This game is not dead, but it sure feels like it.

[Kalendraf.9521]

Not sure which timezone the OP is in, but during NA primetime hours, there is plenty of map chat everywhere I tend to go (LA, DR, daily PvE maps, WvW, etc).

[Zaklex.6308]

> @"Goettel.4389" said:

> Must be a US thing, EU is alive and kicking.

 

Definitely not a US thing either...even with hopping around from map to map I still have map chatter sitting in my chat box.

[Zaraki.5784]

> @"LucianDK.8615" said:

> Discord is a pox on the game, everyone seems obsessed with it. Some of us like to write chat ingame instead of using an external client. I always refuse to join guilds using discord.

 

I feel you mate, I hate the obsession people seem to have with discord nowadays...

[Anchoku.8142]

Hanging out to chat or role play is important to the population and it happens in maps and guild chats but it does feel like there is not a lot to chat about these days. It is not as if crafting, gathering, jp-ing, or fighting fish is conducive to chat right now, is it? Everyone looking for casual play speed-farms to feed the gold sinks and that nerfs chat as much as spreading the population over more maps.

[Dante.1763]

> @"Anchoku.8142" said:

> Hanging out to chat or role play is important to the population and it happens in maps and guild chats but it does feel like there is not a lot to chat about these days. It is not as if crafting, gathering, jp-ing, or fighting fish is conducive to chat right now, is it? Everyone looking for casual play speed-farms to feed the gold sinks and that nerfs chat as much as spreading the population over more maps.

 

TBH in my experience being someone who roleplays, there arent all that many people who do it, the vast majority of this game is here to play and do the events and the story as the game presents it, *not* create backstories and then further stories outside the ingame story with their character.

 

But no, outside of hanging out in the Black Citadel where nobody really hangs out, in the populated maps chat is active, in the maps that have been basically empty since the start of the game map chat is dead. At least in my experience.

[Cynder.2509]

I'm very shy and anxious so that's why you'll never (or rarely) see me typing anything.

[Blocki.4931]

> @"Cynder.2509" said:

> I'm very shy and anxious so that's why you'll never (or rarely) see me typing anything.

 

Hey, wanna be friends?

[theerrantventure.9185]

I've just come back to the game and feel the opposite. I see players chatting quite often, in most zones. My primary server is listed as "Full" though during peak times, so that likely contributes. I often guest to another realm that is not listed as full. That realm has quieter chat but it is still active.

 

Maybe try guesting for a night or two on another realm and see if the chat picks up?

[FlyingK.9720]

I rarely ever see chatting in any maps. At most, if it's a daily map like the LS One's I'll see people announce a spawn and that's about it.

[Ra Ra.9423]

Just a thought. Free accounts can't talk in map chat, so possibly that affects how map chat appears. However, I don't seem to notice a lack of map chat most of the time. Though at some times of the day/night it's quieter than others.

[STIHL.2489]

I have noticed that chat goes in cycles, like it will be super active for a while.. then it will calm down.. and then it will spike up. So, if chat is quiet, it might just be a lull in people talking shit to each other.

[Zaklex.6308]

> @"Jack Redline.5379" said:

> > @"Cold Hearted Person.6154" said:

> > Did everyone forgot how to write? Map chat or even local chat seems so silent. Even LA is silent despite being full of players.

> > I spent few hours in few starting maps, meet a lot of players but none utered a word, even when I rezed them or helped them wining a fight that would have killed them otherwise.

> > This is also the case with high level map, no one have any will to talk.

> > In the first 2-3 years chats were full of life, now it feels like playing single player game full of NPCs, tho even NPC are more talcative these days.

> >

> > I guess ArenaNet in their pursuit of making GW2 convininet for players they completly removed any need to comunicate.

