Sportsmanship

You may hear about it most often if you play team sports or compete: One example of practical sportsmanship can be when an American football team chooses to “take a knee” rather than continue to run up their score when there’s still time left on the clock, but they’re way, way ahead of the opposing team. It seems to be an ethic (like the Ethic of Reciprocity, i.e. “The Golden Rule”); it does not need to be constrained by any formally-drafted Code of Ethics, rules or laws, and can occur ontologically.

As for its presence within socially-driven online games like MMOs, it seems like a rather diaphanous, loosely-envisioned concept, seldom considered with much depth or invoked by this nomenclature.

I’d like to ask what “sportsmanship” means to you, the online gamer: What is it? What does enacting sportsmanship do, in an online game environment? Why should it matter (and when – if such a situation exists – should it not matter)?

Transparency: I participate within a focused think-tank (the specifics are not of much importance here), so I greatly appreciate any inputs you are able to share with me, that I may forward. Thank you in advance for your kind offerings.

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Samson1

Saying GG at the end of a match to one another... win or lose.

Cold 0ne FTB

Samson wrote: »

Saying GG at the end of a match to one another... win or lose.

That during a gvg or when my group faces another competitive group. Usually I look for somebody to tbag me. If I die and get t baged it usually means you were quite a significant thing to handle and that they are frustrated on some level. That being said I don't tbag other people.

Wandering Mist

For small instanced-based PvP, saying things like "glhf" at the beginning and "ggwp" at the end are signs of good sportsmanship. For open world PvP it's a little harder. For me, things like corpse camping and repeatedly singling out a single person who you know has no chance of fighting back is very unsportsmanlike to me. I wouldn't call them griefing, just being a colossal dick.

And before anyone asks, I consider griefing to only apply when you abuse mechanics to intentionally screw over your teammates, for example putting a wall in front of them to stop them from escaping a gank.

Noaani

I don't tend towards the sportsperson type - I'm more the coach.

I'll offer what help and information I can to people that I think will use it.

Volgaire

'ez' is the only correct response.

HiddenDaggerInn

Ya as much as I appreciate good sportsmanship, today's game has gone towards "Ez PZ" Get good noob, garbage like that. I'm hoping we see a comeback of a strong community, that bands together against the filth in the MMO community.

Hansrutger

Anyone who's gonna play rogue has to kind of have anti sportsmanship philosophy or they will die probably due to them having only "opening" to their advantage. I'm going to play rogue btw.

Jokes aside in most games I just say gg even if I lose unless the other team was toxic, mainly thinking about Rocket League, but even in WoW I usually end the dungeon by saying "cheers cya". I think it will depend on the game a lot of time. AoC seems to be heading toward a more friendly-rewarding environment which is nice. Let's see how long that lasts though xD

Frostduck

Are you a gamer? Well it doesnt matter that much. Its very weird and strange to think about sportsmanship in MMOs And that's because systems are in place to make cheating, spying and abusing mechanics "fair play". Thats why in competetive game of this nature i think sportsmanship is just not cheating and not talking shit or griefing and scamming for no reason. Thats all you can expect. Because everything else is strategy. You are literally at war, and there is no sportsmanship at war. Now obivously its play-war, but its all the same.

Sometimes annoying someone has a purpouse and you cant just decide its unsportsman-like. But when you litrerally do it to be an asshole, then it doesnt apply. Be nice, say GG after you burned months of their work and stole their stuff. But still do it if you want. That kind of feeling.

Wandering Mist

Sandman wrote: »

Ya as much as I appreciate good sportsmanship, today's game has gone towards "Ez PZ" Get good noob, garbage like that. I'm hoping we see a comeback of a strong community, that bands together against the filth in the MMO community.

You wanna know the sad thing? People quite often use "mindgames" as an excuse for being an asshole. There are a lot of players who make it their sole purpose to piss off their opponents so that they ragequit and they win like that. I really hate those kinds of players.

HiddenDaggerInn

It also is just plain immaturity and people being Internet Rambo's because they feel safe in their home to say and do whatever they like with out anything happening. Just the society we live in now. That doesn't mean I accept it, and I will almost always try to take the high road and lead by example on how to treat people.

Xhelori

Frostduck wrote: »

Are you a gamer?

Yes, I happen to also be a gamer, although I no longer play semi-hardcore (at least I wouldn’t call it semi-hardcore).

You are literally at war, and there is no sportsmanship at war. Now obivously its play-war, but its all the same.

Out in the real world there are no “anti-cheating” scripts, nothing to actively, physically limit/govern people in their daily choices, only the collective stewardship of civilization, and what behaviors are encouraged and discouraged in order to maintain civility and promote common welfare. Individuals will weigh the risks of consequences for egregiously violating cultural norms against any possible rewards for taking those risks.

In actual warfare, there does exist a certain level of “sportsmanship” which is why there can be declared war crimes. The US military enforces conduct via MPs from within their ranks. From the outside, there can be accountability for violating human rights or enacting genocide. I think bombing schools where children are in attendance, or shelling hospitals, for instance, are globally frowned upon and may incur sanctions outside of the war itself.

Sawo

Xhelori wrote: »

In actual warfare, there does exist a certain level of “sportsmanship” which is why there can be declared war crimes.

Well... if there are civilized forces against each others wearing insignias... but that does not happen anymore. There is one side that plays by the book (armed force with insignias), and other does not (faction, group, organization). "Deniablity" is the modern era goal of turning conflict to the favorable road... and thats cheating at it best.

I'd like to follow few rules when I play, just because I want to do my part of good gaming enviroment.
- Dont get mad, get even. This does not mean revenge, but getting better.
- Dont be greedy, leave something to others (no spawn camping etc.)
- Do not whine about tanking, healing or lack of DD. Everyone is doing their best (unless drunk or stoned

)
- Let the roleplayers roleplay. Participate, or be quiet.
- Its only a computer game, do it for fun. No fun, do something else.

IllusionTokomi

I learned my sportsmanship from actual (various) physical sports.

Foremost of these is Rugby Union.
I do not think there is enough room here, nor might this be the proper mode for my explanation. I will offer, nonetheless, the examples of rugby players behavior.

First: after the match. Former opponents, who have been in physical combat on the pitch gather together to pray, to hug and make nice with opponents' children on the field, certainly to shake each other's hand.

Furthermore, players from opposing teams stay with, hovering over for protection, injured opponents, to the detriment of their own team's advancing the ball down the field. (Indeed, play does not stop for injured players and often proceeds right over or in close proximity to them). They are never reprimanded by their teammates or coaching staff for doing so. I would be appalled to find out that happened, as would anyone I have ever known to play the sport.

If there is another word beside "Sportsmanship" to encapsulate that ethic, I do not know it. But I would like to propose the word: humanity.

Certainly there will be bad examples: but here is a sample YT video: youtube.com/watch?v=Zj6YFZv_Yts Notably, a player handing over his World Cup Winning Medal to a child.

P.S. Go All Blacks!!!

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