The Daily Blues
by Adam Holisky 
Apr 21st 2010 at 11:10PM
The Daily Blues, now with neat looking player quotes. Also, BlizzPlanet is giving away 100 StarCraft II beta keys, it's a good opportunity to get your hands on one.
Table of Contents
Ghostcrawler
Ghost sent word that he's busy on his yacht enjoying his new iPad he bought with the money he made from giving everyone that damned pony.Other
Slorkuz -- Do people act in real life like they do in WoW?Quote:
Do people act in real life like they do in wow?
Do people act in real life like they do in wow?
I'll bite. Let's see if we can't get some constructive and intelligent debate going. Here's my 2cp:
Obvious jokes about "epic loot" IRL, and how some people use acronyms in speech, and cut to the question the OP is actually addressing: do people in general treat each other the same way in person as they do behind the veil of anonymity found on the internet?
This is clearly a somewhat subjective question, but I'd wager to say that the amount of people who act identically (bad) in both places are in the minority.
Keeping that in mind, the question of "why is it so?" quickly enters the fray; and from here on out we are talking about something that could be detailed in a University thesis study on human social behaviour. I suppose the condition to be met is; "do I think I can get away with [what I was going to do]?"
The ideal world would have the entire online community follow the same mentality as if anonymity did not exist; and that the community as a whole shunned those who behaved in ways considered unacceptable; but that is, as stated, an ideal world. However, It does not mean that we should not aim to do just that though. In the vast majority of cases the mentality of the community will shape the behaviour of the community far more effectively than a totalitarian retroactive "police" approach.
The question up for debate then becomes; how does one influence the community as a whole to make better choices, and to treat each other nicer? Let's hear your thoughts!
Vaneras -- Celestial Steed model scalingWe acknowledge that the Celestial Steed can seem a little out of proportion when especially some of the bulkier races are riding it, and this is something that is being looked into.
Ancilorn -- Lil 'XT SoundsThe next client patch should make it so that only the pet owner will be able to hear the audio coming form the pet, akin to other pets like Lil' K.T.
Ancilorn -- Upgrade original backpackQuote:
...any news on whether we'll ever be able to upgrade the original backpack?
...any news on whether we'll ever be able to upgrade the original backpack?
We think about this one all the time, be it an upgrade to the backpack, or making it replaceable by larger bags. We'd just have to be careful to not make it possible to have no bags equipped at any given time, because that would get messy. No guarantees on this one, but do know we're considering it. :)
Drysc -- Horde to Alliance ratiosQuote:
how to even up all the servers ? I am so tired of 75 alliance per 1 Horde on my server that is how out numbered we are. We hardly ever have wintergrasp. I know some where on other servers its opposite but most likely very rare. Blizzard fix this, Bg's are a joke for the ruin and nightfall battle groups, world pvp doesnt happen. And if it does happen we are really out numbered bad.
how to even up all the servers ? I am so tired of 75 alliance per 1 Horde on my server that is how out numbered we are. We hardly ever have wintergrasp. I know some where on other servers its opposite but most likely very rare. Blizzard fix this, Bg's are a joke for the ruin and nightfall battle groups, world pvp doesnt happen. And if it does happen we are really out numbered bad.
The average alliance to horde ratio for Trollbane is 1.08:1. That doesn't take into account things like player participation, character level, interest in certain activities such as world PvP, etc. but the actual ratio is pretty much even.
We do what we can to encourage faction equality though. If any situations arise that require our intervention we do so. We've had realm transfers that only allow one faction to move, we've shut down character creation for a single faction. We have methods to help balance realms or even battlegroups and we do use them, for all US realms at current and especially in this case though I wouldn't characterize it as needing that level of intervention.
