It will be interesting to see though how many of those getting hit with enforcement are also the same people praising the social contract currently. They think it’s just a reiteration of current rules, but it’s much more vague than the TOS and will allow for more broad interpretations of what the rules are when they are enforced.
Like, I keep pointing this out but Conan Exiles is a good example of this currently. They have what is known as the “report meta” now because Funcom has gotten more and more vague on what the rules are. So you now have people getting bans for “blocking resource spawns” for building in areas where basic resources spawn like trees and rocks because they get reported by mega tribes.
But some people just need to touch the stove before they believe that it’s hot and shouldn’t touch it.
Totally agree… Blizz needs to take responsibility for the culture it has fostered. Start with adding better moderation to this forum and the “Social Contract” might actually be something besides a meme.
I would not say it is more vague than what we currently have.
This is the Current in-game Code of Conduct for all Blizzard games.
Communication
When participating in communication of any kind (chat, voice communication, group finder), you are responsible for how you express yourself. You may not use language that could be offensive or vulgar to others.
Hate speech and discriminatory language is inappropriate, as is any obscene or disruptive language. Threatening or harassing another player is always unacceptable, regardless of language used. Violating any of these expectations will result in account restrictions. More serious and repeated violations will result in greater restrictions.
This is the “Social Contract” section that is enforceable
We recognize that the Internet is not always a safe haven. With that in mind, please note that the following behaviors are not accepted in Azeroth:
Hate speech, including negative comments that target another player’s identity, including aspects like race, gender, or ability
Harassment, threats, or abusive / derogatory language and behaviors
Spamming, advertising, or other disruptive behaviors
If you harm your fellow adventurers with any of the above behaviors, you are subject to punishment up to and including suspension of your account.
The forum Code of Conduct is what is pretty specific, but even that has tons of room for Blizzard to decide intent despite poster creativity/spelling. https://us.battle.net/support/en/article/256989
All of it still boils down to the same thing though
People just need to remember to be polite in public chats/groups. We don’t have to help anyone, be friends with anyone, etc. We just have to not type profanity/slurs/etc. at them. I have no concerns that I will end up in trouble. I was brought up to recognize that there is a time and a place for things - and that public is a place to be polite to strangers.
Little things like not designing quests to enable one player to snipe the quest item, which immediately despawns while another is still fighting the mobs that were camping it. Is this the kind of game design you want? Because it’s the kind of game design that encourages toxic gameplay, while designing the same quest so the quest item didn’t despawn would be allowing players to work together. The second player could choose to help or not. But where the item doesn’t despawn, the first player isn’t screwed over if he doesn’t.
That’s the kind of gameplay that doesn’t “force” you to be nice to other people. But I guess if you want to be able to troll others and inconvenience them through creative use of game mechanics that have been put there for antisocial players to use for that purpose, then you like that mechanic and want it to stay.
Well, you agreed to the rules, which have been about the same since 2004.
Original WoW Name and Chat rules from 2004
Original User Manual from 2004 https://bnetcmsus-a.akamaihd.net/cms/template_resource/LO0VQ46XB1281555957773363.pdf - which has the EULA at the end. It points to the requirements for accepting Terms of Use with the website for it. I selected the first archived Wayback Machine TOU for WoW from 2004. I have copied out the relevant sections for you. Yes, it included hateful names and speech.
As with all things, World of Warcraft is governed by certain rules of conduct that must be adhered to by all users of World of Warcraft. It is your responsibility to know, understand and abide by these rules of conduct. The following rules are not meant to be “exhaustive,” and Blizzard Entertainment reserves the right to determine what conduct it considers to be outside the spirit of the game and to take such disciplinary measures as it sees fit. Blizzard Entertainment reserves the right to add to or amend this list of rules at any time, and you are responsible for checking these Terms of Use for any newly amended or posted rules each time that you log on.
A. Rules Related to User Names.
Each user will select a user name for his or her character, or allow the World of Warcraft software to select the name for him or her. Additionally, users may form “guilds” and such guilds will be required to choose a name for the guild. When you choose a user name, create a guild, or otherwise create a label that can be seen by other players of World of Warcraft, you must abide by the following guidelines as well as the rules of common decency. If Blizzard Entertainment, in its sole discretion, finds such a label to be offensive, it reserves the right to change the name, remove the label and corresponding chat room, and/or suspend your use of World of Warcraft.
In particular, you may not use:
Names of another person with the intent to impersonate that person;
Names which incorporate ‘swear’ words or which are otherwise offensive, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, hateful, or racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable;
Names subject to the rights of any other person without authorization;
Names of popular culture or media personalities;
Names that are trademarks, or registered trademarks of Blizzard Entertainment or other companies);
Names of religious deities or figures;
Names of characters from Blizzard Entertainment’s Warcraft products, including character names from the Warcraft series of novels; or
Names related to drugs, narcotics, or criminal activity, including references to drug substances; or
Name comprised of partial or complete sentences (e.g., “Inyourface”, “Welovebeef”, etc);
Names comprised of pure gibberish (eg, “Asdfasdf”, “Jjxccm”, “Hvlldrm”);
Names that refer to pop culture icons or personas (e.g. “Britneyspears”, “Austinpowers”, “Batman”)
Names that utilize “Leet” or “Dudespeak” (e.g., “Roflcopter”, “xxnewbxx”, “Roxxoryou”)
Name that incorporate titles. The term “Titles” as used herein shall include ‘rank’ titles (e.g. , “CorporalTed,” or “GeneralVlad”) and/or fantasy titles (e.g., “KingMike”, “LordSanchez”)
Additionally, you may not use a misspelling or an alternative spelling to circumvent the name restrictions listed above, nor can you have a “first” and “last” name that, when combined, violate the above name restrictions.
