I'm really struggling here...

[Bearded Sith]

I've played WoW steadily since close Vanilla Beta. I've been invited to nearly every closed Beta/Alpha since the game was released. I'm one of the lucky ones who was sent the Orc statue by Blizzard for their anniversary several years ago.

Needless to say, I've been a die-hard WoW fanatic since 2004.

I've played through all the highs, all the lows, and through all the screams by internet trolls saying "THE GAME IS DEAD". Hell, I made it through WoD without so much as a blurp in my steady play.

But now...

Now is so hard to log in. I'm honestly starting to feel like all the overly negative internet trolls and really want to scream "THE GAME IS DEAD". Ugh.

In the last couple of months, I've been trying several other games out there. I've maxed myself out in Division 2, been playing some Divinity: Original Sin 2, good bit of FFXIV, and other single player games here-and-there. Having played a good bit of FFXIV I learned a really valuable lesson regarding WoW. It's just so toxic compared to other games out there. FFXIV, for example, has an incredibly helpful, polite, and kind community where everyone understands people are new at times. They know people make mistakes. They know people just aren't perfect. Mistakes are made, everyone moves on without drama or emotional outbursts, and life is good.

Then I logged back into WoW to heal an LFR. Yeah yeah, I know what you're going to say, LFR is probably the most toxic of toxic places in WoW and should be flogged for it's crumminess, but ya know what, other games have "LFRs" too. And they just aren't as toxic or negative. While in the LFR, someone made a mistake, not sure who or what mistake was made, but a mistake was made and a couple people died. A good portion of the people in the group immediately became irate and starting berating this person endlessly, not bothering to "Vote to kick", they simply wanted to vent their frustrations in the most toxic and overly negative and harmful way possible. They WANTED to "hurt" this person on a very personal level. When I brought up everyone's toxicity in chat, I was essentially berated myself.

This very well could be an extreme example, but it's the one I'm stuck with.

I'm a big boy. I'm 46, retired military, and spent most my life in emotionally charged and "tough" situations while serving. Now I work with legal mediation services as a volunteer, and have extensive training (as part of my Master's Degree) with online bullying. I'm used to it. I can take it, I can dish it, but not everyone is like me. This behavior can really have a lasting effect on people. And the ambiguity of being behind a computer monitor allows this type of bullying to occur with an unsettling frequency, without consequence to their actions.

After this happened, I went back to some other game communities and posted similar stories, asked in-game regarding this situation, just to see how others would react, and for the most part, the answer I got, resoundingly, was "that's why we don't play WoW". WoW as a game might be going through some tough times with its content droughts, it's lack of interesting game mechanics, or whatever else you can pin on the development team behind the game. But time and time again, it always comes back to the general level of toxicity that exists within the WoW community as being the key factor that drives people away from the game. Sure, many of you will/could give me numerous examples of personal triumph over the internet trolls of the world, or how that's not at all what drove you away from the game, but the fact remains that MANY people ARE being driven away from WoW due to the community negativity and toxicity.

NOTHING will kill WoW more than a toxic community. Not bad mechanics, lack of content, or crappy raids. People will still show up for those. There are die hard's out there, like me, who will always try to "make it work". But when it comes to toxicity and flagrant negativity, nothing more could be the signal of the downfall than the community turning on each other. Eventually WoW will be good again (hopefully!). But without players coming in, trying to pick the game up, learn it for the first time, or even trying to see what all the the hype's about, WoW will never succeed.

This is a systematic issue with more than just a select few within the community. For the love of the game, be kind. Be patient. Be forgiving. Teach, foster, and mentor others around you. It's easier to achieve success through positive reinforcement rather than negative reinforcement. If we want a robust community, we have to do OUR part to encourage others to come here. Blizzard does their part, and we do our part.

TL;DR - Stop being a douche (if you are), or stop others from being douches.

[Rendark]

If you're having a hard time just logging in then maybe you should stop. Come back when/if the game is better.

[Vargulf the Happy Husky]

Stop being a douche (if you are), or stop others from being douches.

i pay the same subscription you do and you can't tell me how to act towards others. people suck shit all day long irl, and the internet is where a lot come to blow that negativity back into society. you handed it to us, we're handing it back.

[Sencha]

How can you make mistakes in LFR where you can literally stand in the fire?

[Bearded Sith]

If you're having a hard time just logging in then maybe you should stop. Come back when/if the game is better.

You read the first couple lines of my post and stopped there.

- - - Updated - - -

i pay the same subscription you do and you can't tell me how to act towards others. people suck shit all day long irl, and the internet is where a lot come to blow that negativity back into society. you handed it to us, we're handing it back.

Just curious, what's your character name in game.

- - - Updated - - -

How can you make mistakes in LFR where you can literally stand in the fire?

