Taking online verbal abuse from 13 yr olds
One of the things I have been trying to do over the past weeks to keep up with the times among young men these days... is learn how to play DoTA (Defence of The Ancients) its a kind of real time strategy game thats great to play online with many other people. I just want to keep in touch with the online gaming community.
The game itself is really engaging and deep. Its not just a reaction-time-click-faster game (although there is some of that) it takes time to learn and to master. I can't say I'm very good at it (if i play conservatively i.e. not doing that much for my team i can get maybe a 1:1 ratio of kills to deaths in online play). But the process of even getting to this level was interetsting for me.
First I don't have that much time to play so I read online guides and get constant advice from the guys in the basketball team that i coach. Even so, there is a pretty steep learning curve.
The game is multiplayer, divided into 2 teams. up to 5v5 for a total of 10 players. There is a serious problem when one player (me) is unskilled. He dies alot and the other team gains experience and gets powerful fast.
Also when there is a new/inexperienced player (once again... me) the team misses opportunities to engage/destroy/damage the opposition.
Since the people online are ananymous and are your teammates by pure chance... they tend to get upset when I stink. Sure that happens in any sport/game etc. But when its online... haha it gets pretty brutal... some sample snippets:
Teammate: why didn't you help me! I got killed because of you! You are a !@#%!@#%
My thought: I have no clue what just happened...
My reply: sorry
Teammate: you are being really useless with that character
My thought: really? haha I thought i was doing quite well...
My reply: I'm quite new with this character
Teamamte: #@%!@#%! Skill XYZ is pretty f!@#$% basic!
My thought: I think i pressed the wrong key...
My reply: nothing...
There are women and children reading this! so the !@#%!@#% will remain so! But you get the idea... its a rough world out there. But what I am considering is... would these people say the same thing to my face? I think not... and thats not becuase I'm larger than average...
Its because the computer makes this nice division over which you can say anything you like. the problem comes when this "game behavior" that is unmoderated spills over into real life... sometimes if we get so used to doing it online... we may not be able to help ourlselves in real life... then the "game" controls us... and its a problem! Lets watch ourselves so it doesnt happen.
Meanwhile...I'm getting better so that cursing at me doesnt happen so much:)
posted by Coach Jonathan Wong @ 6/01/2006 08:51:00 PM
Comments: 0
