ToS and the health of the community

[Vryn]

Anyone who says they're afraid to talk is paranoid or a dick. I've been playing since the start of ARR, and although I know I've been reported at least once, I've never been punished for anything I've said. If you approach people like they're people and do not inconvenience you, you won't get in trouble. If you must demand someone do something, maybe say "please" first. If people think you're being toxic every time you talk, it's probably because you are. Throughout the game, there isn't a mindset where simply speaking is assumed to be toxic.

Always assume someone with an outside perspective might see what you're doing or saying. They don't just crush you with the ban hammer as soon as you say, "Hey guys, let's do this strat". Someone has to report it, and then a GM will look at it. Will the GM think you're being an ass? Then don't say it.

People weren't any more talkative before any changes to the ToS, and most of the changes were to clarify things. People need something to point at when they think their rights are being taken away.

Yes, let's not address people's concerns over a private organisation potentially banning you on the perceived offences of a stranger and instead call them names because you like the fact that Square steps on people and that you don't have to deal with other people in an MMO. Negative social interaction is a consequence of being social, and so is being offensive. You cannot have meaningful dialogue without the risk of offence. As long as the ToS is based around perceived offence, it will have a stifling effect no matter if people are innately nice or not, especially across a game that ranges across a dozen cultures in Europe alone with their own takes on what being nice and offensive are.

16 different personality types. Some are more controversial than others, such as someone just being blunt. That doesn't mean they're toxic. That means you don't like the way they speak and therefore are offended by it. The offence usually has more to do with the perceived standards of the individual taking offence than the person speaking to them unless they are throwing epithets. Also, most toxic players are random people having a bad day, so let's not use extremes to justify virtual hate crime law and the social credit system.

Also, I've been here since 2.0 Beta. They were far more talkative and willing to speak in a dungeon and actually speak their mind in public, just because you may not like what they have to say or find it controversial does not give you the right to ban their speech or use the GM's to enforce your individual sense of right and wrong. Just walk away or block them you where given the in game tools for a reason.