Forum Policy Update

As a result of the recent changes (discussed in Joveth’s note), we’ll be enforcing our forum guidelines and Rules of Conduct more strictly than before. If you are being rude, disrespectful, and insulting towards others and are not civil and constructive in your posts, you will find your posting privileges removed more quickly than in the past.

Note that this doesn’t mean we’re going to shut down legitimate criticisms and feedback, but it does mean we will be making an effort to remove members of the community who prove that they do not want to contribute in a constructive way. We encourage you to provide feedback regarding the game (even about things you don’t like!), but we ask that it is detailed, specific, and constructive. Also, while disagreements are fine, insults and rude posts will not be tolerated. We expect community members to respect each other and differing viewpoints.

You may find that threads that are not constructive are removed or closed without warning. Here are some things we consider unconstructive:

• Long lists of gripes with few specific details and little useful feedback
• Threads that bash the game or BioWare
• Threads about quitting the game
• Callouts towards specific developers
• "Haters" vs "fanboys" arguments/unconstructive community commentary

We strongly recommend brushing up on the Rules of Conduct, as violations are generally more serious now.

We do need your help, though! If you see someone you think is breaking the rules, please use the "Report Post" feature! The best advice we can give is to report and move on – responding in kind to someone who is breaking the rules only makes flame wars and other disruptive behavior go on longer. If you just can’t agree with someone and feel like they may provoke you into breaking the rules, please use your ignore list. Remember: there are people out there who just want to make you mad and get a rise out of you. Don’t give them what they want!

We appreciate your help and are looking forward to creating a friendly, welcoming community!

I am concerned about anything negative being taking as a troll post. I have never gotten any infractions or warnings on any other forum that I have been a part of but this one is a different story and that is why this post concerns me. I personally have not liked how things have been handled up to this point, I always thought things were too strict. I guess I'll just have to wait and see how things turn out as a result of this.

As a result of the recent changes (discussed in Joveth’s note), we’ll be enforcing our forum guidelines and Rules of Conduct more strictly than before. If you are being rude, disrespectful, and insulting towards others and are not civil and constructive in your posts, you will find your posting privileges removed more quickly than in the past.

Note that this doesn’t mean we’re going to shut down legitimate criticisms and feedback, but it does mean we will be making an effort to remove members of the community who prove that they do not want to contribute in a constructive way. We encourage you to provide feedback regarding the game (even about things you don’t like!), but we ask that it is detailed, specific, and constructive. Also, while disagreements are fine, insults and rude posts will not be tolerated. We expect community members to respect each other and differing viewpoints.

You may find that threads that are not constructive are removed or closed without warning. Here are some things we consider unconstructive:

• Long lists of gripes with few specific details and little useful feedback
• Threads that bash the game or BioWare
• Threads about quitting the game
• Callouts towards specific developers
• "Haters" vs "fanboys" arguments/unconstructive community commentary

We strongly recommend brushing up on the Rules of Conduct, as violations are generally more serious now.

We do need your help, though! If you see someone you think is breaking the rules, please use the "Report Post" feature! The best advice we can give is to report and move on – responding in kind to someone who is breaking the rules only makes flame wars and other disruptive behavior go on longer. If you just can’t agree with someone and feel like they may provoke you into breaking the rules, please use your ignore list. Remember: there are people out there who just want to make you mad and get a rise out of you. Don’t give them what they want!

We appreciate your help and are looking forward to creating a friendly, welcoming community!

As a result of the recent changes (discussed in Joveth’s note), we’ll be enforcing our forum guidelines and Rules of Conduct more strictly than before. If you are being rude, disrespectful, and insulting towards others and are not civil and constructive in your posts, you will find your posting privileges removed more quickly than in the past.

Note that this doesn’t mean we’re going to shut down legitimate criticisms and feedback, but it does mean we will be making an effort to remove members of the community who prove that they do not want to contribute in a constructive way. We encourage you to provide feedback regarding the game (even about things you don’t like!), but we ask that it is detailed, specific, and constructive. Also, while disagreements are fine, insults and rude posts will not be tolerated. We expect community members to respect each other and differing viewpoints.

You may find that threads that are not constructive are removed or closed without warning. Here are some things we consider unconstructive:

Long lists of gripes with few specific details and little useful feedback
Threads that bash the game or BioWare
Threads about quitting the game
Callouts towards specific developers
"Haters" vs "fanboys" arguments/unconstructive community commentary

We strongly recommend brushing up on the Rules of Conduct, as violations are generally more serious now.

We do need your help, though! If you see someone you think is breaking the rules, please use the "Report Post" feature! The best advice we can give is to report and move on – responding in kind to someone who is breaking the rules only makes flame wars and other disruptive behavior go on longer. If you just can’t agree with someone and feel like they may provoke you into breaking the rules, please use your ignore list. Remember: there are people out there who just want to make you mad and get a rise out of you. Don’t give them what they want!

