Ten Commandments of MMO Gaming

(This isn't MMO specific, although some of these points do obviously correspond to CoX as much as any game.

In general, I've noticed a certain lack of courtesy, and want to address that. NOTE: These are written as "commandments" but are not a) religious in nature, or b) an attempt at "forcing" people to play my way. I just wanted to frame them as the granddaddy of all top ten lists.)


Ten Commandments of MMO Gaming

1) You Shall Have No Other Gods Before Me -- there's nothing more annoying than someone in zonewide chat who can't shut up about how XGame is better than YGame (the game you're currently playing). For me, it always leads me to ask myself... why aren't they playing XGame, if it's so amazing?

2) You Shall Not Make (For) Yourself An Idol -- When doing pick-up groups, I find there's usually one guy who can't stop talking about how you're playing your class wrong, and if you'd play it HIS way (the RIGHT way), you'd all be cleaning up and killing the enemy at least 80% faster than you are now.

3) Do Not Take The Name Of The Lord In Vain -- Which could also be renamed... Thou SHall Not Be A Pottymouth. Let's face it, other than big ol' number one up there, nothing will kill a zonewide discussion faster than someone who can't turn on their brain-to-fingers filter. It's an MMO, chances are there are kids playing this thing. Even if not, chances are there IS someone playing who doesn't like to see profanity splayed out like you're doing a gangta rap album. Be courteous, for @#^$ sake.

4) Remember The Sabbath And Keep It Holy -- In some games, there is a very healthy and complicated Endgame. Some of those have raid content that is somewhat rare (some spawns don't spawn except once every X number of days.) They often set up what has become known as a Raid Schedule. Do not "jump" your place on the Schedule. This represents a huge investment of time and planning to execute, and it will not end well for you, ever. There is nothing that can doom a guild faster than their reputation as a guild falling into the sewer. It's the kind of thing that can dog you long after you've left the guild.

5) Honor Your Father And Mother -- Or in this case, your main tank. If the main tank is trying to tell you something, you should really listen, because it's their responsibility to keep the group alive. Similarily, let the tank get aggro, it's their job. (Looking at you, DPS guys. Don't overnuke.)

6) Thou Shall Not KIll -- Some games still have spawns which, if you run, will follow you. And in some of them, these spawns will aggro onto other players if they can't catch you. Do not train these guys onto your fellow players... that is, don't run over other groups just so the spawns will stop following you. In games where it's possible, it's almost always a bannable offense, and even if not, it's a jerk thing to do.

7) Thou Shall Not Commit Adultery -- If you're in a group, and you see an advertisement for another group, give it some thought before you drop your current group like they're DOTed. And especially don't say something classy like "so long losers, these guys probably know how to play better than you." Your fellow gamers have long memories, and they keep lists.

8) Thou Shall Not Steal -- In most games, spawns can be attacked by anyone, even if they're already being attacked. For GMs sake, leave the ones being attacked alone. Every group a player fights represents a time investment. For most players, they weigh every spawn to figure out if it's worth their while. When you kill steal, you are stealing time. More to the point, you are rendering that decision to attack the spawn worthless by changing the variable. If the other player's in trouble, that's one thing, but if there's time to fire off a "need help" tell, DO IT.

9) Thou Shall Not Bear False Witness -- All we have in a game is our reptation. Don't lie about other players to make them look bad just because you got into a disagreement. Usually, you'll be found out, and it's your rep that will suffer.

10) Thou Shall Not Covet -- In some games, loot is somewhat free-for-all. Anyone in the group can loot any item. And often, a group will agree to certain rules (i.e., mage items go to the mage, whereas warrior items go to the warrior). If you're in one of these groups, and you're a mage, and you're rolling on a +12 Sword of Mastery of Hacking... then you're being a colossal jerk. And you'll probably be the one whining the loudest when the ranger wins that Robe Of Pwnery.