> >

>

> I got banned twice for talking in map chat. It were just jokes because as you say LA is as silent as graveyard but problem is that ppl will get offended and will report you for just saying jokes even if few ppl laugh the majority will hate you for it dont try to talk to ppl do not interact it is easier that way

>

 

Well, if your joke violates the ToS of course you might get a ban...that's why they have a ToS, which almost no one bothers to read and then they wonder why someone was offended by something. It has have a lot to do with common courtesy, which of course I realize most of the younger generation knows nothing about. Also, you need to know who you're talking to and joking with, that goes along way towards not offending anyone...or you can just do what I do. I tell everyone I will offend all and nothing you say can ever offend me(I don't let words bother me, even if directed at me because the only person that matters when it comes to it is myself...what everyone else thinks and says is their problem and/or opinion, I do not care about them or what they say).

[chrisjfinlay.5614]

I think really the biggest change is in terms of HOW we interact with others, and how people have their systems set up.

 

Back in the early days of WoW for example, it was a common setup for everyone to just have 1 screen. Yes, many dedicated gamers had multiple, but it wasn't uncommon for everyone to have 1. So external chat programs were a bit of a headache because it meant minimising to chat. And voice chat apps were kinda... not good.

 

But now with the majority of players having multiple screens, and VOIP apps being pretty damn good these days, most people hang out on Discord or Skype with their buddies, even if said buddies aren't playing the same game. The era of using map chat as a social tool is kinda out, sadly.

 

I also don't use map chat that often because I have a very loud mechanical keyboard and when I'm on Discord I have to mute myself when I type, less I deafen my friends with the thunderous clacking.

[Carighan.6758]

Well to be fair, I have additional chat apps open on the second screen, plus:

 

* Modern MMORPGs, GW2 maybe more so even, require virtually no interaction with other players. It's a glorified single-player game in PvE, and I play it as such naturally, even if I did not plan to do so 5 years ago.

* Many people are segregated off, Mistlock Sanctuary etc.

* More and more mini-maps are coming out, splitting the chat into more and more map chats. Naturally, there's going to be less people per chat, and as a result, less chatty people in each zone.

[GrubySzymek.1362]

> @"Zaklex.6308" said:

> > @"Jack Redline.5379" said:

> > > @"Cold Hearted Person.6154" said:

> > > Did everyone forgot how to write? Map chat or even local chat seems so silent. Even LA is silent despite being full of players.

> > > I spent few hours in few starting maps, meet a lot of players but none utered a word, even when I rezed them or helped them wining a fight that would have killed them otherwise.

> > > This is also the case with high level map, no one have any will to talk.

> > > In the first 2-3 years chats were full of life, now it feels like playing single player game full of NPCs, tho even NPC are more talcative these days.

> > >

> > > I guess ArenaNet in their pursuit of making GW2 convininet for players they completly removed any need to comunicate.

> > >

> >

> > I got banned twice for talking in map chat. It were just jokes because as you say LA is as silent as graveyard but problem is that ppl will get offended and will report you for just saying jokes even if few ppl laugh the majority will hate you for it dont try to talk to ppl do not interact it is easier that way

> >

>

> Well, if your joke violates the ToS of course you might get a ban...that's why they have a ToS, which almost no one bothers to read and then they wonder why someone was offended by something. It has have a lot to do with common courtesy, which of course I realize most of the younger generation knows nothing about. Also, you need to know who you're talking to and joking with, that goes along way towards not offending anyone...or you can just do what I do. I tell everyone I will offend all and nothing you say can ever offend me(I don't let words bother me, even if directed at me because the only person that matters when it comes to it is myself...what everyone else thinks and says is their problem and/or opinion, I do not care about them or what they say).

 

And that's why people use discord, to avoid anet police and tell their favourite dark jokes freely.

[Oldirtbeard.9834]

> @"Cold Hearted Person.6154" said:

> Did everyone forgot how to write? Map chat or even local chat seems so silent. Even LA is silent despite being full of players.

> I spent few hours in few starting maps, meet a lot of players but none utered a word, even when I rezed them or helped them wining a fight that would have killed them otherwise.

> This is also the case with high level map, no one have any will to talk.

> In the first 2-3 years chats were full of life, now it feels like playing single player game full of NPCs, tho even NPC are more talcative these days.

