Mentality Shift.

[Merpish]

This is something that's been making me think for some time, and I think I've been able to pin point an answer but in reality, there are many different variables I've yet to consider.

I've been thinking about how the change in mentality for some players has changed, specifically analyzing the section of the player base that is relatively new to the game, either leveling their first character to cap, or those that have recently capped a character and have been playing for less than 12 months.

I've noticed a shift that players tend to be ruder than those that have been playing the game for a longer period of time (this data is 100% subjective as it is from my own experience leveling toons through dungeons or trying to help people understand the game at endgame content.) I am having an difficult time understanding why this would be, as I would tend to think that players would be more likely to receive help instead of turning it away with a slew of profanity.

Of course some "Newbs" will be more likely to accept help, but I have found that those that are generally older, 15-18 let's say, than those of a younger age, 10-14.

My real question is why this might be, and does it have something to do with how many of the older players (older used lightly) have experience in an online community where it is often the norm to be incredibly rude?

TL;DR: Why are Newbs ruder when they are older than younger?

[Tziva]

I have not seen this correlation. You might have experienced this but I don't think a case could be made for this being universally true. In my experience, lots and lots of people are rude on the internet because it's anonymous and there are no repercussions. Lots of people are nice, and helpful, and civil to other players. I don't think player age or when they joined the game is really relevant.

(for that matter, how many people do you know that are genuinely new to WoW recently? Or that are really 10 years old? I don't think young kids now are attracted to ten year old game, nor are player seeking out a new MMO experience picking it. I think there are very very few genuine new people in the game.)

[Frozenbeef]

I don't go around asking people how long they have played... are you just listening to people be rude in trade chat and assuming they have played longer/shorter or something? :s

[sarecho]

i started playing on day 1 and have been banned for essentially being "too rude" a few times. my take is that old school players who didn't have their hand and dick held throughout every part of the game the first 4 years take issue with the crybabies who login expecting something new to just fall in their lap every day. it's hard to be nice to people you genuinely see as useless and a plague on the game. it's hard to be nice to people who you feel tore the game to shit and back because big sub numbers > gameplay

whether that is true or not, i feel like that and don't really care to hide it in game. when some lazy shit asks for free embersilk bags after sitting afk in sw all day talking, it makes me want to hurt him. in my hand i picture some too-skinny suburban kid who dresses like a wannabe rapper and has a skateboard he can't grind one single rail on.

i think older players are less nice because of this

[TheTaurenOrc]

TL;DR: Why are Newbs ruder when they are older than younger?

Can't say I have experienced the same situation, because I generally don't know how old or how long someone has been playing for when they are being a dick. Its just ignore, move on.

But in general people don't like being told they are wrong or what to do, and the older you get the less you get told that.