Why is the in-game community so incredibly toxic?

[Tarbacca]

The community for this game really isn't that bad. Trust me, I've played SWG, Runescape, Oldschool Runescape, WoW, TESO, and a few other crappy Korean MMOs. SWTOR's community (outside of the forums, of course) is actually pretty tame and nice compared to a lot of other online communities. Imp Ebon Hawk is one of the nicest communities I've ever played with in an MMO.

[Ratajack]

The community for this game really isn't that bad. Trust me, I've played SWG, Runescape, Oldschool Runescape, WoW, TESO, and a few other crappy Korean MMOs. SWTOR's community (outside of the forums, of course) is actually pretty tame and nice compared to a lot of other online communities. Imp Ebon Hawk is one of the nicest communities I've ever played with in an MMO.

 

Your post does not surprise me at all, as Ebon Hawk is one of the nicer, more pleasant servers.

 

Spend a week on either side, Imperial or Republic, on Harbinger and tell us THAT community is not toxic, though.

[aerockyul]

Your post does not surprise me at all, as Ebon Hawk is one of the nicer, more pleasant servers.

 

Spend a week on either side, Imperial or Republic, on Harbinger and tell us THAT community is not toxic, though.

 

Indeed

[Blakinik]

A while ago I made a thread regarding a similar issue. I stated some of the bad experiences I had during my first few weeks in the game, but also the good ones. Now, two months after starting the game, things are just getting worse. It's almost getting to a point where I'm finding myself losing interest in the game.

 

This community, especially the one that can be found in-game... is just atrocious. I have played many MMOs... but I haven't seen anything this bad.

 

Not sure which games you played but this is incredibly tame compared to STO (Star Trek Online) around the when George Takei came out and there was a bug / unclear objective in which caused people to post "Where's Sulu?". Response was usually something insulting enough to get flagged for posting that would be considered 'phobic' today. I have seen some bad stuff on here but nothing like the flame wars of STO where people would purposefully toss Molotov cocktails like comparing Benjamin Sisko to an 'equal opportunity program' of the federal government.

 

I'm not saying your wrong but I have seen bad and worse games and granted they do need to have a button to call someone to monitor gen chat on some servers or a way to have some representative to immediately deal with particular people. After all, I know the TOS tells you not to get involved, but there is only so much I can take with people dropping N-bombs, praising Hilter, and making jokes about ovens involving Jews before I will tell someone where they can stick it. If it's one, you can ignore and report - if its multiple, its a game of whack a mole.

 

I am pretty much all by myself. I can't request for any sort of help because I'll end up being ignored or harassed; the guilds are worthless.... I can join as many as I wish but they will provide no support whatsoever and usually end up deserted in a matter of days... Some are even racist and over-the-top cruel.

 

Here I can definitely see. Sadly people have a mindset "bigger is better!". This game even caters to this mentality and think when they had a guild forum and conference in its early days even outright said that was what they wanted - several large guilds and the focus will be on them. Then they wonder why no one cares about Galactic Conquest and guild items basically fall flat (short of the fact that half the guild management tools found in other games are completely missing in this game like seeing who joined and left your guild or ability to send out mass guild emails with a CC to RL email addresses to announce guild events).

 

I personally have found that having a small to mid-sized guild is more my preference. I know the argument against this is you can't for an effective EG raid team or a proper PvP team (again no ability to cross communicate effectively in guild alliances or unions), but for me I like it and found some external communication tools work.

 

I cannot convince real life and online friends to play this game with me... so naturally I tried to forge some friendships in-game. This is something tha I always do and nearly a decade of playing MMOs I have failed completely at properly meeting anyone in this game. The people in the forums do seem rather helpful and nice. There's a wikia and several sites that attempt to guide and provide insight... but I can't find anything like that inside the game. It's furstrating and even unbelievable.

 

Go to the Imperial Side if you play evenings / nights (anytime really) and Republic Side if during the day. Generally I have found those that play later at night / early morning / low pop times are much more friendly out of necessity. If your not, it can be a very lonely place and existence...

 

For me this game does work as a singleplayer experience most of the time... but if I want to do a fFashpoint or partner up for some Heroics... it just doesn't work. It doesn't. I can't even have the chat visible because all I'll see is cancerous nonsense. My Ignore list is off the charts on several characters.

