I started playing DragonRealms back when it was on America Online. The internet was new for most people and exciting. The world of DragonRealms was full of people, some were quite interesting characters. I came back not only because I loved being here so long ago but I was wanting to see if I could interest my grandchildren into joining. What I have found is loneliness and very rude people. This was not what I had been used to. It has disappointed me and I need to know if this is what DragonRealms has become. I loved DragonRealms. Please tell me it was just a bad week.
LONGNOSE
DAKRE
Re: Is it just me?
05/11/2019 02:11 AM CDT
Hmm, i can't say that's the case, but there are definitely rude people playing. it could just be their character's RP, but hard to say. once you find a group you like, you tend to grow bonds with them, and those are the people you like playing with. I'm distracted with all kinds of stuff, but i try to help new people as they come by the warrior mage guild. whether i'm answering questions, or filling them in on what's different.
MERLIN15
Re: Is it just me?
05/11/2019 03:18 PM CDT
The two easiest ways to RP are opposition and goofiness. Few people will find a way to RP opposition without rudeness or pvp. Goofiness, while fun, invites bullies.
LADYSABLE
Re: Is it just me?
05/11/2019 07:07 PM CDT
I find offering support and friendliness to be infinitely easier than offering opposition, personally. That's probably just me, though. :D
~Aislynn
~Aislynn
DR-IOCANTHE
Re: Is it just me?
05/12/2019 11:47 AM CDT
I wasn't around in the original AOL days, but by 1997, when I found myself checking out this DragonRealms thing, there were people at every niche along the "social niceties" array. Almost everyone I bumped into was kind and helpful and willing to share their knowledge. (Back then, we didn't have ePedia, but they'd whisper URLs to the places where people stored maps and herb lists and verb lists and.. so many things!) There were a few people who would thump first and ask questions later (or never) or who would steal or say unkind things to try to provoke an aggressive response - but most people then, like today, were kind and fun and awesome people.
The world is bigger now than it was then - gweths are global instead of local. More conversation and chat may happen in Discord channels now than in AIM channels did back then (I may have been in one AIM group chat in my life, so it is possible that there were hundreds of them going on, but I just wasn't part of them.) We've always had folks who might be considered "circle chasers" and some who were "event chasers" and some who were just mostly in the middle, learning things, doing things, and just being who they wanted to be.
To regain and maintain that sense of connection, I've had to change the way I do some things - even as someone on staff. I'm in discord channels for so many GM-related things. I think that a lot of folks today do lean on Discord more, and finding the right group or groups there might help. We've got the event calendar with Order and Mentor events, which might help you find real live people to interact with. (Back in the day, I hardly ever used the calendars - but when I came back after a break, I found it useful because while I saw a lot of people moving quickly past me, I was still moving at my own speed, which is admittedly not the fastest. :)
I hope that you're able to find ways to connect with folks again in DR. Good people are all over the place!
Iocanthe
Doing stuff
The world is bigger now than it was then - gweths are global instead of local. More conversation and chat may happen in Discord channels now than in AIM channels did back then (I may have been in one AIM group chat in my life, so it is possible that there were hundreds of them going on, but I just wasn't part of them.) We've always had folks who might be considered "circle chasers" and some who were "event chasers" and some who were just mostly in the middle, learning things, doing things, and just being who they wanted to be.
To regain and maintain that sense of connection, I've had to change the way I do some things - even as someone on staff. I'm in discord channels for so many GM-related things. I think that a lot of folks today do lean on Discord more, and finding the right group or groups there might help. We've got the event calendar with Order and Mentor events, which might help you find real live people to interact with. (Back in the day, I hardly ever used the calendars - but when I came back after a break, I found it useful because while I saw a lot of people moving quickly past me, I was still moving at my own speed, which is admittedly not the fastest. :)
I hope that you're able to find ways to connect with folks again in DR. Good people are all over the place!
Iocanthe
Doing stuff
TEVESHSZAT
Re: Is it just me?
05/15/2019 12:03 PM CDT
>>What I have found is loneliness and very rude people. This was not what I had been used to. It has disappointed me and I need to know if this is what DragonRealms has become. I loved DragonRealms. Please tell me it was just a bad week.
I started playing via MSN Zone, and I think there are two explanations for what you're experiencing:
1) The game is lonelier because it's bigger. There also aren't the same kind of gathering spots that you're probably used to. While I no longer play in Prime, when I was there last there just weren't spots like outside the bank that you're probably used to. That said, as others mentioned, gweths are a lot more expansive and can be used to fill that gap that those "face to face" spaces used to cover.
