AlphaToaster, on 13 January 2015 - 01:29 PM, said:
I think the poor behavior stems from several underlying causes.
1.) Poor community tools. (e.g. No way to block or mute a player that is harassing you.)
2.) Culture of online bullying to get compliance with herd mentality mixed with posturing for e-peen.
The lack of guides and/or instruction on the expectations for performance and teamwork in CW sets the stage.
New players do not know what is expected of them when they drop and they believe they can "do what they want" as far as builds goes, and that they can play the same way they do in the solo queue, and still win. Those who understand this is not the case generally have lost patience with those who do not/have not.
In order for a team to win in CW, you need everyone on board with whichever strategy is decided by the majority. One person not following the groups choice can mean a loss, and the veterans understand this. The new people mistake "well if you don't listen we're going to lose" argument as posturing when it is merely fact, that without full team by-in on a plan of action, failure is certain. Or in some cases, the new person simply doesn't care if they win or lose, they just want to pilot their mechs around, which pisses off the players on their team that hope to win.
Expectations from both groups need to be established and reaffirmed by PGI with Tutorials that outline to the new player what both the community expects from them, and what they can expect from the community for going against the grain.
I generally don't trash talk in matches, but I have little patience for "that guy" who drops into attack, with or without a unit sometimes, in some joke builds (lrms on attack? rly?), complaining about premades before we've dropped, and how IS or Clan is OP this or that. These guys run their mouth most of the game, typically shoot down any plan that is offered (what's the point it's a premade so we're going to lose no matter what, we should just quit), and seemingly are there to troll the team. They usually quit no less than once a week, declaring they are quitting, or this is their last match, in an attempt to pull players with them and try to draw the entire game into a chat argument rather than play the game.
Very salient point.
As someone who tries to step up if I'm in a multiple unit/solo player CW match this speaks to what gets me most frustrated.
There really seems to be a stratification between solo, group, and then CW where each step up involves a bit more involvement than the rest.
Solo, really do what you want. Unless there are sync droppers it's 11 solo players going to blow stuff up.
Group queue, multiple groups, often on coms, one and done, endless skirmishes.
CW, multiple groups, and individuals, some on coms, some not, four mechs, trying to win or defend a planet.
I personally like the stratification and it's likely why I only fight in CW. I understand having a light attitude, and that ultimately in life the games mean very little, but when the games are up to 30min, the earnings really aren't that great, and you get some really tough competition it's difficult to understand why someone wouldn't want to put their best foot forward. Or if they want to joke around, why they don't do it in a lesser area where their behviour doesn't impinge upon the enjoyment of someone else.
I was actually in a match with a large team the other day (clanners, sadly) and they were insulting to the other team and to the people playing on their side (we were defending). They literally had the galls to say the other team were rocking those PPC Thunders and that there was no reason to really give it an effort. I think about my life and growing up with chronic asthma, being a high school drop out, having a rare and nasty form of stage-3 cancer and what my life would've been if at any of those points I thought "well the opposition is just too hard... feels pretty stacked against me... maybe I should roll over and just not fight." I get that a lot of people do make these choices and it may be the reason why some people live the existence they do while others live an existence that is almost impossible to believe.
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Apologies, but to your point (and my last here) I am very hopeful that PGI does involve tutorials and tools. Heck even their COC isn't something that you really come across unless you read a particular forum. Ultimately, perhaps the items you mentioned will need to be in place before we can bring people large and small into the same place... and I'm hopeful of that as with such a small community, the more toxic it is to older players who have grown a life where they don't feel the need to be insulted or the new players who get their feet cut out from them before they even get a chance to walk... if the situation isn't cleaned up so that we can bring back, retain, or encourage new membership I worry where we might be in no time at all.
I love this game. I love mechwarrior. I love the members of my unit and the friends that I have made here. If not for some of my experiences I wouldn't have made it through having to deal with the active stage of cancer as sanely as I have. I live for being a better me every day and I hope to do all I can to help this game succeed.
Thanks for the time and effort in sharing your thoughts (those who remained on topic). You have my respect.
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