Arena - removing the ability to use voice or text to communicate with other crews

@havocstone1 Again, mute them. I know it takes a little bit of time, but is it so hard to lower your volume preemptively? Even so, all these bad scenarios in my experience are a small portion of Arena.

To the people arguing that they can count the toxic games they’ve played in on one hand. And that it’s just part of life in multiplayer games... maybe you should look at yourselves and your own actions.

My brief forays into arena have been met with the angriest of trolling teenagers on several occasion. Many eager to spawncamp (defeating the very purpose of the game- there’s no in-game value to it) and bully anyone in the lobby who dares ask them why they would do such a thing.

As much I wanted to enjoy arena, I left it behind with a gross feeling in my stomach.

The point is, it just might be possible that you did this to yourselves guys...

@jadescissors32 haha. You sound exactly like one of those kids. Sure, I’ll stop crying. I’ll just enjoy reading you guys complain here for a while. May the tears of angry toxic arena players flow.

Tbf - Rare do need to remove that commendation or add TDM.

Either way, lovely talking to you.

@bokk420 It's literally a sandbox game lol. Saying a sandbox game is intended to be played a certain way is an oxymoron. If you don't want to be in a TDM lobby, hop to a new server or go cash in the chest over and over for free arena wins. Plus, TDMs are freaking fun, why would you want to take that completely out of the game, because you don't think it should be played that way?

@jadescissors32 look man, I feel it a little weird that I have to make this point but spawn camping sucks. Being spawn camped sucks. It isn’t a fun thing to experience. The skill level to be a camper isn’t that impressive either.
In all of gaming, I think it’s fairly agreed upon that actions should be taken to minimise it by developers (and rare has let arena players down in this regard). a I’d personally argue that it’s an ugly move by whoever does it. It’s not required and you could always choose to be a better person and not do it.

@grumpyw01f said in Arena - removing the ability to use voice or text to communicate with other crews:

I dare any person reading this to convince me otherwise: Defaulting all arena chat to be disabled, but allowing the setting to be changed, would fix toxicity complaints which pleases Rare and those who side with this new change, while also preserving the parts of Arena people like me love. There would still be less communication, but it wouldn't be gone altogether. ITS A PERFECT COMPROMISE. PROVE ME WRONG. No one in any post has even tried to fight this idea, they ignore it and get back to trying to explain why removing all communication is a good thing.

Ok basically what I said before. I am not saying I agree this is the solution, just saying this could be a reason why the default to off would not totally solve the issue.

Assume the goal is to get rid of toxic players who's only goal is to come to the arena to harass and troll people. If that option is totally removed, problem solved, no way can that person be successful and will more than likely stop playing if that is their main goal. This makes the experience better for everyone else if that person is gone.

If they still think there is a chance that some people will have the default turned off and be able to hear them, they may decide its worth a shot to still come to arena and be toxic. Maybe they are just running around yelling to themselves and no one can hear them, but they don't know that and if they are doing this in the lobby I am sure they will be the type of teammate that throws fire on their own ship and blunderbombs their teammates off, keeps dropping the anchor ... etc.

To be clear about this persons toxic behavior I am not talking about dancing over kills, or bucketing or spawn camping or any of that stuff, thats just part of the game to me. I am talking about the person who comes into the lobby to yell racial, sexist slurs about people and their mothers, tells people to uninstall the game and kill themselves.

Again not saying I agree with the solution to the problem just thinking this could be a reason the, just switch it off approach does not work. It still allows that toxic person to believe they have some chance of messing up someone else's game.

I asked one of the most popular streamers not too long ago if they ever streamed arena, they said no way man, every time I go into arena the first thing I hear is fbombs and people being toxic.

The more I think about it the more I enjoy the delicious irony that spawn campers, in their pursuit of a cosmetic have driven away new players, effectively poisoning the well of arena, and causing Rare to no longer support the mode. You guys have killed the thing you loved.
I hope you continue to look back on your memories of spawn camping with pride.

@mostexpendable said in Arena - removing the ability to use voice or text to communicate with other crews:

The more I think about it the more I enjoy the delicious irony that spawn campers, in their pursuit of a cosmetic have driven away new players, effectively poisoning the well of arena, and causing Rare to no longer support the mode. You guys have killed the thing you loved.
I hope you continue to look back on your memories of spawn camping with pride.

I see what you are saying here, but I agree with others, some of this is Rare's fault for locking these cosmetics behind so many kills with each weapon without some kind of TDM mode that allows for more chances of getting kills. Also a huge part of this game is cosmetics and commendation achievements, thats what they are selling, so you cant be mad at people for trying to find the most effective way to earn the commendations that Rare put in.

