ANOTHER meso exploit?

I don't agree with multi log discouraging social aspects of the game. People would even say that discouraging interaction is a good thing. Those are the same people who welcome more mini dungeons. There are ALWAYS people who detach themselves from the community. LHC is supposed to encourage party training, but there has been proof of people who simply get 5 mules and kill away. Some don't even like the party aspect of LHC. (aslemn) As far as the family system...i don't think finding someone and teaching them how to play was the original purpose. The only purpose that the community sees for family is in game methods of increasing exp and drop rates/teleports.

Perhaps, but one of the major draws of a MMORPGs is the social aspect of the game, so it seems like it'd make sense to give incentives for people to work together. I cannot see how discouraging interaction between players can in any way be a good thing. In fact, I don't see mini-dungeons as a means of discouraging interaction, but rather to ease the stress of finding a good training map--you can enter minimaps in parties, after all, so there's no reason why you necessarily have to be isolated within one. Besides, what's the point of making a multiplayer game if you try to get people to not interact with one another?

As for family, the quests associated with them talk of helping those not as strong as you (kinda skimmed them so I'm not 100% sure) and when you add a jr, at least in GMS, you get the message, "Please guide X in his/her Maplestory experience" which seems to me to indicate it was first designed to give an incentive for friends to help each other out. And even if it's a purely business system as it is nowadays, it still encourages interaction, namely forming a contract of sorts with another player working towards some goal.