Preach’s latest video on toxicity in the game really hit home for me so I started thinking how we could fix that.
I know the default answer is to “join a guild” or “play with friends” but many people have quit the game over the general toxicity in the game so I believe it’s something worth trying to solve.
My idea: implement a “social ilvl” score.
Basically, every player would have a score that is like their own personal reputation. If you do something nice, people vote you up. If you do something bad, people vote you down.
OF COURSE, this has to be well thought out ahead of time so that this system doesn’t get abused. I’m not saying I have all the details worked out right this second.
A few thoughts:
- You can only vote on a person once you’ve been grouped with them for x minutes. (Prevents people from downvoting everyone willy nilly.)
- Once you vote on someone you get a “vote debuff” (like deserter’s buff) that prevents you from voting on anyone else for x amount of time.
- You can’t vote for the same person (up or down) more than once every 24 hours. (If people get heated and vote someone down, they do it once and have 24 hours to cool down.)
- Only x number of people can vote (up or down) for the same person in x amount of time. (Ex: max of 5 people can vote for the same guy within an hour. Prevents down vote spam.)
- I know elitist groups will form (ex: LFM, must be silvl 5000+), but I’m thinking this will encourage people to go out in to the world (of warcraft) and actually DO NICE THINGS for people to INCREASE their silvl. You could help lowbies run dungeons, assist with achievements, donate unneeded items (crafted etc), open a port when someone asks or even just sign their guild charter. The goal is to encourage people to GIVE BACK and do NICE THINGS to increase their social ilvl score. Hell put some in-game achievements that are related to your silvl (ex: Earn 5/25/50/100 up votes to your silvl etc.)
I’m not saying I have every detail worked out, but I think a system like this could work because:
- Like it or not, players judge other players by their “number” (be it ilvl or gearscore etc.) This system gives them a “number” but it’s not based on what gear they have but what actions they’ve done in the game and more importantly, how they’ve treated other players in the game.
- This gives toxic players a “cost” at being toxic. They will now have something to lose if they act like jerks.
Again, I understand a system like this would need to be well thought out before being implemented to ensure it doesn’t get abused. So let’s figure it out together (as a community). Don’t just say it won’t work because of xyz. Contribute a idea/suggestion/solution instead!
11 Likes
Remove anonymity between alts.
57 Likes
Aren’t they doing this in China?
30 Likes
I’ll pass. I’d rather not put my inclusion of this game into the hands of strangers
49 Likes
I have a guaranteed solution to toxicity.
- Don’t hang around toxic people
- People’s words can’t hurt you.
- Report threats of physical harm to authorities.
Remember what Eleanor Roosevelt said: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
There are toxic people. Don’t feed the trolls. Don’t acknowledge them. When you stop feeding a fire, it will go out. etc etc etc.
84 Likes
Yeah… But people all have different views on what is an isn’t acceptable. Forcing everyone to conform to a general bias of right and wrong will always end horribly.
Pretty much communism is what your asking for.
18 Likes
This is something I have been fighting for for many years.
6 Likes
Yep. It’s essentially the 1st episode of season 3 of Black Mirror, “Nosedive.”
Good watch.
13 Likes
or everyone could just grow up and ignore trolls and the toxicity fix them selves
24 Likes
Which is ironic given your crusades against other service on “privacy grounds”. Hypocritical too.
16 Likes
How about no. You have tools to ignore people. Use them. We don’t need a police system in play because people have fragile egos.
30 Likes
And there are rules/policies and enforcement of said policies, sometimes publicly, if people circumvent those tools too. Anyone remember the big thread about how a guy was “banned for World PvP!” and it turns out he was harassing people and bypassing ignores?
6 Likes
The largest problem I see with this system is it’s abuse over disagreements. People giving bad marks to tanks who pull to slow for their liking, dps who don’t pull the numbers they desire. Maybe a healer misses a mechanic and the dungeon group wipes. None of these are worthy of being marked down, but you know people will give them those bad marks.
14 Likes
“People vote” that right there is a sure way to get it abused.
12 Likes
You mean to tell me that the in game report features work? Shocking. Yeah, in game tools are enough.
11 Likes
They quit the game because of bad content, not bad people.
13 Likes
You have tools right now to deal with people you dont like.
We don’t need tools to somehow force millions of people to have personalities that suit you
23 Likes
Who… what? No. this seems like a terrible idea.
I’ve literally never run into an issue with toxic people that could not be handled by ignoring them or reporting them.
10 Likes
Dude I don’t want to deal with a social ilvl. If they implemented that mine would be in the negatives for sure after last night’s weekly LFR troll run.
3 Likes
What on this planet gives YOU the right to decide whats toxic?
15 Likes