Phrase Chat needs phrasing out

[cfowler7]

My guess is this type of chat was created either for friendly gameplay or server support.

But let's face it. I freaken hate it. I hate having to hunt down the right words and bashing them together, only to sound like you are using english fit for an infant. Simply asking how is everyone is a real drag. I'm better off playing with NPCs at this rate.

Please tell me they plan to add the option to remove it in non private servers?

[Alarra]

Unfortunately, phrased chat is the result of eight years of them dealing with inappropriate behavior in chat. When WolfQuest started, chat was much less restricted - I don't remember if it was ever completely free chat, but they did used to have it where you could use hundreds/thousands of "approved" words and if one wasn't in the lexicon then you could suggest it be added. But even with this, the sexual RPs didn't stop.

Even when you remove anything resembling mating, affectionate gestures, and gender-related words (even "he" and "she"), people just found workarounds: they manipulated the lexicon's good words/endings to produce the word "mayte", they used rhyming words or similar words like "eight", "truck", and "six", they even used words with only slightest similarities such as "alas" in place of "female' ("a lass"). No matter how much was censored, no matter how many people they banned, problem users would just find more creative ways to continue their sexual roleplay.

All in all, they've spent eight years editing the lexicon over and over and over, dealing with player reports, and trying to stomp this behavior out, and it just has taken way too much time and resources to too little effect. They've also had legal scares when parents discovered that a sexual roleplay was going on in the game that their child was in. So, in the end, this is what it's come down to for public games, and it's what was best for the game at this point. This is why we can't have nice things.

[cfowler7]

Esh, I wondered into the dark side of the internet unwillingly again didn't I? It never crossed my mind people are THAT into being a wolf.

[Alarra]

Haha, yeah, you would think that at some point, once you've removed enough, surely it'd be too hard to keep finding words to use for what they want, and eventually it'd disappear. It is remarkable that they were so dedicated to finding workarounds all these years.

At least private games are less strict now (based on the idea that you know the person and have chosen to play with them, and a child can't just wander into one): it's now "only hide bad words" rather than "only show good words". Much easier to communicate, especially with how strict the lexicon had gotten due to the bad eggs.

[Dinosaur]

I vaguely remember a time back when chat wasn't as restricted. In fact, I think I was online in a chatroom where people were free to say whatever. I never ran into the mating roleplay, but I did enter one room where everyone used free reign of their ability to communicate by chanting something about welcoming people into their cult. That usually earns a quick decrease in population.

[loboLoco]

Yes, what Alarra said. It shook my faith in humanity.

[Doomsday4766]

Well the internet is a creepy place... is there a phrase free option to private servers?

[SolitaryHowl]

Yes, private servers have the option to have regular chat (nearly unrestricted) or voice chat

[Santhum]

I remember years ago going onto a multiplayer WQ game for the first time, and I was greeted with "led or alas?" I have never been so confused in my life. It was amazing what people came up with to bypass the restricted chat

[InsaneChaosRealm™]

I actually remember all of this. You know what's worse...Most of these people are young...very young and doing ERP (Erotic Role Play)...So wrong.

THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!
But really, the internet is scary...

[Verdinhox2]

THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!

And then you find out that it's the children that are doing it ¬¬

[LittleCharm]

Considering it is now on steam and has a much bigger audience there should be an option for open chat again. I really miss how open it used to be even with the odd restrictions on certain words and even though I played so much I didn't see bad behaviour really but people did pair up and have "mates". Maybe I was just lucky but since years ago so many young players played, it would have been spoted by parents and whatnot when that sort of behaviour happened. I really miss open chat for those of us who just want the freedom to communicate more~ Minus the unwanted dirty minors xD

[Affy]

can't we just.... disable it? Wasn't there an option to get rid of the chat in the old game?
It's just... way to awkward, honestly it pushes me away from multiplayer

[loboLoco]

Originally posted by Mika:

Considering it is now on steam and has a much bigger audience there should be an option for open chat again. I really miss how open it used to be even with the odd restrictions on certain words and even though I played so much I didn't see bad behaviour really but people did pair up and have "mates". Maybe I was just lucky but since years ago so many young players played, it would have been spoted by parents and whatnot when that sort of behaviour happened. I really miss open chat for those of us who just want the freedom to communicate more~ Minus the unwanted dirty minors xD

We hear you. We have this discussion internally about...oh, every week or so. We know it's very strange to have such limited chat options for a game on Steam. But we also know that the particular subject of WolfQuest creates issues that most games don't face. So...for now at least....this is our best solution.

[Aloe]

Honestly, I would have to agree. Its the little kids, My dad originally set up my account with his age so I had access to text chat, I accidentally wandered into one of these 'Nasty' roleplay rooms ((At the time I was obsessed with roleplaying, So often I joined any and whatever roleplays where in the channel.)) And was introduced into the dark side of Wolf Quest. I thought it was an cool thing and wanted to act like an 'cool' kid, And did this for an while, Like 'Find your mate' or stuff like that. Eventually I got warnings and at the time I didn't see them as I didn't look at my email much, And didn't know it was such an wrong thing to do. Now about four years later I'm more mature and looking back.. I'm really disgusted and disappointed in myself. I just hope other kids don't make that same decision as I did when I was ten, As I'm stuck with Phrase chat for now on out.