Overview of the Philippine gaming culture

I want to make this topic because the Philippine online gaming culture is very unique in different levels, and I would like to focus on popular MMOs.

Ever since Ragnarok Online cam out in 2002, MMOs, mostly Asians, have been everywhere.
Unlike Western countries (where ppl subscribe to companies), we Filipinos usually either purchase game cards on nearby mini-stores, or just hop-in a rowdy computer shop. The advantage of game cards is that you'll be spending it only during playtime; this means (unlike subscriptions) time is efficient conserved. About computer shops, most are quite cheap but still depends on the locations (malls tend to be more expensive; while local communities are very cheap). I only played in a computer shop once earlier this year, and I hated it so badly that I won't return to any other Pinoy computer shop again. This is where we stretch the point.

We all know Brazilians right? Yes, their known for ruining games and "inventing" the private server. Judging by this video alone http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PjrTOjxjxk&feature=related and more explanation here http://en.alaplaya.net/forum/offtopic-f1519/where-the-br-hate-began-t432358.html, I think we can assume the sheer negative energy put up by BR gamers. Their socialist government and poor lifestyles are legit reasons, but anyhow... this is the same case for us Filipinos.

Here's a general scenario of an urban computer shop: teenage boys from ages 10-18 (heck, from all social classes) tend to hang-out with groups of friends, playing DOTA and other shitcake Korean MMO's, shouting their asses off, calling losers "WEAK", pissing ppl off by saying "PUTA"; basically it's a warzone. Getting to the more disappointing part, these kids usually check on internet porn, getting misinfluenced by older gamers, and try to focus more on games over studies. These are some of the reasons why the horrid behavior of pinoy players.
Now we're ready for the gist of this thread, the assumptions:

1) Crab-mentality. I would like to focus on this because this is overlooked by most ppl. Ever wonder why BR's, pinoys and other 3rd world gamers don't know how to RP (roleplay)? We simply focus on game mechanics and are very hypercompetetive to the point that we're missing alot of aspects in the game; while Westerners (mostly Americans) have that sense of interconnection to the game at large (ever heard of obsession cases?). We simply treat out game as simply a game. RP contains alot of artistics crap (trust me, it's even too complicated for me to handle) that the Westerners love. Damn, it's like we're just so poor that it extends to the gaming itself. That's a pretty nice find actually.

2. Assholes (ninjas/beggars/hackers). This saddens me, but this is pretty much true. Other ethnicity/race known to do this are the Brazilians (mostly then) and the Persians (now). Just like crab mentality, we simply don't care because we view the game as simply a game. I have to admit I'm not like that, but I get it. Let's look at it this way, if you ninja an item, what will happen to you in real life? If you beg, do you even feel shame? Moreover, who cares if you say "thanks"? It's pretty ironic that Pinoys are know for religiosity and high moral standards, our youth in the technological age behave like shit. It's gross, it's insulting, now that I'm one of the few to get the big picture.

3. Lack of networking competency. Again, this does not look like an obvious factor. Take a look at the Molten forums for example, http://forum.molten-wow.com/showthread.php?t=104469 shows a diversity poll. Shocked to see more than 70% are Westerns considering pinoys OUTNUMBER brits in most cases. Well, it doesn't seem to be a comprehensive proof, but I rarely see pinoys getting vocal/liberal in the forums. I assume most are what we call "sheeps" or ppl tend to follow large crowds. Take pinoyexchange forums for example which is probably the ONE and ONLY multi-topic forum in the country. I really don't care where we pinoys wanna socialize, I'm just encouraging them to interact more on the general social gaming communities, because ppl will surely understand in time and even make a good impression with other gamer ethnicities. Trolling is another story though...
... come to think of it, it's (only) the Americans who troll alot, so I'm glad we pinoys usually keep our mouths shut and do our own business, except the excessive cavemen yelling in computer shops of course.

Wow, just two?! Yes, but two big ones that we should avoid. Surprisingly, I would also like to stress out the negative points of Western MMO culture. Ok ok, I may sound bias in this one, but this truly reflects my observation over the past couple of months.

