If you’re a gamer you know how fun trash-talking can be, however, the line between trash-talking and abuse is very thin and often gets blurred when the situation gets heated. This is why trash-talking has become such a divisive topic among gamers, some believe that it is what makes online gaming fun while believing it to be toxic and unnecessary. Whether you like it or not trash-talking has become a part of online gaming and it is here to stay. The best thing to do now is to learn the Etiquette of trash talk so that you never cross the line.
Never Use Personal Insults
Everyone wants to enjoy their game and have a good time, so it’s best if you keep the banter specific to the game. There is no need to get personal with the trash talk because that creates a negative and toxic vibe which is against the spirit of online gaming. You often know nothing about the lives of the players that you are playing against so you never know what they might take offense to, so to stay on the safe side it is best if all your trash talk stays relevant to the game.
Don’t Trash Talk Your Own Teammates
If you’re used to playing with a squad you know that every player doesn’t have the same skill set and there are often one or two players that end up letting the team down. However, it is never a good idea to trash your own teammates. Not only does it create resentment, but it also damages the team’s morale. Plus if someday you’re having a bad day, you wouldn’t want your mates to troll you, so it’s only fair that you treat your teammates the way you want to be treated yourself. So if you see that a teammate isn’t doing so well make sure that you encourage them and help them out rather than hurling abuse at them.
Make Your Gaming Exciting without Trash Talk
Online games can become boring if you take the trash talk out of it; however, there are plenty of ways to make sure that you don’t get bored playing the same game over and over again. One of the best things to do is start investing money in better equipment to make your gaming experience more fun. You should start by getting a better gaming PC. You can easily find some of the best desktop PCs under $1000 on Cliffy B and other online stores.After that, you can start collecting other gadgets like a gaming mouse or a controller, a gaming keyboard, and so on.
Don’t Misuse Your Anonymity
Nowadays it is very rare for people to use their actual names while playing a game, they often come up with witty and creative usernames which means no one actually knows who they are. Some players see this as an opportunity to go all out and start trolling others. They go out of their way to make offensive comments and abuse others. This kind of behavior is absolutely unjustifiable and goes against the spirit of multiplayer gaming. So make sure that you don’t misuse your anonymity and always play by the rules.
Don’t be a Sour Loser
No matter how competitive a game gets, you should always have mutual respect for your opponents. If you end up losing a game then you should know that your opponent has earned the right to celebrate and you should let them know that they’ve played well. Conversely when you win make sure you don’t go overboard with your celebrations, make sure to give your opponent a ‘Good Game’ and let them know how much you enjoyed playing against them.
Don’t Let Others Abuse You
If someone else is abusing you there is no need to sit there and take that abuse, you need to let them know that their comments are uncalled for and they need to stop and if they still don’t budge, just mute them. There is no need to go down to their level and match their abuse. You need to show them that you are better than that. Make sure that you don’t let them get into your head, if you keep responding to their comments you’re just fueling the fire, it’s best to not engage with such players and let them tire themselves out.
Learn to Play Mind Games
Rather than trying to come up with witty insults to answer a trash talker, you should get creative and play mind games with them. One of the best ways to get into a trash talker’s head is to laugh with them, this will show them that despite their best efforts they are not getting to you. There is no need to talk back, just let them know that no matter what they say they won’t be able to get a response out of you, this will annoy them so much that they will be distracted from the game which will give you the chance to come out on top.
Learn to Differentiate between Friends and Strangers
When you’re playing with your friends they understand that you are just playing around and don’t mean any harm with your comments, plus when you play with your friends every day you don’t worry about offending them because you understand each other and no one takes each other too seriously. However, when you are playing with random strangers you need to make sure that you are very careful about what you say because you never when your words end up offending someone. So, make sure you turn on all your proverbial filters when you’re playing with strangers because you don’t want to unintentionally offend someone.
Gaming just wouldn’t be as much fun if we were to remove all the trash talk from it, however, you need to understand that sometimes trash talk can become very toxic and you can do some real damage with your words, So it is best to educate yourself and your friends about the Etiquette of Trash talking so you become a part of the solution rather than the problem.
