Since joining the game a few months ago, one thing I've noticed is the constant harassment of roleplayers. In general, there seems to be no way to prevent this or get around it; in fact, Bioware seems to ignore such things. While we can be ignored, we cannot ignore those who continue to insult and degrade us because we want to roleplay on roleplaying servers.

 

I'm on Begeren Colony. One Imperial-side guild is allegedly responsible for causing a roleplaying guild to break-up, unable to deal with the constant harassment of its members (once again, I'm going by what I've heard, not what I've seen). Even if that turns out not to be true, I can quote a guild leader on the Republic-side: "We are going to force the roleplayers off our server." And they're trying to.

 

Roleplayers can't catch a break. We ignore them, but the standard emotes break through the ignore, allowing them to spam /dance, /slap, and other emotes. With other items available to them as well (such as the disco ball), they are able to annoy the roleplayers with impunity. Reporting them seems to do nothing: Bioware gives the usual canned responses promising to "look into it", but there is no relief. They are still there, doing everything they were reported for day after day.

 

Public RP is damn-near impossible on the stations because of griefers. Roleplayers, in order to keep their on-server communities going need a way to be able to meet and have fun. This is a hobby, but it is one that is being denied to us many times by people who lack social etiquette. If we were to go into their raids and constantly mess up the pulls, or cause wipes, they have a remedy. They can kick us and ban us from raids. They can ban us from rated warzones, or from their premade parties.

 

Ignore needs to be fixed. The overworld items need to be fixed, so that ignoring a person prevents their items from being used to harass people. World of Warcraft, Aion, and Rift--among others--have prevented griefers from being able to harass people ho have ignored them through emotes. The amount of items that are available for overworld griefing is negligible, but the amount on SWTOR exceeds it.

 

If Bioware will not respond and help us, then what is left for us? Should we stop roleplaying altogether?

 

I'd like to know if similar things are happening on other servers, or if it's just mine.

simple answer report, then report again and again till they do some thing or threaten to stop playing onmass Edited March 9, 2013 by legolegion

simple answer report, then report again and again till they do some thing or threaten to stop playing onmass

 

Insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, and expecting different results each time. Reporting the players apparently does nothing, even when there six or more reports for the incident each time.

then obvoiuly do second part see what bioware do with having 10-20 people threaten to quit over one person

I dont see many griefers on Ebon Hawk and when they do people get on them about this being an RP server.

Yup, Ebon Hawk has an immensely RP-friendly environment.

Sadly, the server you are on this issue.

 

Ebon Hawk is far better for RP. It's far from great, but the 90% non-roleplayers that are on it aren't usually obnoxiously anti-RP.

Every gameplay option gets griefed, it's not isolated to roleplayers.

I've been on Begeren Colony since Day 1 of pre-launch and I've seen the quality of Role Play degrade so far down the pit that it disgusts me. I strongly suggest that Bioware implement a server transfer system into place that players are able to get their characters off and into a better environment for their style of play. I am certainly not at all going to start a new character on a different server with the amount of time and money I have put into all the characters I have developed on my current server. I have on many occasions sent in multiple reports in regards to trolls and greifing attempts on me and my guild members, but they are never once answered. This has caused myself and my guild to go inactive for a couple months to wait out this sudden increase in immature activity, but unfortunately I have not seen a single improvement from when we stopped playing.

I haven't seen whole groups or Guilds trying to disrupt roleplay, but i have seen my fair share of individuals who do much of the above described in OP's post. What i cant understand is why these people are on an RP server if they dont want to roleplay at all, or just get on with their characters in an easy going environment (the two main types of people i see on RP servers being Roleplayers and people who only want to do their class storylines and such).

 

I feel that this issue is just another that adds to my own feeling that, at least personally, roleplayers are pretty neglected on SWTOR. There are a ton of options for PVE and PVP but what do we get? As OP said, we dont even have the capability of completely blocking out people trying to annoy us. LIke PVP'ers do who can just kick someone in WZ's and such. And where is our content? Other than a few new emotes (which are lacking in charm). Roleplaying in this game can be, and is enjoyable. But we do seem to be brushed under the carpet somewhat.

 

Thats my view, anyway

 

Further to that, and i truly hate to say this as i am sure it is not the case everywhere, ever since F2P the RP servers seem to have become swarmed with more and more of these people who have no wish to roleplay or mind their own business. I have nothing against F2P as it HAS bought new roleplayers to the table. But for the most part, all we get is trolls and more trolls.

Edited March 26, 2013 by FreePrometheus

Just add the people that harass you to your ignore list and if it continues, contact support

Just add the people that harass you to your ignore list and if it continues, contact support

I'm guessing you didn't read the original post.

 

Ignoring doesn't stop the use of party jawas, disco balls, emotes, etc. Those can be far more disruptive than what ignore DOES cover (chat).

