Why is the in-game community so incredibly toxic?

[americanaussie]

Funny, I took a break from the game for 2-3~ years and when I returned I didnt know anyone and started over on a new character. But I ended up in a progression guild, got placed in a raid group and now im back in contact with a few players I didnt know still played...and I have a new group of friends. A lot of friends. This all without me even trying... It just happened.

 

Granted, my old guild was one of the top progression guilds, so that opened doors for me.

 

Either way... my point is I do not find the community toxic. I also easily made friends. No offence but maybe you're making your own reality.

 

You're right. The last post like this that OP made I gave them information on nice people to look up. They responded...with a maybe. We can only help so much but if a person fixates on every negative thing then theyll for sure miss the positives.

[midianlord]

No risk, no consequence to anything in game, combined with laughably trivial content means no-one needs anyone else. That means no-one suffers any actual effects for pissing off anyone/everyone on the server. (Try that in say, EverQuest or Final Fantasy XI, and see how far you get.)

 

Free to play is what really started this --we were better, once-- combined with no moderation or GM in game. And I mean, literally, none. This is all too typical of mainstream, casual-kiddie-pandering F2P trash, there is just no integrity at any level --because actually enforcing some may drive the wallet-warriors away, and that simply won't do. They'll never get punished, and they know it.

 

Combine this with no player agency to "correct" people who need it --IE, you can't just go "own-goal" that ******* tank in the GroupFinder queue who thinks he's being cool by hitting "Decline" every single time the queue pops like 20 times in a row and screwing people who've been waiting for n hour already. That ******* knows there's nothing anyone can do about it, and that these second-rate devs couldn't care less.

 

That, and yeah: People are sick of BioWare's incompetence, arrogance, and general cluelessness, and are acting it out.

 

That's no excuse, but that is how humans work.

 

TL/DR:

 

Lack of basic game- or community-integrity, no means for players to enforce same, incompetent devs too greedy for cash-shop dollars to care, all too typical of F2P/casual-pandering MMOs in 2017.

Edited February 21, 2017 by midianlord

[keetrazor]

I've found most people on the Bastion (the few that are left) are quite friendly. The only people that piss me off are the ones that go in front of the tank during a fight, but I digress. I agree with everyone when they say that player happiness is a direct reflection of the game. We have been given empty promises, and are grumpy about it. GC screwed over the gear distribution, they ruined crafting entirely, and they are holding our favorite companions back and giving us **** ones like Gualt.

 

Overall, I think that the player mindset is degrading with every update. We open the launcher, read the new patch notes, and get excited, only to click play and open up a now even more broken game. Server population is plummeting, and BW is refusing to do anything about it. RIP SWTOR

[aerockyul]

No risk, no consequence to anything in game, combined with laughably trivial content means no-one needs anyone else. That means no-one suffers any actual effects for pissing off anyone/everyone on the server. (Try that in say, EverQuest or Final Fantasy XI, and see how far you get.)

 

Free to play is what really started this --we were better, once-- combined with no moderation or GM in game. And I mean, literally, none. This is all too typical of mainstream, casual-kiddie-pandering F2P trash, there is just no integrity at any level --because actually enforcing some may drive the wallet-warriors away, and that simply won't do. They'll never get punished, and they know it.

 

Combine this with no player agency to "correct" people who need it --IE, you can't just go "own-goal" that ******* tank in the GroupFinder queue who thinks he's being cool by hitting "Decline" every single time the queue pops like 20 times in a row and screwing people who've been waiting for n hour already. That ******* knows there's nothing anyone can do about it, and that these second-rate devs couldn't care less.

 

That, and yeah: People are sick of BioWare's incompetence, arrogance, and general cluelessness, and are acting it out.

 

That's no excuse, but that is how humans work.

 

TL/DR:

 

Lack of basic game- or community-integrity, no means for players to enforce same, incompetent devs too greedy for cash-shop dollars to care, all too typical of F2P/casual-pandering MMOs in 2017.

 

I generally agree with what you're saying as far as what's enabling toxic behavior, but there's a big difference between people who are unhappy with the game but don't take their anger out on their fellow players and the people who go out of their way to make others miserable because they're unhappy with the game, and the difference is not Bioware's fault.

[TheRandomWolf]

Funny, I took a break from the game for 2-3~ years and when I returned I didnt know anyone and started over on a new character. But I ended up in a progression guild, got placed in a raid group and now im back in contact with a few players I didnt know still played...and I have a new group of friends. A lot of friends. This all without me even trying... It just happened.

 

Granted, my old guild was one of the top progression guilds, so that opened doors for me.

 

Either way... my point is I do not find the community toxic. I also easily made friends. No offence but maybe you're making your own reality.

