Incidentally, the casino mention refers to another AGDC talk I did a few years ago – it turns out that those studying casino design have found exactly that -that casinos are more interesting full than alone. It’s also true of bars – it’s more fun to drink in a crowded bar than an empty one, even if you have 3-4 friends. That’s because other people are content, even if they aren’t directly in your group.

For example, other players are putting things up on the AH you might want for gearing your character or completing a quest.

Or other players may have cleared out a lot of the patrolling mobs in an area making it easier for you to move in and finish a quest or kill a boss mob.

Or if you are in trouble, you might be able to run towards other players and ask for help.

I’m not sure I’d buy an MMO on the premise that there are real people possibly but you won’t interact with them directly. Because I have a lot of other ways to do that online, it’s not really a unique selling point any more.

The private/pirate server concept that people have alluded to in other threads is interesting to me. It sounds conceptually similar to setting up your own Neverwinter Nights server, which in my limited experience gives you the benefits of multiplayer without the annoyances (depending on how public you make it). If you could rope off areas of MMOs to yourself and your buddies, it’d make multiplayer a lot more attractive. It’s the virtual equivalent of renting out a reception hall. I’m not sure how prevalent stuff like that is.

Tobold nailed it when he wrote of “indirect” and “direct” interaction, and how each is important. Indirect interaction most definitely fits the “alone, together” mold, and it’s pretty much the only thing that MMOs have to offer me, since I don’t like grouping for little combat dances.

Beside that, I’ve read of psychological studies where people really don’t have a “cast of thousands” in their personal life plays. They have a small circle of intimates (family and close friends), an extended circle of family and friends, another extended circle of acquiantences, and the occasional random interaction. There are other people *out there*, and they certainly make things work (say, the power company, or the grocer), but the number of people that anyone *really* interacts with tends to be small. Under a dozen, actually, if memory serves.

We may be “social animals” with “herd instincts”, but when it comes down to pure functionality, we have to be self-sufficient as much as possible or we’re of no use to anyone else. We *need* “alone time” to be able to function properly.

What’s the first thing most people do when they get a sweet drop? On my server, anyway, they link it in guild chat for everyone to admire and congratulate them. We’re humans, we’re programmed to seek that type of approval from others.

I solo most of the time, but I enjoy being able to chat with my guild and my friends while I do so.