Sandra Dodd

http://www.wired.com/gaming/virtualworlds/commentary/games/2007/06/
games_frontiers_0617
===============================================================
Voice Chat Can Really Kill the Mood on WoW
06.19.07 | 2:00 Am
Recently I logged into World of Warcraft and I wound up questing
alongside a mage and two dwarf warriors. I was the lowest-level
newbie in the group, and the mage was the de-facto leader. He coached
me on the details of each new quest, took the point position in
dangerous fights and suggested tactics. He seemed like your classic
virtual-world group leader: Confident, bold and streetsmart.

But after a few hours he said he was getting tired of using text chat
-- and asked me to switch over to Ventrilo, an app that lets gamers
chat using microphones and voice. I downloaded Ventrilo, logged in,
dialed him up and ...

... realized he was an 11-year-old boy...
===================================================

That's the beginning of a very, VERY interesting article on the
disadvantages of hearing the other players' voices, allowing for the
possibility that younger players will not have those disadvantages as
much as older players do.

Imagine the differences if this list were by voice instead of text.

Sandra







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marji

At 16:21 6/29/2007, you wrote:
>I downloaded Ventrilo, logged in,
>dialed him up and ...
>
>... realized he was an 11-year-old boy...

Liam had an experience like that when he was, in fact, 11. He was
playing WoW with his level 40-something rogue guy and he had
partnered up with some other guy and they were meeting up frequently
on line to play. Liam was fairly authoritative about the game and
knew and suggested what to do and where to go and all that. (I know
this because most of the time I was right there with him at his
request to help him read and spell.) It came up one time during
their informal non-game-related chatting that Liam was 11, and the
guy bowed out of their WoW relationship. Why? I do not know. Maybe
he had kids in school Liam's age or something like that (strictly
conjecture on my part; I know that one time he had to stop to "get
dinner going," and while *I* used to have to do that as a teenager, I
got the impression that this guy was not a teenager).

Anyway, Liam took it in his stride and didn't think twice about being
blown off for age discrimination despite having already proven
himself a worthy WoWer. Funny.

~Marji





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jenstarc4

> ... realized he was an 11-year-old boy...
> ===================================================
>
> That's the beginning of a very, VERY interesting article on the
> disadvantages of hearing the other players' voices, allowing for the
> possibility that younger players will not have those disadvantages
as
> much as older players do.
>

It works both ways too. I've been in RPG's before and played quite
fine with other players until they find out I'm an adult. Then they
become scarce when you are around. Sometimes you can tell by the way
they play and sometimes you can't, how old someone is.

Chamille has never cared about how old someone is, as long as they play
good and treat others kind. We've used ventrillo a bit, and it really
does change things. What I found the hardest is when you are with a
group and some have voice chat and some are texting. The texters get
left out of the loop because people stop texting when they are
chatting. I would say it way overpowers. Some things I just don't
want to know about the people that I play games with. I'd rather just
assume things about them by what they say.

I like the anonymous nature of texting. However, it would be
interesting to hear people here talk, since I've met some of you guys
at the Life is Good Conference, and elsewhere.

Nancy Wooton

On Jun 29, 2007, at 6:52 PM, jenstarc4 wrote:

>> ... realized he was an 11-year-old boy...
>> ===================================================
>>
>> That's the beginning of a very, VERY interesting article on the
>> disadvantages of hearing the other players' voices, allowing for the
>> possibility that younger players will not have those disadvantages
> as
>> much as older players do.
>>

Way back in Olden Times, I was one of the volunteers who hosted
homeschooling chats on AOL. My regular screen name was Felicitas, and
usually signed posts with my obviously female name. During chats,
though, I had to use a screen name with a mandatory four-letter prefix,
so I had to abbreviate my name. I chose the masculine of
Felicity/Felicitas, which is Felix. It was interesting when new
chatters came in my room; they often thought I was a man. I finally
realized this was happening when someone commented on how cool it was
that a homeschooling dad would volunteer to host a chat. Even more
interesting was how those who thought I was male would treat me,
usually deferring to my opinion. I would correct the misconception as
soon as I detected it, and the chatter would relax.

Nancy

Krisula Moyer

It came up one time during
their informal non-game-related chatting that Liam was 11, and the
guy bowed out of their WoW relationship. Why? I do not know. Maybe
he had kids in school Liam's age or something like that (strictly
conjecture on my part; I know that one time he had to stop to "get
dinner going," and while *I* used to have to do that as a teenager, I
got the impression that this guy was not a teenager).


It could be simple discrimination that the man (or woman) didn't want to
keep playing with a kid (dumb huh?) But I think there is a vague feeling
among adult players that there is something unacceptable about a 40 yo man
having an online relationship, even an innocent gaming one, to a young boy.
There might be a fear that he could be accused of being creepy or worse.
Also dumb imo but I think some people have that fear.

Krisula


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donannedean

What is the life is good conference?-
-- In [email protected], "jenstarc4" <jenstarc4@...>
wrote:
>
> > ... realized he was an 11-year-old boy...
> > ===================================================
> >
> > That's the beginning of a very, VERY interesting article on the
> > disadvantages of hearing the other players' voices, allowing for
the
> > possibility that younger players will not have those
disadvantages
> as
> > much as older players do.
> >
>
> It works both ways too. I've been in RPG's before and played quite
> fine with other players until they find out I'm an adult. Then
they
> become scarce when you are around. Sometimes you can tell by the
way
> they play and sometimes you can't, how old someone is.
>
> Chamille has never cared about how old someone is, as long as they
play
> good and treat others kind. We've used ventrillo a bit, and it
really
> does change things. What I found the hardest is when you are with
a
> group and some have voice chat and some are texting. The texters
get
> left out of the loop because people stop texting when they are
> chatting. I would say it way overpowers. Some things I just don't
> want to know about the people that I play games with. I'd rather
just
> assume things about them by what they say.
>
> I like the anonymous nature of texting. However, it would be
> interesting to hear people here talk, since I've met some of you
guys
> at the Life is Good Conference, and elsewhere.
>

Sandra Dodd

-=-What is the life is good conference?--=-

There's a link to their website here:
http://sandradodd.com/conferences




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