Guild Wars 2

So I am basically creating this post, in hope I can reach out a helping hand to some players.

I personally only play PvP, so it has to do the most with that aspect of GW2. You can find me a bit in PvE, but not that much. I wasn’t sure if I should post it here or in the PvP forum.. The thing i noticed is the following; alot of people are getting insulted in PvP.
And by insulting I mean not like; ’you’re a random or ‘l2p’. No. I mean insults that affect their color, gender, or preferred sexuality.

Many PvP players know me, also the fact that I’m gay. I am proud of this, but many pmed me for help. I find this very sad for these people, It’s a game, you don’t know the person saying to you ‘you suck’, and you’re taking it serious. People don’t know what they can do to other people with their words.. I gave an funny example, no one actually cares in PvP if you suck.. But the point is, many insult with things that are worse, I won’t put it here, because I am not sure if it’s allowed. But I guess you can fill it in by yourself.

I find it shocking that people are pming me, asking for help about how to deal with this. The point is, they are also probably hearing this in real life.. They have the feeling they aren’t allowed to be alive of being their self..

Please, think before saying.. It’s easy raging on someone behind a computer.. Everyone can do it, it’s sickening that people are going this far for a game. Faith in humanity is sometimes very low… Threat others like you wanted to be threatened.. Sometimes it’s hard not to say something uncool.. I know this, but just don’t mess with things like color or sexuality..

Also, if you’d like to talk or you are struggling with something like this, just give me a pm. I hope I can help, since sometimes it’s very hard.

Internet bro. This is an uphill battle.

Some people cant handle the fact that they are anonymous behind a pc,
and start acting way different then in real life.

Insulting others is one example of this.

Best thing is to just ignore it probably.

Do what my guild mate did, disable map and say chat.

People who are making derogatory remarks aren’t going to read this with any seriousness. Unfortunately, if they are acting in such an uncivilized sort of way, they don’t care about who they might be hurting. You are likely not going to be able to reason or change that person. They are hiding behind anonymity…which also shows their true colors.

Question though, how can you know the sexuality of another player? Are they using the insulting term for gay as a general insult and the actual gay player is taking it personally? I’m not saying the term is acceptable at all…sometimes, like in real life, you have to learn to let the insults roll off your back and not take it personally. It’s not about you, it’s about that person’s own insecurities/discomfort. No denying it’s hard. Good for you, Quincy, to reach out a helping hand.

The bonus of game vs. RL is that the game has block! Use it!

oh as an extra comment, always report for verbal abuse, always. I popped into the old LA and the first thing that appeared was some racist diatribe. Waited for a bit, and after a few more posts popped a verbal abuse report. Mentioned it in map chat and quite a large of number of players responded with “me too” “same here”. Later heard the abuser had gotten banned.

Rouven.7409:

Stop sending other player PM’s, utilize the report function, make Anet aware of these incidents.

And it’s “treat others as you would like to be treated”. A threat is something else

Oops That wasn’t what I wanted to write down.. I just woke up when i wrote this

Sweetblue Huntress.9856:

People who are making derogatory remarks aren’t going to read this with any seriousness. Unfortunately, if they are acting in such an uncivilized sort of way, they don’t care about who they might be hurting. You are likely not going to be able to reason or change that person. They are hiding behind anonymity…which also shows their true colors.

Question though, how can you know the sexuality of another player? Are they using the insulting term for gay as a general insult and the actual gay player is taking it personally? I’m not saying the term is acceptable at all…sometimes, like in real life, you have to learn to let the insults roll off your back and not take it personally. It’s not about you, it’s about that person’s own insecurities/discomfort. No denying it’s hard. Good for you, Quincy, to reach out a helping hand.

The bonus of game vs. RL is that the game has block! Use it!

They pm and tell me it, that’s how I know it. I fully agree with your arguments and been stunned that people take it serious from some random gamer.. But I guess it’s very hard to imagine this, when you’re not having any problems with this by yourself..
Also, if they’re not having support from their family/friends, they can use games as an escape for their feelings.. And if they get these insults there also.. I can imagine that’s very hard, feeling like all people dislike you..

Although in most countries it’s quite okay now, but in many it isn’t.. So it’s also depending on many factors.. Complexity…

Are you new to the internet or something?

ICEing.9237:

Are you new to the internet or something?

Are you another swagger kid?

Also, you don’t have to understand this. Other people do, and that’s good for them.

