How did Dark Souls II's in-game message system affect player behavior?

Giving players the ability to write on your game world feels like an invitation for disaster.

But a system of in-game player-to-player messages – like what we see in From Software’s challenging action-adventure Dark Souls II – can foster a great sense of community and support. But how much freedom do you give a player base that could just as easily troll or mock their fellow players than offer help? I recently spoke with Yui Tanimura, game director on Dark Souls II, about what has come from their effectively giving players both a vast white wall and the spray paint with which to leave their mark on it.