2) I think people often look at the good old days through rose colored glasses. It might have been a different kind of mean, but older DR definitely had its fair share of folks who either enjoyed making people miserable or just didn't really care that much if their way of playing the game was at the detriment of other players. The major tonal shift I tended to notice in Prime is that many players are more comfortable viewing it as a more modernized type of MMO, where the RPG portion is not as big of a deal. So instead of having players making other players miserable through RP you just have players making other players miserable but not bothering with the RP part. There are plenty of awesome groups in Prime to get to know, though, so like the good old days it's just a matter of finding the right group of people to enjoy the game with.
Uzmam! The Chairman will NOT be pleased to know you're trying to build outside of approved zones. I'd hate for you to be charged the taxes needed to have this place re-zoned. Head for the manor if you're feeling creative.
I started playing via MSN Zone, and I think there are two explanations for what you're experiencing:
1) The game is lonelier because it's bigger. There also aren't the same kind of gathering spots that you're probably used to. While I no longer play in Prime, when I was there last there just weren't spots like outside the bank that you're probably used to. That said, as others mentioned, gweths are a lot more expansive and can be used to fill that gap that those "face to face" spaces used to cover.
2) I think people often look at the good old days through rose colored glasses. It might have been a different kind of mean, but older DR definitely had its fair share of folks who either enjoyed making people miserable or just didn't really care that much if their way of playing the game was at the detriment of other players. The major tonal shift I tended to notice in Prime is that many players are more comfortable viewing it as a more modernized type of MMO, where the RPG portion is not as big of a deal. So instead of having players making other players miserable through RP you just have players making other players miserable but not bothering with the RP part. There are plenty of awesome groups in Prime to get to know, though, so like the good old days it's just a matter of finding the right group of people to enjoy the game with.
Uzmam! The Chairman will NOT be pleased to know you're trying to build outside of approved zones. I'd hate for you to be charged the taxes needed to have this place re-zoned. Head for the manor if you're feeling creative.
GODKING
Re: Is it just me?
05/15/2019 02:43 PM CDT
>>What I have found is loneliness and very rude people.<<
The thing about RP is some people my want to RP rude chacters. Sometimes it can be difficult playing an evil character and not be rude. When we enter into an RP gaming situation, we should do so with the understanding that this is just the way things are going to be because of the very nature of RP. Also, don't forget that players can role-play rudeness back.
Another thing is as players we all come from different backgrounds with different values as to what is considered rude. DR staff tries their best to give us rules and guidelines for their game as to what they consider proper conduct so I would recommend trying to go by these rules and guidelines as those are the same rules and guidelines other players generally are abiding by.
Inside each of us, there is the seed of both good and evil. It's a constant struggle as to which one will win. And one cannot exist without the other. Eric Burdon
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/evil
The thing about RP is some people my want to RP rude chacters. Sometimes it can be difficult playing an evil character and not be rude. When we enter into an RP gaming situation, we should do so with the understanding that this is just the way things are going to be because of the very nature of RP. Also, don't forget that players can role-play rudeness back.
Another thing is as players we all come from different backgrounds with different values as to what is considered rude. DR staff tries their best to give us rules and guidelines for their game as to what they consider proper conduct so I would recommend trying to go by these rules and guidelines as those are the same rules and guidelines other players generally are abiding by.
Inside each of us, there is the seed of both good and evil. It's a constant struggle as to which one will win. And one cannot exist without the other. Eric Burdon
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/evil
TEVESHSZAT
Re: Is it just me?
05/15/2019 03:16 PM CDT
>>The thing about RP is some people my want to RP rude chacters. Sometimes it can be difficult playing an evil character and not be rude. When we enter into an RP gaming situation, we should do so with the understanding that this is just the way things are going to be because of the very nature of RP. Also, don't forget that players can role-play rudeness back.
This was always the case in DR, but I feel a good portion of players are moving further and further away from bothering to RP so all that remains is whatever personality they just happen to have (which are sometimes rude ones!).
Players who RP rude players can take the initiative to read the room and send an OOC whisper toward someone if they actually care about maintaining a positive RP environment. An important factor in RPing well is recognizing how you're being received, and while your character might not change their tone you as a player can do something.
Uzmam! The Chairman will NOT be pleased to know you're trying to build outside of approved zones. I'd hate for you to be charged the taxes needed to have this place re-zoned. Head for the manor if you're feeling creative.
This was always the case in DR, but I feel a good portion of players are moving further and further away from bothering to RP so all that remains is whatever personality they just happen to have (which are sometimes rude ones!).
Players who RP rude players can take the initiative to read the room and send an OOC whisper toward someone if they actually care about maintaining a positive RP environment. An important factor in RPing well is recognizing how you're being received, and while your character might not change their tone you as a player can do something.
Uzmam! The Chairman will NOT be pleased to know you're trying to build outside of approved zones. I'd hate for you to be charged the taxes needed to have this place re-zoned. Head for the manor if you're feeling creative.
