Etiquette - How to be a better gamer.

[Jellopy]

Gaming Etiquette, brought to you by Jellopy.

Feel free to direct people here, in fact, I encourage it!
Also feel free to add, I will credit you and edit it accordingly!


I. In-game:
A. On the field
When out in the field, whether it is for leveling or finding items - you must remember that you are not the only one out there. This could be a good and a bad thing. On the plus side, there are plenty of people you can interact with. The flipside: there are people you don't want to interact with.

1. Parties - Parties are essential for leveling, dungeon raiding, or boss killing in most games. Some advanced games have an auto-party feature, other games however, require you to advertise yourself. When looking for a party or party member, a good place to be is at the entrance to the map you with to enter. Should you not be able to acquire one, potion shops and storage NPCs are good places to find active people. It is unadvisable to add random people to make a party because they might not want to go where you want. When inviting party members on the field, it is advisable to ask first. Also, avoid inviting when they are engaged in actions such as fighting/defending, this will most likely be denied. Maintaining a party is also important. The leader should be on constant lookout for the well being of his/her party. This includes finding new members, or replacing annoying ones.

2. KSing - Kill Stealing is a problem in any game. When being KS'ed the first offense should be let go and treated as an accident, especially if they apologize. Repeated offenses should be treated in a calm manner, as opposed to "wtf, stop that n00b!", this will only provoke them. Instead, kindly ask them to stop, then if needed, ask them to change channels, or change channels yourself. If they keep following, simply pull over somewhere safe, and pretend to be afk so they lose interest. Naturally, there are thin lines between KSing and legal killing. Minibosses and MvPs are exempt from the KS rule because it is simply selfish to claim a rare spawn. Ranged characters and characters that do area damage are MOST of the time exempt from KS. Unless they steal the monster you are engaged in, its all in fair play. However, you may still ask them to Change Channels (CC).

3. Looting - Looting is not as bad as KSing, and generally speaking if they didn't pick it up, and the loot timer expired, they don't want it. However, sometimes they are engaged in other actions, such as fending off a mob of monsters. You are still free to pick it up, however, it is proper etiquette to give it back when asked. Also, it is a nice idea to ask them if they want their loot in the first place, before they kill. Sometimes pros go to low level places to find things, and they don't pick up anything else.

4. Public Chat, Party Chat, Guild Chat, Private Chat - There is a reason why they made so many chat options, and that is to regulate communication traffic. It is proper etiquette to use the respective chat to communicate with people. For example, I would not use public chat to discuss private trades with someone else - this may lead to "trade-jumping". Trade-jumping is when someone spots your deal, and takes the buyer/seller away from you. Also avoid public chatting things such as guild/party strategies.

5. Party Loot and Fair Share - This section discusses what to do with super rare items found while hunting WITH the party. First thing to note, in order to obtain a fair share, you must do your fair share. Party members who dawdle and jump at the first item they see, are usually last on the list next time they go party. Another thing to note, "calling" items, or "claiming them before they come out" is highly unrecommended - it shows signs of selfishness and lack of concern for others who need it more. Remember, there is a difference between NEEDING and WANTING. A common scenario is a "tank" and a support character fighting a boss, a boss drops a rare and the tank picks it up (naturally since he/she is always close to the loot). In situations like these what do you do? Well here are some things to consider (use your own discretion ultimately!):

a. Do I need this or want this?
b. Do they need this or want this?
c. Are they doing their fair share of work?
d. Am I doing a fair share of work?
e. Who is using up the most potions for this party to function?
f. Am I poor? Are they rich (even if they are, ask anyways)?
g. Is there an alternate solution? ex: "I'll give you 2 gold ore if you let me keep the sword"

B. In town - when in town, you may want to do things such as visit the shop, look for parties, set up a shop, or just dawdle.

1. Trades - Towns are often places where one meets people to secure trades. When securing a trade, it is good to be punctual and bring the items with you. Asking for more than the price negotiated is not recommended, but it is not taboo either.

2. User-Shops - There has been much debate over "side-walk" vending, and "vend-anywhere". While it is impossible to do-away with the "vend-anywhere" clutter, it is also hard to promote "side-walk" vending. People would rather prefer selling items in a convenient location, no matter how cluttered or inconvenient it is. Chances are they will be overlooked by most. Side-walk venders are more prone to get clicked on because it sticks out. It is a nice idea to support side-walk vending, but don't feel pressured to vend way out of the way.


II. On-Forums:
A. Starting threads
When starting a thread, be sure to check if there are existing threads addressing the same topic. Most forums have the nifty "search" button. In the event that the thread exists, but your question is not answered you may post your question IN that thread. In the event that your topic is not addressed, then proceed to make the thread. To ensure that your thread will be responded to in the most efficient manner , a proper title is needed. A good title will be easier to understand by both the users and the search engine. A proper title provides a brief one line synopsis of your problem/statement. When making a title, make sure it is clear and concise. Avoid false-advertising.

