I am British, I use the mic when I play L4D online. I think its true that the Brits do talk a lot less than the Americans. This isn't often a bad thing though as the vast majority of yanks I have encountered have severe cases of verbal diarrhea and tend to go by the 'why use one word when I can ramble on for 10 minutes?' philosophy. I prefer playing with word efficient people, especially when under attack from a zombie horde.
I personally don't need all the players in a deathmatch to try and place my accent. Just gets boring when the 8 year olds demand that you tell them where you are from, to which I tell them to politely shut up in my very obvious Edinburgh accent and they still don't get it....
Dahaka27: I personally don't need all the players in a deathmatch to try and place my accent. Just gets boring when the 8 year olds demand that you tell them where you are from, to which I tell them to politely shut up in my very obvious Edinburgh accent and they still don't get it....
Tell them you're from Mars and are playing the game to try to get a better understanding of human culture.
Yep, you can either stay silent and play the game without saying a word and possibly have a good time, or you can retaliate against the ones taking the piss and then end up having the entire server ganging up on you. I usually stick with the first option, saves the ear-ache
I am deeply saddened by the number of people from non-US areas being afraid to talk because of ridicule. I really am. If I could, I would apologize on behalf of all of the Americans responsible for making you guys uncomfortable, it's simply not fair.
I don't talk on games cos I sound stupid over mic :/ That and if I'm ever in a game with Americans they'll always take the piss for being English, same reason I've stopped talking over Live.
I also find pressing a button to talk rather daunting and actually scares me a little when I do need to talk to someone.
Dyp100: Maybe I'll start talking when people aren't dicks to me so much...Also, maybe they lower the price of mics so I can actually TALK to people, my dyslexia gives my heavy hands and I'm breaking mics like 2 days after I get them.
I'll probably be avoiding the realism mode on whatever I buy it on, then, thanks for ruining a game mode by forcing you to talk.
I don't think you're talking about dyslexia, that's what makes you not able to spell things.
I think he meant dyspraxia. Problems with social interactions and clumsyness. Although both of them are much more complicated than that (I know, I have both).
Actually now I think of it I know atleast one Brittish player who is much Worse than the Americans I've met. As soon as an American accent appears He starts shouting at them about how they were late for every war and their space rockets are made of fail.
...So your argument is that you've never experienced racism for being British, so it must be a very small factor yet everyone here mentioned it?
Yes, I know we all have this mindset on the Escapist of 'Grow a thicker skin', but I think that's the wrong attitude to take. Why should I be expected to re-evaluate my expectations and etiquette because the obnoxious minority once again ruin it for the majority?
I personally use the mute button, but when you instruct someone to 'grow a thicker skin' (altering their personality) it always strikes me as odd that people don't pull the arseholes aside and say 'stop being a prick' (altering their personality). Why do we have to tailor our experiences online to suit the dickheads of society?
Either way, I just think the English are less inclined to talk online simply because we've got more of an aloof culture. There's little you can do about that, really. While I think online play can be improved through the mic, I'd say nine out of ten times it just ends up with people hurling abuse, playing shite music, or screaming whenever they get killed as if real bullets ripped through their flesh.
I'm going to guess you glanced over my post because if British racism and American racism is different it's news to me.
I said grow a thicker skin because everyone on the net will experience racism, and it's not exactly hard to dodge, most of the time you just mute and ignore, or you can leave the server or boot people, there's options instead of most people just saying it's the Americans fault. I say you glanced over my post because, I said that I was booted from several games just because I'm American. So no I've not encountered British racism toward me, I've experienced racism toward Americans which is what many here are posting is at fault. So yes I've experienced racism for being from a country, is it bad that they do it? Yes, should we have to suffer? No. But do we? Yes. So the solution is use the tools at hand to get around it.
My point is, there's assholes from every country, I've had Russians grief in TF2 keeping our spawn doors closed, do I hate Russians? No I informed a mod, he removed them and we went on playing.
Racism pisses me off and to see so many people saying "it's because the Americans I don't talk" just annoys me, it could have been any country and it would have pissed me off, generalizing an entire country is irritating to me.
The internet is full of idiots from all different countries, it's also got a lot of friendly people.
I totally agree with you, arseholes and nice people exist in every country. I never once blamed America for the arseholes on the internet, I was making a general comment over why people should have to put up with it. We all have this mentality of it being inevitable that abuse will occur, so we should become more thick-skinned. Why advice people on becoming more insensitive, when you could advice people who are dickheads not to be? It's the rule of obnoxious minority overruling the majority of decent people once more. If we have an attitude of 'everyone should just put up with that one prick on the server', then the one prick is the winner. If we had an attitude of 'lets punish that one prick on the server', it would be less beneficial to be said prick.