That is an horrible idea!
Im a full PvP player focused over naval combat and funny roleplay talking to others!

The best part is talking to others!

No matter 3% of time, the point is that over adventure its very hard to find someone wishing to speak! ok... its very hard to find a ship... So numbers are not a valid point as a variable to have in mind!

I always found that full PvP people is less toxic than full PvE people.
And I always reaper no matter im alone, just to sink ships and feel the adrenaline, and to precipitate to Kraken a rich in cellulose diet! Its always hungry, and I love to sink alliances just to tell them that is a nice time to learn swimming, or tell them that they are so strong and good to swim, that would be a nice idea to start swimming proffesional!

By the point, I suck at close combat, but im a full PvP player since I enjoy to fight a conciousness... The more numbers they are, better! Because numbers superiority causes more fear and pain if they loose!

Its not the talking ability what starts toxicity.
"what comes out of the mouth, comes from the heart."
This means, to bubble people its not going to warm hearts.
That is just going to make the game lonely. Its better to find other way. A way to warm up people hearts...

• a GOOD IDEA: A System to GIFT OPPONNENT PLAYERS some coins in very small amounts at arena's lobby
  (Example: 1-10 gold coins). I saw this system at other game and its extremely effective!
  People are savage and only moves if there is an award for nice behaviors.

• This is an excellent example of why to not mute players.
  Making ovbious the fact I would not been able to sing shanties in pirate voice anymore (Yes, I learnt that). If u ask me for that, I may sing to check it.

Twitch

Twitch is the world's leading video platform and community for gamers.

(Board) And, its time to start paying attention to spanish streamers to become partners... there is a very big ammount of spanish community, maybe enough to think about allowing partners in spanish. Most of them doesnt know how to speak english. Malevolgia, best spanish streamer, tryed to become partner, but now hes angry at rare... Sorry but all spanish people is thinking about Rare discrimination against spanish community... If you want less toxicity over the game, we must start from own board first! Im a very little streamer that sailed for very long doing this same kind of shockpoint videos, but long ago I lost the hope to become partner one day... If Malevolgia cant... what its expected for me? I always say truth, and im enough credulous to make people fearing my credulity! I know that people doesnt like trusty people, so I dont have so many viewers, but I know they are the most valuable kind of people!
Anyway, at toxicity, the best is just to return those weaknesses back to emisor as a mirror, but not being toxic. Like this:
<"Hey you! speak english"
-Im already speaking english
<you're trash!
-Ok, I accept it, Im trash! and if this trash sunk you in disadvantage, lots of times, not allowing you to have any oportunity... Well... then you are worst than me, and Im trash! (Caught over his own words and acts!)
Dont tell me that community is becomming toxic.
Just do as own words say, and respect own values and principles. Testing strenght of the principles and values of the game, tells if the game itself have an unbreakable "soul" and its not going to destroy by its own weight.

Break principles and values, and the community is going to copy that, then, that will make toxicity unstoppable.
Please dont do that, I love the game! At the moment I just sail at Arena. But if I cant speak... the game is going to loose all the joy...

Kape, the trusty pirate.
Truth is Cruel!

@souma1745 I'm sorry about your experience, and hopefully in time these people get repercussions. In the meantime, mute them so you don't have to hear it. The power is in your hands.
@AceFlounder6662 I explained in a different post, removing all cross crew chat will not make toxic players quit. They'll just move to adventure. Rare isn't removing cross crew chat there or there will be riots. I'd rather the toxic players be running around in the Glorious Sea Dog Tavern talking to themselves.
@MostExpendable Spawn camping does suck. But it is inevitable, and in most Arena games, a lots of players aren't as mad as you think. Mid-level players will take that L to get a free 2nd or 3rd place. Not a solution just a thought. I would say spawncamping is a fact of the game. What do you do if you want to sink a ship in adventure, but you have no ship? You ram the ship into islands/rocks and you spawncamp the crew until it sinks. Spawncamping in SoT is done for a reason and now that the subject of spawncamping is arena, there is now no way that there is a valid reason? It can be done in Arena to farm kills or keep a crew from interfering with your plans (if it takes only one crew member to spawncamp another crew in galley arena), for instance. I'd say those are valid reasons. I've been spawncamped a few times, but I never quit for it. I found a different lobby. I don't think spawncamping is what is killing Arena. And, funny enough, if people stop TDMing, I believe spawncamping is more likely. it hasn't happened to me in a while partly because I'm better at the game now and partly because the people who want to rumble each other are over at the fort. Wait a while, you might dislike this change to Arena along with me.

