Good Side Effect of low Population

I agree. I've run into several people I've known before on GAZED. It's nice to get, "Hey! I saw you the other day!" type of responses. That's really cool. One downside is buddy lists seem pretty dead, at least for me. I have people added, but most of them are my guild mates so it's somewhat redundant. I feel like the only reason most people interact with each other is to serve a function within the game like PQing, merching, or some sort of quest. Gone are the days of just chatting because there's nothing else to do (not saying that doesn't still happen, it's just not as often). To be 'social' in MapleStory you have to really make an effort nowadays, and I think people respond positively because if you're taking the time to speak with them. In a way, because it's not necessary it can actually mean a lot more to stop whatever it is you're doing.

It would be really cool to have some features that encourage users to socialize more frequently, and not stupid stuff like the new chat system they have where you can "chat with a random mapler." Here's to hoping.