What's the deal with all the crude & vulgar talk in the /2 lvl 1-9 channel???

[Rolend]

<p>Hi guys,</p><p>Recently decided to give EQ2 a go again... and I have to say I'm enjoying my experience, for the most part.</p><p>One thing I've read over and over on the forums and game discussion articles is the comment that "EQ2 caters to a more mature player/audience".</p><p>In some respects I've seen this and have had the opportunity to recently join a very nice and helpful guild...but I have been astounded and shocked by the manner of posts and conversations taking place on the general /2 1-9 Channel.</p><p>It's been at times the hight of crass and crude and vulgar imo. Now I'm no prude despite what you might think of me at the moment.</p><p>But imo there is a Time & Place for things...and an "open" channel that is viewed and payed attention to by many, especially potentially NEW players starting the game from scratch (like me) it is NOT the place for such discussions.</p><p>There are a few specific players that seem to "always" normally get the crude ball rolling with many others then jumping on board to add their abrasive comments. Most dealing with sex, race, gender (derogatory terms towards women in general) and/or politics and even religion...one could not ask for a better mix of all things that "should" be taboo in a general/public open chat.</p><p>I have yet in 3 weeks of play seen or heard of a GM being in observance or posting...I have voiced my opposition stating that I felt there was no need for this type of chat in an open channel or a game like EQ2. I was told to mind my own business and if I didn't like it, that was what the "Ignore" command was for.</p><p>I have since used this command and it has helped, but I'm sure that type of discussion is still going strong as I still see those that I have not blocked continue to make their low brow comments.</p><p>Yes I can "ignore" every person that I see that choses to behave and communicate this way and I can hide in my guild chat...BUT I can't shake the principle of the issue (in my mind) that this should NOT be the way of things...this should not be tolerated or allowed and I dare say become the norm.</p><p>Does the reference to a "mature gamers" equal slime balls that loves to stir the pot and offend every sensibility possible?</p><p>Do GM's exist and monitor such things?</p><p>Has anyone else noticed this...(I'm on Kithicor btw) on their server?</p><p>I'm aware of the RP server but imo that should not be the answer. </p><p>The answer in my opinion is that this is a Game, open to be played by a huge spectrum of ages young to old...and that this type of behavior should not be tolerated.</p><p>Anyway...just needed to voice my thoughts and opinion as this has been simmering beneath the surface for me for quite some time now.</p><p>Any thought?</p><p>Anything that can be done or is this the game world that the majority now feel comfortable to play?</p><p>I'd appreciate your thoughts, views and opinions on this subject.</p><p>Regards 2 All</p>

[Amise]

<p>I agree with you 100%, which is why I haven't used the public chat channels since I returned in 2007. There's enough bigotry in real life without being exposed to it in EQ2 as well.</p><p>And while I agree that it shouldn't be tolerated by players, or allowed by SOE, this is what the world is, and the game is a microcosm of the world in general. It's just the effect of having it jammed in your face so closely that makes it seem worse. It's tolerated in EQ2 because it's tolerated in the world at large, so trying to change it is going to be pretty ineffectual.</p>

[Brigh]

<p>The 1-9 channel is like that on many if not all servers. The PVP server Nagafen regularly will have someone start something and there goes the snowball (queue Jerry Seinfeld doing the, "oh here we go...", when someone says something Elaine didn't like).</p><p>Unfortunately this game does not have in-game chat channel moderators.</p><p>Eve Online in their Rookie and Help channels have volunteer moderators that are most active at certain times of the day, but most people don't sit in those channels due to the nature of the game not having a serverwide chat channel (those that don't know about Eve Online, it is one massive world...galaxy, not independant servers with copies of the same world for players to explore).</p><p>The only thing you can do is use the EQ II Rules of Conduct that you can read in the knowledge base, quote it, /report (name), and submit a petition for anyone violating it (which is done so much in these channels, from violating the profanity clause that states you may not use the filter as an excuse to do it, to spamming the channel scrolling the window, or the mentioned lewd/crude talk).</p>

[Saihung23]