 

Reporting hasn't yielded any benefits so far, despite being done many, many times.

come to jung ma if they grief you then tear em to pieces.

I can quote a guild leader on the Republic-side: "We are going to force the roleplayers off our server." And they're trying to.

 

Because my friend, the only thing people really like to do and knows how to do well, is to harass, annoy and bother other people, as well as complaining all over the place.

 

In my server, The Jedi Covenant, there was this trooper the other day that was roleplaying. The very second after he said something in general chat, another player told him to **** and go to a roleplaying server. I then told such player to stay on his own if the roleplayer wasn't bothering him, because the roleplayer wasn't doing anything to bother anyone and that he didn't need to be in a roleplaying server if he wanted to.

 

The harasser shut his mouth and everyone agreed with me.

 

An WTH regarding your quote above!!!

 

They're all in a roleplaying server and they want to expel the roleplayers there?

 

That's just stupidity at its most! Why don't they leave the roleplaying server and go to a normal PvP/PvE server? They would do a hell of a favor to the roleplaying community there.

 

 

 

Ps.: I don't roleplay, because I don't know how to do it very well, but I do like to see or even participate when I see someone doing so.

Griefers are looking for attention and big reactions of outrage.

 

Don't give them either and they will just get bored and go away. Trust me, I used to roleplay in SWG in the Bria server.

What baffles me is that people are trying to "force roleplayers out" of a frakking roleplaying server (which your server is, from what I understand). If they hate RP so much, or find it offensive, why'd they roll on this server in the first place? Sounds like big kids who come to a sandbox just to harass smaller kids who play there - they have no interest in playing in the sandbox, they just want to grief others because they can.

 

Now, then, I'm not a roleplayer, and I don't play on a roleplaying server (more of a PvP jock myself), but I always thought that roleplayers add to the atmosphere of the social hubs. Unless it's some absolutely horrible/pretentious public roleplay, I've no incentives to harass them or chase them off.

I tend to encourage Greifers to include thier greifer personalities into role play. For instance instead of spewing a bunch of racist claptrap, why not go into character and complain about how much hate the "aliens". I try to let them know they'll get much more attention that way. And then they usually strip down and try and dance on me.

Let me preface this by saying that I am not a role player, so I do not know the ins and outs of RP. I'm curious as to why you care what some coward is saying about you over the internet? I've been made fun of alot in games and I was always consoled by the fact that the guy saying those things was probably sitting alone is his mother's basement having her run snacks to him. Kinda like Cartman in south park. My advice is put them on ignore and play your game the way you want. Who cares what some loser says that has nothing better to do then bully people on the internet says about your char. Nothing more pathetic than an internet bully. At least an irl bully confronts his targets.

No clue why that posted twice. Maybe, I do deserve to get made fun of . It is a bummer that /ignore doesnt apply to emotes and that other crap. I never put anyone on ignore. I assumed /ignore meant ignore that player. Edited May 10, 2013 by Freedannad
Double post

I think the critical difference for role players isn't the griefer who's looking to bad mouth you to death, it's the ones who are in your physical proxemity, that are dancing on the meeting table, or stripping down and moving their avatar into a position that puts their crotch in your avatars face. Those types of actions break the suspension of disbelief that role playing relies on. So for those reasons griefers can really cause more than the average set of problems for role playing. Can you imagine going to the movies, or theater, only to have some idiot appear on screen or stage, totally ruining the show? That doesn't really happen often, because of the whole real life ars kicking issue, but in a game, that's what happens.

Let me preface this by saying that I am not a role player, so I do not know the ins and outs of RP. I'm curious as to why you care what some coward is saying about you over the internet? I've been made fun of alot in games and I was always consoled by the fact that the guy saying those things was probably sitting alone is his mother's basement having her run snacks to him. Kinda like Cartman in south park. My advice is put them on ignore and play your game the way you want. Who cares what some loser says that has nothing better to do then bully people on the internet says about your char. Nothing more pathetic than an internet bully. At least an irl bully confronts his targets.

 

Gotta read the thread man. Problem isn't that they can't use ignore, the problem is that the griefers have ways around ignore, like using irritating items, emotes, or just running around like jerks in the middle of an RP group. Imagine you're trying to eat at a restaurant with some friends, and some tool bag at the next table keeps bouncing a giant beach ball off your head, but all you can do about it is either choose to act like it's not happening or give up and go home. Bottom line, your good time was ruined, no matter how hard you pretended like it wasn't being ruined.

 

I also do not roleplay, but I find it disturbing that this happens. We're all nerds aren't we? How is it possible that different activities within the already insanely nerdy activity of playing a Star Wars MMO seem to be granted varying levels of social acceptability? Griefers, if you're reading this [waves hand] you want to go home and rethink your life...