 

That is your overall opinion based on your experiences... and this is my own opinion based on my experiences. For all I can tell, what you went through can also be considered as your "own reality". I understand that this all depends on the hours, servers, date and even region. We all go through different things. It just happened that I was unlucky. And as you can also notice, I am not the only one who thinks this way.

[TheRandomWolf]

Bring up the who list and search for swtorfamily there will typically be someone who can invite you after 7pm German time. They are an amazing (seriously amazing) group of people who help each other. They've even helped me and I'm on harbinger. Please if you need any assistance in finding them let me know.

 

I don't know if I can quite understand... our servers are completely different. I have also never seen anything that meets with that criteria.

[TheRandomWolf]

Or maybe you're not so friendly and cool as you think.

I never had any problem with the in-game community.

 

Yeah, there's a lot of BS in the chats, but kids talk BS all the time.

 

I don't consider myself someone "special" or "cool", but I know that I can be friendly. I have tried to talk to many people if they wanted to quest together, do heroics or flashpoints. I even went on and tried to help new players whenever I could. Most of the time I got no replies.

[TheRandomWolf]

In my experience, EAWare doesn't take any action against people who are reported for being abusive and toxic in-game (even people who do things like dox people in chat, routinely use racial slurs, constantly harass female toons/players with demands for sex, make new characters/whole guilds with names directed as insults to other players, etc.). So of course over time that sort of behavior would run absolutely rampant, because there's zero consequences for bad behavior.

 

Something should be done about that. It's just absurd. I can even see bots using General chat... and the same bot can stick around for weeks.

[americanaussie]

I don't know if I can quite understand... our servers are completely different. I have also never seen anything that meets with that criteria.

 

Ok, step by step how you do it:

 

Hover mouse over the icon on the menu where there's three people together. It's the social menu. Click on it. Itll give friends or guild. Click on friends. Now, this will bring up a box. On the bottom of said box there is a who tab. Click who. it may bring up results of the place where you are currently. Instead, type into the search field swtorfamily

Doing that will bring up names of people in the guild if they are online. Choose one, whisper them. Or you can post/pm me your toon name and I'll assist in getting you sorted.

 

http://imgur.com/ftYPgGN (picture of what i'm talking about)

Edited February 22, 2017 by americanaussie

[ThrakhathSpawn]

Look at the dev tracker, read the *best* memory the administrator's of this game have of one of their employees.

 

If that is their *best* memory, and they are in charge and direct the game, that should answer your question.

[Forren-Midosea]

Im on TRE server and after 5.0 all the dummies came here from other servers and completly destroyed it.

[ValeGreiger]

Depends on your server. I'm assuming Harbinger?

 

I'd bet you all my credits its Harbinger. The rogue's gallery there is so...filthy, you'll feel like deep scrubbing everything after a short session.

[eriksarcasm]

I'd bet you all my credits its Harbinger. The rogue's gallery there is so...filthy, you'll feel like deep scrubbing everything after a short session.

 

 

P.S: My server is Red Eclipse on the European side.

 

I'll take those credits now, thank you

[DreadtechSavant]

I'd bet you all my credits its Harbinger. The rogue's gallery there is so...filthy, you'll feel like deep scrubbing everything after a short session.

 

 

I'll take that bet along with eriksarcasm.

 

Well the OP did edit he's post to say it was Red Eclipse long before you posted this. So how many credits are you losing? lol.

Edited February 22, 2017 by DreadtechSavant

[annabethchase]

Can't say that's been my experience in 5 years here. I've always been pleasantly surprised with the general tone of the crowd in game. Other than PvP activities which basically draw out the negative emotions by design. Edited February 22, 2017 by annabethchase

[Darkside]

The state of the community reflects the state of the game. People are unhappy with how the game is and that shows on their behavior. I remember a few years back everything was OK and ppl were happy and helpful.

 

I tend to agree with this. If everything was all rainbows and gumdrops, then I think people in game would have a lot sunnier disposition. It's crazy, but the devs of this game have fostered this toxic community for years! So now it really feels like just a single player game with mmo elements tacked on, as those are the only players left.

 

I too feel very alone here over all. And unless you have real life friends, or long term online friends, than you are unlikely to find any new ones in game. People simply don't stick around long term because of the shoddiness and lack of content, or they have retreated into their own interest in game as a result of development agendas. I don't know what the answer is without major overhauls to us as a community, and to the game from a design standpoint.

Edited February 22, 2017 by Darkside

[midianlord]

Im on TRE server and after 5.0 all the dummies came here from other servers and completly destroyed it.

 

Same thing appears to have happened to Harbinger too.