Ancilorn -- New Fan Art: BlackToday we feature some of oPeX's artwork with a piece entitled: Black! The Scourge stand no chance against this mighty member of the Horde!
http://eu.blizzard.com/en-gb/community/fanart/index.html
We're always looking for new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.
http://eu.blizzard.com/en-gb/community/fanart/rules.html
http://eu.blizzard.com/en-gb/community/fanart/index.html
We're always looking for new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.
http://eu.blizzard.com/en-gb/community/fanart/rules.html
Blizzard
- Mac Beta and Map Editor coming in the next StarCraft II beta release
- StarCraft II beta invite with GameStop pre-order
- BlizzPlanet's 100 StarCraft II Beta Key Giveaway
- Analyst ponders impact of MW2 'Stimulus Package' pricing and success
Filed under: The Daily Blues
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Squatstopee Apr 21st 2010 11:24PM
I don't understand the online vs offline community aspect of WoW. I played FFXI for two years and the community is nothing like WoW. Asshats generally get nowhere in that game, likely due to having active GMs that patrol invisibly(sometimes dropping the cloak) in populated areas soling out punishments. Having said that GMs aren't the only reason as the playerbase seems much more mature, likely due to the huge grind and timesink the game is.(some have played since release and still don't have full BiS due to game mechanics)
Kylenne Apr 22nd 2010 12:09AM
I've said this a million times, but the community on FFXI is probably the thing I miss most about that game. Honestly with WoW, I think it's a combination of the Ease-of-Use and the sheer numbers of people playing (more people involved = more chances for douchebags). The kind of immature jerkass that makes decent people's lives miserable on WoW gets turned off by the steep learning curve and lack of real instant gratification in FFXI, and I really think that's why the playerbase is more mature.
Plus, in a game where you can literally solo your way to the level cap and not have to deal with anyone else at all, the lone wolf mentality sets in and you don't really have to treat people like human beings. OTOH, on a game like FFXI where you pretty much have to play nicely with others by design, douchebags get singled out and shunned fairly quickly. You can't go it alone on FFXI and really expect to get anywhere, so there's a strong incentive to behave yourself. On WoW, being a dick really has no negative consequences. The worst that'll happen is you won't be invited to PuGs, but a server transfer/name/faction change will take care of that.
Don't get me wrong, I love WoW, but the very things that make it so attractive in terms of gameplay are the things that make it so awful from a community standpoint. I'm hoping the guild changes in Cataclysm will help the situation a bit, by giving people more of an incentive to stick together. But I'm not holding my breath.
--Kariza of (the late ;_;) Midgardsormr, RDM/WHM
onetrueping Apr 22nd 2010 12:36AM
Actually, I think it has more to do with the fact that you pay for each FFXI character, cannot easily change your character's name, and are likely to be using only that character for the entirety of your playtime (with a few hardcore exceptions). When you can so easily change your name and face, pissing a few people off isn't going to matter, is it?
Lemons Apr 22nd 2010 1:27AM
I honestly don't believe a larger grind makes people more mature. Some of the most "hardcore" people in WoW are also the biggest jerks, even though the play/grind more than anyone else.
I'm leaning towards onetrueping's explanation. It's really easy in WoW to make some little alt and troll trade, but if you pay for each character then you would want to keep up a good reputation because if that character gets shunned by the community you just wasted real money.
Squatstopee Apr 22nd 2010 1:37AM
Paying for extratoons isn't a big deal really. Anyone who plays ffxi fortoo long has a few toons for nothing more than storage. The long grind which is basically grouping up and sitting in one spot farming mobs for xp can take some classes upwards of 6 months to a year if you include getting your choco license, tenshodo pass, gaining sea and sky access for a new toon. Now if you act like an ass and get banned do you really want to do all that to get back to where you were at previously? Not discounting the rare drops off of monsters that spawn once every 8-72 hours. IMHO it's not character cost, it's the grind which keeps players in check. Act an ass and never get groups or be cool and get re invites when you log in?
onetrueping Apr 22nd 2010 3:37AM
It's not the monetary cost so much (it's only a bit more than a dollar, after all), but the sheer amount of effort put into that character. Again, not the grind, but the fact that that character represents ALL of your playing alts. To ignore you, most people only have to ignore one or two characters, which enforces the whole responsibility part rather well.