<p>As much as I loath and have loathed it on every server....I keep it open.  There might be one newb or two there asking something in the midst of all the nonsense...and I want that player to get an answer.</p><p>1-9 is also where most of these immature people go to first when they start the game.</p><p>It stinks, hurry up and level to ten....though....10-19 chat is not without its "colorful" folks.</p><p>Sorry to hear of it bothering you.  If the chat gets absolutely out of hand or vulgar or people are being attacked verbally, use /report <charactername> <reason for report, i.e. vulgarity, abusing other players></p><p>Good Luck</p>

[Littlelove]

<p><cite>Rolend44 wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>But imo there is a Time & Place for things...and</p></blockquote><p>it's called college</p>

[Beldrin]

<p>There's one fatal flaw in your assumption, which cascades into a several logical falacies, and that is that children (or emotional equivalents thereof) are not making these comments themselves.</p><p>1 - When unmonitored without adult supervision, children, starting at around age 9 use worse language than surface fleet sailors on shore leave.  Half the words they say they don't even know what they mean.  Where do they get it? It's all around them. It's not just TV/Movies, it's online it's in video games, it's everywhere. It has been happening pretty much forever. Being exposed to swearing on EQ2 has about as much impact as hearing a couple of gang-bangers talk smack on a bus ride.  This is what soap-in-the-mouth was designed for.</p><p>2 - Your opinion about how others act does not count. Ever. The only thing that counts is your action. Vote, turn off the game channels, log off of voice chat, whatever.  How you feel or what you want to see and what you don't want to see is great.. if you're talking about someone who cares about your needs in the slightest. Most of us don't.</p><p>3 - Creating the illusion of your moral superiority through having a more demanding command of the english language is, in effect, an attempt to obtain some modicum of power over others.   Saying it's "for the kids" is an excuse. You're using children as the scapegoat to progress an agenda that is obviously a joke of a powergrab into changing how other people speak in public channels.</p><p>4 - Did you not swear when not being watched by adults as a child? Or talk about boobies? Or any number of other raunchy and taboo topics? No? Then perhaps you should step down from the mountain and see what the real world has to offer for a while, and perhaps you will capture a firmer grasp over what's real versus what you wish it to be.</p>

[Rijacki]

<p>Didn't we just have this discussion in a thread that was started on Sunday? <a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?topic_id=466179">http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/...topic_id=466179</a></p><p><cite>Rolend44 wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I was told to mind my own business and if I didn't like it, that was what the "Ignore" command was for.</p></blockquote><p>Actually this what the "/report [character] offensive chat in a public channel" command is for, followed with a "/petition" and then adding in additional details.</p><p>They expect most people to turn a blind eye to it and not /report or /petition and thus they expect to never get "caught". This kind of stuff increases around the times when SOE announces a reduced CS presence due to holidays or other such.</p><p>/report does a server side capture of a portion of your chat log and sends it directly to CS. /petition is a good follow up so you can add in extra information. /petition is also sent directly to CS. It's best to reference your /report in your /petition.</p>

[Araxes]

<p>@ beldrin ... dude.  Put the pipe down.  Good god, man.  LOL</p><p>@ the OP -</p><p>Best policy is to shut off 1-9 unles you are specifically seeking a group to mentor / creating a group. </p><p>The unfortunate problem in EQ2 right now is that there is no global LFG channel, so the 1-9 channel gets abused both as general chat and the catch-all LFG channel.  Therrefore you have people watching it for groups, and people advertising to it for groups, and then you have some monkey come in and start flinging poo, and then it all goes to hell.  <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>Just have to ignore it and not participate in it.  The reason people come into it and start things up is becuase they want a reaction.</p><p>Hopefully some time soon wwe will get an actual global LFG channel.  (Along with a global Guild channel for all that guild spam ... oh, and a global Mythical channel so I can shut off those ridiculous announcements after being forced to have them interrupt my play for 2 years.)</p><p><img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>Ara</p>

[Kiara]

<p>There's already a very lengthy discussion about the state of level chat here:  <a href="list.m?topic_id=466179">bored players trolling chat....sigh...</a></p><p>As the majority advise, when confronted with vulgar and socially unacceptable talk, please /report then /petition the people engaging in such chatter.  This gives us the opportunity to deal with the situation.</p><p>Then, use the /ignore ability <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>Thanks!</p>