Being bugged by attention-seeking trolls is standard practice for covering FFA PvP games. I've done it dozens of times, and every time someone tells me I play wrong or shouldn't have streamed it at all, etc etc. In other words, this is nothing new. My article will reflect that. While I was impressed with most of the game and appreciate the developers allowing me to stream a closed beta (many of them do not like it, you can see why) I do not understand the lack of an answer or the really poor answer about community rule enforcement. "Free speech" is something I will cover in my article, but to say that a game should have it while the forums obviously do not (or there would be no moderation at all) is, well, naive and possibly a very bad thing to say on a livestream.
Free speech does not exist almost anywhere, nor should it. You can't yell "fire" in a crowded theater and, for all I know, you cannot harass people in certain ways *even in a game* if that game originates from certain countries. Yes, trolling is against the law in certain countries. Trust me, I have talked to the developers who know this. These are the ones who are wise enough to clearly state how they will not tolerate certain behaviors in game or on their forums. They do not care if it seems wussy or weak to enforce community guidelines... they know that it is a simple matter of liability.
So, my questions is this: (I am investigating it this week) Is there an age gate on this game? I don't think so. Is there something in the EULA that states that players need to be of a certain age? I don't believe so, but I will have to check. So, can a child play this game and have access to these very *adult* forums (that do not celebrate true free speech) and have inappropriate discussion with an adult in both and it is something that is not officially against the rules of "free speech"? I think so.
This is why you have community enforcement. It has nothing to do with being for or against "free speech"... it has to do with things that could or could not be illegal. That's the only part that concerns me and one of the parts I will be investigating for the article. I figured the community here on the forums would know better than me, a newbie.
Anyway, I'll be playing all week but will not be talking to anyone, joining any groups or doing anything else like I did in the stream. I just don't have time to be held in place and called names over and over. I'm getting too old for that. It's not scary, it's not an interesting mechanic, it's just tedium. lol
Still, cool game with some cool mechanics... I'll be noting that in the article as well. I look forward to exploring more of it!
Beau