Curse

PhineasToke · Aug 20, 2005, 04:10 PM // 16:10

I honestly thought that GW would be one of the few games that would keep a tight reign on sex talk in the chat channels. It's becoming very difficult to even hook up for a quest let alone attempt to buy items for sale without having the foulest most profane dirt out there for all to see. The "usual suspects" comments to turn off the open channel doesn't wash. I shouldn't have to do that under any circumstances. And the interesting ways the great unwashed get around the filters makes me wonder why there are filters at all.

This game doesn't need dirt flung out for all to see, especially those of us who think that this game is for playing, not for adolescent fantasy to be played out when their parents can't see what they are doing. And those adults who participate should be ashamed. And don't tell me to "file a complaint". It doesn't work. I didn't pay my money for this crap, and I certainly don't think AN or NCS want it to continue at the expense of losing players.

Aniewiel · Aug 20, 2005, 04:33 PM // 16:33

I agree, Phineas. When they're talking on the "public" channel there's no getting around it if you're trying to hook up with a PUG or converse with others about things. It's a problem that ANet is going to have to look into, IMHO. If people want to "cyber", it would be nice if they'd take it to whispers or, better, to IMs.

The problem is that a lot of the ones perpetrating this are "virtual exhibitionists". They aren't going to stop regardless of what measures ANet implements, unless it's banning accounts for x-rated chat.

This is all just one more reason I use henchmen and guildmates exclusively.

Kaospryx · Aug 20, 2005, 04:37 PM // 16:37

I agree with you as well. I think some of the worst places this happens, and I tend to see it all the time, is Competitions Arenas. Not inside the actual arenas, but just the lobby area on the map. It always seems to be filled with W/Mo's, asking every female character to take off their armor.

When the game first launched, conversing in local chat was actually enjoyable, since it gave people a chance to learn more about the game, or find a group to play with. Sadly, now, it's just filled with junk: trading, slander, and stupidity.

Elite · Aug 20, 2005, 04:39 PM // 16:39

Some people are getting extremely annoying in public chat. Majority of the time I have public chat off, so I don't have to hear them.

SOT · Aug 20, 2005, 05:01 PM // 17:01

I agree, and I even empathize.

I now have my chat filter set to guild and team. No one in my guild behaves that way as far as I know, so when I am not in a team, I hear NOTHING. I occasionally see white text above heads of people, for example last night, some cluster of obvious redneck-people were abusing another player, using the N-word against there heritage.

I immediately took screenshots of all the text above all the players heads, after mouse-over on each, and sent them to Arena Net. They emailed me back that action would be taken, but that I would not be notified. I helped someone out, and that person whispered me saying "thank you", only because I felt the need to put them in their places, and said in general chat "thanks fellas, your racism and hatred have been screen-capped for all the world to scorn".

I said all that because I feel that as players, we have the ultimate responsibility to do something. ArenaNet has the intention, but they rarely CAN act on such a voluminous amount of reports that come in. I say, screenshot the little bastards, and rain on their parade.

You send anet a screencap, that person has no escape.

I am sorry that you had to deal with this crap, but I have to be honest, I simply stay out of town as much as possible. lol, but thats only me.

I hope you can overcome the miasma of crap

Aniewiel · Aug 20, 2005, 05:07 PM // 17:07

The almost funny part in all this is that the chars don't actually "get naked" at all and the only people who might be slightly titillated would be pre-pubescent boys who are only dreaming of what it might be like IRL.

After all, the person behind the character is probably some sort of greasy semi-bald headed man sitting in front of his computer in his dirty undershirt and tighty whities with a stack of pizza boxes and empty beer cans filling up the room. Oooh yeah, baby...take it off.

SOT · Aug 20, 2005, 05:11 PM // 17:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aniewiel

The almost funny part in all this is that the chars don't actually "get naked" at all and the only people who might be slightly titillated would be pre-pubescent boys who are only dreaming of what it might be like IRL.

After all, the person behind the character is probably some sort of greasy semi-bald headed man sitting in front of his computer in his dirty undershirt and tighty whities with a stack of pizza boxes and empty beer cans filling up the room. Oooh yeah, baby...take it off.

HEY!

Makkert · Aug 20, 2005, 05:21 PM // 17:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aniewiel

I agree, Phineas. When they're talking on the "public" channel there's no getting around it if you're trying to hook up with a PUG or converse with others about things. It's a problem that ANet is going to have to look into, IMHO. If people want to "cyber", it would be nice if they'd take it to whispers or, better, to IMs.

The problem is that a lot of the ones perpetrating this are "virtual exhibitionists". They aren't going to stop regardless of what measures ANet implements, unless it's banning accounts for x-rated chat.

This is all just one more reason I use henchmen and guildmates exclusively.