Gotta read the thread man. Problem isn't that they can't use ignore, the problem is that the griefers have ways around ignore, like using irritating items, emotes, or just running around like jerks in the middle of an RP group. Imagine you're trying to eat at a restaurant with some friends, and some tool bag at the next table keeps bouncing a giant beach ball off your head, but all you can do about it is either choose to act like it's not happening or give up and go home. Bottom line, your good time was ruined, no matter how hard you pretended like it wasn't being ruined.

 

I also do not roleplay, but I find it disturbing that this happens. We're all nerds aren't we? How is it possible that different activities within the already insanely nerdy activity of playing a Star Wars MMO seem to be granted varying levels of social acceptability? Griefers, if you're reading this [waves hand] you want to go home and rethink your life...

 

I did read the thread. That is why I started my response the way I did. I pay so little attention to anything other than what I'm doing in game. It seemed at first to be a "bully" thing, but I was mistakened. I just assumed "ignore" would block that, stupid me hehe.

My friend & I have been working on a RP system within the game, called Story Guide here was what we came up with for RP dealing with Greifers

 

Greifers & Trolls

Love them or hate them, greifers and trolls pose a real problem to all online games. If you're in the middle of a role playing game, and a greifer is set upon you looking for his/her next YouTube video, you should first try and set them to ignore and continue play. Don't try and talk them out of their trolling, or argue with them or give them any idea of what you're up too. Some MMO's offer reporting systems, which all players should utilize when confronted with a greifer. That will not get rid of the greifer at the moment of play but should help the general community. If it becomes severely distracting, some MMO's offer different instances, and the players should switch to a new instance. If that doesn't work, it might be time for everyone to take a break. Get some food, use the rest room, rehydrate, take your dog for a walk, ride your bike, and for the older crowd, give your kids or significant other some attention, then pick up again after a half hour or other prearranged time. If you're one of the Story Guides you can also use this time to place a member of your Cast of Characters into their next position.

I'd like to talk about the other problem on this subject. Roleplayers who throw tantrum fits when the people around them refuse to take orders.

 

I went to the Ebon Hawk's imperial fleet cantina today while waiting for a FP to pop. I stood on the bar, danced, and even dared to use rally. Within seconds of using rally, some guy named Blue-Moon starting whispering me with a passive aggressive tantrum fit. After I laughed him off, he put me on ignore, and had one of his guild buddies continue the tantrum in whisper. If I had known that laughing at their internet scoldings would have just made them angrier, I probably wouldn't have said anything. I didn't mean to make a bunch of sensitive roleplayers go berserk when I used rally. Then I started getting whispers from them telling me to call off my gang of "trolls" who were harassing them in whispers. Excuse me? I have never seen these people in my life before today, I certainly don't have a gang, and now they're accusing me of being in a conspiracy to kill role playing? Roleplayers like these guys pick fights that don't need to be picked and then they play the victim card. I am not impressed.

 

Listen, guys. The "G" in MMORPG stands for "Game." This is a game. There's absolutely no excuse for losing your temper because someone used a digital emote without your precious permission. You'd have to be a true drama queen to claim that someone dancing or someone using rally is making it impossible for you to RP. Sometimes people just like to complain, I think.

 

BioWare Austin gave me the ability to rally people freely. I don't need anyone permission to use it. I don't use it to make you angry. I use it because I just feel like it. Deal with it.

Edited May 19, 2013 by HaoZhao

BioWare Austin gave me the ability to rally people freely. I don't need anyone permission to use it. I don't use it to make you angry. I use it because I just feel like it. Deal with it.

 

Allow me to shed some light on this.

 

"BioWare Austin gave me the ability to rally people freely. I don't need anyone permission to use it."

 

Understand that's the problem. YOU'RE taking away from the tone by using an emote that takes control of characters away from people and does something silly that doesn't fit the atmosphere. You don't need permissions to use it but you ARE taking away from the experience by forcing people's characters to react for them.

 

Roleplayers HATE that. It's bad enough someone godmods in a story but when you use an in-game ability to do that constantly it's small wonder you were torn apart.

 

"I don't use it to make you angry."

 

You may not but other people do. "It takes the actions of many Jedi to rectify the opinion of the behavior of one." There have been many MANY people before you that have used Rally to troll so when you attempt to pull the same stunt but attempt it in a different context it doesn't matter. You have already followed in the footsteps of those that did it before you and people will assume you are the same as them.

 

Doesn't matter what your intentions were.

 

If it quacks like a duck, it's sure not a frog.

 

"Deal with it."

 

This is the attitude that spawned this topic in the first place. There is nothing in place FOR roleplayers to "Deal with it." as you so succulently put it. If there were there wouldn't be this topic for you to tell us to get over ourselves.

 

I'm sorry if you feel you were set upon but you made the choice to consciously use said Rally in the same context other people use it when they were trolling fully knowing the ramifications. Roleplayers have suffered for a long time because of this. You kick the dog long enough it's going to bite you.

 

"Deal with it.."