Am I getting too old for this shit?

Yeah it's been a while. A long while. Honestly, I have been too busy trying to be an adult that I am held captive in the confines of that prison. Kills creativity, ya know?   

 I have gotten back into playing Warcraft III online, not the main game mind you but the user created stuff like Footies and Defense Of The Ancients(Dota). 

Anyway, I thought the Xbox Live community was bad as far as the gamers and how they treat people, especially people new to the games, but they are nothing compared to the Battlenet community- which I am thinking is now an extension of the World of Warcraft community.

About five years ago I played a lot of the user created maps on Battlenet and actually gained some notoriety as a Footies specialist. Those that were new and not experienced would get obliterated and that was that. No real major bad-mouthing. Sure, you had some jerks but, they too, got dealt with accordingly. What strikes me is the increased new amount of jerks and elitist attitude that has grown in that same culture I enjoyed so much of back then.

The lingo is even different. Even when asking about some of the terminology all I get is "You're an idiot" or the ever-popular "Noob" . Wait... hasn't the word noob flown it's course already? Hell, its even gone through two separate spellings- Newb and Noob.

Nevertheless, it's more disheartening than it is infuriating to see the once semi self-respecting Battlenet culture has now given rise to this monolith of filth and negativity.

Maybe it was always there and I am just getting too old to tolerate it. But, I think it's very telling of where everything else is going to be heading, too. No doubt... right into the shitter.

Yeah it's been a while. A long while. Honestly, I have been too busy trying to be an adult that I am held captive in the confines of that prison. Kills creativity, ya know?   

 I have gotten back into playing Warcraft III online, not the main game mind you but the user created stuff like Footies and Defense Of The Ancients(Dota). 

Anyway, I thought the Xbox Live community was bad as far as the gamers and how they treat people, especially people new to the games, but they are nothing compared to the Battlenet community- which I am thinking is now an extension of the World of Warcraft community.

About five years ago I played a lot of the user created maps on Battlenet and actually gained some notoriety as a Footies specialist. Those that were new and not experienced would get obliterated and that was that. No real major bad-mouthing. Sure, you had some jerks but, they too, got dealt with accordingly. What strikes me is the increased new amount of jerks and elitist attitude that has grown in that same culture I enjoyed so much of back then.

The lingo is even different. Even when asking about some of the terminology all I get is "You're an idiot" or the ever-popular "Noob" . Wait... hasn't the word noob flown it's course already? Hell, its even gone through two separate spellings- Newb and Noob.

Nevertheless, it's more disheartening than it is infuriating to see the once semi self-respecting Battlenet culture has now given rise to this monolith of filth and negativity.

Maybe it was always there and I am just getting too old to tolerate it. But, I think it's very telling of where everything else is going to be heading, too. No doubt... right into the shitter.

This is what happens when you introduce gaming to the mainstream (I'm serious).  In the past, before the Wii, iPhone, and all that similar casual crap, we were a secluded group of geeks.  Because of that, we were a tight community (kind of like this forum, in particular).  But stuff like Modern Warfare coming into the fray and suddenly making it "cool" to be a gamer made it practically impossible to avoid the assholes some of us geeks tried so hard to avoid.  Those who have references to marijuana in their gamertags or stuff like that.
 
Yeah, the community in several of these games are obviously changing.  The concept of "Gamer Zones" of the Xbox 360 is one that could help us play with the people we would actually have fun communicating with, but too bad the execution on that is so poor and those zones practically hold no meaning.

" This is what happens when you introduce gaming to the mainstream (I'm serious).  In the past, before the Wii, iPhone, and all that similar casual crap, we were a secluded group of geeks.  Because of that, we were a tight community (kind of like this forum, in particular).  But stuff like Modern Warfare coming into the fray and suddenly making it "cool" to be a gamer made it practically impossible to avoid the assholes some of us geeks tried so hard to avoid.  Those who have references to marijuana in their gamertags or stuff like that."

