000

I love it when people are chatty. But then I’m fascinated by people in general. Their perspectives and experiences. At the end of the day you can always decide not to be chatty. That and I’ve met a whole host of great players and interesting people (not mutually exclusive or inclusive necessarily) and learnt some great tricks and such from just chatting for 20 or so minutes while helping them run some quests or a dungeon.

Human beings have evolved to be very social creatures, often at odds with the lifestyles we impose upon ourselves or develop through experience and circumstance and as such, I embrace my chatty fellow adventurers fully!

By: Inquisitor

Inquisitor — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:25:01 +0000

I used to spend the gaps in Violet Hold chatting about anything that came to mind.

One particularly epic conversation about toast, marmite and anchovies (no, really) lasted sall the way from the first boss, through the remaining 12 waves, which were handled slowly because of the chatting, and for 5 minutes after we were done.

I was tanking.

Good times.

By: jeffo

jeffo — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:18:29 +0000

I only have two level 80′s, so I can’t comment from personal experience about Outlands Dungeons, but I have a guess as to why you’re seeing this:
- Lower level dungeons, people (especially if they’re new to the game) are just getting the hang of the game and their toons. They’re probably not all that comfortable with either the social dynamic of the game OR their ability to play and talk. I remember running SFK way back in the day, and a chatty person in the group commented that I didn’t have much to say. My answer was ‘I can’t talk and run at the same time.’ It was true!
- At the highest level, as others pointed out, it’s mostly ‘let’s get this over with, I want my two frosties.’
- The middle levels (i.e. Outlands) are where people have been playing for a while and you see people who are more comfortable talking while playing, and are better with the social aspects of the game.

I prefer groups where there’s some chat so that I know I’m playing with real people. Notable chats include the guy who told us he had passed out earlier in the day and knocked out a tooth doing so (and was apparently still woozy and wacky), and the girl from San Diego who interrupted our UK run with ‘OMG, we just had an earthquake’. She only missed one or two pulls.

By: Longasc

Longasc — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 14:58:17 +0000

I think it is chatty people that make MMOs great.
What I do not like is TeamSpeak chat.

Usually two buddies talking to each other and you have to bear it or have to enjoy the utter absence of ingame chat text.

By: Hugmenot

Hugmenot — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 14:56:03 +0000

I mostly 3-mam level appropriate dungeons with the wife and strangers, and I always offer to jump on my Ventrilo.

Most players are curious about how I came about this preference and it makes for a good conversation starter. As the pace is slower than the 5-man zerg and strategy needs to be discussed for certain pulls, it creates a friendly and trusted environment conductive to conversation.

By: Kris

Kris — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 14:45:50 +0000

I love chatty groups, it often coincides with a group being friendly and there to enjoy themselves. Being a tank, I’m often able to control the pacing and success with far more regularity than most other roles (second perhaps to a fantastic healer) and I do so enjoy those runs that feature ‘fun with others’ on the menu.

The ‘just business’ types are rather impersonal, which seems rather at odds with the inherent purposes of a social game.

By: Klepsacovic

Klepsacovic — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 14:35:03 +0000

I like chat if it isn’t filled with personal details or references that I won’t understand. The emogoth drama probably wouldn’t have worked for me.

By: Kyff

Kyff — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 14:29:12 +0000

I don’t know about Outland or any other part of your candy coloured cartoon game. But in good old EQ it was almost reguired to be chatty to fill the long downtimes between pulls. Because of that people with a reputation of being silent or grumpy sometimes had a hard time finding groups.

By: Issy

Issy — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 14:15:35 +0000

I like chatter. Silence is unnatural and not what you would get if you really were bundled with 5 other people in pursuit of a common goal. That’s my excuse for rambling on, anyway.