Alright, this is my attempt to create a community since what I’ve witnessed so far doesn’t work – for me at least.
In the following list I try to highlight the reasons, as I see them, why communities weren’t able to deliver the social experience I’m looking for and I’ll state what I plan to do differently - with your help hopefully.
1. I think there are too many people in communities and guilds for it to be meaningful, stable social interaction.
If we follow Dunbar’s number an average person can have meaningful relationships with about 150 people, including family, colleges, etc… In a guild or community with maybe 700 people, you’d have to ignore at least 80%, which is exactly my experience and the feeling I get from the communities I was in – ignorance, a faceless mass.
Conclusion: I somehow doubt this attempt will attract many; if it does, to have a chance for meaningful, stable contact, the maximum player number is 50.
2. Some communities seem to look for classes and scores more than people.
I just read from the Dalai Lama: ”People are made to be loved, objects are made to be used – the world is in chaos, because objects are loved and people are used.”
I think this describes perfectly what’s going on in WoW – you couldn’t care less about the next person in the dungeon, as long as they don’t get in the way of your loot.
Conclusion: I want the focus of the community to be the person; class, level and scores are arbitrary. Be kind and mindful.
3. Communication seems to be a thing broken.
Streamers are certainly not the sole reason, but I find their mode of interaction exemplary. On the one side you’ve players holding monologues, much like a streamer would do, but unsolicited; on the other side you’ve those which seem to consider themselves audience, only coming out of hibernation when something appears to be ‘up for grabs’.
So, basically we have outspoken self-promoters and silent asocials, while I consider them both destructive when it comes to community and communication and want neither of them close.
Conclusion: People joining, never to create or participate, will be removed; players talking about themselves relentlessly without ever being asked, will be confronted. I hope to attract people with sense and spine to help me.
4. The social order most groups gravitate towards only finds their equivalent in hunter-gatherer societies.
What’s advertised as ‘close knit’ or ‘like a family’ actually, regularly is absolutism or oligarchy. One person that thinks, for the price of 10 silver, having bought sovereign rights; and a rout of adults subjecting themselves freely to the rule of someone unchosen, unchecked and unremovable.
Conclusion: Everything is up for vote. Up to and including leadership, if such a thing is necessary, which in any case will also a be a position limited by time.
Some smaller points:
- Please answer and join with a name that supports immersion.
- Some groups seem to think forcing private information facilitates familiarity. To me, that isn’t only a fallacy but an overbearance. I’ll never demand private information, like name and age – this information is yours and yours alone to disclose.
- I’m German, learning English – although I do understand almost everything, I only had little opportunity when it comes to actually speaking.
- I returned after a year and I would like to experience m+ dungeons in a set team, but, really, I’m open to everything WoW has to offer – to me the fun comes with the company.