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Making XBox Live Less Horrifying
Gamespy has an article talking about ways to make XBox Live a better place to play. The article lists ways to improve your relations with others and generally improve the community feel of the Live network. From the article: "Xbox Live isn't always a nice place. Everyone has horror stories about some of the things they've heard (or, in rare cases, seen) coming from some of the more 'unsavory' elements of the burgeoning online community. There's a good chance (especially if you play as much Halo 2 as I do) that you've heard more racist and homophobic comments than polite ones. Now, I'm certainly no prude, and there are plenty of moments when I'll spew a steady stream of profane invectives at whichever fool just blasted my avatar. Usually, it will be something along the lines of 'Oh man, &%&$# you, you $^%#& %$@&#! I should %*#(@ tear off your $*^%@^% head and %#@#*& it!' As the old saying goes, never trust anyone who doesn't swear."
When I'm on live and somebody makes a homophobic comment I respond with "How old are you? twelve?". Of course, many times they are, making the argument a little bit harder.
It also helps to remind people that they are spending their time playing videogames on the internet. This typically usurps any delusions they have about being "the shit" and makes it easier to make your point. The anonymity can give people delusions of granduer.
System.out.println(syynnapse.getSig());
but then I saw this.
Latewire
Is to be able to play XBox Live with people who have been verified as:
- older than 18, 21, 25, etc...
- graduated from college
- Graduate Students
- Ivy League Grads
- whatever...
I don't care what the criteria is, but I don't socialize with high schoolers in real life. Why should I be forced to in XBox Live?
already there, its the "feedback" system. cursing, cheating, screaming, etc are all options
first they get a temporary ban, habitual griefers get a service cancelation
the problem is, that its not automatic, staff have to evaluate each "problem case" when enough negative karma is acrued, then monitor the player's behaviour, so its a slow process
May you be touched by His Noodly Appendage. RAmen.
I think anyone who comes out with anything racist or homophobic should be shot with a real gun.
Ah yes, the sweet smell of tolerance.
That's what I had in mind, something that other users can see and use to decide whether or not they want to play with other people.
Before I decide to waste time with some anonymous person, it would be helpful if I saw something like this:
I'd probably avoid that person. The temporary suspension of someone's account doesn't help me as a player decide whether or not I want that person as an opponent or as a teammate. The account cancellation does, but that's only used as an extreme last resort, and only after the person has already caused a lot of damage. The beauty of the system is that it would be automatic; no game admins would have to get involved except under really weird circumstances.
Using a system like this, players will generally behave not because they're afraid of being banned, but because they're afraid of being ostracized and publically displayed as an asshole.
It's kind of like an idea I'd like to see implemented for drivers, something I call the "Stupid System." By law, everyone's car has to have a stupid meter installed in the window, which is a receiver. Everyone who wants one is also given a stupid transmitter. When you're driving, if someone does something really stupid, like cutting across three lanes in front of you because they weren't paying attention and were about to miss their exit, then you can use your stupid transmitter to tag their car. After they receive a certain number of stupid tags from different people based on the population in their area, they get a traffic ticket. After a higher threshhold, they lose their license. The number of stupid tags a person has at any given time is displayed on the stupid meter, so that other drivers will know what they're dealing with.
Anyone who has been playing online games for any length of time knows that Xbox live isn't the only place where this is a problem. You're just as likely to get cursed at, called faggot/nigger/spic/etc., or stomped down by cheaters in any online PC game. Xbox live is just worse because so many games default to broadcasting the voices of other players, which is one of the worst design decisions a game manufacturer can make.
/ignore people with little effort.
This is one area where MMORPGs shine. Because the servers often track the last few lines of a player's chat, players who prattle on like this too often tend to get complained about so often that they simply get banned. It's also nice to be able to permanently