Hey there,
I’ve made posts like this in the past across probably every single MMO that I’ve ever played, including several times for this one. I figured rather than typing the same thing over and over, I’d consolidate my thoughts in one megapost. So here it is.
For starters, what is a “quit post”? The format is pretty basic. It starts with an eye catching headline with some variation of the words “bye”, “quit”, “[companyname]” (IMC in this case), “farewell”, etc. Then the quitter introduces him/herself, and explains how passionate they are/were about the game. They proceed to form a laundry list of all the things that are wrong with the game. Finally they end with a little preemptive jab at anyone who would disagree with them about anything in their laundry list. “Don’t bother responding, i won’t be reading the boards anymore” or “incoming white knights” something of this nature. That concludes the post. And now I will explain why it is a troll post.
- Basic Logic
What does it mean to “quit” a game? It means to leave the game permanently. And yet every single one of these quitter posts contains a list of things that the OP would like to see fixed. Do you see the discrepancy there? If you are leaving a game permanently what is the point of listing out things you would like to see fixed since you won’t be there to experience it anyway? There is none. It is completely disingenuous, which is a hallmark of trolling. The entire premise is a lie.
http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/facebook/000/428/075/30a.jpeg
- Leaving an MMO is not permanent
Every MMO these days, even subscriber based ones, stores your data on their servers for as long as the game is live. Sure you “quit” until you “stop quitting” which isn’t quitting at all. For ToS, be it rank 8 or rank 9 or the major netcode overhaul that will surely happen years from now - you can come back any time you like and your characters will be waiting. Even if you delete them, their data is not actually gone. A chat with customer support can restore practically anything.
http://i.imgur.com/MJk3PDX.jpg
- Quit posts are actually cries for attention
So we’ve established that you are disingenuous when you say that you quitting, and that everything that you are leaving will be saved forever for that day you think of a quirky rainbow build or read about rank9 and reinstall, so what is the actual reason that you made your 1000 word rant on leaving the game? Attention, plain and simple. You want attention from devs, why else would you have left a chore list? You want attention from your fellow players. You are hopeful that maybe if 10, 20, 50 people see your post and like it or agree in the comments that devs will be forced to take action and fix your pet peeves. It is a pathetic cry for attention, again, just like troll posts.
http://i.imgur.com/Ck3xPqg.jpg
- Nobody cares
Finally, even if you don’t realize that you’re writing a troll post (you are), no one cares. Maybe your two closest in game buddies would care, but are they reading the forums at the time you post your goodbye before it gets buried by actual discussion? Probably not. Say your goodbyes in game and leave with some dignity. People who are here on the boards to talk about the game couldn’t give less of a crap. There has been one quit post regarding ToS of the dozens I’ve seen that actually does concern the community, and it wasn’t made on the forums - which is the correct way to do it. Post it on your tumblr or facebook. Text your mom. Write a twitlonger. Leave the rest of us out of it.
http://i.imgur.com/p6WbCcP.png
Thanks for reading.
TL;DR Quit posts are troll posts. Q.E.D. Pics.