 

Mind you, there's a reason we always called it "The Troll-binger," but ever since 4.0, and especially 5.0, it's gone quite beyond the pale.

 

Some of it is downright disgusting, and I'm willing to forgive a lot more than most (given that I might or might not troll the self-important and/or incompetent on occasion myself, as well as scream random obscenities in gen-chat, just...well, 'cuz.).

 

Said it before, I'll say it again:

 

Modern MMOs have zero integrity, and it shows.

Edited February 22, 2017 by midianlord

[ValeGreiger]

I'll take those credits now, thank you

 

I'll take that bet along with eriksarcasm.

 

Well the OP did edit he's post to say it was Red Eclipse long before you posted this. So how many credits are you losing? lol.

 

Sounds like I'm gonna have to take out a second mortgage on my Nar Shadaa stronghold to pay out lol

[lilithfae]

Just as I said in PVP forums, must because you are angry does not make it right or okay to take it out on other people.

The mentality of, "They are just fed up with bioware so they take it out in game (i.e. other players," is a faulty one to go by.

 

As for my own opinion, I think a lot of issue is also with how single-player the game has become. There is less need for people to group, so less need to communicate and make lasting friendships.

 

I hate to make the comparison with WoW, given they are two different styles of MMOs, however taking a page from their book doesn't hurt:

 

 

 

1. 
    
    
   
2. A lot of group up (and consequential bonding over victories and defeats) happens with world bosses and raids. If they made PVE a little more worthwhile then the game would start to shift to becoming a little more community based (the way the game started out at launch). Ways to do that? Have world boss and raid boss drop mounts you can only get by defeating them, then make it a roll. The community will ***** about how hard it is - DO NOT GIVE IN. And make the mounts shiny and sparkly and enviable.
    
    
   
3. Events. Take the WoW v-day event, for example...you need the involvement of other classes/characters and you have to travel with them to get the achievements. Not just that, but it gives a certain immersive feel to the game. The game is an escape after all...
    
   The Gree Event, Rakghoul event, Bounty Contract, and Life Day Event....they are all fun. However only one of those is holiday based. The others are purely event based. Make the world seem believable. It brings about a sense of community...
   

 

That said, if anyone is ever on Harbringer and needs a little help - I am always willing and ready. (My pocket book isn't though.)

[Azidahka]

I don't think I would still be playing SWTOR semi regularly if not for my great guild. I played the game solo and solo queued in pvp for years and found fun doing that, but for a while now there has been too little new content to keep things fresh and fun on their own.

[GalacticKegger]

I tend to agree with this. If everything was all rainbows and gumdrops, then I think people in game would have a lot sunnier disposition. It's crazy, but the devs of this game have fostered this toxic community for years! So now it really feels like just a single player game with mmo elements tacked on, as those are the only players left.

 

I too feel very alone here over all. And unless you have real life friends, or long term online friends, than you are unlikely to find any new ones in game. People simply don't stick around long term because of the shoddiness and lack of content, or they have retreated into their own interest in game as a result of development agendas. I don't know what the answer is without major overhauls to us as a community, and to the game from a design standpoint.

Good call. What the community has become is a direct result of what has been built. If the "build it and they will come" axiom is true, then the only way to rebuild the community is to rebuild the game so as to foster the desired community. Who knows ... maybe this is the community they've wanted all along. Edited February 22, 2017 by GalacticKegger

[TUXs]

I tend to agree with this. If everything was all rainbows and gumdrops, then I think people in game would have a lot sunnier disposition. It's crazy, but the devs of this game have fostered this toxic community for years! So now it really feels like just a single player game with mmo elements tacked on, as those are the only players left.

 

I too feel very alone here over all. And unless you have real life friends, or long term online friends, than you are unlikely to find any new ones in game. People simply don't stick around long term because of the shoddiness and lack of content, or they have retreated into their own interest in game as a result of development agendas. I don't know what the answer is without major overhauls to us as a community, and to the game from a design standpoint.

God...it's hard to argue with what you've said.

[DarthZaul]

Because the devs decisions are incredibly toxic.

[Jplankey]

Depends on your server. I'm assuming Harbinger?

 

He said his server. It's on the EU side....

[aerockyul]

Good call. What the community has become is a direct result of what has been built. If the "build it and they will come" axiom is true, then the only way to rebuild the community is to rebuild the game so as to foster the desired community. Who knows ... maybe this is the community they've wanted all along.

 

"I'm a douche to other players because I'm unhappy about the direction of the game"

 

I won't give Bioware a 100% pass for enabling bad behavior, but anyone who adopts that sort of attitude is a major part of the problem and says more about themselves than whatever Bioware's motivations for the community are (I GUARANTEE you toxicity from their player base is not one of them)