Sadly, I don't think this is a server issue, its a people issue. The grass may appear greener on the other side, but I am relatively certain it is not.
75% of people can break into new situations with ease; whether it be associating with legacy members, a new guild they've joined, or even forming friendships with their fellow new gamers.
25% of us ( which I am a part of) struggle because we like to be 'shown the ropes'. Just as the 75% struggle to understand why we can't just 'dive right in', we find it hard to see why people aren't more cordial and welcoming. In PvE, I have found a few very noob- friendly guilds. I have never found this with RP.
You join a guild. You get a tepid to warm chorus of welcomes. Everything is great OOCly, but ICly, no one has taken the time to welcome you to the fold, to introduce you to the guild's story, to give you some material to work with, for your character to find their groove. The onus is completely on you to do so, or you are told to read the forums. Well, forums work great OOCly, but still no one has taken the time to make you feel included ICly. Since we are in the minority, the majority see no problem.
So what's the solution? Well, either get lucky and find a very friendly RPmate to help bring you along, or form your own guild specifically designed to help and include the 25%. But you DO NOT
need a new server to do that. Eventually, that server will fall into all the old patterns and
problems. It is quite fine to seek an alternative server, but it certainly will not fix the perceived
problem. People simply form cliques. You have to work to feel included, and even then, its not
guaranteed to pay off.
This is why I usually start my own guild; to try and formulate an atmosphere where all will feel included, where all will feel at home. But to expect to spread that across an entire server is a little unreasonable, imo.
Frustrating? Yes. But you do what you can to stay the course, and carve out your own little realm of happiness.
Those who seek another server should be responsible for representing themselves on the RPC, since the RPC's purpose is to represent the majority of the RP community, not its entirety. Or, the alternate server could set up a sister site linked to the RPC. Just my two cents.
75% of people can break into new situations with ease; whether it be associating with legacy members, a new guild they've joined, or even forming friendships with their fellow new gamers.
25% of us ( which I am a part of) struggle because we like to be 'shown the ropes'. Just as the 75% struggle to understand why we can't just 'dive right in', we find it hard to see why people aren't more cordial and welcoming. In PvE, I have found a few very noob- friendly guilds. I have never found this with RP.
You join a guild. You get a tepid to warm chorus of welcomes. Everything is great OOCly, but ICly, no one has taken the time to welcome you to the fold, to introduce you to the guild's story, to give you some material to work with, for your character to find their groove. The onus is completely on you to do so, or you are told to read the forums. Well, forums work great OOCly, but still no one has taken the time to make you feel included ICly. Since we are in the minority, the majority see no problem.
So what's the solution? Well, either get lucky and find a very friendly RPmate to help bring you along, or form your own guild specifically designed to help and include the 25%. But you DO NOT
need a new server to do that. Eventually, that server will fall into all the old patterns and
problems. It is quite fine to seek an alternative server, but it certainly will not fix the perceived
problem. People simply form cliques. You have to work to feel included, and even then, its not
guaranteed to pay off.
This is why I usually start my own guild; to try and formulate an atmosphere where all will feel included, where all will feel at home. But to expect to spread that across an entire server is a little unreasonable, imo.
Frustrating? Yes. But you do what you can to stay the course, and carve out your own little realm of happiness.
Those who seek another server should be responsible for representing themselves on the RPC, since the RPC's purpose is to represent the majority of the RP community, not its entirety. Or, the alternate server could set up a sister site linked to the RPC. Just my two cents.