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The Great Spiral 2.0

AuthorMessage
Hero
Jan 24, 2010
705
Hi Everyone,

I came across this sad message this morning, and it stuck a chord in me. I have such a good time with my friends as we attempt to save the Great Spiral from mysterious and relentless dark magic:

Moribund wrote:
tabby714 wrote:
So gradually the game has started to feel...lonely.


Tabby,

You have just put words to what I have been feeling lately and why I have started to really dislike soling, even though I am good at it. The game has started to feel Lonely.


Devin Darksong – lvl 80 Death
Digby Darksong – lvl 60 Life
Duncan Darksong – lvl 60 balance
Dylan Darksong – lvl 60 Storm
Dustan Darksong – lvl 64 Myth
Dolan Darksong – lvl 60 Ice


Oh, this makes me sad

My experience is the opposite, most of the time. I almost always have one or another very good friend with whom to quest. I am very fortunate to have a handful of solid "real" friends in the Spiral, people with whom I have made extensions IRL, who I consider as valuable as any face-to-face friend. I find this aspect of Wizard101 to be the most powerful draw and motivation for me to play.

Professor Greyrose, will the new forum system allow for personal messaging? If so, this could facilitate greater opportunity for wizards to connect, meet up in-game, share friend codes, and generally enjoy the social aspect of the Spiral. Is it possible to set messaging privileges based on chat level in-game/age restrictions? I am certain that filtering of language is possible in good discussion forum platforms. Please, please, please?

No one should feel lonely in the Great Spiral.

Say "hi" if you see me in Avalon. Iridian Shadowweaver (life) and Scarlet Ravensong (fire) are having a ball there! Iridian travels with Destiny Spiritgiver, Scarlet is a solo artist.

Qbb

Adherent
Mar 18, 2009
2737
I agree. I've personally put several suggestions in The Dorms on ideas for getting wizards together faster and more accurately. To me, this is the greatest problem plaguing PvE. Since Wizard101 players grow with quests completed (and not monsters defeated like most other MMOs), it is crucial that similar quest-minded wizards get grouped up together. As more worlds are introduced, the gap expands between the numerous quests any single wizard could possibly be on at that moment. The growing gap also deters wizards from stopping their questing session to assist others to "catch up with them."

As a family-oriented game, these features should be in-game and not force external social media sites/apps to coordinate questing times/objectives etc. given the possible exploitation that could arise or even the simple availability given some parental restrictions in using the internet.

Many other MMOs have implemented "Looking For Group" features, I believe Wizard101 should not be the exception.

Delver
Oct 27, 2009
272
As always, I enjoyed QBB's post. As a patient Ice wizard, I like to savor my questing in new areas, and I go slow to take advantage of leveling up energy for pets and gardens. As a result, it does get a bit lonely as others race to complete all new quests on 6 wizards (or more for those with multiple accounts). A "looking for group" call seems like it would be useful at times. Currently, if I have a dungeon I want help with, I tend to look for others waiting outside it, in a busy realm. That does not always work. It's not that I can't solo; it's that I find solo boring.
Whenever a new world opens, the same process seems to happen. The jackrabbits run ahead with all their wizards, then are bored when they have finished all their quests. At that point, they spread out in the spiral again, farming new favorite dungeons and helping lower level wizards advance. Then, the Spiral is not so lonely. It was so when CL opened, and again in ZF. Now it is AV.

Squire
Jun 19, 2009
514
I feel more lonely when I log on than I had from 2009-2011.

I'm not gonna go in a long rant about this, but many are quitting in resent from Kingsisle's relentless doings with "Crown$". The game has become something where you may pay monthly, then pay an extra lot of money to win in PvP, and get the best wands, gear, mounts, etc.

They also quit because of the failure to fix PvP. Each Hoard Pack, the problem gets worse. :(

Aside from this

I still have great friends online, some who log on more often than others. The Spiral has been through bad times before and I figure this is the most lonely and depressing time for it yet.

I don't log on as much as I used to, because I know what i'll see when I click the friend's list button. Either emptiness or maybe two friends on.

