When in a random group (LFR, Normal, or Heroic dungeon), you can give a commendation at the end to someone in your group who you think did a praise-worthy job:
Caveat: You can’t vote for someone in your pre-made group, someone in your guild, or someone on your Friend’s list. So so rigging the vote.
Toys and cosmetics available for achieving certain commendation levels.
Because it absolutely defeats the purpose the commendation system was supposed to address.
EDIT: That said, I don’t really think a commendation system would work all too well in this game. The idea that the reward for good behavior is a toy or mount that can’t be farmed by spamming dungeons with your friends may rub people the wrong way.
Based on the OP, the problem seems like some people didn’t have enough cosmetics and toys and wanted a pathway for more. If there’s more to the system, feel free to share. We don’t all play FF.
Destiny 2 implemented a system this year. There’s a weekly where if you give out X number of commendations, you get a reward. I think they’ve largely become meaningless kudos. “Best Dressed.” “Most Helpful.” “Joybringer” or something. I expect most are assigned pretty thoughtlessly.
Then you get groups where the players bail before the long-loading commendation window pops up and you can’t even hand them out.
Smite added that system and removed the chat. Game instantly became 99% less toxic. Oh what now you’re gonna spam “Good Job!” Emotes when I mess up?
Consider that the game’s version of “community” was to accuse anyone who underperformed of trolling the group.
Hiding the chat made it tolerable at least, though I only want to play with a controller, which seems to get me slaughtered by keyboard players so I’ve been uninstalled for a while.
I would never play that type of game except I’m a sucker for mythological stuff. Khepri is my favorite, just something about being a giant support scarab.
The commendation system is mainly there to well, give praise and encouragement for less desirable roles. You get the reward for commendations based on total commendations received, not given so more often than not, they go to the tanks and healers.
It’s intent is to encourage more people to do those roles, beyond just the “Adventurer in Need” bonuses in queued content. If you want say, the Fat Chocobo Mount with a crown, you will likely be healing or tanking a lot of dungeons to get the required 3000 commendations.
It’s less about being a new avenue for another outfit, mount, or pet, but a means to get more people to play the less desired roles.
With WoW’s community in the state it’s in, I don’t think this’d be such a good idea. The OP goes over ways to attempt to prevent abuse, but someone will still find a way to do it somehow and it’ll be rendered moot. All anyone will see are the rewards, and those rewards will generate even more toxicity.
It’s been pretty meaningless in 14, so I don’t know how it would change anything. It’s my collection of “I was the tank”, “someone thought my meme character was funny”, or “I got a bunch of people to die in Orbonne by convincing them to look up.” counter. Nothing more.
Final Fantasy XIV is just a friendlier game all around. The entire vibe around is more relaxed. I’m not saying better, but the toxicity doesn’t even come close to here. Not to mention they are getting to the point where you can solo damn near everything related to the story.
I honestly think just occasionally reminding people what a reportable offense is works well enough. Unlikely to change year’s-worth long mindsets, so it is probably more effective to just get rid of the people who behave like that instead.
I don’t see how it could be abused if they did it like FFXIV does it, those who don’t get commended never got any repercussions. It’s basically a “thumbs up, someone thought you did a good job.”
I could see how it could be “abused” if premades could use it to funnel all commendations to one player. But a simple solution could just be to limit the number of commendations any one player could receive in a specific run.