Bad Company 2 The Power of Negative Thinking

[Tikkun Olam]

I'll try not to blather on, since I've ranted about it before, but no guarantees...

Sometimes it kind of gets to me...the continuously negative language a few of our members use to "motivate" the team they've been randomly assigned to. There's a fine line between doing this verbal whipping thing mostly right and doing it mostly wrong, and I think that if you're going to represent the organisation by wearing the full tag, you should tend towards civility and coaching instead of criticism and ridicule...and shut up about it a little. Like, just a little, K?

I'm more the positive-reinforcement kinda guy, but I've been in the military and I know there's a useful spectrum between positive/negative reinforcement, but it's the military...no random joiners for a battle, real blood, real loss, yadda yadda (and contrary to common belief, there's a good deal of positive reinforcement), but it's serious stuff, people are in close contact all the time, for a long time, so questioning their abilities as a unit might arouse something of their competitive spirit. They might care about your opinion.

But this is a damned game! It's a random assemblage of mostly strangers that changes hour to hour and day to day. Sometimes the team you're on sucks, but it can't be every single friggin time! If you find yourself exasperated with the incompetency of the players on every team you play on, it's not the team, it's YOU, okay? Wake up! Sure, there's a lot of regulars and the members are there too, but a good portion of players are basically silent strangers that flit server to server, map to map, and don't partake in chat. They don't care, and if they do they must be as offended by the *continuous* generalised insults and put-downs as I am...which usually results in not caring who wins even less. We'll never know who doesn't come back a second time.

What set off this rant was a comment made tonight by a member. After spending the whole previous game complaining about the competency of their fellow soldiers, some in public chat by name, at the beginning of the new set they had to make a public comment about how terrible their previous team was and how it had better be scrambled, or something to that effect. It wasn't unusually rude or anything, it just wasn't ... unusual. What came to my mind in response was, "Yeah? So who the hell are you?" It's a symptom of loss of respect.

Ok...so there's my rant. 'night...

 

[LilShortstuf]

Makes a lot of sense. Sometimes I see people say something along the lines of "So see that 'Q' button right next to your 'W' key? Well if you push it it spots people. Do it!" I can't say I agree with that kind of talking at all. I'd say leave it at "Hey guys let's try to spot the enemy to help us out." and "Let's try to do a coordinated push and change off of snipers so we can take B back." If someone is so frustrated they can't keep it civil they need to log off and run a mile and then come back. They have to calm down.

 

[Papa1960]

As one of the chief adherents to the sarcasm school of motivation, my first thought was that this rant was for me. But I didn't play with Yoomanist tonight, so "whew."

Lamenting campers is, in my humble opinion, part of the game. But calling ANYONE out by name is not eGO. If it's an individual, then we teach. Use squad chat, and ask the recon guy to throw a motion mine, ask the tank driver to advance, urge the pilot to "fly it like you stole it" instead of in a straight line. If you can't get on his squad, then use team chat, but without insult or namecalling.

We ALLOW camping a tank if that's how they want to play.
We don't allow someone to insult the camper directly.
We ALLOW a dozen recon guys on team.
We don't allow someone to tell the recon guys they are losers.

Use the admin chat, and help the eGO that have a problem with this.

 

[Aniston]

Although I do not play Battlefield, I do believe this 'negative reinforcement' isn't the right way to whoop your team into shape. Some people just don't know how to treat others. And if this is our own community, it shouldn't be.

 

[Tikkun Olam]

As one of the chief adherents to the sarcasm school of motivation, my first thought was that this rant was for me. But I didn't play with Yoomanist tonight, so "whew."

Lol...I actually first wrote "There's a fine line between doing this verbal whipping thing mostly right (I'm looking at you Papa) and doing it mostly wrong" but I didn't want to seem patronising or a suck up. heh.

I went over the chat sequence for when i was playing and I have to admit my rant was a little over the top for what was being said. I wasn't being inaccurate, but someone reading it might think the member was cussing out individuals left and right, and that wouldn't be true.

I think what tripped the switch was the "motivating" comments that were made publicly instead of to [team], and the number of them.

So if you think I overreacted, you're probably right...but just by a little. :]

 

[redhat]

So if you think I overreacted, you're probably right...but just by a little. :]

I wouldn't say you overreacted. I thought this rant was properly worded, and I have to say I agree with you.

 

[lonewolf777]

So if you think I overreacted, you're probably right...but just by a little. :]

Another vote for "not overreacting".

I get annoyed at the players who do this. I don't say to much other than to respect all players, but my favorite reply is "if you don't like it, then try to teach the players instead of insulting them, you might get better results."

 

[Papa1960]

I think what tripped the switch was the "motivating" comments that were made publicly instead of to [team], and the number of them.

So if you think I overreacted, you're probably right...but just by a little. :]

I didn't think you overreacted at all. I've been told to "chill" during a game, and encourage people to do so if I cross a line. I know I've done it, sometimes I've known right after I've done it and had to kick myself under the table or say something nice about my ex-wife just to focus on reality.

One of the seemingly hardest things to do in the heat of battle is correctly change your attitude from "shoot that avatar SOB" to "hey, I'm just a guy sitting at a computer trying to help my team win." Especially when your team has two guys who are 8:1 camping a hill and you've already given away two Nemesis pins.

Easiest relaxation tool: "Oh yeah, it's a game!"

 

[The Nonlocalist]

lmao

As one of the chief adherents to the sarcasm school of motivation, my first thought was that this rant was for me. But I didn't play with Yoomanist tonight, so "whew."

Lamenting campers is, in my humble opinion, part of the game. But calling ANYONE out by name is not eGO. If it's an individual, then we teach. Use squad chat, and ask the recon guy to throw a motion mine, ask the tank driver to advance, urge the pilot to "fly it like you stole it" instead of in a straight line. If you can't get on his squad, then use team chat, but without insult or namecalling.

We ALLOW camping a tank if that's how they want to play.
We don't allow someone to insult the camper directly.
We ALLOW a dozen recon guys on team.
We don't allow someone to tell the recon guys they are losers.

Use the admin chat, and help the eGO that have a problem with this.

Prepare to be adminchat flooded with my rants ;p

 

[Insanity]

This is something that usually does not bother me, however I can see where you are coming from as some positivity can go a long way.

 

[Papa1960]

Prepare to be adminchat flooded with my rants ;p

When you put down the shotgun, I'll pay attention to your admin chat!

 

[Soap-Money]

Negative thinking has a huge impact on performance in game and how you feel when you're done. That being said, positive feedback makes everything better! Thanks for the read guys!