There are times when many friends are on, but it can be rare. I've found myself walking down the road to more of a solo type by force, with no friends to help, and all other wizards busy or not willing. Parties that use to go on all the time are now the opposite.
Gold is now as rare as grass around here, but there's not much to spend it with. Crowns is the new currency of Wizard101. I'm sorry, but you must understand this. The relationships of the Spiral are departing, and Crowns is the main reason. I can only savor memories of the past, and hope for a better future of the game. And it all starts with getting Kingsisle to listen to us.
No offense to Kingsisle, you guys are awesome. But this needs to be said and it is player feedback. I'm only trying to tell you what the whole spiral has been ranting about in the commons for months. Please, listen. Hear us out.

In all respects to you,

James Skullwielder
level 72 Necromancer

Explorer
Jun 03, 2012
76
Wow, I came on looking for some way to suggest a solution to the problem I keep running into as a fairly new player - finding others that are working on or willing to help with a particular quest. I, like others have mentioned, try hanging about near where I need help at until someone comes by but that seems very discouraging and doesn't work a lot of the time. I just don't know how else to get help or someone to partner up with to complete the quests that require more than one wizard. The "Friends" list doesn't tell you where people are so they could be in another world so not interested in your quest.

My suggestion is to have an actual physical message board and gathering place (like a tea/coffee shop or something similar) where people who are looking for help with a quest could come and find others who want help with the same quest. And for higher more experienced wizards, they might find spending a little time helping other wizards interesting. Just my two cents worth. I would love to hear other suggestions for how to connect to others to get help with a quest.

Geographer
Dec 14, 2009
916
Hero
Jan 24, 2010
705
Thanks for supporting my idea :)

KI, what you have here is a group of wizard writers who have been acquainted in these forums, share similar ideas and interests, but who have never met in-game. Heck, I've been arguing with, for, and against some of my co-writers for years, but I don't have any means with which to make friends with them. (Ahem)

I REALLY appreciate the high level of security features for my children. But, as an adult, I am frustrated by the swaddling.

Perhaps it has escaped the notice of our professors, but there are so many of us in the Great Spiral now that we are like an anonymous crowd. Meh, I hate certain large cities just for that reason.

This is a problem in a 2.0, socially connected, game such as W101. We need tools for connection, increased communication, and coordination. We need to create a tightly-knit community with a mission to help one another.

I highly recommend Jane McGonigal's book, Reality is Broken, for an exploration of how important 2.0-style connectivity is for the well-being of the Great Spiral.

Here's hoping our paths cross as we journey among the stars,

Qbb/Iridian


Delver
Oct 27, 2009
272
Darlar,
There is a way to tell what area your friends are in. When you click the friend's name and select port, it asks if you want to port to your friend in "Hyde Park" for example. As you play the game, you get to know the names of places, but even so, if you don't recognize the name of the place it is probably ahead of your quests. Each world has it's own style and you may find you can guess which world the friend is in. If not, you can always ask them. When no location is given, they may be in a house or minigame, in the middle of a port, or found a silver chest. Just because you try this doesn't mean you have to port. When it asks you if you want to port, you can say no.

I also suggest, when looking for help and not finding any, by the dungeon you are wanting, try a crowded realm there. If no joy, try a crowded realm in the Common area of that world. Do ask people, if others are around. Tell them you need help with "name of boss, or type of monsters". Many of us like to help.

Some of us have responded to calls for help, but the person won't say what they need help with or where, and it turns out to be a dungeon so long we don't have the time to finish, or the person wanted someone to visit their house. Be honest about what you need help with. Even if you use menu chat, you can say what quest you are on, selecting it from the MY QUESTS menu box.

I continue to make new friends in the spiral. Sadly some old friends have drifted away from the game, often as they get busier in real life, or need a break from the game. Sometimes they do return as the season changes or new worlds open in the spiral.

Explorer
Apr 10, 2010
78
If your looking for a better way to socialize, isn't W101 Central better for that? It already facilitates solutions for the problems that you listed.

Luke

Hero
Jan 24, 2010
705
Lucario450 wrote:
If your looking for a better way to socialize, isn't W101 Central better for that? It already facilitates solutions for the problems that you listed.

Luke


Hi Luke,

Thanks for the feedback. Are you perhaps a Central member?

I actually have an account there, and I don't use it. I occasionally try to read the forums, but most posts are poorly written, brief, and uninformative. I see an awful lot of complaining about how KI is becoming greedy, blah, blah, blah, and I don't like it. I particularly don't enjoy the current Crowns Isle meme; it does nothing but make people feel bad.