I never understood this 'cyber' thing. They do what? Stroke the buttons?
Scroll the mouse?
kiss the monitor?
scan their genitals and send that over email?
or is this the drawing of genitals on the minimap i see often, and i'm being cybered while I wasn't aware this was cyberring?

Totally confusing.

Rayea · Aug 20, 2005, 05:34 PM // 17:34

makkert, i think its a lot of x rated words that they use to each other....

i must admit, i have never seen the point of this stuff myself, mainly cause some people cant seperate the romantic In Charecter stuff you do such as *kiss* and *hug* in these games and end up thinking you are thier GF in real life...then hoping you will give em one

i also think most of this is on the US side, since i have not realy had to deal with it at all so far, cept for this one ranger boy back in pre sear who kept telling my char she was HOT!..i laughed and said, course she is, all women here are, theres no chocy bars to get fat on^^

first time i ever heard about thes stuff, i was on a old game called Myth of Soma, and some guy i never met PMd me (like whisper, only it poped up in a little box with their name on the top)
he wanted to know if i would cyber him for a Power Axe....
i had to PM a friend, who was at the time 12 years old, and ask him, what was a cyber, and what was a power axe, and was it worth it....

when he told me the answeres, i sent the guy a PM back saying, no, i dont want a power axe, and im not realy a girl, so you wouldnt like it if i did do it...
why should i tell HIM i was realy a girl lol

Makkert · Aug 20, 2005, 06:01 PM // 18:01

Rayea, thank you for the explanation. So it is role-playing for the retarded. And with bad actors. I get it. It is like Jerry Springer, translated by a mute.

Ad for the chocy bars: I agree! We want our chocy bars! We want the right to get fat!
Fat persons have -2 charisma, but absorption +2!

Jczech · Aug 20, 2005, 06:07 PM // 18:07

I agree there's too much junk in the public channels. I wish we could have our own censorship list - or two censorship lists - so that we could really choose what to see. The first list would be as it is now, just stick ----- in place of the word or phrase you don't want to see, so as to even cut out the stupid people who try to get around the filter. The second list would be for words of phrases you don't want to see at all, and if someone said anything on this list, the game just wouldn't send you the message at all, cutting out completely the people spamming WTS WTB in the public channel.

GW Monkey · Aug 20, 2005, 06:08 PM // 18:08

Phineas, you've got to tune it out. It's a practiced skill like any other. No one is going to do anything about it unless it gets so bad that - well, let's not go there. I will tell you to file a complaint, because business is business and if you don't make your displeasure noticed no one will do a damn thing. So complain to ANet, please. But in the meantime, condition yourself. The world is full of things you won't agree with. So if this isn't just a rant as therapy, my suggestion is meditate.

Think about it like a screaming infant in a resturant (or a 6 hr. airplane flight) There's nothing you can do about it, fantasing about beating the parent or strangling the child or taking your UBER parenting skillz over and quieting the child just make it worse. Just block it out. It's not a threat, it can't hurt you. It's just a thing. Let it go. Concentrate on what you are doing. That's right. There you go. What baby? What crying? What immature sex chat?

You can't help reading it, but you can control reacting to it.

I know, and I'm sorry, but it's the best answer I have.

Old Dood · Aug 20, 2005, 06:11 PM // 18:11

When I see vulgar trash talk in the chats I simple say this:

"(Character's Name Here) CLEAN IT UP...NOW....WE ARE SCREEN CAPPING YOUR COMMENTS AND RECORDING THEM. STOP IT OR BE BANNED FOR LIFE"

I am surprised at how fast "most" people stop. I just go into PARENT MODE. Maybe they think I am a DEV. I really don't care. But I seem to get them to stop PDQ. Then I will get a thank you in a whisper.

Mercury Angel · Aug 20, 2005, 06:31 PM // 18:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gaile Gray

To what address did you send them? And when? I will be happy to follow up. And, most importantly, how do you know nothing was done? I don't mean to seem aggressive, but you're throwing around a lot of unfounded comments here, and it's not appropriate or accurate.

How do you know they were not punished? We don't report back to those who submit a support ticket to us, our privacy policies prevent it. So how can you assert that nothing has been done? As someone who works on these matters every day, I'd sure like to understand how you can make such statements.

Just to let players know: We blocks accounts every hour of every day. We take the proofs submitted to us and we mute players, action accounts, remove unpleasant names, censor guild names, set suspensions of sometimes weeks at a time and even, sometimes, outright ban. We're not catching every single bad player, but we're definitely making a dent amongst the problem players, and we'll continue to do so, every day.

Just thought this was a relavent post.
Submit support tickets!

Not everything can be censored, unless everything was screened BEFORE saying it, and that's just impossible to achieve, beyond a basic filter.
So, if it matters to you, the only thing you can do that'll actually DO anything is to submit support tickets, unless you'd rather suffer in silence and or gripe about it while doing nothing.

