Guild Wars 2

During the past week myself and other female players have been subject to disgusting and very abusive map chat and harassment(mostly in eotm). I have made some reports (as others have) but wanted to post here too (without names). How in the world would anyone think it appropriate to discuss sexual things and some rather perverted and abusive sexual things in map chat? This needs to end fast as we do have minors playing the game with us!

Indeed, abuse and harassment is not good and is usually dealt with rather swift.

“This needs to end fast as we do have minors playing the game with us!”

is rather irrelevant though, considering that the game actually have a T-rating. So minors shouldn’t be playing it in the first place.

Teens are minors, 18 is the age of majority. But that notwithstanding, I am an adult and was forced to leave the map due to a person abusing me personally with sexual grossness just because he was bored and guessed I was indeed female.

If it is truly harassment directed at certain people and not just normal sex-on-the-net talk I would make sure to screencap it and mail it to Anet in a support ticket as that would be unacceptable.

However, as we’ve seen in the media, sex on even the most basic level gets this response from people but blood, gore and death doesnt even make them flinch.

Todd.6573:

If it is truly harassment directed at certain people and not just normal sex-on-the-net talk I would make sure to screencap it and mail it to Anet in a support ticket as that would be unacceptable.

However, as we’ve seen in the media, sex on even the most basic level gets this response from people but blood, gore and death doesnt even make them flinch.

Well I am not a prude, it takes a lot to truly offend me and wouldn’t report people for innocent mature conversation. But the chat of late far surpasses that.

Scandi.5693:

How in the world would anyone think it appropriate to discuss sexual things and some rather perverted and abusive sexual things in map chat?

This is internet. I would be more surprised if this did not happen.

I don’t intend this to sound harsh, and I fully believe you “should” in a perfect world be free to play the game without any of that nonsense. That said, welcome to the internet? The best way to handle this is to report them for abuse, place them on ignore, and move on without letting them ruin your day. People get really ugly when they can hide behind an internet persona without real world repercussions for their craptastic actions. Arenanet is pretty good about smacking people like that down, but it’s not instant. Just report, ignore, and move on. Don’t let the trolls win.

Though thank you for bringing it to everyone’s attention. And especially to the attention of the relevant authorities (Arenanet).

Are you hot OP? Wanna grab a coffee sometime and talk about how annoying knee-jerk Ranger nerfs are or something?

Just kidding

I think the best thing you can do is just report like you have been doing. Make sure all your friends report too so it’s more likely that action against that person will be taken. Otherwise try not to take it to heart and remember that there are some sexually deprived people out there so just feel sorry for him.

Scandi.5693:

During the past week myself and other female players have been subject to disgusting and very abusive map chat and harassment(mostly in eotm). I have made some reports (as others have) but wanted to post here too (without names). How in the world would anyone think it appropriate to discuss sexual things and some rather perverted and abusive sexual things in map chat? This needs to end fast as we do have minors playing the game with us!

+1
As someone else mentioned, be sure to take a screenshot too, particularly if this happens again with the same person/people. From my experience, GW2 has a pretty good community, certainly better than many other MMO’s. But unfortunately, I too have witnessed this kind of unacceptable behaviour. I am sorry that you had to experience that and hope that it will not tarnish your opinion of the GW2 community as a whole.

TheRandomGuy.7246:

Scandi.5693:

How in the world would anyone think it appropriate to discuss sexual things and some rather perverted and abusive sexual things in map chat?

This is internet. I would be more surprised if this did not happen.

I had to pop into this thread to mention how this EXCUSE needs to end. “This is the internet” does not excuse a person for being an anti-social neanderthal. Hiding behind a wall of anonymity shouldn’t be a viable way of saying things that your family would be ashamed off, your boss would fire you for, and sometimes could get you thrown in jail if at all it was publicly said.

Unfortunately thanks to the “it’s the internet, dude” attitude, some of this had bled through the 4th wall into actual day-to-day conversation by children/teens who have grown up knowing the internet their entire life. It is getting way out of hand and social morality has been crumbling because of it. Respect, something that used to be normal, is becoming a scarcity.

