City of Heroes: Live Forum Archive

'Twixt'? Anyone remember this guy?

7thCynic

By 7thCynic,
Posted on: 2009-07-06 16:03 in CoH and CoV General Discussions

 

Posted

As far as the tactic goes, droning people is perfectly legit, and quite frankly, if you're close enough to the enemy base for them to be able to do that, you deserved it.

Having said that, writing a paper on the concept that people hate jerks is kinda lame.

 

Posted

He bought the game when it hit the shelves in 04 and quickly noticed that people were ignoring how the pvp areas were supposed to be used? Quite a feat when they didn't even exist back then. Pvp came with the much later addition of the arenas, and even that was before villains showed up. The whole thing sounds bogus to me. The pvp zones are for players to fight each other, tping them into the drones isn't any more as intended than the standing around chatting that seemed to offend him so much. There was no research. He behaved in a manner he knew would get the reaction from people he wanted then pointed at thier reactions while pretending to be an innocent little player just trying to do what he was supposed to do in the zone. He obviously had pre-existing assumptions on gaming and social communites and tailored his so called research to provide what he wanted it to. Of course the tribe will whack him with a stick since he only acted to agitate them and not to become a member of the tribe. What was he 'researching' in the year from launch until CoV brought the pvp zones? I think he got caught playing games on the company dime and came up with the whole 'reasearch' thing to cover his backside.

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
As far as the tactic goes, droning people is perfectly legit, and quite frankly, if you're close enough to the enemy base for them to be able to do that, you deserved it.

Having said that, writing a paper on the concept that people hate jerks is kinda lame.

[/ QUOTE ]It's legit by the developer's rules. According to Twixt, it's not legit according to the player's society's rules (which is why he'd qualify as a 'jerk').

It seems rather silly that a sociologist would be shocked that a society wouldn't be happy with someone breaking their norms. I mean, if his point was Hey, look! This game's playerbase actually functions like a real society! that'd be one thing (still not that surprising), but, based on the article, it was about whether or not he could piss people off by doing questionable things, including talking trash with the best/worst of them.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ShadowNate
;_; ?!?! What the heck is wrong with you, my god, I have never been so confused in my life!

 

Posted

after reading this, i think this would be a legitimate research endeavor if one more factor had been taken into account, ethics. This isn't a game with real heroes trying to take down real villains, it's a game with people trying to have fun.

 

Posted

After reading Twixt's website, he would never have written the article he did, that became a "news" story, if i13 PvP changes never took place. The reason he left the game wasn't because his research was over. It was because he had less people to grief.

He then focused on what the game became and used it as a platform to show his dissapointment.

So, in essence, his griefing lives on although he is no longer a player. Except, this time he's not picking people off at random in RV... he's griefing the game and players by "exposing" the anger he encountered.

Oh well, as they say:

"There's no such thing as bad press."

pohsyb: so of all people you must be most excited about the veats
Arachnos Commander: actually, I am
pohsyb: I mean you kinda were one already anyways ^_^
Arachnos Commander:

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
I'M LOVING THIS THREAD!

QQ more please!

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL @ LOLing at other people!

Wait... did I just insult myself by insulting him for insulting us?

My brain hurts.

 

Posted

<QR>

Things I Have Learned From This Thread:

1) We now can officially cite that CoH/V has "rather dreary and, once successfully completed, very repetitive grind" (Myers, 2008). Don't tell me some of you haven't wanted to for a long, long time.

2) When I've read Twixt's posts, I thought he was better suited to being 18 and flipping burgers, not a college professor. But perhaps he was roleplaying there too. Conclusion: don't trust roleplayers.

3) He's using an ethnographic methodology, which a single letter from this ethics board should cover. He can hardly mingle with the crowd if he has to have everyone sign release forms. NCsoft / Paragon Studios might have an issue with him, but the best they could do now is ban the account for EULA violations.

4) Despite what people have commented here, this kind of paper is useful. It's easy for us at the heart of the matter to go "hey, that's obvious" but unless it it written up, it gets forgotten. They key point here is that Twixt was using two legitimate tactics - heroes fight villains, not talk to them; and TP Foe into Drones - that were considered socially unacceptable. He was breaking a social contract of behaviour by using officially approved techniques. It's an interesting contradiction.

That he received death threats and was ostracised for doing so is a very interesting result. Not surprising, but it is useful to see it confirmed within a MMO and an academic context.

 

Posted

Holy CRAP.

Go take a look at the comments posted by someone calling themselves "ComingCurse" on the article's comments.

Someone has some anger issues to work out.

 

Posted

it's all in the mix?

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
Holy CRAP.

Go take a look at the comments posted by someone calling themselves "ComingCurse" on the article's comments.

Someone has some anger issues to work out.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'd have anger issues if I had a curse on... uh... that... too.

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
He bought the game when it hit the shelves in 04 and quickly noticed that people were ignoring how the pvp areas were supposed to be used?

[/ QUOTE ]Or maybe he noticed the complete absence of PvP in '04?
Because, y'know, there wasn't any PvP at launch.

Dr. Todt's theme.
i make stuff...

 

Posted

Sounds to me like this Twixt kept pulling a tiger's tail, and then acted outraged when the tiger turned and clawed him.


[ QUOTE ]
Holy CRAP.