I do understand, but this is common knowledge that people hide behind computers and say stuff they would never say irl. Can’t take it personally

ICEing.9237:

I do understand, but this is common knowledge that people hide behind computers and say stuff they would never say irl. Can’t take it personally

That’s what you know and what many others know.. I am glad you understand that everyone is different, not the same and have gotten through other things. This formed their personality. Some people are scared for other things than you.

My advice to other players is if you feel that another player is being rude/threatening to you and won’t leave you alone, block and report them. Let Support sort it out. Chances are you’ll never see that player again too, so don’t let anything they say get to you.

ICEing.9237:

I do understand, but this is common knowledge that people hide behind computers and say stuff they would never say irl. Can’t take it personally

Shrugging off things that others are taking seriously is pretty insulting to say the least.

We can all sit around behind our keyboards, shrug and say “oh well, that’s the way of the internet, what can you do? just deal with it”. Anet gave us the functions to block and report. Harassment of any sort should not be tolerated and any decent person who sees this in Map and Say chat should report it.

Anet can only do so much but only when the players self regulate and raise the red flags. so raise those flags!

Gamers have a bad reputation for being offensive and treating each other without respect. Particularly where it comes to racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia etc.

This isn’t acceptable. Gaming isn’t just a bunch of dumb kids. It’s mainstream, a multi-billion dollar industry, and people of all ages and types are into it. It’s a major part of modern culture.

Just ignoring vile behavior isn’t going to change anything, and telling people who are verbally abused literally every day (and in many cases, there are actual threats to their safety) to “just ignore it” isn’t very helpful either.

Showing that it is not acceptable and, for instance, can get you banned? That will make a difference, eventually.

Azrael.4960:

ICEing.9237:

I do understand, but this is common knowledge that people hide behind computers and say stuff they would never say irl. Can’t take it personally

Shrugging off things that others are taking seriously is pretty insulting to say the least.

Exactly.

I don’t understand how anyone knows anyone else’s sexual orientation to begin with in game. Or why anyone would choose to let their own be known regardless if they’re gay, straight, bi, or whatever.

Using gay, the ‘R’ word or related things as insults around me is pretty much guaranteed to get you reported, I don’t give a flying quaggan if you don’t think it is an insult, or other people are laughing, or if people think it should be ‘just ignored’, or if they brush it off as “just the internet” or “just the way gamers are”. It isn’t OK, and it is past time we stopped giving these people a pass on their behavior. Report them, every time, and let them deal with the concequences of their juvenile actions.

We (collectively) do end up using the report function a heck of a lot less in GW2 than in other MMOs, because ANet has been pretty dang proactive in keeping the scum from covering the pool, but don’t let up- if we slack off on reporting, then ANet backs off on discipline, and the offenders start getting away with it more, and suddenly it all sounds like WoW chat.

This probably happens because PvP is competitive and when someone doesn’t know what they’re doing, others rage.

PvE in GW2 is designed to be truly cooperative and you don’t rage because someone mined the node you were trying to or stole your kill. Play some MMO’s that don’t have this and see what names you’ll be called. Play MMO’s with player killing (open PvP, everyone can kill everyone) and see what that’s like! GW2 spoiled me in this regard and i can’t go back to those games and communities. :P

Dungeons… Totally different story. Designed to be cooperative yet people join random groups that clearly state “everyone welcome” or something (meaning, you don’t have to be pro at a particular dungeon to join), then insult everyone for being noobs and calling them names, demanding that everyone caters to them and that everyone knows how to speedrun a particular dungeon.

Seriously, this needs to stop (in every aspect of the game), but as others have pointed out, this is the internet, we are anonymous and you won’t see them insulting a person on the street irl when said person can very easily connect his/her fist to their face.

Internet being laggy and all it’s kinda hard to connect fists to faces over long distances so the ragers feel safe and overcompensate for their lack of bravado in real life trough MMO’s and PvP…

There’s a report function for use of profanity so you know, use it! There’s a block function too! I never had to block another player (except for bots), but you know, if somoene really bothers you, don’t hesitate to block them…

Kanebrake.6192:

I don’t understand how anyone knows anyone else’s sexual orientation to begin with in game. Or why anyone would choose to let their own be known regardless if they’re gay, straight, bi, or whatever.

It’s not like you’re asking people about it. I was in a friends guild and my friends had some chats with people, ending up about things I wrote above.