" This is what happens when you introduce gaming to the mainstream (I'm serious).  In the past, before the Wii, iPhone, and all that similar casual crap, we were a secluded group of geeks.  Because of that, we were a tight community (kind of like this forum, in particular).  But stuff like Modern Warfare coming into the fray and suddenly making it "cool" to be a gamer made it practically impossible to avoid the assholes some of us geeks tried so hard to avoid.  Those who have references to marijuana in their gamertags or stuff like that.  Yeah, the community in several of these games are obviously changing.  The concept of "Gamer Zones" of the Xbox 360 is one that could help us play with the people we would actually have fun communicating with, but too bad the execution on that is so poor and those zones practically hold no meaning. "

whats your wc3 tag?

Similar to my experience. I ejected myself from the World of Warcraft community after 5 years of playing. I didn't grow tired of playing WoW, but the community just got to be too much as it's numbers increased. It got to the point where I would get agitated by the mere sight of the lingo. You forgot "Nub" (Noob), although I'm sure that's been replaced with something even more recent like "Nib" or "Nab". You say you think the Warcraft III custom map community is an extension of the WoW community, well I believe WoW is an extension of the /b/ (4chan) community. Now that's just the lingo, and I won't even bother addressing the general disrespectful attitude the WoW community has for each other. In my thirties now, I just can't be bothered. It's like if you were to walk the halls of a high school at my age. You would feel alien. 
 
I don't doubt for a moment my former community in WoW has trickled into your community. A lot of the players I raided with played DotA during raid down-time. Both games are fun, but honestly, I don't believe your WC III custom maps or World of Warcraft is worth enduring the phases of that type of horrid community. I'm a lot happier since I moved on 5 months ago.

I have to disagree on a few points. After playing Diablo II for about 5 years before making the switch to WoW, the differences in the community were night and day. Diablo was full of selfish and rude people who wouldn't think twice about stealing gear or double-crossing you or whatnot as long as it was beneficial to them. WoW, on the other hand, harbored genuinely nice and caring people who you could trust not to screw you over horrendously. In my experiences with the DotA community, it's been the same as Diablo, but the opposite of WoW: most people are nothing but rude and inconsiderate and are quick to flame you for anything.

so true, games are changing and video game playing has become a way of shit talking on the internet. really my first online experience was playing tony hawk underground 2 on ps2. there would sometimes be assholes playing but barely a lot compared to now.

" This is what happens when you introduce gaming to the mainstream (I'm serious).  In the past, before the Wii, iPhone, and all that similar casual crap, we were a secluded group of geeks.  Because of that, we were a tight community (kind of like this forum, in particular).  But stuff like Modern Warfare coming into the fray and suddenly making it "cool" to be a gamer made it practically impossible to avoid the assholes some of us geeks tried so hard to avoid.  Those who have references to marijuana in their gamertags or stuff like that.  Yeah, the community in several of these games are obviously changing.  The concept of "Gamer Zones" of the Xbox 360 is one that could help us play with the people we would actually have fun communicating with, but too bad the execution on that is so poor and those zones practically hold no meaning. "

 
 
Been gaming online since Diablo.  Must be nice to remember a time when people were at least civil to each other.  I remember when I played FFXI.  Then I switched to WoW.  I couldn't believe the amount of shit people gave each other.   In FFXI everyone was nice and polite.  Always helpful.  But then 360 came out.
 
 You could join a group and barely even talk and be fine.  But in WoW... fuck shit cunt.  I love both games but damn, it was a real shell shock for me.  To go from, <Hello> <Nice to Meet You!> to Invite sent, "Hey you tank, lets go"  or "FUCK HEAL ME!"   In FFXI people offered help first, not bickering.  
 
I blame  this gen and the easy access to online gaming.  In the start, it was the geek, dork and nerd.  But now its every man for himself.  
 
Come to think of it, FFXI didn't have PVP.  You want people to be nice to each other again?  Then give them a reason to.  Gamers need to work together.  PvE. 
 