1. Examples of Improper Titles :
a. "What happens if you use Double At ... " (length conflict: too long.)
b. "Where to find..." (length conflict : too short, unclear topic)
c. "lv 6 need help please." (unaddressed topic)
d. "wth, y did dat hppn?" (unaddressed topic, excessive freehand)
e. "look in here!" (misleading title, no clear topic)

2. Examples of Proper Titles :
a. Q: Double Attack w/o AP
b. S> +10 Chain Mail [1] 600k
c. A> Poring Card S/B: 1k A/W: 300k
e. Q: Assassin Build Stats
B. Replying
When replying to threads, there are several things to remember:
1. Is my reply on topic?
2. Is my reply clear?
3. Does my reply add to the topic's growth?
4. Am I offending anyone?

C. The Search Button

The search button is a very handy feature. It was created so that people would not spam the same threads over and over. It helps keep the forum clean, and a clean forum is less susceptible to a wipe by the admins. The search button is often in your forum toolbar, typically near the top/bottom right. When using the search button, keep in mind to use simple but key words. This is one of the reasons why a good title will help expedite the search. There are usually advanced features on the search engine. Some engines allow you to search for popular threads, most engines allow search by dates, others allow search by views. Whatever your engine provides, it helps to become familiar to its features. Not using all the features may result in a broad search with many topics, whereas using too many features may yield little or even no results. Failure to use the search button often results in the death of your thread, prior to a brief scorning by a forum regular.

D. The Edit Button

The edit button was created so that order could be kept in a single thread. Some forums allow you to "edit" the whole thread down to the title. However, the edit button's main function is to keep from double posting. Think of it as a "comma in between sentences" or an "eraser on the pencil". When editing, it is proper etiquette to show what you edited. When to use: When your reply is the last reply on the thread, and you wish to add something. When you wish to change the topic title or the topic description. When NOT to edit: It is highly unetiquette and unrecommended to edit "Trade" threads. For example, changing the Autowin, Minimum Bid, or Starting Bid of a trade thread is a VERY bad idea to do and may damage your credibility.

E. Terminology

A - Often used to denote an auction, example: A> +10 Wooden Sword [1]
B - Often used to denote a buyer, example: B> Lv 50 Bronze Shield [2]
Bots - A 3rd party program that *might* be used to gain unfair advantage. Some bots are modifications of the game, but do not give any advantage - while others are unfair 3rd party programs that do anything from leveling to selling. An example of a bot that does not give unfair advantage, is a "Skill Recharge Timer" bot.
CC - Change Channels, used to ask someone to find a different place to do what they are doing.
Flaming - Insulting or degrading others.
Leet - A corrupt form of the former word "Elite", Used to describe someone/something good/godly. Various forms include (but are not limited to): 1337, l33t, etc.
LFG - "Looking For Group", may also mean "Looking For Guild", example: LFG> Pyramids Lv4
Hacks - cheats used to gain unfair advantage in a game, these should be reported as well as the abusers. In most games GMs reward such actions. Variations of the word include h4cks, h4x, h4xx, etc.
Newb - a derogatory term used to refer to "uneducated gamers" or "lamers", other variations include (but are not limited to): noob, nub, n00b, noobie, nublet, etc.
P- Often used to denote a person looking for a party, example: P>Lv19 mage needed
P/C- Used to denote a Price Check request, Example: P/C>ChonChon Card
R - Used to denote someone looking to recruit, it may be a party recruit or guild recruit. Example: R>Lv 50+ Members
S - Used to denote a sale(s). example: S>+7 Katana
T - Used to denote trade(s). example: T> My +10 Shoes for Your +10 Hat
WTB - Want to Buy, example: WTB> Green Dye
WTS - Want to Sell, example: WTS> 10 Potions

[edit] 08/26/06 - added "Loot Sharing"

[Ridil]

I noticed that you refered to the word noob in your definition of newb, they are two different words with two different meanings.


Newb- new to the game

noob- insult used by players expressing people who are "worse" than them, in most cases the "noob" isn't a noob.

[Apple]

Pirate Etiquette! (random, sorry) Verdact is right though.

[flaris]

You can't KS in this game (well, you can, but it is hard to time which of the person's monster you will hit) and changing channels doesn't work that well in this game. And you posted this in Trickster Guides, so you can't say this isn't game specific ^_^

EDIT: Teh evil post.

[Apple]

Congrats on your 666th post flaris. o_O
People never like to share in parties... D: