Harassment, internal policies, and what can be done?

[DarkmoonVael]

First of all, i would like to preface this by saying that i don not intent or want this thread to become any kind of witchhunting thread (if anyone actually reads this or indeeds care about this topic), but a thread to stimulate discussion and how to improve situations like these for the positive and the benefit of the community as a whole.

So i will start with a little story. This story is about my avatar, and extension, myself. Usually this kind of thing doesn't bother me personally if i am the target of something like this, i am 30 years old, am educated to a high standard, and dont really care about all the childish things that happen in online games. However, online harassment in an MMO can take its toll on an individual. There are 2+ people on my current server who had issues with my (seriously nice) Free Company master, who decided to come into our FC house, start swearing at people/around people/generally acting very badly. Not heeding any of our reasonable requests to cease this activity, they decided to escalate it further by tracking myself and the FC leader down and spamming us with emotes and continuing their behaviour as they had done before, and decided that i was part of this "thing" that they didn't like, so started targeting myself as well. Things got so out of hand with these people, reports to the GM team had to be made, reports that were followed up on.

You would have thought, like any reasonable human being, they may have got the hint that what they did was inappropriate, and that they were in the wrong. But no, what followed was a targeted campaign of harassment by one member of this group, ranging from following me around deliberately, emote spamming me (talking about 30+ emotes at a time) and doing the most mature thing ever, placing their character with mine in a way that emulates sexual activities (oh behold, the actions of the mature!). Now i actually gave this person a chance and sent them a tell one time asking them not to do this, thinking they could be dealt with like a civil human being. But no, what i got back in response was nonsense, even kind of looked like some sort of weird racial slur. Anyway, multiple reports from multiple people to the GM team, we come to the following problem:
Its happened once too many for my liking now. As you may imagine, situations like this tinge the overall experience of the wholly excellent community that is present on the cerberus server.

Having written the GM team a very wordy letter, a very nice and very professional GM (GM Norutil) contacted me, as i am in the process of leaving the game. And here the problem rears its ugly head. I have been assured that actions have been taken against this individual, yet this person has learned nothing from this sanctions placed upon them. And i have also been informed that not much more can be done against this person, due to internal policies preventing it being escalated further than it has already.

This, i believe, is a major and fundamental problem. How can it be the case that a player like this is allowed to behave in such a manner, driving people away from the game, and the GM seemingly powerless to do anything about it? Is it the case that Square Enix's internal policies may need a review to counteract this kind of behaviour? Is there more that the community can do as a whole to stop this kind of behaviour? I would hope that this may start a dialogue, one that also includes Square Enix employees, about the nature of online bullying/harassment, and what more can be done about this issue. As i explained to the GM, i can not, in good conscience, not address this issue. Having to report the same player 6+ times should have been enough to resolve the issue, even then multiple other people have had to report them, as they have been on the receiving end of this behaviour as well.

Anyway, i hope this thread doesn't sound melodramatic, and i hope i have managed to remember to put down all the pertinent points here, as i fear i may have left some out!

TL;DR best to read the wall of text with this one if not, what can Square Enix and the community as a whole do more about online harassment/bullying? (Emphasis on more, as things are already being done about it)

[AngelHorn]

Side note: bloody hell - this forum does not allow my reply to be posted all at once.

Anywhere - here we go:

Hi, I am Angel Horn - people just call me Angel. I apology in advance for my bad English skills. It is not my native language.

For transparency matters: my alternative character 'Ciara Horn' is the Free Company leader, Darkmoon refered to. Yet I join this discussion, not to add or confirm the matter of harassment, for that has been checked without doubt by the game masters already - that the events which has been mentioned are true.

Nevertheless I feel sorry for my fellow company friend, who is being targeted by people which initially went to harass me. If I could change a thing about it, I would - since I cannot, it is up to the game masters of the game - the support desk.

[AngelHorn]

Now regarding the support desk...

I know a lot about a game master's job. Much more than you might expect.
I can tell, there are internal policies about how to handle several situations.
I understand nowadays a lot of them is about to calm things down, not to escalate it in such ways, that publisher/platform could get a bad reputation, or worse, legal letters.
I can also imagine, that internal policies have clear understandings of what can be prosecuted - in game wise terms - and what not.
I also understand, whenever actions has been taken - or not - there will be always a standard reply from support desk, due privacy matters regarding such topics.

[AngelHorn]

Now what I have seen...

I have seen people cursing at each other in public chat and in map chat - swearing, like there is no tomorrow.
I have seen people intentionally spoiling other people fun, by abandon a duty before it even started without a word - some ask to kick them for no reasons - but the fun is spoiled once you waited over half an hour for duty finder to assign your dps class a party, just to see a tank leaving.
I have seen the mentioned event by Darkmoon - sexual harrassive motions, swearing, and so on.

What frightened me most: those people are not afraid. They do not fear ANY game master or ANY punishment for they doing - regardless how many people's fun they are spoiling - yesterday, today, tomorrow.

It makes a player, who loves the game, ask you: did support desk do anything at all, or why are those player continuing their actions, even after you have reported them?

[AngelHorn]

At this very point, we have to differentiate. There are surely bad players too, who threatens you with a report - by all means, without reason but to kick your ass and enforce their will. Reports are countless - it is hard to say which is justified and which not without proper time-consuming investigations. Not to mention many player do not report as they should do - with all the necessary information a game master would need to pinpoint an event in Eorzea. 12 years ago it was a hard time for game masters, and I imagine it is still a hard job sometimes.

Yet we can only lose in this game against those bad players. We already lost when our fun is spoiled. No one, who just wants to play would like to take their time to report someone else if it is not really necessary. No one, who just wants to enjoy the game would even think of reporting someone, for it might spoil the other player's fun too, if he/she gets a ban - but when it is necessary... well - when does it become necessary?

[AngelHorn]

When it is too much to ignore, and a game becomes hurtful.

Yet what happens afterwards a report? Can you see any results for matters like Darkmoon got involved? No. And the culprits, even after getting a warning or whatever 'action has been taken' still continues - without fear.

A saying in German says: do not feed the trolls - once you ignore them, they will eventually stop. Well, it does not work that good for an MMO or any other online game so far. I could deactivate map and public chat to not to see the swearing and cursing nowadays people are throwing at each other during hunts. But it spoils and suppress my own fun, when public and map chat can be fun to find parties etc.

Aside of that - the saying is originally about one troll. Having more trolls in a party, makes you see how they just feed each other... a never-ending circle. The bad players are not afraid.

[AngelHorn]

The losers, are the good players. The victims. We are losing motivation. We are losing fun. Some even get afraid of the culprits, for they would continue haunting the victim. It became too much, that you want to quit the game. And the only help you can get is... support desk.

And the only help you can get... well... what can actually support desk / the game masters do, when the internal policies are like that? The policies might be good to protect the paying players, who are also culprits - but what about the victims, and the other players who suffered? You are losing them for sure, sooner or later, even they love the game.

I do not know, if it is true, what has been said about the internal policies. I never met a game master ingame - I am used to it, that game master are available, but I never have seen one on Cerberus server.

[AngelHorn]

What I know about game masters is: I remember them as passionate and fair people. Players like you and me - one kind are those who are game masters without any payment - voluntarily. One another are the paid one. I have no idea what game masters are there to protect Cerberus - even if I like to know them, they are just not to be seen anywhere, as if they are not there.

I can just ask here to think about what has been said. To reconsider the situation and to act properly. If it is a matter of internal policies - then I ask to give the game masters more rights to handle things they are seeing it fitting - no need to give them too much power, if someone is afraid - but let at least two game masters judge about difficult situations which actually demands action.

If the game masters are like those, I remember, they will do good for us - for our game. Trust them. Have faith in them.

[AngelHorn]

Right now - it sounds like we have just game masters in shackles.

Square Enix / PSN will lose players, if a community starts to rotten and no one can do anything about it because of some internal rules. Even if that is not the case - what are we here for? It is fun.

But, asking support desk for help - getting a standard reply - and seeing that the trouble still continues... well... It is no fun.

It is a feeling of being abandoned by those you ask for help.
You start ask: do they care about us players who really enjoys the game, that we try to get friends and family members into it?

What I am wishing for? I do not know the internal policies, so I cannot tell. What I can say is: I wished that if players need help, that we get more than just a standard reply. That someone actually care.

[AngelHorn]

I mean: what does it need for a game master to finally show up after several reports? A 'wordy' letter about how a player might quit the game? (whatever wordy is)

If I am fed up - if I am hurt too much - I will not send another letter to support desk, for they cannot help, it seems. I would just quit the game - but the bad players will remain and spoil other people's fun too.

People starts to play an MMO for the game itself - but people stay for the people they play together with.

Thanks for reading.

Cheers
Angel