Game Chat

[Strife]

Concise description:

• So, here's the thing. I've noticed quite a bit of talk about players being offensive in the game chat. A way to possibly solve this is, if the accused is very abusive and goes beyond the boundaries of just trash talk, make an "Auto-Chat"(AC for now) system. The offender will be permanently or maybe temporarily muted from in-game chat unless they use the "AC." This would only allow them to say "Good luck, Good game, Nice Rolls : (, You suck, I was going for that" or something along those lines. Nothing too offensive but they can only communicate within the rules.
• I am suggesting this because obviously some of the language abuse cases have been ruled in different ways, and some have been questioned by the community. I also don't see things such as foul language to be overly offensive and have noticed people getting off on this. Obviously severe things might not be treated in such a loving manner.

Specifics:

• First the "AC" can be used by anyone, maybe the keyboard stopped responding or something to that effect.
• People would be able to send automated messages, if they cannot type for whatever reason, i.e. muted for chat or too lazy.
• There will still be a warning, including a temporary mute(24hrs-48hrs-72hrs) and this could be for the first three offenses of game chat abuse. After that a permanent game chat mute would be induced and they will only be allowed to send the pre-generated, pre-approved, messages.

This will improve the following aspects of the site:

• This will halt the abusers of game chat but allow them to still play instead of getting warned then banned.
• Also, it might allow users who cannot understand English or other languages to communicate by possibly having a language converting option or something.
• This would be a slightly better, in my opinion, resort for offensive game chat.

Side note: I searched and found nothing closely related, I apologize if I missed it.

So, any thoughts or feedback is appreciated.

[brutalsleeper]

Brilliant idea
one suggestion though maybe in-game players can vote to ban a certain person from chat inside that game only.This can stop annoying players who hasn't done any thing overly offensive.

[squishyg]

Love the OP. Wish I had typed it up first. This is a great way to give a "time out" to an offensive player without having them have to be completely silent, which could affect their rating. I also think it's helpful for non-English writers.

Not so crazy about brutalsleepers' additional suggestion. The mods are here for a reason. I don't really want the average player deciding who to censor and who not to censor.

[brutalsleeper]

Not so crazy about brutalsleepers' additional suggestion. The mods are here for a reason. I don't really want the average player deciding who to censor and who not to censor.

I know what your saying i just thought that players can take an active role in securing a fun game for them selves without bothering the mods on petty things (like a 5 year old who keeps repeating "yo mum")

[AndyDufresne]

This would essentially be like what some webgaming websites offer---I think MSN Zone or a few other similar websites have it where there is a predetermined and populated list of Commands/Responses/Welcomes/Congrats, etc, to prevent offensive material from going through.

I like the idea of the Temp Mute with Warning Levels.

There might be a problem with Team Games---since coordination is often based on specific regions and zones that are map specific. Thoughts on this?

Great idea though, I'd like to see it fleshed out more.


--Andy

[Kotaro]

I'd prefer a simple chat ban myself. As for the problem with Team Games, it's the same with the forum - abuse it and lose it. It's very annoying for tournaments and their organizers when people lose PM abilities, but it's their own fault.

[AndyDufresne]

Kotaro makes a good point in reference to Team Games.

In addition, he raises a good point as well for simple Game Chat Bans---which would be the route to investigate more thoroughly?

I've a feeling the one with less coding would be more popular with Lack.


--Andy

[Kotaro]

The (temp)-ban from all game chat would be better, tbh. A drop down button that says "good luck!" just seems kind of dumb, no offense.

[brutalsleeper]

Even in team games the auto chat could work it will just have to be less specific that the normal chat a banned play can say stuff like "attack the north east" and " Help me in the west". If possible you could add player names to auto chat so i could be "Attack <player name>" or " <player name> Is looking strong" all this kinda thing could be used to lower the impact made on games.

[squishyg]

Being able to chat with your teammate is essential. Therefore, if you are banned from all game chat, you should not be able to join team games. Barring that, perhaps you could be banned from public chat, but be allowed to chat privately with your teammate?

Drop down chat menu suggestions:

Good luck!
Good game!
Thanks
Nice move
I'm banned from chatting, so I'm limited in what I can write
How about that local sports team? I heard they won or lost an important game that affected their standing in the state, national, or world championship
I <3 mods

[Strife]

Well, thing is, I personally would probably never use it. I'm just saying that abusive game chat isn't really ban worthy to me, I just don't think that they should be kicked from the game for that, just not be able to say such offensive things.

I suppose maybe a "map specific" chat could be created but that seems like too much work. Also make "team specific" chat, but those two alone would be quite a bit of coding. It would not only need the regular chat but also those two if it were a team game. And at least the "map specific" and pre-approved chat for every game. I don't know if lack would like to do all of this just to set up a new system of rules, when I suppose the current works well enough(I think the current for this situation is a little too over the top just for game chat though). I kind of feel like this might be a "not broke don't fix" kind of deal.

The problem with still being able to chat privately is that there are some people who are still offensive to teammates.

And with the whole abuse it or lose it stance, you do lose it, but you would still be able to communicate, only within site standards though. You can only use lack-approved statements.

Edit: Also, maybe label the player as "Banned from Game chat, can only use the Auto-Chat" or something like that. So other players are already aware.