Take a chill pill OP, this is the internet and the last thing we need is to be censor. Just block them and move on, no need to affect anybody else. Just relax , not everyone has thin skin to find mature conversation offensive.

Also my 8 yr son plays and I don’t mind, so please don’t play the " will somebody think about kids" card.

Shen Slayer.3058:

Take a chill pill OP, this is the internet and the last thing we need is to be censor. Just block them and move on, no need to affect anybody else. Just relax , not everyone has thin skin to find mature conversation offensive.

You seem more part of the problem.

Scandi.5693:

During the past week myself and other female players have been subject to disgusting and very abusive map chat and harassment(mostly in eotm). I have made some reports (as others have) but wanted to post here too (without names). How in the world would anyone think it appropriate to discuss sexual things and some rather perverted and abusive sexual things in map chat? This needs to end fast as we do have minors playing the game with us!

“Minors” are the ones mostly saying those things in chat.

lordkrall.7241:

is rather irrelevant though, considering that the game actually have a T-rating. So minors shouldn’t be playing it in the first place.

Ratings are totally meaningless and only there to appease uptight parents. I know of 12 year olds who play GTA5 and even myself played Mortal Kombat when I was 10. They disabled blood and fatalities unless you entered a special code, so I found the code and enabled them playing the game as it was meant to be played. Despite Moral Kombat “warping my fragile little mind” as Cartmen would put it that I never turned out to be a serial killer.

Funny how ever since more people got the internet and gaming went more mainstream we’re seeing more of these complaints. This is the biggest problem with the Internet and gaming in general becoming more mainstream: these new people want to impose their will on the established audience by changing stuff for their own tastes instead of ours. You are the reason why we have to watch fan subbed or dubbed animes, you are why we complain about games becoming too easy or reboots not being as good. “Won’t you please think of the children!” The children meanwhile don’t like you because you took away their Beavis and Butthead and sanitize stuff making things boring for them.

Oh, ratings are very much meaningless in reality, but they are there, and people that are younger than said ratings shouldn’t really be the ones catered to when it comes to content and such, since they aren’t, officially, suppose to play the game in the first place.

Scandi.5693:

Teens are minors, 18 is the age of majority. But that notwithstanding, I am an adult and was forced to leave the map due to a person abusing me personally with sexual grossness just because he was bored and guessed I was indeed female.

Just block them next time and problem solved. If he indeed kept harassing you means you gave him some kind of response, I doubt anyone just followed you and kept telling you a monologue of dirty things without getting any response whatsoever.

1. report
2. ignore

I see no reason to leave a map because of chat .. you can ignore it. Much worse
is only when people jump around you all the time, because you can’t make
them invisible.

Shen Slayer.3058:

Also my 8 yr son plays and I don’t mind, so please don’t play the " will somebody think about kids" card.

Your kid is not a benchmark for all the kids that play games in the world.

lordkrall.7241:

Oh, ratings are very much meaningless in reality, but they are there, and people that are younger than said ratings shouldn’t really be the ones catered to when it comes to content and such, since they aren’t, officially, suppose to play the game in the first place.

But if they want to play then so long as a parent doesn’t mind they should play. People shouldn’t just stick to stuff that’s “intended” for them. If you’re a 10 year old who loves violent video games, but society deems you “unworthy” to play such games there’s a very clear values dissonance, so you do what you can to sneak such a game or TV show in. The “this stuff isn’t for you” attitude adds to its appeal, why should grown ups hog all the good stuff for themselves (not that there’s anything good on TV except for some old cartoons and shows but still) Gamestop employees fortunately don’t care and Steam certainly doesn’t either.

Siphaed.9235:

TheRandomGuy.7246:

Scandi.5693:

How in the world would anyone think it appropriate to discuss sexual things and some rather perverted and abusive sexual things in map chat?

This is internet. I would be more surprised if this did not happen.

