20 replies to this topic

[TheBuzzSaw]

A fundamental problem with trying to address "trolls" is in trying to address the general concept of playing with strangers. Frustration always emerges from unmet expectations. When you play with someone you do not know, you are bound to have disagreements on how the game "should" be played.

Basically, I think the concept of playing with strangers is pretty stupid (short of entering a tournament to prove you are objectively the best player). I make sure that my real-life friends are getting into the game with me. Obviously, that cannot ALWAYS be the case, so I try to participate in guilds and sub-communities where possible. It's definitely good to address trolls as best you can; no one likes a community overrun by jerks, but eventually players need to accept that playing with strangers leads to inevitable frustration.

We just have this general idea that "playing with people is more fun than playing with robots". Well, it's true that human players make for more interesting gameplay, but too many games bank on that mentality alone.

I'm not a troll, but I will never enter a community that forces me to expose my real identity. These are games, not applications for travel visas.