In-Game Etiquette
Dealing with People in the MMORPG Universe
Good feature of MMORPGs
You can interact with other players.
Bad feature of MMORPGs
You can interact with other players.
Ugly feature of MMORPGs
Other players can interact with you.
If you have stepped into the online world of an MMORPG, you know first hand that a wide swath of the general public plays these games. There are the civil, the not so civil, and the downright moronic represented in the player masses. So, how can you elevate yourself above the fray? Follow these five simple rules, and you'll be well on your way to respectability.
One of the biggest peeves I have in game is people who try to invite me to a party, or challenge me to a duel, or try to get me to join their guild without even speaking to me first. My reply is usually something like "Aren't you going to buy me dinner first?".
If you would like someone to join you in a quest, or if you're looking for someone to spar with, send them a private message, or announce your intentions in the general chat channels. If someone declines your invitation, do not try to invite them again, just move on. I'd be more willing to join up with someone who strikes up a conversation than someone who just shoves an invite at me.
Games have separate chat channels for a good reason. Players can monitor the channels they are interested in, and not have to deal with channels they could care less about. If you want to buy or sell something, use the trade channel. If you are looking for a group, use the looking for group channel. If these channels don't exist in the zone you're playing in, by all means use the general chat channel. But please don't try to buy and sell in the looking for group channel, or vice-versa.
If people are not interested in your messages, they do not want to see them repeated over and over again. A good general rule is that if you can see your last message in your chat window, it's too soon to repeat it. Wait until it scrolls off or it fades out. Even if I was remotely interested in what you had to say the first time you posted it, when I see it for the fifth time, I'm going to ignore you.
If someone sends you a private message, please reply to them promptly unless circumstances prevent this, such as you're in the middle of downing a boss. If someone is taking the time to send you a message about inviting you to a party, send a quick "nthx" if you're not interested. This will allow the other player to move on, and it's simply good manners.
5. When All Else Fails – Ignore.
More often than not, people are just going to be dumb, immature and stupid when chatting in game. There are those players who don't realize that they're being morons, then there are those players who are playing dumb to gather attention.
There is a very old internet phrase from the early days of forums and bulletin boards: Don't feed the trolls. A troll is someone who posts something to get a rise out of the masses or to get attention. By responding to these people, you are "feeding" the troll and giving him what he wants. Just ignore him. Don't respond to any of his posts, and if he gets very annoying, use the in-game Ignore function to remove him from your sights altogether. Mom was right when she said, "If you have nothing good to say, then don't say anything."
By S. Kristoff | VEESH Writer | MAY.01.08