>

> I guess ArenaNet in their pursuit of making GW2 convininet for players they completly removed any need to comunicate.

>

 

I notice that in Guild Chat, when ever I try to start up a conversation it feels like I'm playing with NPCs; it's all my Guilds (I know it's not me because if no one knows I'm there it's still quiet).

 

Lately I've been taking a sabbatical in ESO, (no fault of ANet by the way and it wasn't meant as a slap in the face or insult) it's just nice to be in a Guild where people talk to each other (could be because most of the members are even older than I am so maybe it's a generation thing).

[Oldirtbeard.9834]

> @"chrisjfinlay.5614" said:

> I think really the biggest change is in terms of HOW we interact with others, and how people have their systems set up.

>

> Back in the early days of WoW for example, it was a common setup for everyone to just have 1 screen. Yes, many dedicated gamers had multiple, but it wasn't uncommon for everyone to have 1. So external chat programs were a bit of a headache because it meant minimising to chat. And voice chat apps were kinda... not good.

>

> But now with the majority of players having multiple screens, and VOIP apps being pretty kitten good these days, most people hang out on Discord or Skype with their buddies, even if said buddies aren't playing the same game. The era of using map chat as a social tool is kinda out, sadly.

>

> I also don't use map chat that often because I have a very loud mechanical keyboard and when I'm on Discord I have to mute myself when I type, less I deafen my friends with the thunderous clacking.

 

One screen for me, no Discord unless I have to use it (the program never shuts down).

[Galaa.8475]

my chat is off. very peaceful. just run around doing what i do.

[Talindra.4958]

Er... I like to type a lot of rubbish .... Sometimes I just enjoy talking to myself or the wall

[juhani.5361]

> @"Ardenwolfe.8590" said:

> Last night, I traveled all over the place to help my wife toward Aurora. Farmed platinum like mad in Spark Fen. Even did the jumping puzzle again in Draconis Mons. And every, single map and area was packed. There was even a crowd at the end of the puzzle. Raid on the swamp dragon. And, I'll admit, this surprised me to see players in quantity still doing maps from years past.

>

> As far as chat? I don't know. Have it turned off due to _too much_ chatter and nonsense about nonsense.

>

> But I can tell you with authority the game is hardly dead. Chat or no, last night was eye-opening. Again, every map I traveled to was packed. And to me? The game feels more alive than I ever expected. ☺

 

I'd have said the same thing a couple of days ago. Every map I was placed on was bustling. Then yesterday and today, I hit all the empty overflows. I'm guessing OP's hitting the unlucky end of the map lottery. It's weird how different the experience is when you're practically alone. Kind of odd-- more than a little disconcerting.

 

Either way, though, I don't touch chat unless an event's about to happen or I'm doing the usual, "ty," or "np :)." Even then, I'm always stuck on the wrong channel. I want map, but end up on say, etc. Too much piddly interface stuff to keep track of if I even had anything to blab about in the first place ;)

 

OP, why don't you initiate?

[SlippyCheeze.5483]

> @"theerrantventure.9185" said:

> I've just come back to the game and feel the opposite. I see players chatting quite often, in most zones. My primary server is listed as "Full" though during peak times, so that likely contributes. I often guest to another realm that is not listed as full. That realm has quieter chat but it is still active.

>

> Maybe try guesting for a night or two on another realm and see if the chat picks up?

 

This only makes a difference in WvW -- any PvE content places all players, regardless of "world", in a shared set of instances.

[SlippyCheeze.5483]

> @"Oldirtbeard.9834" said:

> I notice that in Guild Chat, when ever I try to start up a conversation it feels like I'm playing with NPCs; it's all my Guilds (I know it's not me because if no one knows I'm there it's still quiet).

 

It's not you, perhaps, in the sense of "not people avoiding talking to you", but it is you in the sense of "your choices of guilds are silent"; that experience is definitely not universal. By which I mean, I find my (single) guild chat sometimes overwhelmingly busy. (Plus the Discord server for the guild is **also** very busy, though I rarely visit it. In-game chatter is plenty enough chat for me.)

