For a variety of reasons, I do not have the ability to remove people from the universe at a whim. I cannot simply make someone stop playing an MMO. But I can hit the Ignore button, which is the next best thing. I can’t stop seeing, the player, but I can at least decide that I want to have as little interaction with that player as possible, hopefully none.
Run right into the middle of an obvious roleplaying scene in Final Fantasy XIV and do your level best to be disruptive? You can go on the ignore list. Spouting vile racist garbage in general chat in World of Warcraft? Yep, that’s the ignore list. Name your character “Fart Candle” in Guild Wars 2? Ignored, once I finish chuckling despite myself because I am five. You get the idea.
Of course, I also know that I am not average, and I wonder if I use my ignore functionality more liberally or less so than others. I know of people who just auto-ignore everyone who does something that inadvertently disrupts a roleplaying scene, even if accidental; I also know people who won’t ignore players who walk into a room and start dancing on the nearest table. What about you, dear readers? What inspires you to ignore another player in an MMO?
Every morning, the Massively Overpowered writers team up with mascot Mo to ask MMORPG players pointed questions about the massively multiplayer online roleplaying genre. Grab a mug of your preferred beverage and take a stab at answering the question posed in today’s Daily Grind!