 

My 11 year old son wants to play SWTOR. I made a F2P account for him (want to make sure he is truly interested before I pay real money for an account he gets bored with and walks away from). First thing I did was block and remove Gen Chat. Wish they also had a way to squelch whispers, says, and yells with the exception of those in my guild or I added to his friends list. Sorry, but while I can tell some stoned dude in a college dorm that their use of a certain plant actually reduces their ability to effectively keyboard karate, I frankly don't want my impressionable kid to think that behavior is either tolerated or accepted (Don't like it - tough. Go have your own kids and raise them how you deem fit. What you do in your own house on your own time is your own business but frankly I'm just not interested at all. If the "Bong Brothers" (as we called them in college) couldn't get me to have a positive reflection of drugs, I am pretty certain some complete random stranger online isn't going to convince me otherwise....).

 

In the end I can't say that I regret having joined this game. In terms of PvE and story it has been an enjoyable ride... but I believe I'll call it quits once my subscription is over I understand that SWTOR has a better community when comparing to other games... but.. I don't know how to explain it any further... Is it just me? Was I just unlucky?

 

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

 

Hard to say to be honest. As a Guild master and officer in my guilds since time immortal, I can tell you some things that drove me to punt kick people nearly immediately or not assist. I hope you didn't do any of these things, but this might be why you got no help:

 

1. You join expecting the guild to 'power level' you without you learning the game.
   
2. You expect the guild to equip you in the best armor and gear their money can buy.
   
3. You expect people to stop everything to help you when it is convenient for you.
   
4. You run a 'pity party' for yourself and constantly drone about people not helping you.
   
5. You expect everyone in the guild to play like you do - whether that be the big bad mofo of PvP or expect them to be a power gamer and online when it suits you.
   
6. You never contribute, except to complain about people not helping you.
   
7. You join and never say a word to anyone in the guild. In fact you never bothered adding guild chat to your channels to listen too.
   
8. You throw temper tantrums whenever something doesn't go your way and scream how everyone sucks because they can't carry you through the boss fight in an Op.
   
9. You make people who log into the game feel like they their job is to cater to your every whim and suck the fun out of the guild.
   
10. Your personality grates people 110% the wrong way.
    

 

While I don't know you personally, I suspect you are probably NOT the person I listed above. Sadly they do exist in the game and found out a kick and iggy is the best form of dealing with them. Either they improve and apologize or they'll wander off to some other game to torment the players there. Just my personal opinion, but I come here to have fun (its rules #1 & #2 of our guild - Rule #1: Log in to have fun and enjoy yourself; Rule #2 - If you didn't read rule #1, Log in to have fun and enjoy yourself!), and if you're not happy I'd personally recommend you quit and find something else to have fun playing.

 

I know games get old and stagnant and don't seem as fun anymore or people disagree with the direction of game and leave. KOTFE saw a good number of my friends disappear simply because they didn't want to do what they felt like as "starting all over again". Others it was real life took ahold like one that decided to go back to school and finish their degree. Others it was just 'that time' and even more just never said why. Heck a few I know are in jail (one even had the gall to have his brother log in to ask me if I could bail him out of county lockup - won't touch that one with a 10 ft pole) and one I think died in a car accident if my google search was correct.

 

Other times I have met new people like a father who wanted to learn more about his son's life so logged into his account to hear what others thought about his son that died in Iraq and help them heal from their loss. Some others I had the opportunity to talk with them outside of the game and had the pleasure to help them get their first job outside of college. Another I think we might have actually met 20 yrs ago indirectly thru my ex - too many coincidences to dismiss it and say we never met. This and more is what fascinates me about gaming and alone keeps me around - heck I'm easily entertained too.

 

I guess what I am saying here is if you are looking for a reason to stay, you will need to find your own. If you stay - stay and welcome back for changing your mind. If you choose to leave I do have a favor:

 

 

Could you load all your gear onto a single character, do a server transfer to Jedi Covenant and can I have your stuff???

 

 

Thanks,

Blak

Edited April 7, 2017 by Blakinik

[Blakinik]

How to combat toxic nerds (advanced edition)

1. Roll a female toon, be believable, no sideboob crap, dress her like an actual chick probably would.

2. Send a tell to the troll telling him you like his style, hit it off, get into his head

3. Ask your girlfriend/wife/any chick you know (yeah youre probably boned here but hey) to get on TS with him and keep up the ruse.

4 Eventually set up a time for the lovebirds to meet IRL.

5. Arrive and knock his moronass out =D

 

Bonus round - make him come to her (your place), and slash his tires stranding him 1000+ miles from home. (and probably his parents car, too, lolol)

 

Sure youre gonna get probation and maybe 30 days in jail, but you just completely annihilated that troll forever, guaranteed he wont run his mouth online ever again. The legend may even spread and fear is a powerful weapon. The reason trolls/toxic players do what they do, is they have no fear of recourse. Create recourse. It takes work, but dont despair, most trolls are extremely stupid.