1) Drama-queens/ill-willies. Thank god there's not much pinoys having this mentality. Ok maybe some, but they rarely go serious about stuff. Really, most Westerners may have that purrrrfect English, but they really suck on comprehending even little things. I once kicked out an annoying players refusing to tell his gs, then he cried all over the place while the rest of the realm defend his pussy ass, no kidding. Not to mention the absurd cases of fights, pride, prejudice in the forums (yep, Westerners love to use general forums). Don't take the game too seriously folks. Just like the real world, you gotta have fun and stay strong. We Filipinos actually practice that.

You see this is why I got deterred from my local gaming culture, until I discovered WoW private servers in late 2009. Since then, I'm trying to develop this interpretative notion in MMOs.

Mind you, this is the only article in the web I've found that tackles the same issue and where the idea of this topic came from: http://sheetstormstudios.wordpress.com/2011/01/16/how-filipino-gamers-ruin-the-rp-in-mmorpgs/.

Really appreciate of some honest insights and more info, post it in the comment section, thanks.

Play well, play safe, play wisely, have fun and Mabuhay!

Nice People... yet bad players???

In WoW, there are good and bad players we meet every now and then. But let's try to focus on these "good people" shall we?

Usually, the bad players we meet are the trolls, ninjas, griefers, ragers, beggars, etc. but we must rethink on evaluating the who is terrible again.

Here are the categories of nice people (personally) with terrible player qualities:

1) Noobs. You guys may not directly agree with this, but I'm sure this comes in everyone's mind. These people tend do be nice, yet so gullible and dumb-founded they fail to execute PvP or PvE stuff. Noobs commonly reveal their bad qualities in raids mistakes, especially with lag occurrences. Of course, they tend to try hard, but still fail in some way. Although their not noobs anymore if they achieve something above the community's expectations. Other than being polite and nicey-wisey, a good player should know how to play!
Community presence: Very common
How I deal with them: I call them "noob", as simple as that.
How you deal with them: Always try to be nice to them, never give up in teaching them, really :)


2) Drama Queens /  Ill-willies. God, I hate to deal with these guys. Heck, they're even annoying than my 3rd-degree trolling (I admit I troll every now and then). This happens whenever you just kick/reject them in a group, they start yapping, telling you their emotional distress, and even spreading it to world chat! What's worse is they don't know when to stop and deal with it. Even though they are not rude (considering they're still nice on the inside), such actions are fucking pathetic! In short, these guys are a bunch of sensitive incompetent crybabies.
Community presence: Moderate

How I deal with them: This is when I shut up which is not common for me when trolling. I usually insult them in  an asshole manner that will make them even more mad. It's nice seeing them get a mental breakdown, don't you think? And when they try to report me? Ha, they even fail doing that!
How you deal with them: Again, try to be nice to them. Let them calm down slowly by joining their side for a while.



3) Snobs / Elitists. You ever notice people having to type in full sentences? Most of those people to me are elitst jerks, with little exception. There are times they are helpful enough to guide you through the game and crack a few witty jokes or two, but I find their egos to be stocked-up annoying. You can usually find them in Roleplaying guilds. Seriously, only 2 redeeming things about these guys: smart and polite. They have a great absence of social and public competence though because their activities seem to be isolated as they want it to be. They are also the main reason why I quit roleplaying. Too hard to get along, too sad to play a game.
Community presence: Rare

How I deal with them: 

This can go either way:

1) If they're that stubborn/arrogant, I troll them to no end, until they ignore me or even spam them in world chat. Seriously, I'm that driven to fuck them out.

2) If they're fine, I just ignore them/their situation, although I gossip their actions every once in a while.

How you deal with them: Haha just try to agree with their actions, no matter how stupid it is. Be smart though, they may lead you to your demise. Just don't let them get into your nerved or they'll gonna troll you back.



4) Sheeps- They're everywhere! LOL. These people don't have a decision or even a personality of their own, really. They just scan world chat and get into a group all day farming emblems, not doing much else but that. Okay, so they don't sound that bad, but they tend to impose the QQing we receive frequently. They fail to do practical stuff, like leading a fucking group, as simple as that. More like noobs, they need to learn more about their environment to fully enjoy the game.
Community presence: Very common

How I deal with them: Nothing lol. Their poor sorry creatures who don't need any help. They need to help themselves.

How you deal with them: You can start off my socializing with them. Most of these guys are friendly and some even smart deep down. They're just bummed-off by the moronic trending community. You can even make them your own friends! It's like recycling or  turning water into gold :)