I wasn't trying to intone that you've never received racism through the internet, I'd believe you receive less than a British person simply because there are more Americans than English and therefore proportionately more racist Americans.
While I agree people should just use the 'Ignore' button for the most part, people aren't just limited to talking on a mic in games. This is more a general rant over how it seems people bend over backwards to avoid troublemakers, when there should be more a mentality of "this guy is being a griefer and ruining our game, lets kill the fucker", rather than a mentality of "lets ignore him, but still have an impact on our game".
No worries, I'm not taking on an assault at you, more a general rant at teh_intarwebs. It's 7am here, I haven't slept for a long while, so if my sentences are disjointed and I seem to have misinterpreted, while it is no excuse, I hope you can understand.
Not at all, I wasn't offended, I was more offended by an entire topic (or nearly everyone) blaming one country for the entire internets retardation. The internet is full dumb people, cheers to people who use some restraint on the net.
I think most people understand that not all Americans are pricks. In fact, I noticed a lot of people said things like "I know a few Americans and they're great guys". People just hate the dickheads who say the same things over and over and over and over. I don't think it's the racism that's the problem, it's the repetitiveness and unoriginality. I don't care if someone makes fun of me for being English, if it's clever and genuinely funny and thought out, but if they're all just gonna constantly shout "you drink tea" and "we saved your asses in world war 2" etc. then it just gets boring and annoying.
I rather like the English stereotype, perhaps because I fit it quite well. I'd only ever speak in a game if it was directly and usefully game-related. Otherwise, I'm perfectly happy to mind my own business.
The "We saved your asses (arses) in World War Two" thing is irritating. The lesser side of me thinks that given that Americans took so flipping long to enter the war in the first place, they could be accused of blatant goal-hanging.
Of course, this isn't a fair thought either. The fact of the matter is, we were allies, both played an absolutely vital part and won a shared victory (along with other nations such as France and Russia, whose casualties dwarfed our own). I can happily say 'Thank you America', and Americans should say 'Thank you Britian'.
Ammadessi: Replace "go drink some tea" with "get back in the kitchen where you belong" and maybe Valve would understand why female gamers aren't big on using mics either.
Ouch, that's a harsh thing to be said to female gamers. It could be turned around with 'Shouldn't you be at work?' But that may be a bit problematic. Unequality is old.
I'm a british gamer, In Tf2 I talk to give directions, spotting and Ect since i'm usually the only medic on the team and i have to earn the team's trust and spread the healing equally, telling when to push or fall. I know speaking can be vital, i just don't do it when there's so many hostilities around. The Valve guy doesn't seem to notice the backalleys of gaming, where he can't fix everything.
The L4D realism thing can do 2 things in my opinion, make hardcore L4D players challenged, or make people stop playing it. After all, L4D2 is coming out soon, what've they got to lose?
One bit statistical stereotype, if you ask me.
Cleanthes: I rather like the English stereotype, perhaps because I fit it quite well. I'd only ever speak in a game if it was directly and usefully game-related. Otherwise, I'm perfectly happy to mind my own business.
The "We saved your asses (arses) in World War Two" thing is irritating. The lesser side of me thinks that given that Americans took so flipping long to enter the war in the first place, they could be accused of blatant goal-hanging.
Of course, this isn't a fair thought either. The fact of the matter is, we were allies, both played an absolutely vital part and won a shared victory (along with other nations such as France and Russia, whose casualties dwarfed our own). I can happily say 'Thank you America', and Americans should say 'Thank you Britian'.
Well they didn't save our arses in effect until the japanese attacked them. America ''Won'' and Germany didn't - Britian didn't win, we just didn't lose. Plus, world war 2 war a long time ago, but i can't blame anyone for taking pride in their countries, and i give them some respect for that.
I usually find it funny when some American guys says something like "Yo Brit man say something Brittish" and I respond with "Bloody good show chaps" or I'm just off for some Tea and Scones". Can't say I've ever been kicked for being Brittish or that anyones really had a go at me for it.
Squid94: Last time I (as a British person) said something in an online game (Call of Duty, I believe), I had my accent taken the piss out of. Sorry, but you guys are "notorious" for that kind of stuff. Don't get me wrong, I have plenty of American friends, but I've met some reeeal pricks.
/rant.
Oh, boo hoo. Everytime I play with a British person you hear the idiotic "Americans are fat and/or stupid" nonsense.