B. Rules Related to “Chat” and Interaction With Other Users.
Communicating with other Users and Blizzard Entertainment representatives is an integral part of World of Warcraft and is referred to in this document as “Chat.” Your Chats may be subject to review, modification, and deletion without notice by Blizzard Entertainment. Additionally, you hereby acknowledge that Blizzard Entertainment is under no obligation to monitor Chat and you engage in Chat at your own risk. When engaging in Chat in World of Warcraft, or otherwise utilizing World of Warcraft, you may not:
(i) Transmit or post sexually explicit images or other content or language which in the sole discretion of Blizzard Entertainment is deemed to be offensive; nor shall you transmit any unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, hateful, or racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable content or language, nor may you use a misspelling or an alternative spelling to circumvent the content and language restrictions listed above;
(ii) Carry out any action with a disruptive effect, such as cause the Chat screen to “scroll” faster than other users are able to type to it, including setting up macros with large amounts of text that, when used, can have a disruptive effect on the normal flow of Chat;
(iii) Disrupt the normal flow of dialogue in Chat or otherwise act in a manner that negatively affects other users, individuals or entities, including, but not limited to, posting “Spam” messages on World of Warcraft (“Spam” messages as used in this document include, but are not limited to, any effort to use a computer or other electronic device to post an unauthorized and/or unsolicited advertisement to World of Warcraft);
(iv) “Spam” by posting or sending more than one unsolicited message or piece of mail to a single address or in a chat area;
(v) Communicate or post any user’s personal information in or on the World of Warcraft, or websites or forums related to World of Warcraft;
(vi) Use bots or other automated techniques to collect information or communicate or post any user’s personal information in or on World of Warcraft, or websites or forums related to World of Warcraft or Blizzard Entertainment
(vii) Harass, threaten, stalk, embarrass or cause distress, unwanted attention or discomfort to another user of World of Warcraft or other person or entity; or
(viii) Cheat during game play, including but not limited to modification of the game program files.
(ix) Participate in any action that, in the opinion of Blizzard Entertainment results in an authorized user of World of Warcraft being "scammed " or ‘defrauded’ out of gold, weapons, armor, or any other items that he/she has earned through authorized game play in World of Warcraft.
Being polite to people is not “brainwashing”, or political. It is basic human decency. It is a shame we need rules, and enforcement, but such is how society works. Some people just can’t behave.
I agree with OP to an extent, but the reason FFXIV’s in-game activity is so “friendly” is because GMs are present, and very trigger happy with their Gaol invites.
Blizzard can’t just put this in front of us and then not do the work to actually enforce it. I don’t have any faith that anything will change - with or without a “new” social contract.
People are now getting suspended over chat infractions, which is what we used to have until 2016 when we got Silence. Silence does not seem to have enough impact so they are going back to the former, for repeat infractions. They started doing this a couple months ago. It was always an option for GMs, but rarely used. It is indeed being used again.
I have already been silenced on the forums once for saying something i did not realize was racist (not going to repeat), cant wait to get silenced ingame for saying something that someone finds offensive (if a 7 day ban for saying 2 letters, im doomed)
It’s not really new though. Just what they’re calling it is new.
And yet the dozen or so other insulting emotes remain. They didn’t remove it as a sign of good faith, please don’t be fooled.
This is true! But at the same time, their game is doing a better job at retaining players not only because of the far more friendly playerbase, but also the game itself, the gameplay, the storytelling, is all amazing. Encouraging better behavior alone won’t save WoW from the spiral it’s still actively going down. Activizard could certainly take a few dozen lessons from them in many regards.
These have always been the rules. The big difference is that in 2004 someone had to go to the trouble to make a ticket about it. Now they can right click which saves the chat logs, name, server, chat channel, etc. Makes it much easier for the GMs.
Just don’t type profanity and such in public chats. Your first warning will probably be a Silence still, but after that it does tend to get into Suspension territory again.
It is not like when you slip up IRL and swear when you drop something on your foot. You don’t really accidentally type the wrong thing.
If you have not been in trouble in game before, you very likely won’t be now. Nothing new is in the rules.
Question: suspensions will only be handled by GMs and not automated systems right? cause if its automated, mass report abuse will become a major issue again. This is not a dig against the contract, just asking cause i know in the past some people i know fell victim to this.
That is currently how it is done and I don’t think they intend to change it but I can’t predict the future.
Right now:
A Squelch is automated and mutes the account pending GM review. This is triggered by a lot of unique reports (diff accounts) in a short time. It was put in the game very long ago to combat gold spamming, and is still in game.
Silence removes your social abilities in game and is issued by a GM
Suspension removes your access to the game and is applied by a GM for repeat infractions and/or very serious ones.
Permanent ban - issued by a GM for multiple infractions/very serious infractions.
People who advertise and get reported a lot tend to be the ones impacted with the auto Squelch. Most get it overturned though if they were not actually breaking the rules.
Like they havent changed the ToS / CoC over the years.
Who gets to determine what is polite?
Is not using someone’s pronouns not polite?
Is not acknowledging “white privileged “ not polite?
How about Blizzard just focus on making good games and stop trying to be everyone’s nanny making sure they are all nice to each other like some kind of police state.
Most people are just going to see it as one more irritating thing to scroll through without reading, and click to get off of their screen.
Might see a bit of a spike in use within the first day or so as the drama dies down, but I’d be surprised if it’s significantly different from how things are now.