 
@ajamafalous said:

" I have to disagree on a few points. After playing Diablo II for about 5 years before making the switch to WoW, the differences in the community were night and day. Diablo was full of selfish and rude people who wouldn't think twice about stealing gear or double-crossing you or whatnot as long as it was beneficial to them. WoW, on the other hand, harbored genuinely nice and caring people who you could trust not to screw you over horrendously. In my experiences with the DotA community, it's been the same as Diablo, but the opposite of WoW: most people are nothing but rude and inconsiderate and are quick to flame you for anything. "

FluxWaveZ post is the truth. Gaming became mainstream and as a result we're all suffering. Games are less about fun now and more about winning. And while I appreciate winning is fun, how often do you hear someone saying "Good game" or something at the end of a match where they lose? If anything it's "Fuck you noobs". Shame, because I can count on one hand all the times I have heard 'good game' being said. And that was when playing a random online match of Far Cry 2. Xbox LIVE is a community, much like a forum. Unfortunately there are many more people on Xbox LIVE that come to simply disrupt the good times everyone else was enjoying. And unfortunately there is no way to fix it now. Seeing as the assholes have had a taste of gaming, they won't stop. The people who really enjoyed gaming will be the ones who have to stop, it seems.

I definitely think it has to do with the population size for any given game. For instance someone mentioned FF XI versus WoW. FF was a much smaller crowd which built that sense of community, and WoW is quite the opposite.
 
For me this was evident in FPS' on the Xbox. Back in the COD2 day I remember playing with people and actually meeting some pretty cool people. Yeah there were still some jerks but for the most part people were pretty nice, and fostered a fun and competitive spirit. Then it slowly deteriorated into the "community", I use that word loosely, that is MW2. I usually just mute everyone that isn't one of my friends, because almost everyone who talks on there is some high douche bag. I realize that there are still cool people that play it, but with such a larger population the most vocal percentage seem to be complete idiots.

I prefer the smaller communities, such as the ones built up in mods (Jailbreak: Source, mainly.) There is a small community of 30 or so people, everyone knows everyone else and everyone gets a long. If some bad mouthing faggot comes a long, he will be kicked and banned from the game. Communities like these are much easier to manage and don't have room for the elitist, "pro" attitude.

Unfortunately, it's still a case of anonymity= internet asshole. I don't know of almost anywhere you can go where someone isn't going to act that way. In most games, I don't know that it's everyone, but it's a really vocal minority. Even if you look at GB forums, there's always some guy who's got to disprove, disagree, or one-up the post author, etc.

More people than ever before, play games.  A lot of people are idiots.  So, more idiots than ever before are playing video games.
More normal humans than ever are playing games, but they aren't desperate for attention and are easy to overlook.

@RsistncE:

" This type of bullshit behavior has been around and rampant since the first video game dipped it's toe online. "

This is why I play any kind of MP games only with friends.

" @TonyS:  Most of the DOTA population has moved on to Heroes of Newerth, you dont get really any of that shit in that community. If you havn't tried Heroes of Newerth and you like DOTA or your mainly playing Dota through WC3 mods.. it's basically the same game but dedicated and improved graphically. I prefere it, Give it a crack! "

I remember the WoW community (at least in my server) to be pretty fucking awesome. Yes there were a few dicks, but every game has them.
 
Then again, the last time I played was before the Burning Crusade, when getting to level 60 was an accomplishment.

I'll say this: I used to think much higher of the online gaming community back in the days of text-based communication on the PC. Ever since being introduced to voice-chat with Xbox Live, my opinion of the gaming community has been steadily dwindling. Now, not only can you see the idiotic message, but you can hear just how utterly dumb they sound while saying it. It's much more difficult to ignore.
 
That's not to say that there aren't decent people out there, but it just takes one asshole to spoil a game (and there happen to be plenty of them).

Yes, you're too old. 
 
 
 
I hope you feel depressed now.