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Bad eggs and crocodile tears

by Joel on December 10th, 2007

I’m pissed. I’m fresh out of an argument with a clanmate in Perfect World Philippines’ Tiger Server, and it has left me seething and craving for blood. So what does this fight have to do with Asian MMOs? A lot.

Let’s talk about bad eggs for starters. Every group has them. Having them around can’t be helped but can be minimized. As an example, let’s use the player I had a verbal tussle with. His in-game name, ironically, is Apology.

I’ve heard just about every excuse possible for him and his actions, anywhere between “He’s just misunderstood” and “He’s trying to cope with real-life problems that we don’t know anything about.” Fine, fine. So he has a lot of issues to work out. Don’t we all?

This recent argument started when he got killed in-game by another player who is a member of a rival clan. Getting fragged could have been avoided had Apology only switched to “safe mode,” a feature of Perfect World that gives a player immunity to attacks from other players.

With his pride wounded, Apology tried rallying other members of Guardians, our clan, to aid him in a PK spree against the player who laid waste not only to his character but also his ego. Since most Guardians members are level-headed blokes, Apology’s plan failed, miserably.

So what does a bad egg do in situations like this? Why, rant, of course, and bash his clanmates with slanderous words aimed at goading them into feeling ill-will against him that can later be shaped into an insatiable thirst for virtual blood.

Being the kuya or big brother of the clan, I advised Apology to come off it and stop harassing other members. Since this kid and I have a history of verbal exchanges, with him dishing out swear words like there’s no tomorrow and me taking the hits and doing my best to remain unaffected, it was only natural for him to take offense at my ministering.

Freakin’ brat. He reminds me of Peter Pan—he just refuses to grow up. Immediately after I logged out of the game, a thought hit me like a ten-pound brick on the noggin’. Every MMORPG I’ve played has its share of bad eggs. Nothing can be done about them—getting them banned will only push them into overdrive (they’ll only create new characters and continue their reign of terror, with a vengeance). Like I said earlier, however, the activities of bad eggs can be minimized.

First, deny bad eggs attention. These selfish mofos crave attention. Whenever they kill (in-game, of course!), they expect other players to praise, adore, fear or respect them. Treat them like yesterday’s garbage and they’ll probably quit sooner or later.

Second, deny them aid. If you encounter bad eggs early in the game, good for you. This way, you’ll have the choice to turn down helping them. I’m not as fortunate. I can count about a dozen players who have asked for my help when they were low-leveled noobs only to have them turn around and bite the hand that’s been feeding them when they reached higher levels.

Third, deny them membership in parties, clans, and guilds. Yes, treat them like rogues and castaways. Bad eggs love forum shopping, offering their sob stories to every virtual ear. Fall for their crocodile tears, and they’ve got you in their clutches, hook, line and sinker.

Do you have any suggestions as to how MMO players should deal with bad eggs?

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POSTED IN: Asian MMO, Asian MMO Players, Perfect World, Random Rants