So, no, Central is not the solution, IMHO. This is a problem for the group who made our game to solve.

Regards,

Qbb

Mastermind
Jun 23, 2010
345
Queenly I would love this here.

KI was gracious and allowed us to post a date, time and realm to meet in game. Using the boards here to accomplish that can be cumbersome. I would love a way to meet that was more streamlined.

I also would a way to add all our wizards to our friends more efficiently. Popping on and off all my girls means somebody gets missed. Perhaps a way to transfer contacts from one wizard to another. I think I saw that proposed here long ago.

Sorry I am so slow responding here. My husband made it home (He travels a lot.) and life erupted.

Megan

Hero
Jan 24, 2010
705
mom2mykidzcrcj wrote:
Queenly I would love this here.

KI was gracious and allowed us to post a date, time and realm to meet in game. Using the boards here to accomplish that can be cumbersome. I would love a way to meet that was more streamlined.

I also would a way to add all our wizards to our friends more efficiently. Popping on and off all my girls means somebody gets missed. Perhaps a way to transfer contacts from one wizard to another. I think I saw that proposed here long ago.

Sorry I am so slow responding here. My husband made it home (He travels a lot.) and life erupted.

Megan


Hey Megan :) I wondered where you've been.

One point you make is the need for a way to sync up wizards as a group. I totally agree. How much time have you and I spent under Blossom, switching wizards? Add another friend or two, and the time easily creeps up to 30 minutes, and invariably we miss one or another wizard. Can you imagine trying to manage multiple accounts with 6 wizards each? What a pain that would be.

Yes, we need a batch add tool of some sort. I think the true friends' code could be a possible way; but it would have to be tweaked to work at the account level, instead of one wizard at a time. Otherwise, we are left with the challenge of coordinating meet ups in the forums, with the accompanying post lag due to moderation. Frustrating, yes?

I have an interesting story from yesterday, btw:

I was getting ready to go to the Spiral about the time the game went down for maintenance. Since the game was unavailable, I spent the hour on my Iridian Shadowweaver page (you know the one). I saw a post from one of my fans and I asked her to meet up in-game. When the game came back online, we did meet up and I introduced her to my wizard sisters.

Here's the wild part: We were questing in Avalon and another friend ported to us. Lo and behold, she was the daughter of my fan-now-game-friend! Jordan Iceflame has been my friend for over 2 years, and I met her mom via my webpage, then in-game. Blew. Me. Away.

A 1-in-25 million chance, and it happened. I'm still amazed. The important bit is that I now have a new, awesome, friend, and a richer texture to relationships in the Spiral. Of course I'll want to play more...

So yeah, I want that sort of experience for all of my wizard friends.

Warmest Regards and Hopes to See You Soon,

Qbb/Iridian

Delver
Oct 27, 2009
272
Some of you mentioned using Wizard101 Central to arrange meets for questing, but I'm not sure if that would provide the same function that a looking for group button would. It is not that I couldn't try to preschedule a time to meet and quest, but that I play when it happens to be convienient. I might be on for only 45 minutes and want to do one quick dungeon, but no one is around. So rather than questing, I pet train or look for reagents. Or you might see me in WC in disguise, doing heals and shields with my ice legend. If I had to post, "Hey I'm by the Dark Knight and ready to go in" on a forum, wait for it to go through a moderator, and then wait for someone to see it and show up, my time to play might be over. A looking for group button would be very helpful and what many people seem to be looking for. I don't know how the Central meetings are done, so if they do have a "meet right now" option, I look forward to hearing about it.

Hero
Jan 24, 2010
705
Oh the times, they are achangin'...

Dear Disengaged and otherwise Lonely Wizards,

I was initially resistant, but I finally went to Central and set up my account. I had registered a while back, and never really felt like being active there.

BUT, it's great! I have met some excellent new friends, wizards I've known on these forums for a couple of years now. You wizards know who you are! I've also found the personal messaging system to be efficient and easy to use. The ability to share in-game pics from my Central profile is very nice.

I would recommend a visit to Central to check it out. CAVEAT: If you're a kid, always get parental approval before setting up a profile anywhere online.

Hope to cross paths,

Qbb/Iridian ShadowWeaver, noob Centralite