Manners maketh man. It’s a saying that applies in all social situations and interactions, one that’s drilled into all of us since we were children. Unfortunately, it’s also one that a lot of gamers tend to overlook when they’re playing against others in a virtual environment.
When playing competitive video games, some Filipino gamers act as though they’ve forgotten that they’re playing against real, live people, just because they don’t happen to be in the same room as them. This has resulted in quite a toxic culture and an unpleasant experience for everyone overall.
Whether you’re a PC gamer, a console gamer, or someone who doesn’t consider themselves a gamer at all, here are a few etiquette rules that you should endeavor to follow to create a more positive gaming experience for yourself and others.
#1 – Be Polite
It costs zero cents to be polite to your fellow gamers, even when embroiled in the heat of an intense match. In most cases, it barely takes any effort, too. In addition to some common gaming terms and abbreviations, you should also try to learn and use these oft-used gaming greetings and salutations:
- “gl hf” means “good luck, have fun” and is a polite thing to type into the chat before heading into a game or beginning a match.
- “gh” means “good half,” commonly used during halftime pauses in games that have them, such as Counter-Strike or Rainbow Six Siege.
- “gg wp” means “good game, well played”. You can shorten this even further to just “gg.” Congratulating others is a nice gesture and it lets others know that you enjoyed yourself.
It doesn’t really matter whether the game was good or not; using these abbreviations and terms demonstrates that you are a gamer with good character.
#2 – Don’t Use Foul Language
We get it. Sometimes it’s easy to forget yourself when you or your team is getting slammed by the enemy. Fueled by intense emotion, you end up spitting a string of curse words that would make your mother blush — all without really thinking about it.
Most gamers believe that coarse language is par for the course when playing. However, it’s worth keeping in mind that you may be gaming with younger players who have a tendency to emulate what others around them do. Being a potty mouth in game normalizes this toxic behavior in their young minds, so it’s really best to refrain from it as best as you can.
#3 – Let Everyone Have a Turn
Are you playing a game as a group locally on a single console and there are only a few controllers to go around? The polite thing to do is give others a chance to also play the game instead of hogging all the fun to yourself. Remember: sharing is caring! It’s also more enjoyable to let others have a turn instead of forcing everyone to spectate.
#4 – Ask First, Pay Later
Microtransactions and loot boxes are all the rage in games today, whether you’re gaming on PC, consoles, and even in mobile games. If you are an adult reading this article who can pay for items, weapons, and skins with your own money, you can skip this section. Youngsters still relying on their parents, though, should never use their folks’ credit card details without permission to purchase in-game items. If you really must have that epic skin, though, consider opening a Maya account and using it to buy gaming pins with your own money.
#5 – Be Kind to the Newbie
Everyone was a newbie once—even you. Do you remember how intimidated you felt playing a game for the first time? Were you yelled at by other players for not knowing the ropes? Now ask yourself, is that a culture you want to continue perpetuating?
Be the change that you want to see in the gaming world. Chances are, you were just as bad as these noobs when you first started, if not worse. Why not help them out instead of hurling abuse at them? These new players will surely appreciate it and you might even make a new friend. Even if you don’t end up becoming friendly, you can rest assured that your good deed will have made someone’s day.
#6 – Mute Your Mic
A lot of competitive online games make use of in-game voice chat to help players communicate and plan their strategies together in real-time without taking their eyes off the screen. However, no one needs to hear you munching on chips, slurping your drink, or breathing heavily while in the middle of a session. Not only is this incredibly distracting, it’s the gaming equivalent of chewing with your mouth open in real life. Just mute your mic if you’re the type of gamer who likes to snack while you play.
Life is entirely too short to spend it being toxic over games. The entire point of playing them is to have fun, after all. Even if you were the best gamer in the world, a rotten attitude will still put others off from playing with you. If you want to continue enjoying games with others, just be an awesome human being first.