I also have a southern accent, and I get shit for it just as much as you do for your accent. Probably more, in fact. How many times have you been asked if you sleep with your sister? Grow a pair and quit whining.
Also- this wasn't meant to specifically call you out. The first four or five posts were this same whining. You were just the lucky one I quoted.
Woodsey: They always talk when I play Counter-Strike:Source.
What game's the picture from by the way?
If none has answered you, then it's from Giants: Citizen Kabuto and it's a good game as far as I remember. Also it's score on gamespot is 9.0 and if that picture is here, you know the game is good.
As for the topic, then I usually encounter chatty Americans and rarely any chatty Brits. When there are British people talking, then they are very good people and i would recommend them to speak more. Don't hide your British accents and tea jokes! Bloody rabish.
Squid94: Last time I (as a British person) said something in an online game (Call of Duty, I believe), I had my accent taken the piss out of. Sorry, but you guys are "notorious" for that kind of stuff. Don't get me wrong, I have plenty of American friends, but I've met some reeeal pricks.
/rant.
Oh, boo hoo. Everytime I play with a British person you hear the idiotic "Americans are fat and/or stupid" nonsense.
I also have a southern accent, and I get shit for it just as much as you do for your accent. Probably more, in fact. How many times have you been asked if you sleep with your sister? Grow a pair and quit whining.
Also- this wasn't meant to specifically call you out. The first four or five posts were this same whining. You were just the lucky one I quoted.
None. How many times have you been asked if you've slept with the Queen? Or told to get back to drinking tea? Or had your teeth made fun of? Or had your healthcare made fun of? Yes, I've had those - more than once at least.
I'm confused. Valve says we should talk more, we give reasons as to why we don't talk and now we're whining? Considering the vast majority of responses to this topic it doesn't exactly seem to be "one or two games", when it's easier to dodge the ear ache and annoyance, is it no surprise that the vast majority of Brits seem to choose to keep their mic on mute?
why would i want to speak to the internet? i speak to my friends over the internet, but why would i want to speak to the millions of dicks in-between?
just seems like a constant barrage of terrible distorted semi-rap music, random mother-based insults, and pathetic attempts at explaining their losses (usually "ur a noiob n ur mom tasts gud"... well if im a noob, whyd you lose then huh? and what the hell is this 'mom' of which you speak?)
and the fact that one of the first posts in this thread revolved around "tea and crumpets" puts me off ever really trying to. so instead, ill continue to play really loud static down the mic. (^.^)-V enjoy!
im british i dotn liek taling, i onyl really talk to mates or type to random people at tiems, never really talk to them...
plus, whenever a britsh guy talks all the americans (ok not all, but at least 1 in a game) will start going on about how your british and sound stupid...
ill stick to talking to my semi sane friends rather than random people who shout at me cause im not the best person in the world thanks.
Squid94: Last time I (as a British person) said something in an online game (Call of Duty, I believe), I had my accent taken the piss out of. Sorry, but you guys are "notorious" for that kind of stuff. Don't get me wrong, I have plenty of American friends, but I've met some reeeal pricks.
/rant.
Oh, boo hoo. Everytime I play with a British person you hear the idiotic "Americans are fat and/or stupid" nonsense.
I also have a southern accent, and I get shit for it just as much as you do for your accent. Probably more, in fact. How many times have you been asked if you sleep with your sister? Grow a pair and quit whining.
Also- this wasn't meant to specifically call you out. The first four or five posts were this same whining. You were just the lucky one I quoted.
None. How many times have you been asked if you've slept with the Queen? Or told to get back to drinking tea? Or had your teeth made fun of? Or had your healthcare made fun of? Yes, I've had those - more than once at least.
I'm confused. Valve says we should talk more, we give reasons as to why we don't talk and now we're whining? Considering the vast majority of responses to this topic it doesn't exactly seem to be "one or two games", when it's easier to dodge the ear ache and annoyance, is it no surprise that the vast majority of Brits seem to choose to keep their mic on mute?
And I still don't care. The point of my post was to stop whining about it. Not to continue whining.
I'm not saying your reasons aren't valid. I'm just saying that no one really gives a shit. If you don't want to talk, fine. But don't act like you're victims.
Squid94: Last time I (as a British person) said something in an online game (Call of Duty, I believe), I had my accent taken the piss out of. Sorry, but you guys are "notorious" for that kind of stuff. Don't get me wrong, I have plenty of American friends, but I've met some reeeal pricks.
/rant.
Oh, boo hoo. Everytime I play with a British person you hear the idiotic "Americans are fat and/or stupid" nonsense.
