The hatred, racism, and overall stigma of FFXI players.

[Rodin]

I'm studying psychology. For a case-study project, I decided to go into FFXI, and create a tally of certain things people say, and do. This data was acquired over 4 weeks, and tallied while I was in parties with random new people, while leveling or camping with my endgame WHM. Here are my findings.

Number of times a member of LS A, talked down upon LS B (including ALL LSs, Chat, HNM, Dynamis, Limbus, etc):
136 times.

Number of racist comments from certain players:
398 times. (This shocked me. I included the common "Spanish player" jokes from my server, times people said things about Japanese players who only wanted to play with other Japanese people, and people who said any slandering words.)

The number of times "He/She's a gilbuyer" was said:
255 times.

The number of MPK/Attempts, I have seen:
27

Number of stolen HNMS:
1 (This one was a shocker. Supposedly HNMs have the most "Drama" of anything in the game.)

My comparative data goes as this:

Number of times somebody spoke well of somebody else:
107 times.

Number of times person from LS A spoke well of LS B:
45

Number of times somebody took an R1 for the team:
3 (During XP)

Number of times people said (Congratulations!) when an LS beat an HNM:
1

This is some data I've collected during a month of playing FFXI. The people who play this game have a very large amount of animosity towards other players on my server. I don't know about other servers, but to me, this is incredibly bad. I know everyone talks down about "WoW" for having elitest, immature, unknowledgable 14 year olds who play. But do FFXI players really hold that high of a ground against a WoW player? Looking at this data, I would say no. Feel free to discuss and interpret this as you like. I look foward to hearing your conjectures.

[Kagerou]

Re: The hatred, racism, and overall stigma of FFXI players.

I guess its easier to hate than love.

I think the data would shift tremendously if you were lvling around 30-50 compared to endgame, or any other level range for that matter. At endgame, it all becomes a e-peen contest (especially HNMs).

Two questions though. How did you "see" HNM's being stolen when you were just lvling your whm? And did you pt with JP players (and tallied their comments)? I'm not sure exactly the method you used (did you just listen, or did you actually ask some players?).

[Rodin]

Re: The hatred, racism, and overall stigma of FFXI players.

Ok, I edited to say leveling and camping with my end-game WHM. I partied with Japanese players. I tallied what I could understand. I didn't ask anyone anything. All of these things came up during a conversation between most of the players.

[Kuroen]

Re: The hatred, racism, and overall stigma of FFXI players.

I have a rant I could go on about this, but I'm no better than alot of these, being a bard I've become so picky as to who I party with it's become quite sad, and at least I acknowledge that. I've most likely made several of these comments about how japanese players only want to party with japanese players, but I don't blame them, it's really hard to communicate exactly what you want to tell them with the auto-translate fuction, no matter how hard you try they still don't quite understand.

Some do, some don't but some people just can't get it through their head that when I say stand on the opposite side of the mob from the paladin , to stand on the other side of the mob from the paladin, both paladins and melees are guilty of this and it's become quite frustrating, no wonder not many people play bards, but I still push through and I enjoy it and love my job when I get the right people, japanese or not.

About the rank 1 thing, I had a friend who plays and never did a single rank mission in her life, but was one of the better red mages I've partied with for a long time. I do take into account of rank, past experiences with the player, but if I have never played with the player before and they are rank 1, I'll give them a shot , it doesn't hurt.

Reason alot of people have decided to say things that they do is from past experiences, I admit in the past I at times just wanted to party with those who could speak english because I didn't want to deal with the stress of trying to get my point acrossed to someone who doesn't. Or i will only take rank 5+ because I don't want to risk having to explain the entire game to someone who is new.

