Goldenstar has a really great post on the really, really great A Casual Stroll to Mordor. It discusses a recent forum topic that asks whether or not it’s too late to start playing LOTRO. The original forum goer was worried that everyone was at the so-called “end game” and that the earlier levels were devoid of life.
Goldenstar lists some solid points in response. Among them is a simple point that I think many people ignore: “There are times for you to be proactive at finding others.” I’m going to ignore the numbers question for the most part and instead talk from a different, although I feel related, angle.
This might seem overly obvious, but my experience with MMORPGs is that many players are not prone to social interaction despite the social nature of the genre. There’s a difference between typing things in the chat and making a real effort, much like there’s a difference between being a wallflower at a party compared to trying to actually interact with people. You’re not going to get to dance much. Hell, you might never dance at all.
I’m certain there’s more than three people running around the North Downs that want to complete the Tending the Glade epic quest line, as an example. If you’re one of those people, start using the tools available to you. I sometimes wonder how many people out there are simply waiting for others to come to them instead, mostly because it’s something I’ve done myself. The problem is that fellowships rarely happen if you’re not making them happen. Posting a few times in the LFF channel isn’t necessarily enough, particularly when you can find players in your proximity with relative ease.
In MMORPGs, there are a lot of people who want help with their quests but will offer little in return. While I am not trying to malign these people (if that’s what makes it fun for you, so be it! 
), these same people cannot also expect people to join their cause when they never make an effort to join theirs. There are always at least two sides to these discussions and, unfortunately, a good portion of the time the negative argument is from those who have made no significant effort to make things better for themselves.
I think courtesy goes a long way and enhances the experience. This is true not just for the player who needs help, but also for the player who is helping. You’ve increased the chance that you’ll work together again and you’ve increased the level of interaction that makes MMORPGs unique in the first place. Not everything you do has to be done solely for accomplishment of deeds and quests. I think this is quickly forgotten by a lot of gamers in general.
The other day I was playing with a random group of people in the Trollshaws. We were doing the Book 4 Epic quest that requires you to search for signs of a Black Rider in troll caves. One of the members forgot to use an item in the first cave we visited. While it wasn’t in my character’s best interest to work with that person and finish things off, I did it anyway. I didn’t get a new title, but I did have something more to do. I enjoyed myself and the player appreciated it. While I’ve not had a chance to meet up with that player since then, the likelihood of it is certainly higher.
I’m rambling a bit, but in the end, older areas are often what you make them through your interaction with others. There is always someone running around, in my experience, both on smaller servers and the biggest of all. While you can’t force people to group up with you,
Not all of them are perfect, but Turbine has provided the tools. You have to provide the ambition.