[Martimus.6027]

> @"LucianDK.8615" said:

> Discord is a pox on the game, everyone seems obsessed with it. Some of us like to write chat ingame instead of using an external client. I always refuse to join guilds using discord.

 

This. Discord is a pox, period.

 

People using it as a substitute for paying attention to messages or guild chat in game. Guilds that demand I be on discord because their own GMs ignore chat messages are just lazy and I don't have time for it. Plus, ingame chat can be screenshotted and people can be held accountable for things they say and do, versus on Discord where it's verbal and can be denied after the fact.

 

Discord is also being used just as a hangout for people who aren't really interested in playing the game, but rather acting like those folks on Discord are their real friends (who live 2000 miles away - ok. If you're such good friends, then will they bring food over to your house if your mom dies? They gonna come get you and take you to your doctor's appointment or drop you off at the airport?) I'm old fashioned, I suppose, but my friends are people I can call on the phone and talk to who can come over and hang out.

 

I have guild members in my own guild who totally ignore all chat and anything said unless they hear it on Discord.

[Steve The Cynic.3217]

> @"Oldirtbeard.9834" said:

> > @"chrisjfinlay.5614" said:

> > I think really the biggest change is in terms of HOW we interact with others, and how people have their systems set up.

> >

> > Back in the early days of WoW for example, it was a common setup for everyone to just have 1 screen. Yes, many dedicated gamers had multiple, but it wasn't uncommon for everyone to have 1. So external chat programs were a bit of a headache because it meant minimising to chat. And voice chat apps were kinda... not good.

> >

> > But now with the majority of players having multiple screens, and VOIP apps being pretty kitten good these days, most people hang out on Discord or Skype with their buddies, even if said buddies aren't playing the same game. The era of using map chat as a social tool is kinda out, sadly.

> >

> > I also don't use map chat that often because I have a very loud mechanical keyboard and when I'm on Discord I have to mute myself when I type, less I deafen my friends with the thunderous clacking.

>

> One screen for me, no Discord unless I have to use it (the program never shuts down).

 

Right click the Discord icon in the tray, choose "exit", and it's gone.

[Blocki.4931]

> @"Martimus.6027" said:

> > @"LucianDK.8615" said:

> > Discord is a pox on the game, everyone seems obsessed with it. Some of us like to write chat ingame instead of using an external client. I always refuse to join guilds using discord.

>

> This. Discord is a pox, period.

>

> People using it as a substitute for paying attention to messages or guild chat in game. Guilds that demand I be on discord because their own GMs ignore chat messages are just lazy and I don't have time for it. Plus, ingame chat can be screenshotted and people can be held accountable for things they say and do, versus on Discord where it's verbal and can be denied after the fact.

>

> Discord is also being used just as a hangout for people who aren't really interested in playing the game, but rather acting like those folks on Discord are their real friends (who live 2000 miles away - ok. If you're such good friends, then will they bring food over to your house if your mom dies? They gonna come get you and take you to your doctor's appointment or drop you off at the airport?) I'm old fashioned, I suppose, but my friends are people I can call on the phone and talk to who can come over and hang out.

>

> I have guild members in my own guild who totally ignore all chat and anything said unless they hear it on Discord.

 

This comment is really disgusting.

 

"Hehe you can't be friends with people on the Internet because you can't see them physically!!!"

 

What kind of logic is that? People have made friends over the Internet ever since it existed. It connects people. Sure, it's nothing like a night out, but what you're saying sounds like you're a really bitter person. I feel bad for you, not being able to see things like that. Are you even human?

 

And to say that people "ignore all chat" because of Discord, how does that make any sense? There's a reason people differentiate between irl and online friends, but both are friends nonetheless if that feeling is mutual. Please don't invalidate other people's experiences like that.

 

That said, what the hell does Discord have to do with the game at all? It's a god damn chat program. If people stay in contact over it or simply use the voice chat function FOR CONVENIENCE? Are you saying all chats are garbage because haha, these people are meaningless? Maybe an MMO is not for you.