[rant]I mean seriously, if I wanted to teach every new person how to play the game, would I be partying trying to get experience? by level 50+ you should have a decent grasp as to how to play your class, I understand if in qufim you are still having a bit of trouble, and still trying to learn the ins and outs, but when you reach 50+ and still don't know how to play your class something is seriously wrong. [/rant]

As much as I love playing with people from around the world, and that I acknowledge that this game originated from japan, if they wanted to make a game that had players of both japanese and english backgrounds, they would have invested a little more time into the auto-translate fuction. It is something they should take a better look into, you can only mix and match so many things from that, but when you need to say something that isn't exactly related to the game like explaining to them how to do something if they don't know it's really hard if you only know english and maybe a little japanese here and there.

and about the gilsellers, get out of our game and go find something else to do :p stop ruining our game economy :p and hogging all the NMs for yourself >.> Not everyone has the cash in reality to buy your gil and then in turn buy all the NM drops you get from farming them 24-7 x.x

I'm sorry I took your post to rant like this, but I don't know it somehow triggered something inside of me to speak my opinions, don't flame me opinions are allowed right? O_O opinions are best stated when not having to think about it :p so I guess it works >.> but whatever.

[Kailea]

Re: The hatred, racism, and overall stigma of FFXI players.

this info is BS, I hate it when people try and breakdown the average FF or even any MMORPG player with this mind bull crap

[Kuroen]

Re: The hatred, racism, and overall stigma of FFXI players.

well mine was pretty much rant, no so much an observation, than from experiences really.. everything I said is about my experiences, but I guess I see your point. not everyone is the same, and to assume that everyone is the same is wrong O_o; it's kind of like the "so and so did this and ruined it for everyone" bit....kind of like a kid stole a cookie from the cookie jar so the cookies are taken away from everyone because of that one kid.

that goes for cliques and groups of types of people. because one type of person did something you didn't like , to assume that everyone is like that is wrong as well. So just because you partied with a certain amount of people through the duration of the research doesn't mean that everyone is like that, sure everyone will possibly make a comment about someone they partied with in the past, but you know.. it's like they say ... are you going to invite someone back that has proven that they are incapable of the job they are doing? of course you aren't going to speak well of them. I guess *shrug* but I'm not goign to say " I'm not going to party with all red mages because this one wouldn't dispel" you just don't invite that person back, and it's not necessarily bad to say you don't want to party with them because you obviously know something your other party members don't. and well this could go on forever

But I guess everyone has something negative to say about someone, to have someone say something good about you , you need to earn it.. i guess that is why few people say good things about someone specific or a specific linkshell etc... so that doesn't necessarily make us better or worse than the kids that play WoW but at least we're not spammed with leet speak :p

[Ninnin]

Re: The hatred, racism, and overall stigma of FFXI players.

Psychology is all about putting people into groups anyway?

But, yeah, pretty interesting... Though I'd say it's all expected when it's online, no one know who you are, we all have a demon inside us(I don't believe in saint, sorry), being online just make it easier to show our true envious selfish self, I guess?

Looking down on others, accusing people to be RMT, doing evil stuffs on others and bitch when someone return, denying your wrong doings, etc is just part of human, it's just harder to show when you are face to face with someone.

[Omni]

Re: The hatred, racism, and overall stigma of FFXI players.

this info is BS, I hate it when people try and breakdown the average FF or even any MMORPG player with this mind bull crap

it's a study. i highly doubt he is claiming all players are like this. i'm sure you know by now in life, there are always exceptions to the rule. many many exceptions to the rule. studies do not provide end-all answers to anything and everything so you should probably not expect those types of answer in the first place.

studies help define trends, show flaws, show strengths. regardless if this doesnt apply to you or every person you know, it applies to someone out there. you know theres another 2500 people you DONT know on your server that this can apply to. im sure you understand the op cant survey and log every single piece of conversation out there but, im sure if he takes enough samples among enough different groups, he can create a pretty accurate cross section of the ffxi community. it's like saying all new yorkers are cranky and rude. i know a few new yorkers that arent this way but you know what? many of them, more often than not, are rude. it's not a bad thing or a good thing, it's just stating the typical new yorker is. same goes with so. california. not every girl here has breast implants. my girl friend doesnt, neither any other girl i know. however, there are many in LA, more so than other areas/cities, that do. so saying that there are a lot of negative comments out there in ffxi isnt really far fetched. heck, its a microcosm of the real world isnt it? there sure are plenty of racist and negative comments now so why not in ffxi? if you think the world is so peachy, you obviously havent bit into the cold hard bone of racism. get my drift?

before spewing some 1 line or worthless commentary, try to look at it objectively.

