This past spring, MOP’s Justin penned a piece on Final Fantasy XIV in which he praised the way the game encourages specific, directed prosocial behavior.

“I noticed that there was more chatter and good vibes during these dungeon runs, especially at the end when players could hand commendations out to each other.”

I’ve always been shocked that more MMOs don’t do this. I’ve seen it in lots of shooters, but it always seemed to me that MMOs would benefit just as much in both PvE and PvP. If you are given commendations to distribute, you usually try to think of reasons to do so, which turns the end of the run into a moment you’ll remember positively, even if it was rocky. That in turn makes you feel more positively about the content, the players, and the game, and it’s subtle encouragement for your own behavior next time too if you’re hoping for commendations. It’s honestly kind of brilliant.

Which other MMORPGs do a lot good job promoting prosocial behavior? And how do they achieve it?

Every morning, the Massively Overpowered writers team up with mascot Mo to ask MMORPG players pointed questions about the massively multiplayer online roleplaying genre. Grab a mug of your preferred beverage and take a stab at answering the question posed in today’s Daily Grind!