I had to pop into this thread to mention how this EXCUSE needs to end. “This is the internet” does not excuse a person for being an anti-social neanderthal. Hiding behind a wall of anonymity shouldn’t be a viable way of saying things that your family would be ashamed off, your boss would fire you for, and sometimes could get you thrown in jail if at all it was publicly said.

Unfortunately thanks to the “it’s the internet, dude” attitude, some of this had bled through the 4th wall into actual day-to-day conversation by children/teens who have grown up knowing the internet their entire life. It is getting way out of hand and social morality has been crumbling because of it. Respect, something that used to be normal, is becoming a scarcity.

Couldn’t agree more.

Siphaed.9235:

TheRandomGuy.7246:

Scandi.5693:

How in the world would anyone think it appropriate to discuss sexual things and some rather perverted and abusive sexual things in map chat?

This is internet. I would be more surprised if this did not happen.

I had to pop into this thread to mention how this EXCUSE needs to end. “This is the internet” does not excuse a person for being an anti-social neanderthal. Hiding behind a wall of anonymity shouldn’t be a viable way of saying things that your family would be ashamed off, your boss would fire you for, and sometimes could get you thrown in jail if at all it was publicly said.

Unfortunately thanks to the “it’s the internet, dude” attitude, some of this had bled through the 4th wall into actual day-to-day conversation by children/teens who have grown up knowing the internet their entire life. It is getting way out of hand and social morality has been crumbling because of it. Respect, something that used to be normal, is becoming a scarcity.

That’s what all old people say (not saying you’re old just it’s something they do) in their respective generations and blame any current tech or trend for it. “Back in my day kids were respectful then this rock and roll thingamagig comes along no they aren’t respectful anymore!” “Respect has gone the way of the dodo with the advent of television!” Back in their day they too were disrespectful brats by the standards of their elders, and if they weren’t they were teased by their peers.

I think some people here are making rather baseless assumptions as to the contents of whatever was said. Only the OP, the people present, and the people she (hopefully) sent a screen cap to, really know, so I’ll leave it for them to decide the severity of it.

*Edit (I know, I was doing so well until I just had to add more): and hope that they manage to successfully account for their own completely understandable and equally unavoidable cultural bias (whether that is personal, regional, generational, or anything else-based bias) when making those decisions.

OP, You have my sincere sympathy on this. I’m an older guy with a pretty thick skin and I can’t believe some of the chat stuff I read. I chalk it up to 13 year old immaturity and just ignore it.

You have every right to report it.

To paraphrase a quote, “The true nature of a person is revealed when given anonymity.”

Endless Soul.5178:

To paraphrase a quote, “The true nature of a person is revealed when given anonymity.”

Look on the bright side: you too have license to be an obnoxious troll. Nearly everyone keeps their online selves and real life selves and lives segregated. I don’t agree with attempts to integrate real life and online such as Facebook.

Yes whoever harassed the OP should be punished, but that’s up to Anet’s discretion. They can send a personal email to the owning accounts to ensure the parents find out (since they’d likely have bought the game for their kids.) Boys will be boys but harassment isn’t acceptable.

Endless Soul.5178:

To paraphrase a quote, “The true nature of a person is revealed when given anonymity.”

So true. When people are anonymous and/or feel immune from consequences then you see what they truly are.

Scandi.5693:

Teens are minors, 18 is the age of majority. But that notwithstanding, I am an adult and was forced to leave the map due to a person abusing me personally with sexual grossness just because he was bored and guessed I was indeed female.

If you are an adult then make mature decisions like not reacting and putting the guy on block straight away + reporting him.If you had done so,you wouldn’t have to read a thing he said.You weren’t forced to leave the map,you chose to leave the map.

Just report it. Obviously the game can’t ban everyone that offends everyone else, but anything that is abusive will be dealt with. Going on and on about it in public can make you a bit of a target to bullies.

Beldin.5498:

1. report
2. ignore

I see no reason to leave a map because of chat .. you can ignore it. Much worse
is only when people jump around you all the time, because you can’t make
them invisible.