With good gear, yes. When you're new, no. Conversely, why not educate them to NOT stand in the fire so they can move up the raiding tier ladder to raid more difficult stuff and be a more "useful" raid to our community? Teach. Foster. Encourage.

[Vargulf the Happy Husky]

Just curious, what's your character name in game.

Harddickinscider

[Devilyaki]

i pay the same subscription you do and you can't tell me how to act towards others. people suck shit all day long irl, and the internet is where a lot come to blow that negativity back into society. you handed it to us, we're handing it back.

And they pay the same sub too. It’s to play the game and not to harass others over stupid things. Pretty sure it’s against to terms of use that all agree to as well.

[GhostShaman]

I've played WoW steadily since close Vanilla Beta. I've been invited to nearly every closed Beta/Alpha since the game was released. I'm one of the lucky ones who was sent the Orc statue by Blizzard for their anniversary several years ago.

Needless to say, I've been a die-hard WoW fanatic since 2004....

I am in the same boat. I was in the file planet beta in 2003. Been playing for a long time, however my "issues" started back in MOP. I have come to realize that I am no longer the target demographic for this game. I can ignore the the "toxicity" of the community, but what I cant ignore are the changes to the game. This new design trinity of "Gate, Daily, RNG" just hits me wrong in a lot of aspects. I finally gave up after 6 months of BFA, unless fundamental changes are being made, I am not going to sub or buy any future expacs. My suggestion for you is to stop. Honestly, to blizzard you are a number, and nothing more. If enough players stop paying for what they dont like, then maybe things will change. It will be the best decision you have ever made, and save you money in the process.

[Wangming]

Dude (if you allow someone more than 10 years younger than you to call you dude)
I think these comment prove that the WoW community is going to stay at 4chan levels no matter how hard you ask.
See you during Shadowbringers early access

[Stooned]

i pay the same subscription you do and you can't tell me how to act towards others. people suck shit all day long irl, and the internet is where a lot come to blow that negativity back into society. you handed it to us, we're handing it back.

Not really a community then, is it? But nice job on highlighting what is wrong with the game's community - toxic vitriol.

OP - same. The toxicity of the community, particularly EU realms, is distracting and really just underpins the biggest problem with the game: the current players. But you should stop playing. I did. I follow the story, and I enjoy it. But I do not play. The game is not worth playing anymore, because the community is toxic, supine and base in a lot of ways. Not to say there aren't exceptions to the rule: there are some wonderful people in the game, and long standing guilds are the best for that. But sadly, positive aspects to the game within the community, where they once were the rule, are exceptions now. Just not a great place to enjoy yourself.

[Thunderbleem]

i pay the same subscription you do and you can't tell me how to act towards others. people suck shit all day long irl, and the internet is where a lot come to blow that negativity back into society. you handed it to us, we're handing it back.

lol "NOBODY UNDERSTANDS ME, IT'S ME AGAINST THE WORLD"

Grow up, kid.

[justandulas]

i pay the same subscription you do and you can't tell me how to act towards others. people suck shit all day long irl, and the internet is where a lot come to blow that negativity back into society. you handed it to us, we're handing it back.

Congrats on being a shining example of what’s wrong with the game, and world today. Your generation oozes toxicity.

Back in vanilla wow, there were trolls but most people were helpful good people.

Somewhere along the time lfr, lfd, crz, character transfers etc... players like this started showing their true colors. I wish Blizz would bite the bullet and say toxic players have no place in wow and start banning toxic players like the ones OP describes

[Schmilblick]

Congrats on being a shining example of what’s wrong with the game

No he's not, the game is shit right now, no need to blame him.

and world today. Your generation oozes toxicity.

Yeah, maybe for that, but humans have been shit since forever, it's just that the internet showed us that there are a lot more than what we thought.

[Thrif]

Having played a good bit of FFXIV I learned a really valuable lesson regarding WoW. It's just so toxic compared to other games out there. FFXIV, for example, has an incredibly helpful, polite, and kind community where everyone understands people are new at times. They know people make mistakes. They know people just aren't perfect. Mistakes are made, everyone moves on without drama or emotional outbursts, and life is good.

From what I remember, people used to be very friendly in early versions of wow as well, especially vanilla. Having a coherent server where you had a reputation and most people, at least at max level, knew each other helped a lot. It also required more co-operation in practically everything, which would attract people who enjoyed being social and dissuade people who weren't.

Nowadays, though, this game is being designed for people who wants to play the game as an anonymous in a single-player game and the only interaction you have with other people are to compare your e-peen raid logs, so the attraction and dissuading has become reversed pretty much, and we're left with people who enjoy comparing themselves to others as opposed to being social with others.

Imho obviously.

[justandulas]

No he's not, the game is shit right now, no need to blame him.



Yeah, maybe for that, but humans have been shit since forever, it's just that the internet showed us that there are a lot more than what we thought.

