The ESO Good, the ZOS Bad, the forum Ugly

tinythinker

Food for thought:

1. ESO is a good game that has some real problems. It does many things well, it's very pretty, but it has a lot of (persistent) bugs and serious performance issues for a AAA MMORPG that has been out for two years. If you can't/won't see or admit the good because of the bad or the bad because of the good, that isn't the fault of another player. Some players enjoy (part of) the game more than you, some less. Some players encounter more of the common problems than you, some less. Replying on the forums by way of trying to ridicule, minimize, or dismiss someone else's experience, or telling them that their enjoyment, lack of enjoyment, or concerns about/hopes for the game doesn't invalidate their point of view, only your credibility as someone worth listening to. Sure, you may have a little cheering section, but so do some playground bullies and internet trolls. It really is OK to say "Huh, I don't have that problem/concern, but I'm sorry it's effecting you" rather than "Go away, stop complaining (or defending the game), you are wrong, play something else."

2. ZOS makes mistakes. They have trouble with communication. It has gotten worse over time. This greatly magnifies community tensions in spaces like these forums, which is not an excuse by the way for childish behavior. But this is their job, and a career in an industry they worked hard to get into and that too often treats its workers poorly. There is nothing wrong with keeping pressure on ZOS to tell us what is going on and to keep important problems in the spotlight, but tantrums aren't helpful.

So, if you encounter a problem in the game and find/start a thread on the forum about it, kudos. If you start or join such a thread and come across like a cranky preschooler who dropped his cookie, congratulations, you've become the living incarnation of a popular internet stereotype. Enjoy the mocking and memes that your new status and power summon, until it gets out of hand, your thread gets locked, and other players start to take the issues raised as unserious or exaggerated because of the attitude and behavior of the people who bring those issues up.

In the same way, if you White Knave threads that are raising issues/criticizing the game or ZOS by rushing in simply to be dismissive of the concern and to chastise anyone who points out flaws, congratulations, you are feeding the trolls, taunting those prone to impulsive outbursts, and helping to white wash things that need to be discussed. You will then be derisively called a White Knight, because people confuse them with White Knaves, and the former don't need the added burden of being mixed up with the latter as their extra-thoughtful and incisive remarks are already considered super-dorky and particularly mock-worthy by trolls and hyenas*.

3. The internet and discussion boards are sewers. Sure. You can find games with far worse forums. But also nicer ones. Not the point. You control you. I have no interest in cleaning up these forums, making them nicer, or whatever. I'm neither a White Knight or White Knave, let alone a fabled White Wizard. If players want to drop their trousers and take a virtual dump here, go ahead. But let's ignore those turds, shall we? Rather than give them 500 comments? My motives are purely selfish. I want the game to get better. For me. The rest of you can go off to help those in need far, far away or play some other game like WoW, FFXIV, Destiny, Black Desert, whatever. Or stay with ESO. It's all good. I sometimes go play other MMOs too. Never sure when I do if or when I will come back, or for how long but that's also OK. Sometimes I'm away for an hour, sometimes a month, the world keeps spinning and ESO is still here. Don't do the far-off charity thing, though.

But yeah, if you want to start or reply to threads about fixing the game, see points #1 and #2. Not to make the internet or these forums a better place, but to be more effective so that *I* can enjoy this game more. Rip ZOS a new one or three if needed. They can be defensive, you you might need to rip more than just the one. It's like when I'm at a keep siege and I /yell "Need to open a second breach, they are defending this hole like a nervous father on prom night". You can use that by the way when you're in Cyrodiil. But just rip ZOS new ones in a way that isn't going to trigger White Knaves and trolls to make a mockery of your plight. Some issues now are little more than running jokes ("AOE caps, lol!!!1!"). And for those have the urge to tear down all criticism, find ways to be supportive of your fellow players who find faults. They are doing us all a favor. Especially me. Most importantly me. Oh, and please reply to one fun thread or one new feature thread each time you visit, like those found here. I bet a study would show it's good for your health or something.






*(I love real hyenas they are cool but the packs of immature pile-er on-ers not so much)