Sadly, this will go ignored, as most users would rather complain about it on the internet, then to use the actual solutions available to them such as the in game ignore and report features. Sorry, but “this is the internet” is a perfectly valid excuse, because you have every option and tool in the world to be able to not deal with people you dont like.

Just ignore and report. There is no need for a topic about how someone offended you. Keep that stuff on tumblr.

Siphaed.9235:

TheRandomGuy.7246:

Scandi.5693:

How in the world would anyone think it appropriate to discuss sexual things and some rather perverted and abusive sexual things in map chat?

This is internet. I would be more surprised if this did not happen.

I had to pop into this thread to mention how this EXCUSE needs to end. “This is the internet” does not excuse a person for being an anti-social neanderthal. Hiding behind a wall of anonymity shouldn’t be a viable way of saying things that your family would be ashamed off, your boss would fire you for, and sometimes could get you thrown in jail if at all it was publicly said.

Unfortunately thanks to the “it’s the internet, dude” attitude, some of this had bled through the 4th wall into actual day-to-day conversation by children/teens who have grown up knowing the internet their entire life. It is getting way out of hand and social morality has been crumbling because of it. Respect, something that used to be normal, is becoming a scarcity.

Tl;dr Back in my days….

SHM.7628:

Endless Soul.5178:

To paraphrase a quote, “The true nature of a person is revealed when given anonymity.”

So true. When people are anonymous and/or feel immune from consequences then you see what they truly are.

I’m personally consistent. What you see is what you get.

Some women at cons encounter some hostility (but mostly “hostility”) and other groups (specifically non-geeks) but this is because those outside the ingroup make us feel self-conscious. Can I be myself around this person? If not then the other would make insiders feel uneasy at a convention. It isn’t because of sexism (in most cases) why guys don’t like girls at cons but rather they introduce a whole other dynamic where you’d have to carefully watch yourself to maximize chances of being seen as dating potential, pressure that isn’t present within all male groups (the real nonsexist reason why Freemasons and country clubs used to be men only? I’ll reserve judgment until further research).

It’s like when two friends agreed to church swap for a Sunday. The white friend made the typical church goers uneasy with her mere presence, not saying or doing anything. The regulars at her friend’s church reported feeling self-conscious, which can be quite uncomfortable. I don’t remember where I read it, likely from Tim Wise material. It’s the same dynamic at cons full of geeks.

Agemnon.4608:

Endless Soul.5178:

To paraphrase a quote, “The true nature of a person is revealed when given anonymity.”

Nearly everyone keeps their online selves and real life selves and lives segregated. I don’t agree with attempts to integrate real life and online such as Facebook.

I agree with you but many don’t keep them segregated anymore. There’s real life consequences for things said and done online. This stuff can follow you and haunt you later.

I read one case where a young man was prosecuted for threats made in an online game. It’s best to exercise caution and restraint when speaking in public.

Zanther Deathbringer.4762:

Beldin.5498:

1. report
2. ignore

I see no reason to leave a map because of chat .. you can ignore it. Much worse
is only when people jump around you all the time, because you can’t make
them invisible.

Sadly, this will go ignored, as most users would rather complain about it on the internet, then to use the actual solutions available to them such as the in game ignore and report features. Sorry, but “this is the internet” is a perfectly valid excuse, because you have every option and tool in the world to be able to not deal with people you dont like.

Just ignore and report. There is no need for a topic about how someone offended you. Keep that stuff on tumblr.

Yes but I am just as concerned with preventing someones daughter to be subject to this kind of language as well. It is easy to walk away from problems, but it solves nothing.

Yeah, I’ve seen this before, too. Screencap it, report them, and then also open a support ticket including the screencap.

Scandi.5693:

Zanther Deathbringer.4762:

Beldin.5498:

1. report
2. ignore

I see no reason to leave a map because of chat .. you can ignore it. Much worse
is only when people jump around you all the time, because you can’t make
them invisible.

