A plead to all the player base: how toxicity can ruin a game and it's community for good

[Balsafer]

One thing I have learned is that a lot of people never grow out of the high school phase. 

[cheatos503]

The whole "toxicity" nonsense will go away in time as word gets out that what you say in this game matters more than what you do. And enough people will have gotten word that this game tosses around banhammers for no real reason. When that happens and people don't buy the game I have a funny feeling that the devs will suddenly not care nearly as much as they currently have the luxury of doing.

 

I mean honestly, the devs are here because this is a business to them, and here for the fact that it's their income, If you had to choose between some unrealistic ideal, and killing your income stream, which do you think they are going to choose?

[Ruthless4u]

At the end of the day it's just words, if you let them be offensive then that's on you. I work in an environment where I'm surrounded by 1600-2000 of the most "pleasant" my area has to offer.

I hear/see lots of things that should not be said, hell I have a very German name and I get goose stepped or the ol one arm salute several times a week. I know they are trying to piss me off and illicit a negative response. I just don't let it get to me. For me it's that simple.

Should it happen, no, does it happen, yes but only you can decide to let it get to you of not.

[Quineloe]

If you're being toxic or violating the rules, we'll get you for it, no worries about that.

 

It's perfectly possible to be toxic without being subject to moderation. That is the reason typing _anything_ is frowned upon in many competitive games.

[Prater]

The whole "toxicity" nonsense will go away in time as word gets out that what you say in this game matters more than what you do. And enough people will have gotten word that this game tosses around banhammers for no real reason. When that happens and people don't buy the game I have a funny feeling that the devs will suddenly not care nearly as much as they currently have the luxury of doing.

I mean honestly, the devs are here because this is a business to them, and here for the fact that it's their income, If you had to choose between some unrealistic ideal, and killing your income stream, which do you think they are going to choose?

We had a group of people say the same thing in the first version of sea trails when the ban hammer came down on them for damage farming and attacking the devs and moderators. They left threatening to kill the game's reputation. A year later, NA had the largest pop it ever had and then released on steam getting even larger. If you look at numbers. In the first month of Early access, steam sales were over $2mil. I'm not sure how much the devs were expecting to make, but when they sold 7000 copies during sea trails 1 they were thrilled and blown away. Time and time again they have said they don't care about money. so much for ruining the rep of the game when that body of players left during sea trails 1. People always make such comments when they are ticked. But people can't tend to do crap when it comes to such things. They just threaten hot air. That's all they can do.

[Migui]

 will have gotten word that this game tosses around banhammers for no real reason

 

If you had understood anything of what has been said, you would have realized that if the community is not essentially comprised of toxic jerks that are all the day causing trouble, reporting, etc you don't need devs that have to be the cops enforcing rules and banning people for "words". But no, you have decided to twist the words, the intention and the meaning to draw a completely different thing.

 

It's quite easy: It all comes down to respect and education. Everyone can have a bad day or can be mad because he loses, and that's fine, but there is a whole lot of difference between being mad and begin with the typical "im going to fuck your mom, kill yourself, im going to murder you" that is quite easily spreaded in many gaming communities, which is quite easy to avoid by just learning to behave.

 

That kind of behavior ruins the game in the long run. You might think that it is because people have a thin skin and are bothered by words. These people should be removed from every community because they only contribute to create a bad environment.

 

Are you suggesting that it's all about the money in the end? Devs will draw red lines and red flags and issue bans if people trespass them. As it should be.

[Lannes]

I would like to repeat that this is a GAME. If you begin to take it personally over and above the enjoyment it produces, you are heading toward psychosis. Some psychoses don't leave the house, as it were, others create havoc in the community.

 

To take it personally means that, you have entered into a verbal fight with another player, which is toxic for others and the game as a whole.

To want to express opinions in a rough and crude way, to belittle others and feeling permitted to be abusive is a person who is suffering from a thin skin and an out of control ego.

 

There are people who say, 'I should be able to express myself how I like'. That is okay in one's own head, but not okay as part of society or a community. I have never met anyone who loves to be around toxic people. The toxic person usually ends up alone, as we know in real life from abusive relationships, (gangs of such unhealthy people apart).

 

A GAME is not a place to work out one's neuroses or psychoses. When you keep in mind that this is only a GAME, you keep your mind mentally healthy.

This goes also for anyone arguing that this is a WARgame. No it is not. It is a warGAME. It is playing. Man is a LUDIC 'animal'.

 

See also #45.

Edited April 5, 2016 by Lannes

[Sir Robert Calder]

I admit there are some times in NA where I can get downright frustrated with my opponent(s), especially when I'm being pegged by a Reno for 50 minutes straight that ultimately ends in an inconclusive battle. I try my best not to share harsh words in those instances, and to be fair, if it's allowed in the game then I'm more frustrated at the game itself than a player who utilizes an accepted mechanic. Most of the time, even in complete stomps, the enemy have been pretty respectful to me overall and many of the clans I see actively try to encourage respectful behavior. There may be a few clans in particular who simply don't care about kicking up dirt constantly, but the key word is "few".

 

Speaking as a 2-year Guild Leader from a large RP guild where toxicity and drama was simply a day-to-day norm for people who couldn't differentiate in-character and out-of-character emotions very well, Naval Action is considerably more tame.

[Butterballs]

Yeah PvP 1 was bad. Started there and moved to the mirror server as soon as it opened. Yeah there is a low population at this moment in time but global and nation chat is pretty civil.