The game is crap now but that wasn’t the OP’s point was it? Plenty of crappy games have wonderful communities. Wows community seems to want to push new players away because they are unworthy or something.

It’s always the ones crying hardest about the mistakes of others that often make the biggest mistakes themselves.

It’s the person who can admit “my bad you guys” that you want to group with, not the mouth breather who pretends they are gaming perfection personified

And no, I’m old enough to remember the last 2 generations of internet gamers (90’s and 00’s). If wasn’t until the millennial generation came of age that internet toxicity turned ugly. Trolls used to be funny for instance, not cruel

[melzas]

Sorry OP, but I cannot sympathize with you. I can never understand why people care what random nobodies over the internet say about them, and this popular whine about toxic players seems extremely childish to me. I know what you feel is true and I'm not trying to belittle you, beacause being so soft and vulnerable must suck.

When I'm in LFR (where I go for transmogs) I don't even read the chat, it's so pointless. Same for random battlegrounds (which are way more toxic on average, than LFRs, random bgs are just full of whiners who would blame anyone and everyone but themselves for losing the bg). I really see no point talking to random nobodies, for all I care, matchmade group players are just advanced UI bots for me. If I want any meaningful social interaction I play with friends/guilds.

[Goldfingaz]

Congrats on being a shining example of what’s wrong with the game, and world today. Your generation oozes toxicity.

Back in vanilla wow, there were trolls but most people were helpful good people.

Somewhere along the time lfr, lfd, crz, character transfers etc... players like this started showing their true colors. I wish Blizz would bite the bullet and say toxic players have no place in wow and start banning toxic players like the ones OP describes

CRZ is where it starts, too many people lumped together thus you can't alienate people for acting like an internet troll. In real life if someone was acting the part, you'd simply ignore them, this CRZ however has made it incredibly difficult to do so as more and more people start it because of the lack of repercussions. In real life people could lose their jobs acting this toxic, but in a video game where they will run into you maybe 1-2 times they can do whatever they please. It's one of the biggest reasons I hated the idea of CRZ/LFR, it allows people's inner asshole to come out with little to no repercussions. Currently I'm hoping Classic stays away from such things as it originally didn't have them, this way the server communities can actual get back to civil communities, as people acting liek this will lose chances at getting into raids and dungeons.

However you will always have some people acting like this, ignore them, report them and move on.

Sorry OP, but I cannot sympathize with you. I can never understand why people care what random nobodies over the internet say about them, and this popular whine about toxic players seems extremely childish to me. I know what you feel is true and I'm not trying to belittle you, beacause being so soft and vulnerable must suck.

... proceeds to belittle the person.

When I'm in LFR (where I go for transmogs) I don't even read the chat, it's so pointless. Same for random battlegrounds (which are way more toxic on average, than LFRs, random bgs are just full of whiners who would blame anyone and everyone but themselves for losing the bg). I really see no point talking to random nobodies, for all I care, matchmade group players are just advanced UI bots for me. If I want any meaningful social interaction I play with friends/guilds.

I ignore the chat as well, but that doesn't mean there isn't a problem. Burying your head in the sand doesn't fix something that's broken, it just allows it to grow.

[Bearded Sith]

Harddickinscider

I truly feel pity for you. What has damaged you to the point of such douchiness? If you want, I can assemble some resources to aid you in working through your "issues".

[slime]

Couldn't be that after all these years it is just getting old to you?

Because honestly you take these morons that play wow opinion's with a grain of salt.

[Shaetha]

I am in the same boat. I was in the file planet beta in 2003. Been playing for a long time, however my "issues" started back in MOP. I have come to realize that I am no longer the target demographic for this game. I can ignore the the "toxicity" of the community, but what I cant ignore are the changes to the game. This new design trinity of "Gate, Daily, RNG" just hits me wrong in a lot of aspects. I finally gave up after 6 months of BFA, unless fundamental changes are being made, I am not going to sub or buy any future expacs. My suggestion for you is to stop. Honestly, to blizzard you are a number, and nothing more. If enough players stop paying for what they dont like, then maybe things will change. It will be the best decision you have ever made, and save you money in the process.

You... completely missed the point of the post. Also, you're complaining about things that always have been in the game in some form.

OT: I've been saying this since I realized it myself. It's always been that way. You can try to avoid it, but it's always been there. The difference is that matchmade content doesn't let you vet your groups, and you see more people on average. Those are the real differences. The shitheads were always shitheads and always there.

FFXIV only seems better because less people play it, but it exists there. Every few runs or so someone will leave or call vote dismiss after the first wipe in a full party, and the raids have been even worse in my experience. Not because the people are worse. Just because there are more of them.

It is what it is I guess. You gotta keep your positivism. Don't let them drag you down.