Comments

Okay, back to business. I think it’s about time to say a few words about those last two articles.

Female Gamers in TFC

This one spawned quite some reactions, ranging from positive to negative (and some even beyond negative). Let me address a few points of the various emails or discussions (in random order):

- The guest editorial of Battle Angel was not intended to complain or to whine. It was a statement about what kind of behaviour a lot of female players meet when playing TFC. IMO anybody who mistake the description of a grievance for ’whining’ should grow a few more braincells first before attempting to speak. And quite frankly it’s uncalled for. I’m sure a lot of people who labeled this editorial as ’whining’ would be the first to complain about stupid newbies asking stupid questions and lamers doing nonsense, because it would annoy them. Guess what: Female gamers just don’t need any kind of annoying bullshit as well. But I guess for a lot of people it’s always a different thing what they do and what the others do.

- It was pointed out that females players would invite that kind of behaviour by giving their gender away with their player name. True enough, and I’m sure the big majority of females players is using neutral or even male player names for exactly that reason. Brave new world, isn’t it? Women have enough shit to deal with in Real Life™ (not every woman, but far too many of them) and they cannot even play a bloody online game without males acting like assholes once more. Oh, does this sound like whining again? Well, people, a suggestion: Ask your girlfriend about all those small and not-so-small incidents, little remarks or plain harassment they have to go through every day. Or your mother, or sister, or wife. Ask them how wonderful it is to live in a world where far too many males let their dicks do the thinking.
So the point is not that female players could avoid any stupid remarks and behaviour by not revealing their gender, but the sad fact that we as community are unable to provide an environment which allows them to play as females without being treated different to the male players. So that this happens is not the fault of the women but the fault of everyone of us allowing this to happen. And with that I don’t mean to get protective for female players, but to show that we don’t tolerate any kind of harassment and lame behaviour in the game.

- On a more general note: It seems to me many males are intimidated or even scared by females acting strong and independent. Maybe it should occur to those people that the problem are not women, but their own weak ego.

KEA shuts down

- I’m increasingly worried about where the game and the community is heading. People are more and more adapting a "winning at all cost"-mentality, dominating not only clan matches but also the pubs. I’m wondering why we have so many discussions about issues like chasing or all-D games lately. Something has changed. Something is different than 2 years ago, or even one year ago. Actually the games themselves are not very much different (on the pubs), but the attitude behind the game is changing and affecting the game and the community. Maybe this has to do with TFC coming to age, but while this surely is one reason I somehow suspect that there is a general change, or shifting in attitude, in online games.

What do you think ... ?