Blizzard is reviewing emotes in WoW and removing emotes that are used to be “toxic”, such as /spit.
However, the removal of emotes degrades the RP experience since WHETHER OR NOT SOMETHING IS TOXIC IS CONTEXT DEPENDENT.
For example, on Grobbulus NA, /spitting on horde or alliance after you kill them or to signal that you want to fight outside gadetzhan etc was not toxic- it was role play… because you were at “war” with each other.
Additionally, on Moonguard NA, /spit is used in more… creative ways. I won’t speak for them, but I will defend their ability to express themselves to each other so long as it’s two consenting adults.
So, how do we split the Gordian knot between Blizzard wanting less bullying in WoW and WoW players wanting MORE emotes, not LESS. (Why is it that this game has less and less every “expansion”…).
Simple.
Opt-in emotes.
You go to systems, you go to social, you select the emotes tab.
There’s a table of all the emotes in the game with check boxes next to each emote.
You select the emotes you consent to players using on you. If you don’t want to be spit on, you don’t click the spit box.
This way, Blizzard can ADD emotes to the game to improve the RP community while also reducing bullying.
In addition to a opt in emote system, Blizzard should also look into a player reputation system, where after dungeons you can vote for the MVP to give them rep. Reports for infractions that are verified by Blizzard to have happened reduce your rep. Having high reputation should grant titles, transmogs, mounts, pets, and “priority queue”- benefits that are lost if you fall below the rep you needed to attain them.
This way, people will have a game play experience reason to be nicer to each other.
Incentives matter.