Sadly, this will go ignored, as most users would rather complain about it on the internet, then to use the actual solutions available to them such as the in game ignore and report features. Sorry, but “this is the internet” is a perfectly valid excuse, because you have every option and tool in the world to be able to not deal with people you dont like.

Just ignore and report. There is no need for a topic about how someone offended you. Keep that stuff on tumblr.

Yes but I am just as concerned with preventing someones daughter to be subject to this kind of language as well. It is easy to walk away from problems, but it solves nothing.

Again, this is the internet. You will never solve this problem. Ever. Why? Its already been solved with ignore features.

As someones who works for a school district, “someones son and daughter” is probably 10x dirtier than any of us older people. I never knew that so many porn apps existed until I had to help a 15 year old student with her iphone issue receiving school email.

Trust me. “Someones daughter” is probably the one behind that avatar. Maybe you should stop being sexist by thinking women are fragile beings.

You cannot be “sexually abused” in map chat. It’s physically impossible. You can possibly be sexually harassed. In which case, report them/block them and move on with your life.

That’s what adults do.

Don’t worry about my daughter. She’s not an overly sensitive crybaby like you are coming across to be here. She doesn’t need you to look out for her.

Scandi.5693:

Shen Slayer.3058:

Take a chill pill OP, this is the internet and the last thing we need is to be censor. Just block them and move on, no need to affect anybody else. Just relax , not everyone has thin skin to find mature conversation offensive.

You seem more part of the problem.

OP…I find it offensive that you “label” me as part of the problem because I disagree with you. You just discredit yourself and now it seems like you created this thread just for sensationlism.

Just block and move on with life!

It’s very hard to make MMO or any game chat clean. It’s like trying to make a society clean in the same way – it is impossible.

Best thing to do is just to report that particular person and they should dealt with it. Block them too, or just do like me, have your combat/guild chat open all the time if some extremely pointless/offending discussion is happening on local chat.

In a MMO community, it is very easy to turn your face and look the other way.

Exactly what Zanther said. Why would you feel insulted and bothered by a random person online which at this point is just a pixel typing random words just to get under your skin. Its us females that allow them to do so. I play mmo’s for 10 years now and everytime i see someone saying to a girl “go make me a sandwich” just because she felt like anouncing her gender for w/e the reason or they just assumed it , i just laugh , cause that person has a female that answers to at home -a mother, a sister or a wife- OR they have NONE which is why they react like that towards one.

Kids are not fragile either, my brother was 7yo when he started calling everyone Kittens lol and he didn’t learn this from us but either TV or school, he didn’t even have a computer. We live at an age where 14yo’s are already sexually active , people need to start realizing some things already.

Scandi.5693:

Zanther Deathbringer.4762:

Beldin.5498:

1. report
2. ignore

I see no reason to leave a map because of chat .. you can ignore it. Much worse
is only when people jump around you all the time, because you can’t make
them invisible.

Sadly, this will go ignored, as most users would rather complain about it on the internet, then to use the actual solutions available to them such as the in game ignore and report features. Sorry, but “this is the internet” is a perfectly valid excuse, because you have every option and tool in the world to be able to not deal with people you dont like.

Just ignore and report. There is no need for a topic about how someone offended you. Keep that stuff on tumblr.

Yes but I am just as concerned with preventing someones daughter to be subject to this kind of language as well. It is easy to walk away from problems, but it solves nothing.

My daughter is 11 and knows to block and report. She also knows not to make a big deal of it because that’s what they want you to do. Stop feeding into it.

Just wow, the attitudes in this thread. Shows you quite a bit about the society we live in today.

“Its the internet man”
“Grow some thicker skin”
“Overly sensitive cry baby”

Obviously “respect” is no longer a word in the general vocabulary. But, I guess that’s to be expected when we live in an age where the child physically abuses the parent and the parent gets treated as though they are the bad guy.

OP, unfortunately, as other’s have said, all you can do is block the person and report it. Take screen shots and attach them to the report. Beyond that, you have 0 power to do anything except opt not to play and encourage others not to play.

paintpixie.7398:

You cannot be “sexually abused” in map chat. It’s physically impossible. You can possibly be sexually harassed. In which case, report them/block them and move on with your life.

