Fostering Kindness In Gaming Culture

I’ve been told more than once, in fact too many times to bother counting, that trolling is a part of gaming culture. Particularly in MMOs. 

It comes with the territory, along with gold spammers and boring fetch quests that have us gathering five hundred locks of gnoll hair while wanting to simultaneously pull our own out. 

But the wonderful thing about culture, no matter what kind, is its malleability. Cultures rise and fall, changing with the times and in reaction to external stimuli. So what makes gaming culture different?

The answer is: nothing. 

Right now, a revolution is slowly taking shape in the gaming industry and player culture. For one thing, developers are starting to wake up to the fact that women make up half of their audience. The other half of that audience is starting to realise this, too. If we’re seeing a culture shift to be more accepting of women, surely at the same time it’s not asking too much to foster a little more positivity in our online environments?

Trolling started out as a relatively harmless pastime – mean-spirited, perhaps, but starting an argument about whether Batman could beat up Superman (spoiler alert kids, he can and has) doesn’t really do much aside from ruffle a few feathers. 

But if you’re really bored enough playing a game that you feel the need to start an argument to entertain yourself…the first thing you should do is consider whether you’re playing the wrong game.

Take a break, do something else. Making other people angry, or feel bad about themselves, is a pretty nasty thing to do for the sake of your amusement. 

Try – and I know, this is a big step for a lot of people – being nice to other players.

If you’re stuck for ideas, this is a start:

• Head to a lowbie zone, help out with some quests. Your shiny armor will be ooh’d and ahh’d over, and you’ll be helping someone else get through the early grind.

• Give the gift of crafting components. Have a stack of copper ore that you’ve been saving for that rainy day…that never came? Give it away. You’ll make someone smile, and that someone might just remember you when their character is all grown up and a level 80 jeweller.                   

• Compliment someone. If you like their armor, tell them! Pro tip: telling a random elf that her butt looks fine in that scalemail will likely not go down well unless you’re already friends. Compliment the colour instead, or tell them how fierce they look. You can never go wrong with telling someone they look fierce. Just ask Tyra Banks – she’d made a career out of it.

• Say thank you. This one cannot be overstated. Say. Thank you. If someone has taken the time out of their life to do something nice – whether it’s dropping a revive in the middle of a boss fight or showing you the way through a jumping puzzle, just typing a quick ‘ty’ can really make them feel appreciated. 

• Be Santa. Make someone some decent gear, or pass on your old stuff. Give out a few coppers to the needy. 

That feeling of warmth, in your chest? That’s your heart growing three sizes,  Grinch. Best lay off the Mountain Dew for a while. Ultimately, helping others is far more satisfying than hurting them. Let’s all try to leave our online worlds a little happier than they were to start with…trust me, we’ll be better off for it.