After getting over 200 screenshots at 1+ MB a piece, including ones taken for remembrance of noteworthy personal things, odd game occurrences, and then also people with no restraint, I gave up on the last bit and cut down my screenshots to 125, compressed the rest to JPEG, and stored them in an archive, and chose instead to keep my talk+trade+emotes channels off, and totally ignore anyone except teammates, guildmates, and friends, except rare instances where I turn talk back on.

Linkie · Aug 20, 2005, 07:33 PM // 19:33

If you find sex offensive you have issues :/

Mercury Angel · Aug 20, 2005, 08:51 PM // 20:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Linkie

If you find sex offensive you have issues :/

And should I also not find murder for personal gain offensive?
Or defecation of holy/religiously affiliated sites offensive?
Or rape?
Or slavery?
Or polygamy?
Or gay sex?

Different cultures place different meaning on things. In some circles, sex is a dirty act to be done for the sole purpose of having children, and otherwise ignored.
Yet in some of the same ones, it might be perfectly acceptable to kill someone because they stared at your wife the wrong way, or stepped 1/2 inch on your soil. (You can be locked up in jail for committing gay sex acts in some countries still)

Polygamy, which could also apply to a woman marrying multiple men (regardless of how unlikely it may be, as with a woman raping a man), has very few inherent problems in it. Everything sited tends to be record-related, tax-related, or personal issue-related. In the end, the only real thing preventing the first 2 from being adjusted to accomodate change are personal sensitivites.

Yet, in America, the supposed land of the free, it's against the law. Go figure. (And yes, I'm aware of the limited Mormon-sects that still practice it in secret, and the tendency of those said people to be abusive to their wives. Polygamy =/= abuse, though.)

No need to argue over any of this, as it's likely to go downhill into a flame-fest fast. The entire point of this post is that regardless of the culture you live in, you most likely have sensitivities; Actions and things not appropriate for public discussion or viewing.

Saying that because people have hangups about sex means they have issues is rediculous; As is said, those in glass houses should not throw stones. When you lack such hangups about anything entirely (And I'm sure I could name quite a few), you may scold others for theirs.

[And yes, I'm aware there's a huge difference between sex and murder. However, when you argue for sex, it's most likely bashing other people's ethical upbringings, who were taught it's wrong, and using logic and natural laws. So riddle me this; For personal gain, without ethics, what's to stop murder and rape if you know you won't get caught?]

Once again, the entire point of this post is to shock people into awareness that their own moral upbringing isn't the only one in the world. My own personal viewpoint on some of the above issues varies greatly from that which I've used.

Edit- And when I say hangups about anything, I mean unrational reasoning, like baseless accusations, blatantly false assumptions, and what-not. Like saying you hate broccoli because it kills people O_o;

Lasareth · Aug 20, 2005, 08:55 PM // 20:55

Actually the reason it should stay out of conversations is exactly the reason as posted above--the reactions to it vary from culture to culture, and can cause friction among people (no pun intended). Therefore, it's best to stay away from the uncomfortable subject altogether.

PieXags · Aug 20, 2005, 09:00 PM // 21:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Linkie

If you find sex offensive you have issues :/

Wow, this is one of the most ignorant posts I've seen in a long, long time. Honestly this better be a joke, and if it's not just er...keep it shut for the rest of us.

It's not that we find sex in itself "offensive" it's just that some decent people don't want to hear about sex 24/7 wherever they go, it annoys the HELL out of me when I'm just wandering around town talking to a few people and some people start with this shit. Honestly I don't need to hear about what exactly people'd like to do to the female elementalists. I'm all for swear words in a normal sense, but even those should be kept out of normal conversations out of sheer respect for the community, but as Mercury Angel pointed out, certain sexual natures can be VERY offensive and I don't need to read that crap when I'm trying to find a group.

Lasareth · Aug 20, 2005, 09:02 PM // 21:02

Another thing that I'm not sure was discussed yet is that people actually use sex as a vulgarity, purposefully depicting the scenarios to offend or disgust. I'm sure nobody would be offended if I started a real conversation about the sexual life cycles of the Kodiak Bear and its impacts on society (perhaps a bit weirded out, but not offended

)

Mercury Angel · Aug 20, 2005, 09:17 PM // 21:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lasareth

Another thing that I'm not sure was discussed yet is that people actually use sex as a vulgarity, purposefully depicting the scenarios to offend or disgust. I'm sure nobody would be offended if I started a real conversation about the sexual life cycles of the Kodiak Bear and its impacts on society (perhaps a bit weirded out, but not offended

)

Ah yes, thank you, I'd forgotten about context.

Such as the difference between saying "<Expletive invoking fecal matter>!", and "You're a piece of <Expletive invoking fecal matter>!".

[Curse words are always more fun like that anyway, not that I even use those o_O]