[Kuroen]

Re: The hatred, racism, and overall stigma of FFXI players.

well I apologize for my "worthless commentary" >.> sorry I felt like saying something, and just because you think it is worthless doesn't mean it shouldn't or can't be said. x.x

[Omni]

Re: The hatred, racism, and overall stigma of FFXI players.

i wasnt talking about you. i was talking about the person i quoted.... >.>

[locus]

Re: The hatred, racism, and overall stigma of FFXI players.

Rodin:
Are you new to the internet community?

Or human behaviour?

FFXI has some of the best behaviour of any MMO I've seen. Reason: Your reputation stays with you. Go do a comparative study to your real life, or other MMORPGs. For fun, compare this to the average Howard Stern episode.

The majority of NA players aren't exactly living a magical reality where everyone is nice to each other and "never is heard a disparaging word". Or the US would be Canada. (Sorry, couldn't resist)

Edit:
P.S. The plural form of "stigma" is "stigmata".
You say "The noses of the people", not "the nose of the people".

[Reincarnation]

Re: The hatred, racism, and overall stigma of FFXI players.

Yea, studies will only you a guesstimation, nothing accurate but you can at least get somewhat of an idea what happens around one place to another. There's always gonna be more of a hate than a like; hate's the easiest thing to create, all you gotta do is see something you don't like and say 'oh, I hate that person'. To like something, more than often we place the person in a situation to see if they live to your expectations, they fail your requirements and you throw 'em away. Most often when an LS puts down another LS it's only because ONE person from that LS hade ONE thing done to them that they didn't like and after that all the did was find MORE reason to not like the LS (bandwagon). Oddly enough, if you got something good: You're a Gil Seller; that's at least all I'm really seeing from people who accuse others of Gil Selling, sometimes true and sometimes not. JP wanting to party with JP, I still don't get why there's such a fuss on it; so they want a less complicated atmosphere, grow up and live with it. As for 'good' comments, I most often see those when in beginning fields and Kazham.

What anybody has to say isn't worthless, if you think it's important then say it; just be sure to be ready in recieveing any blow, y'know? ^-^

[Kuroen]

Re: The hatred, racism, and overall stigma of FFXI players.

What anybody has to say isn't worthless, if you think it's important then say it; just be sure to be ready in recieveing any blow, y'know? ^-^

I know this but I say things anyways ^^ at least I "try" to be positive about it x.x and don't get into cussfests like some people and yeah basing linkshells after one member isn't exactly the most right thing to do, but then again when the linkshell recruits people they try to enforce that you represent the linkshell and to not do anything that would degrade the linkshell as a whole, I think most people overlook that and act before they think anyways. :p

[Blood Red Poet]

Re: The hatred, racism, and overall stigma of FFXI players.

I'm GOING TO GO LISTEN TO LINKIN PARK; Le CRY

Bitching isn't a study.

[Atma]

Re: The hatred, racism, and overall stigma of FFXI players.

For the record, from someone who can understand some japanese:

They talk down about American players just as openly as many americans do the japanese. And an amazing difference is that while American players tend to do it only in all-na groups, the japanese will often talk down about american players openly in mixed groups, on the assumption that probably 99% can't understand them.

The problem is there are huge cultural differences in playstyle. From my observations, Japanese parties are far more willing to take a lower amount of XP per hour, instead favoring a "safer" experience overall, while American players tend to take more risks for higher rewards.

In the end though, what did you expect. When monsters only spawn like every 24 hours and only 18 people can fight it and get "teh good lewtz", there's bound to be a lot of greed, jealousy, and animousity floating around. But it's no different then real life. Go ask a Vikings fan how they feel about the Packers, or vice versa, I promise you'll get no different response.