1- Yes
2- No, if they're really doing it wrong telling them the right way might actually be.. *gasp* useful!
3- No comment
4- How does this apply?
5- No. Screw you tank I'm going to go kamikaze over here then self rez.
6- Meh.
7- meh.
8- ~
9- ~
10- Doesn't apply.

0/5.

About half of those commandments are almost completely irrelevant to the gameplay and AT mechanics in CoH. The others are sort of common sense, or just basic manners, but the shoehorning into quasi-biblical commandments makes them a bit awkward and off-target.

2/5 Would not recommend.

1) Isn't there an Ignore feature?
2) Helpful comments can be helpful... (Such as maybe refering a tanker to his mez protection toggle)
3) Profanity is filtered by default...
4) ...
5) I guess if more things needed intricate (WoW style) tactics then this might apply...
6) Mobs don't work like that in this game, they run back to where they were stood when pulled (Unless they are part of a special event, such as the winter one)
7) If you leave a PuG, then it's no big deal PuGs have people going in and out of them all the time...
8) Most fighting happens in missions rather than street sweeping.
9) Ehh...
10) ...

I like the Tank one if only because it so doesn't apply to this game.

The best part is when Scrappers do a better job at managing aggro and not dying and the Tank complains about feeling useless. Or hell, I've been on an ITF where the Tanker got pissy because the Blaster was doing a better job.

Really though, it's the subtext that the Tank has all the say that amuses me. But hey, that's why I like this game over other MMOs. When everyone does their thing stuff tends to go fine, as opposed to teams being built around a single central pillar of a player whose presence and skill is the difference between victory and defeat.

To everyone criticizing the list because it doesnt apply to CoH, did you actually read the post...

Tank != Tanker in this context.

Nothing gets me to quit a game faster than #8. Open-world quests where you have to compete against other players in order to achieve your ends are a terrible idea. First and foremost because you're competing against your fellow players in order to succeed. Even if you're on a team, your team is competing against other teams. That's not fun. Second because it underscores the unchanging nature of MMOs. Since open quests depend on static spawn areas where enemies continually respawn out of thin air, it feels like using a broom to try to sweep out the tide. Nothing you do has any effect on an MMO world, but you don't have to be so *obvious* about it. (I'm looking at you, nearly every MMO ever made.) CoH disguises it better than most, at least.

I have one thing to say.

Would not recommended thread.

My tactics are always "punch dudes" regardless of AT played or even the game I'm currently playing. It works out more often than not.

I actually enjoyed the OP, even though more because i read it in more of the "general MMO advice" style instead of specifically for CoX.

1. Yup (Goes without saying)
2. Yup (otherwise you'll soon fine yourself with nothing but leftovers-if that)
3. Yup (check you language folks unless you're sure it's safe)
4. Yup (nothing here to comment on)
5. Yup (And should be law-As a DPS this means check targets and safety's before unleashing hell. Sometimes not doing so saves lives-like yours)
6. Yup (or in otherwords run in the direction OPPOSITE of the group if you are in this 'cinch. Many folks will be happy at you for doing so-even if they might have trouble finding you later).
7. Yup ('nuff said).
8. Yup (again 'nuff said)
9. Yup (again 'nuff said)
10. Yup (again 'nuff said and is one of the few things I wish I can go DP nuke on)

Ten Commandments of MMO Gaming

1) You Shall Have No Other Gods Before Me -- there's nothing more annoying than someone in zonewide chat who can't shut up about how XGame is better than YGame (the game you're currently playing). For me, it always leads me to ask myself... why aren't they playing XGame, if it's so amazing?

I don't remember seeing it, though I've seen plenty of compare/contrast and general discussion of other games in both Broadcast and global channels.

2) You Shall Not Make (For) Yourself An Idol -- When doing pick-up groups, I find there's usually one guy who can't stop talking about how you're playing your class wrong, and if you'd play it HIS way (the RIGHT way), you'd all be cleaning up and killing the enemy at least 80% faster than you are now.

I don't care about killing speed as long as everyone has fun, but if I keep faceplanting because of someone, you can bet your underwear I'll make it known.