[victor]

But there is a line, extreme racism (* see note), bigotry, sexism, long term personal abuse (bullying), extreme profanity.

 

 

How can in the world simple bigotry may be regarded as racism and sexism?

 

This shows that everyone has its own (personale and very desputable) opinion about what should be tolerated or not and that all this thread is a waste of time, since the moderators will simply apply their idea of "good beahviour" and we shall simply comply or leave.

Edited April 5, 2016 by victor

[Sir Robert Calder]

How can in the world simple bigotry may be regarded as racism and sexism?

 

This shows that everyone has its own (personale and very desputable) opinion about what should be tolerated or not and that all this thread is a waste of time, since the moderators will simply apply their idea of "good beahviour" and we shall simply comply or leave.

 

There are channels such as private messages and external programs that are completely outside of Naval Action that allow you to speak with extreme profanity amongst those who are comfortable with it.

 

Naval Action is hardly the first game to try and promote a moderated atmosphere. From what I've seen, while some actions are contestable, overall they've done an admirable job of it.

[mouse of war]

I've started a new thread with some possible ways that toxicity may be avoided

http://forum.game-labs.net/index.php?/topic/12896-antitoxins/

[Lannes]

Yes there are sado-masochists around who practise their preferences, I just don't like to see abuse promoted or evident in a game forum or in game play.

[Lannes]

'How can in the world simple bigotry may be regarded as racism and sexism?'

I would ban that too. Anything that makes the game less than gentlemanly should be banned.

[Jean LaPointe]

I joined this group before I was able to get a copy of the game and enjoy the world of the sailing navy. The most impresive aspect was see there was no tollerance for toxic posts. That we are to be civil and polite when posting and in chat in the game was, to me, a breath of fresh air. I have been on other sites and it gets tiring to see the repeated charater attacks (whether fiction or real).

The moderators have done a great job of keeping this forum friendly and enjoyable.

[Almirante Jimi]

Well I never experienced 'toxicity' at all, at the end we have enough tools to report it.

[Anceitus]

Fellow captains all around the globe, i want to bring this up as the game is fairly new and awesome, and the community is still being built up. I've been playing for two weeks and the amount of toxicity i've been experiencing and the levels of smug/entitlement/arrogance are unbelievable for a game as new as this with a player base that is not comprised by kids.

I want to raise awareness about this topic: the blatant and increasing toxicity over chats, global, nation-wide and mistaking in-game rivalry with something else.

First of all, lets not forget this: we are all players ROLEPLAYING a war in a videogame. This means that the fact that you get into my mission and sink my ship doesn't mean that you hate me and we couldn't be friends or share a beer in real life.

I am going to say this again. In this game, i play a spanish captain in pvp1. In other games, i have been a dwarf. I have been a space politician. I have been many things. And just because my choice is different than yours doesn't mean we have to hate each other even if our goals are straight against each other and we are going to be rivals.

Right? Well, doesn't look like.

It doesn't matter which nation you are, we all like to win, we all like to become better, to achieve our objectives, small ones or strategic and bigger ones. And that's just fine, but don't forget that we are here for an ultimate goal: to have fun and have a good time.

As a player, i am going to try to fight anyone else and i am going to contribute to the development of my nation. And i expect the rest of the playerbase to do the same. But i don't like to see this game drowning in toxicity after a couple of months.

We all can have a moment of getting warmed up because losing sucks. Or because we have a bad day, whatever. It's fine. But please, don't make this community to become something to be ashamed of.

We have the opportunity to create an awesome world where wars happen, where PVP happens, yet people is not there creating a toxic atmosphere that alienates casual players or makes people being fed up and burnt out just because of it.

The game is still early access, wipes will happen, nothing is there for granted. So take it easy bros!

Becoming a self-entitled asshat is way too easy. We can still be gentlemen even if we fight each other. Don't be that guy please. Because this game deserves something better.

o7

there is a very simple solution to this, one that I find myself doing a lot. theres this little X on every chat screen, use it and STFU. these games are for players all over the world. if you cant handle it, buy a game you can play by yourself and do that, otherwise, enjoy the people you choose to enjoy. I personally would intentionally troll you if I ran into you, for the simple fact that you complain about it, and deserve to be trolled. 

[Vernon Merrill]

I bet you're a real hoot at dinner parties....

[Migui]

I personally would intentionally troll you if I ran into you

This one made me laugh hard. It is so lovely how you don't even understand what you read and you assume things. No darling, i double dare you to try. 

 

This forum warrior kiddies that love chestbeating behind a screen all protected feeling so satisfied because they "troll". This is a game, where adult people plays for fun. There is no need to be a jerk and derail absolutely everything with insults and disrespect. It is so easy, though. 

[victor]

I would ban that too. Anything that makes the game less than gentlemanly should be banned.

 

Do you realize that also this statement could be considered "bigotry"?

Edited April 7, 2016 by victor

[Lannes]

Read this carefully and weigh the words Victor: 'Bigot: One who holds, irrespective of reason and attaches disproportionate weight to, some creed or view' (The Concise Oxford Dictionary).

What's the definition of 'trolling'? What's the definition of the phrase 'fishing for trouble'?

[Hethwill]

[Lytse Pier]

 

No cockfighting? 

[Hethwill]

No cockfighting? 

 

Yes ! No E-peen contests !

 

(( out of joke and to more serious business the use of roosters for cockfighting was highly popular during this time in British territories *shrugs* ))