[Woodruff]

I'd prefer a simple chat ban myself. As for the problem with Team Games, it's the same with the forum - abuse it and lose it. It's very annoying for tournaments and their organizers when people lose PM abilities, but it's their own fault.

I find myself in complete agreement with Kotaro on this.

Being able to chat with your teammate is essential. perhaps you could be banned from public chat, but be allowed to chat privately with your teammate?

Now this is a possibility, if the coding is possible. Would be a very nice compromise, in my opinion.

[Kotaro]

<A whole lot of crap said>

What in the world is the point of a chat punishment and than the ability to communicate? Oh no, they can't swear, but they still get all the benefits as if they weren't being punished. Hurray!

[brutalsleeper]

When i first read the post i saw it not as a punishment for offensive users but as a way of making things better for those offended by them.

[Kotaro]

When i first read the post i saw it not as a punishment for offensive users but as a way of making things better for those offended by them.

It's another way to be lazy, yes, but it's also a punishment for abusing Game Chat, and honestly, a dumb one. If you're banned from making a post in the forum, you're not banned from that sub-forum; you're banned from all the forums, the PM's, and the Wall. Why should you be allowed to still coordinate with your teammates when you've abused your right to chat?

[squishyg]

Why should you be allowed to still coordinate with your teammates when you've abused your right to chat?

Which is why my first suggestion was to not allow people banned from chatting into team games.

[brutalsleeper]

Why should you be allowed to still coordinate with your teammates when you've abused your right to chat?

Which is why my first suggestion was to not allow people banned from chatting into team games.

Yeah that is probably a good compromise.

[Kotaro]

That would also be dumb. Being banned from chat s one thing, however, excluding them from the privileges they have actually paid for, is another completely.

[squishyg]

They could still play other games. How much would it suck to join a doubles game only to learn your partner can't communicate with you?

[AndyDufresne]

They could still play other games. How much would it suck to join a doubles game only to learn your partner can't communicate with you?

Would most certainly be a downer, and probalby turn a number of new users away if that was in some of their early experiences.


--Andy

[brutalsleeper]

They could still play other games. How much would it suck to join a doubles game only to learn your partner can't communicate with you?

Would most certainly be a downer, and probalby turn a number of new users away if that was in some of their early experiences.


--Andy

So the best answer to problem would be the OP,

[sully800]

Kotaro, please stop calling all ideas dumb. You can point out what you see as flaws without insulting the idea or the poster.

I think a total ban of game chat would be simpler and just as effective, so therefore it is more likely installed. I personally wouldn't like the drop down menus because I think people are already too robotic with their in game chat:

gl, hf
gg
yt!

Even if you write those words out it is boring and meaningless because people always say the same things. Therefore constraining people (even a few) to saying only certain things would worsen the problem. Then again, I understand that many people (myself included) would be more annoyed by complete silence. If that is the chosen route, it would be good to have an automated message, such as "XXXX is temporarily restricted from using the game chat". This would limit the number of unfair "silent" tags a player might receive while banned from chat.

In the end, the ignore list already handles this problem. It is more work for the individual user, but less work for the moderators to maintain. I'd like to see the ignore list still be used primarily, and game chat bans only used in repeated or particularly offensive cases.

[Kotaro]

Sully, keep your backhanded and trolling comments to yourself. If you have a problem with me, there is a private messaging system, trolling threads is unneccessary.

The ignore list is a cheap and bullshit way for mods to avoid the problem at hand. Users abuse the rating system, and are warned. Players abuse the Multiple account rule, and they are banned. People abuse users in the forums, and they are warned. Why should game chat be any different? And also, why should we users have to deal with the abuse of another player abusing us? It's your "job" as mods to protect us from that, and telling us to put them on an ignore list may hekp us, but it doesn't stop the problem. If there's a creeping person wandering around an elementary school, do the police take that person outside of it and tell them "Bad Creeper", or do they remove them from the building, ascertain their intentions, and possibly give them jail time for trespassing in an enviorment with children?

[squishyg]

The ignore list is a cheap and bullshit way for mods to avoid the problem at hand. Users abuse the rating system, and are warned. Players abuse the Multiple account rule, and they are banned. People abuse users in the forums, and they are warned. Why should game chat be any different? And also, why should we users have to deal with the abuse of another player abusing us? It's your "job" as mods to protect us from that, and telling us to put them on an ignore list may hekp us, but it doesn't stop the problem. If there's a creeping person wandering around an elementary school, do the police take that person outside of it and tell them "Bad Creeper", or do they remove them from the building, ascertain their intentions, and possibly give them jail time for trespassing in an enviorment with children?

This speaks to an interesting question. What is the role of mods? Are they indeed supposed to "police" the site or are they here more as hall monitors? To what extent should players be expected to participate in making this a more harmonious place to play? Kotaro, what do you see as the average player's responsibility towards building a community free of hostility/trolling/abuse?

[Kotaro]

This speaks to an interesting question. What is the role of mods? Are they indeed supposed to "police" the site or are they here more as hall monitors? To what extent should players be expected to participate in making this a more harmonious place to play? Kotaro, what do you see as the average player's responsibility towards building a community free of hostility/trolling/abuse?

show: Responce

However, my friend, we digress. If you wish to discuss it further, you can always PM me, but lets not give the moderators anymore reason to ban either you or myself for derailing a thread.