3) Do Not Take The Name Of The Lord In Vain -- Which could also be renamed... Thou SHall Not Be A Pottymouth. Let's face it, other than big ol' number one up there, nothing will kill a zonewide discussion faster than someone who can't turn on their brain-to-fingers filter. It's an MMO, chances are there are kids playing this thing. Even if not, chances are there IS someone playing who doesn't like to see profanity splayed out like you're doing a gangta rap album. Be courteous, for @#^$ sake.

I couldn't care less about the "think of the children" argument; if someone's playing an MMO, I'm going to go out on a limb and assume they've already familiarized themselves with a far wider array of profanities than I might use in a casual conversation, especially if the game itself is rated Teen.

4) Remember The Sabbath And Keep It Holy -- In some games, there is a very healthy and complicated Endgame. Some of those have raid content that is somewhat rare (some spawns don't spawn except once every X number of days.) They often set up what has become known as a Raid Schedule. Do not "jump" your place on the Schedule. This represents a huge investment of time and planning to execute, and it will not end well for you, ever. There is nothing that can doom a guild faster than their reputation as a guild falling into the sewer. It's the kind of thing that can dog you long after you've left the guild.

Pffffft. You snooze, you lose. Goes double in CoH since the frequency of almost all events is dictated by player participation.

5) Honor Your Father And Mother -- Or in this case, your main tank. If the main tank is trying to tell you something, you should really listen, because it's their responsibility to keep the group alive. Similarily, let the tank get aggro, it's their job. (Looking at you, DPS guys. Don't overnuke.)

The same assumption that the tank knows best also implies that everyone else also knows as well. Hell, I've had far more trouble with bad tankers than with any other AT, and a good tank will have aggro locked down before the team has caught up with him.

6) Thou Shall Not KIll -- Some games still have spawns which, if you run, will follow you. And in some of them, these spawns will aggro onto other players if they can't catch you. Do not train these guys onto your fellow players... that is, don't run over other groups just so the spawns will stop following you. In games where it's possible, it's almost always a bannable offense, and even if not, it's a jerk thing to do.

Never saw it happen in CoH, so... no comment.

7) Thou Shall Not Commit Adultery -- If you're in a group, and you see an advertisement for another group, give it some thought before you drop your current group like they're DOTed. And especially don't say something classy like "so long losers, these guys probably know how to play better than you." Your fellow gamers have long memories, and they keep lists.

Meh, no teammate owes me anything. If a teammate says they're peeling off to join a forming TF or raid, or even a transparent "SG needs me" bailout, I'll wish them luck and start fishing for a replacement before the chat bubble fades.

8) Thou Shall Not Steal -- In most games, spawns can be attacked by anyone, even if they're already being attacked. For GMs sake, leave the ones being attacked alone. Every group a player fights represents a time investment. For most players, they weigh every spawn to figure out if it's worth their while. When you kill steal, you are stealing time. More to the point, you are rendering that decision to attack the spawn worthless by changing the variable. If the other player's in trouble, that's one thing, but if there's time to fire off a "need help" tell, DO IT.

Again, not much of an issue in CoH, especially given the kill credit dynamics.

9) Thou Shall Not Bear False Witness -- All we have in a game is our reptation. Don't lie about other players to make them look bad just because you got into a disagreement. Usually, you'll be found out, and it's your rep that will suffer.

Hey, if someone wants to dig a hole for themselves, far be it from me to keep them away from the shovel.


10) Thou Shall Not Covet -- In some games, loot is somewhat free-for-all. Anyone in the group can loot any item. And often, a group will agree to certain rules (i.e., mage items go to the mage, whereas warrior items go to the warrior). If you're in one of these groups, and you're a mage, and you're rolling on a +12 Sword of Mastery of Hacking... then you're being a colossal jerk. And you'll probably be the one whining the loudest when the ranger wins that Robe Of Pwnery.

Again, doesn't apply to CoH. Maybe someone can write a COH-specific version of this?

An open letter to NCsoft