I also have a southern accent, and I get shit for it just as much as you do for your accent. Probably more, in fact. How many times have you been asked if you sleep with your sister? Grow a pair and quit whining.
Also- this wasn't meant to specifically call you out. The first four or five posts were this same whining. You were just the lucky one I quoted.
None. How many times have you been asked if you've slept with the Queen? Or told to get back to drinking tea? Or had your teeth made fun of? Or had your healthcare made fun of? Yes, I've had those - more than once at least.
I'm confused. Valve says we should talk more, we give reasons as to why we don't talk and now we're whining? Considering the vast majority of responses to this topic it doesn't exactly seem to be "one or two games", when it's easier to dodge the ear ache and annoyance, is it no surprise that the vast majority of Brits seem to choose to keep their mic on mute?
And I still don't care. The point of my post was to stop whining about it. Not to continue whining.
I'm not saying your reasons aren't valid. I'm just saying that no one really gives a shit. If you don't want to talk, fine. But don't act like you're victims.
No, see you'd have a point if someone had made a thread whining about how he gets mistreated because he's British but that's not the case - someone else said we should talk more, we gave reasons why we don't.
Hybridwolf: Because we get asked irrating questions, or are repeatedly told "we saved your arse in world war 1/2"
Not funny.
Exactly, that comes up almost all the time(seriously), its really annoying, but as most people seem to forget their is a mute button. also party chat. and there's always going to be jerks online, but at same time there are some cool people.
Woodsey: They always talk when I play Counter-Strike:Source.
What game's the picture from by the way?
If none has answered you, then it's from Giants: Citizen Kabuto and it's a good game as far as I remember. Also it's score on gamespot is 9.0 and if that picture is here, you know the game is good.
As for the topic, then I usually encounter chatty Americans and rarely any chatty Brits. When there are British people talking, then they are very good people and i would recommend them to speak more. Don't hide your British accents and tea jokes! Bloody rabish.
Thanks, I'm not actually interested in playing it :L I just remember years ago I watched my Dad play the demo of a game, and its one of those totally useless things that you remember, I've been trying to find out what it is for ages.
I've never played Left 4 Dead online but on any other game eg. CoD4, Halo and Gears of War, most (12 year old) Americans get really aggressive to English people. Here's some examples of what I've heard:
"I can't hear you because you need to brush your teeth!"
"Go eat some crumpets!"
"Go drink some tea you Brit fag!"
"Go worship the Queen!" (seriously)
I'll always talk when I'm with a friend or if its a heavy team based game mode like search and destroy.
So we don't talk; we prefer to do our killing quietly, unlike the Americans who bomb/kill/destroy everything, screaming Rambo and Terminator catchphrases.
I will speak up when the 12 year old americans STFU. Seriously its just a constant headache. and when i do speak it normally results in a barrage of insults from said kids (though i have to admit that there is the occasional american who will tell them to shut up and accent means nothing) and even in a few cases had votekicks started against me on the basis of i'm english and therefore shouldnt be allowed to 'clog up our servers with their foriegness and stupid accents'.
Dyp100: Maybe I'll start talking when people aren't dicks to me so much...Also, maybe they lower the price of mics so I can actually TALK to people, my dysraxia gives my heavy hands and I'm breaking mics like 2 days after I get them.
I'll probably be avoiding the realism mode on whatever I buy it on, then, thanks for ruining a game mode by forcing you to talk.
oh, you dont have to talk to play it, but dont expect the three other people to come running to your help with a boomer ninja-barfs you.
also, if there was a vs. realism mode, that would be cool.....you know........ please?
I don't talk online, because I don't see the need too. Besides, what with not having an American accent, I'm talked to an awful lot, which is irritating when I'm trying to concentrate on a game.
I think it's just because everyone seems all buddy'd up whenever I play online. Like it's a special club. I have the L4D2 demo but I have no one to play it with online, and I worry if I just jump into a game i'll be terrible and let the team down. So nerves is why I speak quietly or not at all while playing online.
We don't talk because we don't like the talk we hear. If we were inclined to talk to the talkative people it is because we'd have judged them as sane, rational members of society. As it is all I ever seem to come across is racists, idiots, or people who think I care that their ancestors saved the arses of my ancestors 60 years ago, which obviously makes them excellent at war games (some logic just bemuses me).
I am British, I use the mic when I play L4D online. I think its true that the Brits do talk a lot less than the Americans. This isn't often a bad thing though as the vast majority of yanks I have encountered have severe cases of verbal diarrhea and tend to go by the 'why use one word when I can ramble on for 10 minutes?' philosophy. I prefer playing with word efficient people, especially when under attack from a zombie horde.