That’s what adults do.

Don’t worry about my daughter. She’s not an overly sensitive crybaby like you are coming across to be here. She doesn’t need you to look out for her.

What the kitty? Blaming the victim much?

Yes, harassed is more appropriate than assaulted (assuming the OP’s first language is english) but that is the only thing I agree with you on. As to what adults do, adults do not harass people.

I don’t like to see sexual talk in public chat. If it’s particularly bad and in breach of the ToS (by being vulgar) then it gets reported right there.

I’d much rather see an interesting or playful discussion about a topic that most people can relate to and enjoy.

As a female player myself, I am careful where I say things that might reveal my gender. I’d rather be treated as an “everyone else” than picked out because of it. A couple of the times I have let on that I’m female have escalated, mainly by desperate men “looking for love” (or at least acting that way). And of course, they didn’t back down if when I said “I’m not interested”, but did when I said “I already have a boyfriend”.

But the thing is, to get this kind of abuse, you have to put yourself up as the victim. If nobody knows you’re female, nobody can abuse that. Don’t make your gender part of the map-chat topic and the chances of your gender coming up as a feature in the conversation is very low.

No, it doesn’t excuse despicable behaviour, but it does prevent it in some instances. Don’t give them ammunition and they can’t fire it at you.

LanfearShadowflame.3189:

Just wow, the attitudes in this thread. Shows you quite a bit about the society we live in today.

“Its the internet man”
“Grow some thicker skin”
“Overly sensitive cry baby”

Obviously “respect” is no longer a word in the general vocabulary. But, I guess that’s to be expected when we live in an age where the child physically abuses the parent and the parent gets treated as though they are the bad guy.

OP, unfortunately, as other’s have said, all you can do is block the person and report it. Take screen shots and attach them to the report. Beyond that, you have 0 power to do anything except opt not to play and encourage others not to play.

Map chat in a video game is now being compared to physically abusing a child.

Yes, harassed is more appropriate than assaulted (assuming the OP’s first language is english) but that is the only thing I agree with you on. As to what adults do, adults do not harass people.

You are apparently not familiar with modern day feminism and other hate groups like WBC, who are the worst harassers in existence.

Yes, adults most certainly do harass people. Its just the harassment in the adult world takes many more forms. Ask anyone that has ever gone through an awful divorce.

The way to avoid it is to turn off map chat. I never have it on. I only leave zone chat on in games that have mature players. The unfortunate thing is that in any game that is free to play, you are going to get it.

Report and ignore is all that you can do really but really, the people (youth) who are doing it are not reading these forums.

Menadena.7482:

As to what adults do, adults do not harass people.

Yes. They do. That’s the entire complaint.
Just like adults come onto the forums and complain about something that Anet already developed a perfectly reasonable way to handle.

What does the OP want Anet to do, eliminate chat from the game entirely? They already have a profanity filter. They already have a block feature. And you can report. Use the tools that they gave you, and be done with it.

Mature adults don’t harass people. But they also know how to handle the problem in mature way, by blocking and reporting.

I don’t appreciate her use of my daughter (or anybody’s daughter), as an excuse for her whining and complaining. There is already a feature in the game which allows her to take action against this kind of behavior. What more does she want? The community to take up pitchforks and torches against this guy?

Respect is earned. And I’m sorry, but playing a victim online (needlessly, I might add), does not demand respect.

Menadena.7482:

What the kitty? Blaming the victim much?

Wow! It’s like I’m really on tumblr!

Ignore and move on. It’s so simple.

I know irl, guys make gay sexual jokes to each other for fun and to keep the day going at work(me included) or down the pub with friends and that’s where that talk should stay. It’s not cool or nice to say it to strangers, Regardless of gender in a video game via text talk. Its sad but Some people have nothing better to do and get a kick of enjoyment.

This should probably get locked soon.

The personal-assumption-based name-calling has begun.