 

Got to ask - Catfish much?

[Blakinik]

(Try doing actual griefing in EVE, and see how long you last before perm-ban.)

 

 

Not to stir the pot here, but wasn't Eve Online the game where that clown was videotaped mocking another player over repeatedly griefing him then openly telling him to kill himself when the player was seemingly mentally unstable enough to actually do it? I call him a clown because in the video he wore a blue wizards hat and frankly looked like one in my opinion based on the way he acted.

 

In fact, it was all fun and games to even CCP until the press got ahold of the video and made everyone at the player convention look like a bunch of morons and jerks. Even then they didn't do anything until I think some politician in Iceland finally stood up and threatened to have the courts prosecute the company over some obscure ordinance only to then strip that player of some council membership and 'banned' them for like a day from the game?

 

Also wasn't CCP notorious for also 'passing' on intel of other players, telling specific guilds when rare drops (like a limited number of rare and extremely powerful ships were seemingly always captured but the same group over and over) would occur, and generally favoring a particular player base over another in a game where players truly can shift the balance of power in the game?

 

I get your reference and what you were looking to show in your example of self policing, but as much as I am sometimes disappointed with BW's apathy to addressing customer concerns, I am thankful every day that they are not CCP...

[SentinelThain]

I have came back after a year or so,nearly everythings changed (again).Was in a group yesterday where we wiped several times on the last boss (not just me) and ofc it was all my fault.This elitist ****** decided it was all my fault.I said I had just recently returned etc and my gear wasn't the best but yeah it was all my fault.

This guy really really pissed me off,nearly enough to not play.I really hate snobs of all kinds.

Just bare in mind that if you are a guy with all the best stuff (but act like a tool) it does not give you a mandate to berate others,it just puts people off what is a game in it's later stages of life.

[TUXs]

How to combat toxic nerds (advanced edition)

1. Roll a female toon, be believable, no sideboob crap, dress her like an actual chick probably would.

2. Send a tell to the troll telling him you like his style, hit it off, get into his head

3. Ask your girlfriend/wife/any chick you know (yeah youre probably boned here but hey) to get on TS with him and keep up the ruse.

4 Eventually set up a time for the lovebirds to meet IRL.

5. Arrive and knock his moronass out =D

 

Bonus round - make him come to her (your place), and slash his tires stranding him 1000+ miles from home. (and probably his parents car, too, lolol)

 

Sure youre gonna get probation and maybe 30 days in jail, but you just completely annihilated that troll forever, guaranteed he wont run his mouth online ever again. The legend may even spread and fear is a powerful weapon. The reason trolls/toxic players do what they do, is they have no fear of recourse. Create recourse. It takes work, but dont despair, most trolls are extremely stupid.

You don't think this is just a tiny but...extreme?

 

How can you get so upset over a troll that you'd want to go through THAT much work and actually do harm to that person? The way I look at it...if that is truly their views, they've got a **** life. If they're just the type who gets off on upsetting others, then the worst thing I can do is ignore them. I don't mind confrontation at all, but it needs to be something worth fighting over...online chat just doesn't qualify for that imo.

[kodrac]

You don't think this is just a tiny but...extreme?

 

How can you get so upset over a troll that you'd want to go through THAT much work and actually do harm to that person? The way I look at it...if that is truly their views, they've got a **** life. If they're just the type who gets off on upsetting others, then the worst thing I can do is ignore them. I don't mind confrontation at all, but it needs to be something worth fighting over...online chat just doesn't qualify for that imo.

 

LOL That's a sociopath. Only a sociopath would put that much thought into it.

[Jett-Rinn]

Being a refugee of SWG I am well prepared to deal with nutjobs,trolls,and jerks. Star Wars attracts the lunatic Fringe, it's just something you have to accept. I have played this game with my small group of friends since beta, we don't pug , we do operations and flash points together and we turn the Fleet chat off. I would like to see Bioware actually moderate their game, but that has about as much chance of happening as Mass Effect not sucking.

 

It's night and day playing ESO or FFXIV, Zenimax will in game ban you just for shaming another player (Actually saw it happen'd and it was announced on /zone) I mean delete your characters wipe your account ban.

 

And we all know how intolerant Square Enix is about trollling or jerkish behavior.

 

New Player: "Wow why is everyone so friendly in the game?"

Because the GM's have full reign to delete your account for any reason, even if you're wearing a color they don't like.

Edited April 9, 2017 by Jett-Rinn

[keepitabovethe]

I remember joining a FP, it was KDY and I was level 36, the others were 70, and when I loaded in they voted to kick me and the reason was "Level 30 scrub."