Forum post of the Day: E-Sportsmanship
by Amanda Dean 
Jun 10th 2008 at 2:07AM
I played softball when I was just a little mandy. I was in right field, and I wasn't particularly good, but I had a blast playing. Some how I came out of it with a few championship trophies and a lot of great memories. At the conclusion of each of our games we would line up as a team and slap hands with the opposition. "Good game. Good Game. Good Game. Good Game. Good Game." I'm sure that a number of you have had similar experiences. We were taught to be good sports when we won and when we lost.
The fascinating part of an esport is that we are not face to face. Rather than bringing out our magnanimous natures, we tend to get cranky in the wake of a loss, and sometimes even after a victory. Karelle of Hydraxis admitted in the general forums the he is a poor loser. He felt he was unjustly beaten by a team that overgeared him and was insulted when the team leader whispered "good game." Rather than repeating the greeting, the original poster /spit on the victor.
The original poster posed the question "Someone owns you, (not just in wow arena, but in anything) and then holds out his hand for you to shake...do you shake it?" I think the answer is yes. By being bratty in this instance, Karelle missed a valuable opportunity to make a friend and maybe even get some constructive criticism on his play style.
Some of the responses would clearly disagree with me. This attitude is exemplified by Malenth of Bloodhoof argued that when someone says "good game" after a victory, they are typically gloating. Fimbulvetr of Proudmore added "That sort of thing needs to be initiated by the loser if it's going to happen at all. Particularly when it wasn't a fair fight."
I'm glad that Blizzard does not make us line up and congratulate each other at the end of a fight. I don't think that would end well. We might do good to remind ourselves of our youth sporting days. What would you do in the original poster or the subjects positions?
Filed under: Virtual selves, PvP, Arena, Forum Post of the Day
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Nextweek Jun 10th 2008 2:33AM
I used to play Americas Army and after most match we would say good game. It was not about who won but if the game was exciting.
If someone is a sore loser then they are going to find real life hard. There is always someone better than you.
Eternalpayn Jun 10th 2008 10:05AM
I played that a few times, but it took forever to load.
But that guy you were talking about, what a dick. You don't /spit when someone says good game, sarcastic or not.
Sagara Jun 10th 2008 2:38AM
Holy cr*p! Is good manners that much *passé*?
"Good game" means just that - you played well.
You may have lost because of skill, or because of gear, but you still showed you full worth, and deserve praise for that.
Thinking "GG" hides gloating before proof to the contrary most often means:
1° you use "GG" to gloat yourself.
2° plain old paranoia, light-flavored.
So "GG" to anyone who beat me, and "GG" to anyone I defeat - you were worthy of the fight.
tstaxel Jun 10th 2008 2:40AM
"good game" "good game" "good game"
Don't forget the part where some players on both sides used to spit in their hands before going through those lines... I think that's what is happening here - some people will always be sore losers, and some others will always be braggarts about winning, albeit for a short time, and when the two mix, look out!
Vepa Jun 10th 2008 2:55AM
I play on an RP PvE server, so world PvP is optional. Even still, my guild focus's on it quite a bit, usually keeping World Defense channel on and jumping to the first place we see really getting mauled. The fights almost always explode into something huge, with reinforcements from other PvP guilds coming to our aid while the opposing faction gets their own back up.
The end result is usually positive...most of the time I'll jump on my Horde translator character and talk to a couple of the people we were fighting. The name's of my Alli and Horde characters are nearly the same so they know it's me from the get go...and I'll always start with a pretty optomistic greeting like, "Hey, that was an awesome match man!" or "Dude, that was alot of fun...where did you learn to hit so freakin' hard though?"
Responses like that will let the other side know you're not taking it too seriously, and complimenting them eases that inability to hear a tone in the other person's voice. Especially since remarks like "good game" or "GG" more often than not come off as being extremely sarcastic. I try to avoid the hostility by typing more than just 1-2 words.
Also it's a great way to get some constructive criticism on your gear, play style, and play ability. Being a Shockadin, my biggest weaknesses are warlocks and priests...so hearing tips from them have really helped how I play against others of that class when I'm pit against them.
mowglie Jun 10th 2008 2:54AM
The trouble is, I think, most "sports" are considered fair while the arena is - by design - usually unbalanced.
