Games toxicity and the problem of trolls. We investigated together with scientists

Imagine that at each entry in a team game you come across teammates Class “Zhirinovsky”, which not only beautifully drained but delighted to provoke conflicts, insults enjoying chatting. Why, even the present is not necessary: we are in Russia, where it is in order. But for Western researchers phenomenon familiar to us a big surprise. In this article, prepared with the support of gametree , Gambling understands what scientists call “an epidemic in-toxicity.”

study problems

Discussion at the forum dota2.ru site.
In modern psychology toxic call people, causing damage to the surrounding emotional manipulation, brutality, violation of personal boundaries and has dozens of ways to realize and very pressure on the psyche. Accordingly, in online games, “toxic” nicknamed annoying teammates – those whom we are called trolls.
GameTree team interviewed 478 respondents from Europe and the United States, asking all the same question: “What do you miss most in online games?” 60% of respondents indicated that most dream of playing with adequate, less toxic players.
But in the West, where all used to behave more politely, the problem of paying little attention. And only recently, scientists polled gamers from Europe and the United States, suddenly discovered that in multiplayer games as examples of toxic behavior, that it is time to write some tutorials on kibersotsiologii.
This answer was given so often that no options such as “to know more interesting games,” and “get objective reviews” not even close to worth in popularity. And the vast majority of responses came precisely from the Eastern European players. But gamers are from Western Europe and the United States mainly wrote that they lack the right of all these points – equally.
On the basis of the information gathered experts GameTree made two major findings:
  • Western gamers to just give something to complain about;
  • players from Eastern Europe severely affected by toxic teammates.
And as many as 86% of respondents confirmed that they consider it the most toxic post-Soviet countries from all regions. This statement seemed to scientists so serious that they conducted a survey again – this time on the two and a half thousand players. With the same result.
The data were obtained in a survey of 2566 gamers from Eastern Europe.
In the Eastern European and Russian servers League of Legends  is about 79% of the matches you encounter toxic players. This figure alone brought the user To Reddit enerccio , who spent hundreds of your own games, to count all instances of toxic behavior of teammates and even made the final infographic with the results.
The author of the original article on the study with GameTree wrote that Eastern European servers Dota 2 faced with toxicity in almost every game, while on the American servers, this is only half of the cases, if not less. According to him, the classic situation of “Russian pillboxes” – this is when the first peak of the Sniper take on mid rise just four curries, all whining, cursing, followed inevitably lose.
In Western Europe, the main criterion when choosing a server PlanetSide 2  – how little Russian played there.

circus 2.0

Western researchers was the discovery that in Eastern Europe the professional trolling – big industry. So Ukrainian part GameTree team, familiar with the famous streamers in the Russian segment of Twitch , began to open the eyes of the western colleagues, they even could not imagine that trolling, it turns out, you can earn.
Avatar GladiatorPWNZ  speaks for itself. This charming “grandpa” with a changed voice, which calls itself the fireman, the paratroopers, not worse Karina understands trolling. In fact, his twenty-five or twenty-seven, and 120,000 subscribers to Twitch monthly pay five dollars for the fact that he continued to act as a major asshole of the world.
“Valery Albertovich” well versed in e-sports – all possible in-game mechanics he uses to poison the lives alternately and enemies and allies. The main areas for trolling – World of Tanks , Dota 2the CS: the GO , Rust  and, of course, Skype, through which the drive nazvanivaet people at night.
However, trolls professionals in online games are still very few – for most of the toxic replicas meet ordinary people who have just had a bad day. This is the conclusion reached in a study, researchers recruited Riot Games is , the creators of League of Legends. And own research GameTree only confirmed this fact.

Toxic trolls. Hyde to neutralize

But few realize the problem – it must also be solved. So what made the whole classification GameTree trolls gamers, providing every type of toxic tips for neutralization.

1. Bad Day

All day may not work out: problems with the Internet, shouted the teacher or boss, parents did not give money to a sale in the Steam –reasons enough. With these experts advise players to behave tolerantly, to maintain an upbeat atmosphere and set up a team to win. But criticism is only encourage them to play worse. Here it is better to include patience, you can do tomorrow to be in their place.

2. The pathological egotist

Most likely, this person is not a troll – he just selfish and protects the vulnerable self-esteem. These are the peak and snipers on the first turn: do not get the role of Carrie and play for tech support – it’s a real disaster. Or, even simpler reason: very little is left to a new level. Or, for example, the previous five games he has played at least favorite characters and now quickly grabbed a loved one.
Unfortunately, the best thing you can do – is to play with it at the same time to give way to the egoist. Be a team player: it’s better to take the tech support and win a balanced team than guaranteed to lose, but on the first carry.

3. Emotionally unstable gamer

These players are in a separate category highlights their inability to cope with stress in a highly competitive multiplayer. But the age limit games do not appear just like that: sometimes the mind can not stand in a stressful situation, and all the negative emotions splash on teammates. The only way to cope with such companions – not to succumb to provocations and ignored. You still have the same boat, so it is unwise to shake.

4. Unintended troll

And, of course, we all once were themselves trolls, even without knowing it. You know, of course, that made a good move, all calculated correctly and make the right decision. But it is unlikely your teammates understand that as well: all are judged from the perspective of their own experience.
So it is with supposedly neutral chat message: that for one bit of advice for the other – a crude attempt to impose their tactics. Advice here is similar to the previous: less react to sharp replica, and still do try to behave as politely as possible. This, of course, difficult, but the server is still Russian force can not be helped: the changes have to start with yourself.

5. This troll

Only 5-7% of the players from the study GameTree called trolling the only reason to play online games. Just this is the real enemy – the one that consciously come to spoil everything. Such a “gamer” enjoys swearing, and against him will not help even the most ingenious arguments. The most effective way to defeat this troll – completely ignore any of his attacks. And, of course, at once write to support.

And then what?

If the United States the problem of toxicity in the gaming environment can still be ignored, in Eastern Europe, it has become a real threat to the gaming community. And most importantly, hard to protect themselves from it: stress and irritation has become synonymous with MOBA and team shooters, and where the nerves out there and squabbling. It is important to try to behave properly, but from someone else’s toxicity it still will not save.
Much nicer to play with decent gamer who you know personally – was the conclusion of a team gametree , application developers – a social network where you can search for adequate teammates on the heap settings: from the city to the matches in the list of favorite games. Not being totally incognito gamer starts to get serious about the game and show more respect for party members.