We appreciate your help and are looking forward to creating a friendly, welcoming community!

This like when the House passes another bill that is almost like a previous bill.

Everything about SWTOR breeds antisocial behaviour. Whether it's the lack of communication from Bioware or just the fact that the game itself really never was themed on "working together".

Just trying to serve as a "reminder".

I know this though, this "community" has been splintered and ruined from day 1. Now you want to fix it?



You expect everyone to be constructive while posting? That's like people expecting you and your team to answer questions properly and sincerely engage into the community other than a few comments a week.

It's just not going to happen.

Infact, the reason the forums look like this to begin with is due to Biowares lack of communication.

You remember? All the "We can't answer this." ..."Soon" ... Etc etc. You left the community to bicker amongst themselves.

I suppose you will also be doing more than using "copy and paste" responses when closing threads.

Oh wait, you don't have to give any warning so I suppose that saves you the energy.

Empty promises of communication mean very little anymore. Your ideas of communication were to have users go to your Twitter and Facebook for answers.

I don't believe that your staff know the difference between rude and insulting as people have been warned for "QUOTING" someone being rude or just engaging in conversation.



"Legitimate". ...What's "legitimate criticism"? Are those the post that people usually post and then get attacked by the "positive" fanboys? You expect "legitimate criticism" when it's quite apparent Bioware doesn't listen to it anyways.

Infact, before you decided to wipe the old forums, there was plenty of "constructive criticism". I remember I had some post that were locked because they were in relation of another topic. Only problem was my topic wasn't in relation with the other topic, was just assumed to be.



Translation:

We are trying to ban everyone who has anything negative to say. Everyone make post about how much you love Bioware not listening and acting like they care about their own product! Everyone praise Bioware for empty promises!

Note: You do realise there are huge communities outside of this forum that do more damage to this games image than this forum? Namely places like Reddit, Massively, 4chan and Forbes and series of blogs.



And I advise you brush up on what real communication is. Because going from not communicating at all to ,

"We are now going to enforce our rules...Now with more spite!" Won't fix anything.

Only thing you are doing is digging a deeper hole and showing just how out of touch with this community you really are.


Why....this sounds like something a user on this forum would post.

This is probably the MOST laughable thing I have seen.

"If you don't agree with someone IGNORE THEM."

Yes. That surely is the first step to communication and a better community.



No comment.

You expect everyone to be constructive while posting? That's like people expecting you and your team to answer questions properly and sincerely engage into the community other than a few comments a week.

It's just not going to happen.

Infact, the reason the forums look like this to begin with is due to Biowares lack of communication.

...

Oh wait, you don't have to give any warning so I suppose that saves you the energy.

....

Translation:

We are trying to ban everyone who has anything negative to say. Everyone make post about how much you love Bioware not listening and acting like they care about their own product! Everyone praise Bioware for empty promises!

I do want to respond to a few things here, but for posters who feel this way, I think the only real proof will be in actions, not in more words.

We do hope the forums will become more constructive as we increase participation, and it is our full intent to be more involved here. We will post more, but we will expect community members to respect each other (and yes, to be civil to us as well).

As long as that includes the fans of SWTOR and Bioware. I have seen plenty of threads where they will come in and derail a thread of just say if you dont like it leave and nothing is done. But if a so called hater says it they get a rude behavior infraction.

Generally, as I mentioned before, we give plenty of warnings before someone gets banned. We won't notify in the case of every thread that we remove (especially threads that are really just spam), but in the majority of cases, we contact people when we remove entire threads. We also issue warnings before infractions, and we know that everyone deserve a chance to learn the rules and become comfortable with them. We're not frothing, ban-hammer swinging maniacs, but we do want to see more constructive discourse and much less "haters vs fanboys" and personal attacks.

You can have less personal attacks if you stopped closing threads. If you didnt close any negitive thread as soon as you can you wouldnt have as many pop up. Also remember that if no one posts in a thread then it will go onto page 4 and be forgotten in no time. Then if the OP bumps it then you can close it. You can even say "No one wants to talk about your thread so get over it"

As I also mentioned before, our intent isn't just to ban anyone who has something negative to say about the game. I think a quick look at first page of General Discussion at any given time will prove pretty definitively that we're not just trying to remove every single thread that says something negative about the game. However, we DO want the people who insult others and who can't discuss topics without resorting to personal attacks gone. We want the people who think it's entertaining to make people angry on the forums gone.

Have you looked at the first page? Most of the negative threads are locked.
Also look at who does the most personal attacks and you will realize that they are the ones supporting the game and not complaining about it.

In short, if you WANT to follow the rules and share your feedback and criticism, and can do so without attacking others or being rude, you don't have anything to worry about.

Now, for our end of the deal, we know what we need to do, and that's get out in the forums more. We will be doing that, and we do hope that it has a positive impact on the forums overall.