Over the years in EQ I have seen amazing help from the community. As a new warrior I died after being attacked by bandits in West Karana. A brave paladin, true to his class, searched for my body and finally found it for me. I offered what little money I had on me and he politely declined it. That happened way back in 2001 and it made a huge impact.
As did the random strangers that helped me hunt down epic mobs and so many others things people did to strengthen the community. I look forward to experiencing these things in Pantheon and I plan to help others any way possible.
Many of these comments are exactly why this game is being made and many are looking forward to it and supporting it any way they can. Yea a camp steal sucked but we all had the same (pretty much) friend/ignore list on our server's =P. It is nice to start seeing the game becoming test-playable after waiting so long. I can't wait! Thanks, Pantheon Team, and keep on Truckin!
In LOTRO, I made my first attempt at guildleading. One of the first things I noticed is how different the community engagement outside of the game was from early EQ days. The guild forums remained largely empty, there were no fansites that you'd be referred to for answers, and help wasn't so much not given as much as not needed.
I think that's the large difference, and why you just don't see those types of interactions anymore. It's not because people suddenly became less nice and less helpful - but instead, because that help is just less needed.
Why visit the guild forum when every tool you need is available in-game via the interface?
Why create a fan site when quests, mobs, and maps have every tiny little detail about them right in front of your face, in-game?
Why go out of your way to try and find someone to help, when nobody needs help?
One of the things I'm really hoping for, in Pantheon, is the re-emergence of these interactions. With no maps, maybe we'll see something like EQAtlas arise. With no quest markers, maybe we'll see a new Everlore.com. Maybe guild forums will once against be an active place. Who knows?
It's not rare because people suddenly decided to suck. It's rare because it's not needed.