@aceflounder6662 you’re right dude. And I’m probably getting hung up on the spawn camping thing a bit much. But it really was the combo of that and the way arena players were always on the attack in the lobby.
Every group develops a culture and I think Arena’s culture has developed into something quite toxic.
Rare are taking this step, which is harsh, but perhaps players need to acknowledge their role in this situation as well.
And hopefully this big move by Rare can inspire some positive change.
The community and Rare can work together to figure out what needs to change. (Perhaps removing those commendations or having them only work in a new TDM mode... perhaps removing the tavern all together... who knows).

@el-kape said in Arena - removing the ability to use voice or text to communicate with other crews:

I always found that full PvP people is less toxic than full PvE people.

So much of your post spoke with me, but I'd just like to comment on this one phrase. It's so true, because your common, run-of-the-mill toxicity is about a player being mad about something, so they take out that anger on other crews.
Here's the scenario:

• Crew A: A well-oiled, communicative, Legendary Sea Dog crew
• Crew B: A crew of people in Glorious Sea Dog uniform, all in the same voice chat
• Crew C: A crew of newbs or newer/lower Arena pirates, in a voice chat or otherwise.
  So here's what happens: Crew A completely destroys Crew B in an arena game, leaving them nothing to feel happy about for the course of the game. For the most part, Crew A isn't toxic (I know I rarely am). Crew B is very angry, but they can't vent fully on Crew A because of the absolute shame they feel for being dumpstered earlier. So, what do they do? They vent their frustration on Crew C because they are good enough to overpower them. It's a bad experience for Crew C, but there is always a bigger fish.
  So many times in Arena and Adventure I've seen the crew my team is destroying get extremely toxic at us. And this goes more to the point - PvE crews are more prone to toxicity because they take more L's if they can't defend themselves.
  Next time someone is toxic to you, I would ask them who beat them so hard that they have to vent their frustration on you.

@grumpyw01f some fair points man. In regards to spawn camping, I’m referring to people just jumping on your ship and slaying out, while never actually trying to sink you. It’s poor form and ruins the experience. And they know it. Reap what you sow guys.

@tholzak or maybe people just don’t know it exists, if they promoted or made it more clear to players maybe it wouldn’t be such an issue. I’m past the point I’ve tried to report players in the past but I really don’t care anymore say what you want voice chat makes the game what it is. Without it I won’t play it.

@tholzak

@mostexpendable Understood. I try to take something from everyone I interact with on the forums. Even those you disagree with have ideas to learn from. That's my philosophy. Spawncampers like that are a lot of times losers trying to bounce back after taking a big L.

@grumpyw01f I like that. I for one really do hope Arena gets it’s day in the sun again. With a huge overhaul. Giving players a seperate TDM mode, removing the triumphant sea dog commendation (or whatever the kill one is called) from regular naval matchmaking. And a massive upgrade to the lobby system so we can get into matches faster.
There’s a great game in there, it just needs a lot more work to bring players back.

This is an unfortunate turn of events. How are people supposed to legitimately communicate. I've met a lot of really interesting Pirates from chat options, to lock people out locks out those random social connections is disconcerting.

On my grind to 240 wins lately, I totally appreciate the reports relating to abuse of the TXT and Voice system, but I don't want to see it removed.

An option already exists to mute players and report them and they are the minority of players.

I've met lots of Pirates with constructive and entertaining things to say, that will disappear forever now.

@woodsen-moosen It's the initial random communications though that would be locked out. I see your point though.

I never comment here on the forum but I feel obliged to question this decision. I'm sure this is not the better way to contain the toxicity of the players. Make the voice/text chat disabled as a default option should be enough, considering that toxic players represent a minority.

Honestly I use the VC alot of the time to communicate with other crews when mine usually up and leave, so if that happens I would board another ship during the match say my crew left etc and join them its caused alot of great memories and some of those crew are people I stream with even off of SoT now so it was a benefit, I think adding an additional lock in this\
ie
Activate Open Mic Chat YES / NO
something like this having Open Mic Chat enabled for Public chat having it disabled allows you to only hear and chat with your current Crew / Group

I do get why they made the decision. I see many people saying that they could count the toxic lobbies on one hand. This is ceritnaly not my experiance and Im not one of them "pve lords". None of my friends wants to play Arena for the reason that big part of people there were not thaught how to communicate like actual human beeings.

However, I am not sure If I do agree with decision. Looks like slapping a bandaid on a problem. I do think the problem could be fixed with satisfying everyone.

I recommend speeding up the release of private servers. Give admins an option to set up custom modifiers like respawn toimet and unlimited food.
There, you just got rid of tdmers on Arena while making tdmers happy and can ask server rent from them. Win win.

Secondly you could redesign Arena commendations to not encourage spawncamping.

That is my take on it. Thanks for reading.

@quietrobot They said they wont update Arena because of a low player base unfortunately.