it's possible to notice someone plays too much when there are many people around to notice the problems of what is being said.
I'm sorry, are you saying you'd rather us not play?
As for the issue that we all have the same in-game experience, how about randomly generated quests? A courier could ask you to deliver a letter or package to any randomly generated NPC, a baker or cook could ask you to bring any guard their dinner or specialty pie or whatever. An alchemist could ask you to deliver a potion to pretty much anyone. The guards could tell you that there have been an increased number of attacks by [insert creature] and ask you to bring x number of [that creature's loot] as proof that you've killed them. The type of creature could be randomly selected based on the character's combat abilities (always choose an enemy that is "about as strong as you" to keep things interesting).
here's something you can do, as a player, to engage others and offer a unique experience. Create a quest!
Not to toot my own horn here, but to give an example, once one my characters was working at the forges (her choice, not mine) when a player who was obviously logging in for the very first time ran around like a headless kikiri asking all sorts of OOC questions. So after some explanation of the difference of IC and OOC and the purpose of RP (all through /tells of course) he finally asked where he could find a hammer (or a pick, i forget) but he didn't have any tria. Some of the other players around told him to ask Harnquist for a job, but I stepped in and offered him a reward to deliver an item (a flower) to a guildmate. We worked it out in guildchat, and I told him her name and where he could find her and sent him on his way. Sadly, as soon as he reached her he crashed or logged off and was never seen again. But hey, I tried.
Very simple, didn't need much planning or forethought. But it engaged the player, gave him a unique task, would have introduced him to other active players and a RP hotspot.
I'm formulating ideas on how to develop a quest and training system that is completely player based, and would remove the need for NPCs. But that's for a different thread. Or maybe I should take others' advice and resign to my fate. But I like your ideas, I think they're steps in the right direction.