Go take a look at the comments posted by someone calling themselves "ComingCurse" on the article's comments.

Someone has some anger issues to work out.

[/ QUOTE ]


I'm not surprised that there's another nut in the game who would get their kicks by ruining other people's enjoyment.

My Deviant Art page link-link

CoH/V Fan Videos

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
He bought the game when it hit the shelves in 04 and quickly noticed that people were ignoring how the pvp areas were supposed to be used?

[/ QUOTE ]Or maybe he noticed the complete absence of PvP in '04?
Because, y'know, there wasn't any PvP at launch.

[/ QUOTE ]

I take it you didn't read past my first sentence.

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
As part of his experiment, Myers decided to play the game by the designers' rules -- disregarding any customs set by the players. His character soon became very unpopular.

[/ QUOTE ]

http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2...fessor_be.html

[/ QUOTE ]

I also reported on this like over a month ago but it mysteriously disappeared one day If you read his 'report' it's such a travesty of 'professional' investigation that I can't believe anyone would even consider his report seriously.

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The shining world of the seven systems. On the continent of Wild Endeavour. In the mountains of Solace and Solitude there stood the Citadel of the Time Lords. The oldest and most mightiest race in the Universe. Sworn never to interfere. Only watch...[/SIZE][/B]

 

Posted

I'd say we should all make toons on Triumph and head over. It's almost midnight. hehehehe.

I am TWIXT!

No, *I* am Twixt!

I'm Twixt!

Please read my FEAR/Portal/HalfLife Fan Fiction!
Repurposed

 

Posted

The page linked by the original post shows obvious bias in how the events were represented, which makes me wonder what is actual intentions were. He made himself sound impervious to others while completing objectives encouraged by the game itself, when his description of specific details makes that sound impossible. He intentionally avoided all PvP reward mechanics, according to his described tactics, which means he wasn't playing how it was intended by the developers. That means his stated purpose doesn't match up with the details of his experiment. So, he's either incompetent, or a liar.

He could just as well have been spamming healing aura at level 1 in a wentworth's. It's "legal", but there's no reason to do it other than intentionally aggrivating players, and it'd take a daft individual to believe it's somehow the designed purpose of the game.

 

Posted

That would require him to have gone to another zone.

Please read my FEAR/Portal/HalfLife Fan Fiction!
Repurposed

 

Posted

I think that's just one giant troll article and ComingCurse is a idiot.

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
Sounds like everyone (both he and the people he fought) took everything too seriously. So, your normal day in a PvP area in any game.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, maybe. But here's the thing that it amazes me that this guy was not smart enough to figure out:

If [general] you repeatedly tick people off, you're going to become very unpopular. The more you do it, the more unpopular you become.

A basic tenet of human nature that I'd think even an intelligent grade-schooler could grok, although of course not in adult-speak. I'd expect a guy with a phD to be smarter than this.

This guy found out the gaming community is not comprised of so many Mother Theresas. WELCOME TO REALITY DUDE. And he was ticking off the most vicious and hostile people in the entire game, PvPers. Yeah, THAT was gonna end well.

p.s. Not all PvPers are vicious and hostile, but the majority of them engaging in zone PvP certainly are. I can only go by what I see.

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
He bought the game when it hit the shelves in 04 and quickly noticed that people were ignoring how the pvp areas were supposed to be used?

[/ QUOTE ]Or maybe he noticed the complete absence of PvP in '04?
Because, y'know, there wasn't any PvP at launch.

[/ QUOTE ]

I take it you didn't read past my first sentence.

[/ QUOTE ]
*sigh* Yes, reading comprehension for the lose.
Started to read it just as a headache was coming on and sort of skimmed/was distracted.
*heh*
Going to go sleep now.

Dr. Todt's theme.
i make stuff...

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
So he used a live commercial MMO to conduct "experiments" on other people?

Well then, I'm sure he remembered to gather the needed written permissions from not only NCSoft, but also from all people involved in these "experiments". I mean, otherwise he'd leave himself open for all sorts of nasty ethics complaints. Or worse. But as a professor, I don't need to tell him things like that, I'm just a lowly Master of Arts, and even I knew not to do anything that would get the university in trouble.

So it would be extremely sad if someone with grounds for en ethics complaint were to contact his university to make said complaint. Especially in writing. But I'm sure he's been careful and only killed the avatars of people who already agreed to be a part of the "experiment". It's just good ethics to do so.

Sorry, can't keep that level of sarcasm up...

Anyway, if you feel you've been mistreated by these "experiments", and feel vindictive, contact the university directly and complain. Even better if a group of people make a joint complaint. When entering a PVP Zone you agree to getting attacked and killed, but I don't see anywhere in the EULA of agreeing to be part of scientific "experiments". Actually, I don't see anything in the EULA about allowing people to conduct experiments on other players either.

So if you really want to cause trouble, don't just refute his paper, do an ethics complaint as well. I can't be part of it, though, didn't PVP when he was active. But if his "experiment" affected you negatively and you didn't agree to being used as a guinea pig, then you're in the clear for a complaint. Best if you have some data to back it up with, of course, but you don't have to follow the scientific method in a complaint. He, on the other hand, must in his paper.

[/ QUOTE ] Yeah!! Being vindictive will show him!

Actually, by suggesting this you at least as bad as him.