Noth, on 13 March 2013 - 06:15 PM, said:
That doesn't mean it was a good game. It is a habit and basically a ritual. You say it even if you don't mean it. And on an online game you can't see the reactions of the players, thus you lose all unspoken meaning, thus extra effort you put in such as saying more than GG means a crap ton more than just saying just GG because of habit.
But, if I say more than "gg" then it is entirely possible that it will be considered even more rude. What if I said "Well fought" or "You almost won that one" or "Good Fight"? How are any of those much better than "Good Game"? And if it is a habit, it is a good habit to have, showing even a little respect to an opponent is not a wasted effort, he may be on your team next match.
And we are also bound by time constraints in which to make a comment, be it because someone is a poor typist, or because they want to get their comment out before the other team DCs.