I consider myself an "ok" PvPer, although I arena very casually. If I beat or get beaten by a team in similar gear in a long drawn-out fight full of chances to show what I'm capable of, have fun, and maybe learn something, then I'd smile when the opponent whispers me "gg".
If I get steamrolled by a full s3 team in a game where I didn't have much chance to do anything, and my opponent didn't display any skill beating us* then while I'd still appreciate a "gg", I can understand how some people might not.
* I'm not claiming they *don't* have skill, but because of their gear they often don't have to use much of it to beat us.
Plethora Jun 10th 2008 2:53AM
The thing is, in the real world we have have parents, refs and coaches telling us to be good sports, and doing otherwise has repercussions. In WOW there is no socially mandated or enforced way of interacting with the opposing team, and so ones true colors shine through. Online we are free to be ourselves, which is both a blessing and the curse.
Nick S Jun 10th 2008 4:33AM
and here i thought my opponents were legitimately offering congratulations on a well-played match!
i guess i'm too much of a rose-colored glasses kind of person. plus, my arena team never outgears ANYONE, so if we give a team a good fight or even win, congrats are usually in order.
the only people i'm a "sore loser" about losing to are people who play in S3 gear and the 1300s. we losers in the 1300-1400 bracket don't like it when S3 players beat up on us. *we're* there because we're not great at pvp, and don't have great pvp gear. *they're* there because they can farm *us.*
RetPallyJil Jun 10th 2008 5:33AM
You say "TY, you've got a great team!"
You know, like an adult with an ounce of breeding and education.
RetPallyJil Jun 10th 2008 5:34AM
P. S. TY for the Wings/Flames pic. That was a fantastic series.
Go Wings!
Srevo Jun 10th 2008 6:19AM
Go Wings!
Mardoc Jun 10th 2008 6:57AM
Erm... go Wings!
Hurode Jun 10th 2008 12:21PM
Go Flames!
Wait a minute....
Blacksword Jun 10th 2008 6:17PM
Ewww Flames! GO Wings!.. Well.. Go anyone but Calgary!
Love Edmonton
thebitterfig Jun 10th 2008 8:56AM
when i used to play dota, i'd typically say "glhf" to start a match, and "gg" after any game. however, maybe it is possible in WoW, but the language barrier between horde and alliance makes this a little harder...
in some ways, bliz made it impossible to be a good sport about it...
ccagan Jun 10th 2008 8:33AM
Ah good old Hydraxis. Thanks for showing the true colors of my server bud.
Kuri Jun 10th 2008 8:42AM
What really riles me up is when not only are you outplayed and outgeared, but when you lose, the victor deems it necessary to /spit on you. Especially when I'm ganked, and put up enough of a fight that their friends have to come and finish it.
Worcester Jun 10th 2008 10:46AM
I hate that too. The only thing worse than a sore loser is a sore "winner".
While soloing in Outlands, I was attacked by a group of 5. I didn't instigate the fight, and I didn't really make much of an effort to fight back as I was clearly outnumbered. Yet they still felt the need to /kick my corpse.
The ganking I can deal with, but the extra bit of insult wasn't necessary.
Barrda Jun 10th 2008 8:59AM
@4
In BG's it easier to handle if you got a team that will cooperate. If I hear "X is a spitter" I go after X with a vengeance. Camp that dude at the GY if possible. If someone spits on me in BG's I call out "X is a spitter" sometimes I get support other times not.
Mykil Jun 10th 2008 9:25AM
I used to play on a PVP server and I ran into a number of folks who had /spit and /lol on macros specifically for being poor sports while ganking. I recall one rather pathetic ganker who was spamming his macro'd string of "insults" at me while I whittled away his health and killed him. Somehow it must have made him feel a little better about killing folks 20 levels lower than him to /spit and /lol.
Alternatively, I've ran into folks who put up a good fight, and afterwards either they or I will /salute (depending on who won and who is dead).