The team-comments when people level thread.

Where Part_Troll, long time CoH player and curmudgeonly old person with peculiar ideas of what comprises 'reasonable', 'fun' and 'comprehensible', lays down the Law According to Excession about 'congratulating people on the team who 'ding''.

Don't do it.

I mean, really, the flood of 'GRATZ' and the odd people who have personalised/macro variants with upbeat "you're doing great!", or "enjoy your new powers, dude!", or whatever, it's a pointless social wart, a ridiculous -ritual- which means precisely nothing.

Oh there are -some- people, perhaps new to the game, or terminally insecure, who -need- the adulation/recognition of their 'game playing prowess',people who stlll find the leveling ding to be a sweet sweet sound of Yet More Discovery and Growth.

Personally, I'm totally over it. Absolutely sick of people saying 'gratz' to me, or to anyone else on the team, to anyone in the entire &^%$#@ world. It's sheer noise. It's needless pointless input filling the available chat screen with stupidity.

It's arguably worse that people who -also- feel that "gratz" is overworked/overused STILL need to say 'PERMAGRATZ' or something in order to 'weasel out' of saying 'gratz' when people on that team/mission ding. Weaselwords from weaselpeople, if you ask me.

Ok, so it's not a big deal -- I don't comment on the practice, it just washes over the chat window and I move on, ignoring the proletariat and their socially binding ritualistic exclamations of innate idiocy.

If I never see another 'gratz' again, it will be too soon.

Ex

Grats on another post.

Conga rats!

grats is srs bsns

It's like saying "Bless You" after a sneeze.
They may not be completely sincere, but they're attempting to follow what they percieve to be the prevailing customs.

While you're at it, don't say hello to people. Don't ask how they're doing. Don't say it's a nice day. These are pointless words that accomplish nothing.

Don't welcome people to your team or your supergroup. In fact, don't say anything on a team unless it involves strategy. Friendly banter is pointless.

For that matter, don't post to the message board unless you have something to say that's actually of use. Oh, wait....

Goodness PT are we having a bad day or what? Congratulating a team mate on an accomplishment is not just a COH thing. I've been watching sports for years with my Dad, Brothers, Ex-Husband and even my daughters and ball players will hug, high five, SMACK butt, and an assortment of other things to congratulate a comrade on a job well done. Now I am not comparing those real life situations to going from level 17 to level 18 but exactly what is so wrong about your TEAM MATES wishing you well as you get one step closer to level 50?

This whole game revolves around pats on the back.. Or should we also do away with rewarding badges as well? I mean after all it's not like thousands of other players haven't done the exact same mission you just did before. Its a simple gesture of recognition and yes like many players I have a macro set up up so that even in the heat of a battle I can click and say "Gratz!" when I hear that familiar DING. Does that mean I am not sincere in my praise for their accomplishment? No it just means that I am surrounded by thugs trying to seperate my head from my shoulder at the moment so I TOOK the time in advance to still have a means to wish a fellow team mate well when they level. Sorry it annoys you but it is the norm here so you'll either just have to live with it or solo constantly.

The only thing that perplexes me are the people on teams who will drop everything, even while in the middle of a fight, to say it.

Without "gratz!" there are many PUGs I've assisted that I'd swear were completely composed of mimes and mutes.

rather than see it eliminated, I'd like to see more of the creative versions. Special phrases, use of special colors and fonts, etc. all those are fun and stimulate conversation. Just be sure to create them in advance with binds, rather than type them out during a fight.

Gratz!!

+1

<insert some other ritualistic text>

While I'm not quite as... vehement about it as the OP, I'm also not a fan of congratulating people for "accomplishing" level 4 or something. I'm always sure to thank people who congratulate me, but I don't worry too much about "missing" it if someone around me levels and I keep on playing.

What does irritate me is those rare occasions where someone gets indignant about having leveled and not been congratulated, and tries to nudge the rest of the group into "remembering" to acknowledge it: "DING." Yeah, that's nice for you and all, but I'm trying to beat up these thugs over here, and that's kind of occupying my keyboard at the moment.

I do try to congratulate people on the big levels (50, say), or if they've been having a hell of a time getting that one level they wanted before they logged off, but in general... I think the fireworks and inspirations and, you know, the level itself, are enough validation. You don't really need me to throw you a party because you've finally unlocked tier-1 pool powers or earned three more enhancement slots, do you?