Also, it's not the grind, per se, that makes FFXI hard. It's that it is HARD. Starting fairly early, you learn that, unless you group with people you can rely on, and do so regularly, you WILL have a harder time of it. A fully-functioning party can easily take on groups of monsters that would, with one fewer member, wipe them, resulting in a faster EXP grind. A small group or single person has a very hard time of it, and finds themselves getting negligible EXP for fighting monsters that are BELOW them in difficulty, just to survive.
FFXI is a harsh game, and the camaraderie is enough to pull people together and encourage them to help each other up. Besides, we all need to team up against those accursed Japanese players!
cowfodder Apr 21st 2010 11:24PM
May the banhammer strike true.
Adam Holisky Apr 21st 2010 11:25PM
To ban or not to ban -- that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to moderate
The slings and arrows of outrageous trolls,
Or to take arms against a sea of lolcats
And, by opposing, end them. To ban, to comment
No more – and by a comment to say we end
The heartache and the thousand natural frost shocks
That flesh is heir to – ‘tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wished. To ban, to comment
To comment, perchance to win a contest.
Ay, there's the rub,
For in that ban of death what dreams may come.
dodgeballer2005 Apr 21st 2010 11:25PM
False and Homosexual.
Ah, but I kid. Prepare for an onslaught of thumbs downs though. Nobody gives if you're first or not. X, Y, and Z are what the kids want these days.
Jay Apr 21st 2010 11:43PM
What is wrong with homosexuals you redneck homophobic jerk?
Sintraedrien Apr 21st 2010 11:50PM
The Bard class - It Is Real!!!
Sintraedrien Apr 21st 2010 11:51PM
The Bard class - It is Real!
Eternauta Apr 21st 2010 11:59PM
@Jay:
Don't get mad, dude. He was just trying to rephrase "fake and gay" in order to sound original, which he didn't, as you can guess from his almost blacked out post.
onetrueping Apr 22nd 2010 12:02AM
How to get people to act in WoW like they do in real life? Simple. Have consequences tied to accounts instead of characters. If your account (not easily or cheaply replaced) is in jeopardy, and not your character (easily replaced or cloaked behind smaller alts), then you might behave better. Have this apply to ignore lists, and color an ignored player's character name a different color so you can easily recognise them, and bingo. Anonymity no more, and an easy way to keep the fools out of your guild, PUG, or what have you.
pwherman Apr 22nd 2010 5:05PM
"Have consequences tied to accounts instead of characters."
This makes so much sense. After all, it's usually the behavior and attitude of the player, apart from each of their characters, that is the issue.
Angus Apr 22nd 2010 12:37AM
@Adam:
FEELINGS!
WOE WOE WOE FEELINGS!!!!
(I just can't hear that without the Calvin and Hobbs strip barging its way in.)
Angus Apr 22nd 2010 12:38AM
I'm sure someone linked the Greater Internet F-wad theory from Penny Arcade in there.
It holds true.
Tripike Apr 22nd 2010 1:57AM
Done! ;D
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19/
Lemons Apr 22nd 2010 1:14AM
"...any news on whether we'll ever be able to upgrade the original backpack? No guarantees on this one, but do know we're considering it. :)"
Grrr. It has been long enough Blizz! They really need to get a few things off "the table" and commit themselves to them and this is one of them. Such a basic thing too. I wonder how long this will go on...
"So...now that it's the 6th expansion and we all have 34 slot bags can we plz have a way to upgrade our 16 slot backpack?"
"This is something we igno- I mean, talk about a lot. Just wait another six expansions and we'll see what happens :)"
onetrueping Apr 22nd 2010 3:48AM
This is where Blizzard needs to pull a page from the FFXI book, actually. Sure, you can increase your bag space. Do you have enough rep? Great! Go get me these five rare and expensive items from level 60 mobs and nodes. You brought the stuff? Fantastic! Two more slots!
Level 65 comes around... Hey, want another two slots?
The best bet would be to involve rare tradeskill items that have to be refined in some way by a crafter to make the backpack. Say, an Enchanted Thorium Bar, a Huge Emerald, a Cured Rugged Hide, a Bolt of Mooncloth, and a Nexus Crystal. Just up the items for rare things you can get every five levels or so.