The Thrill of the Spectacle

There's something exhilarating about being in a group that's the center of attention, even in a virtual world. I think this is what leads people to grief, or to produce high-visibility artworks. Our run on Wednesday was an example of this group spectacle mentality. Although we weren't doing something particularly interesting or groundbreaking (running to a city, taking a boat to another city, etc.) we were doing it in an unconventional way and in a large, coordinated effort. This breaks the context in which players normally see these things.

Yes, large groups are common--in raids and battlegrounds. 

Yes, running across zones is common--but not in a huge group. 

Yes, taking a boat from city to city is common--but not cross-faction on an alliance boat.

All this comes together to create a memorable social experience. It's part "look, we're breaking the normal play routine!", part "wow, all these people coordinating together is really cool!", and part "this is just something you don't see everyday!" It's just like a flash mob in real life. It's a happening.

Of course, this leads to griefing as players feel threatened by the break in normal routine (or they want to steal the thunder from us, more likely). In this case, the appeal of griefing lies not in the vein of the collective spectacle (breaking norms, collaborating, etc.) but in garnering the attention of the griefed through blocking progress through the game.

But we don't all have huge 15-person groups that meet every week to play with.