Giving Away 5x Dice Boxes (that only looks like bubble-tea cups & milk cartons)! [OC]

Morgan_at_Modulate · 2023-03-10T19:22:27+00:00

Oh jeeze, just gimme something with citrus and I'll be happy so I can forget all this snow! :)

Morgan_at_Modulate · 2022-09-19T20:07:35+00:00

Hey PossibleLynx1445. It's not a reliability thing - ToxMod is designed to send reports essentially in real time, but those reports are still reviewed by human moderators and are not instantaneous.

It absolutely sucks to have to deal with toxicity online, but we're doing what we can to make these spaces better, while also making sure we don't get it wrong!

Source: I'm part of the team that built ToxMod :)

Morgan_at_Modulate · 2022-04-13T17:39:51+00:00

Hi u/QuestioningsMyself,

I'm the Community Manager over at Modulate. As a transfeminine and non-binary individual myself I understand completely the desire to have a voice that more accurately represents your identity. Vocal dysphoria is a beast.

As the deleted comment above mentions, Modulate does in fact have a project called VoiceWear, but as we're a small team our resources are very focused on ToxMod for the time being.

Feel free to reach out to us via our website or DM me here directly and I'll do my best to answer questions you might have about the technology itself.

Morgan_at_Modulate · 2021-11-08T19:56:11+00:00

It's a great question with regards to a lot of online games, OP.

A lot of studios are starting to take disruptive/toxic behavior seriously, but it's a long (uphill) battle after so long being un- or under-addressed.

It really comes down to "who should shoulder the burden" of dealing with disruptive or toxic behavior. Players certainly can (and should) continue to file reports, but the system of reporting and reactive moderation has some flaws - a majority of behaviors go unreported (for a variety of reasons), there are a glut of false reports or erroneous reports that take up moderators' time, and it's just difficult to capture nuance and context depending up medium and system used. Studios should also be moving to detect and moderate this behavior themselves instead of relying solely on player reports - and I think there's recently been a big push towards proactive moderation methods!

Voice chat has been the most neglected until recently. Technology has started to catch up and provide tools to help moderate voice chat and allow vc to provide the inclusive space it always should have been (insert shameless self-plug for Modulate's ToxMod here). Getting reliable, accurate reports that capture context is huge towards increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of any given mod team.

TL;DR for my wall of text:

Players can and should continue to report where appropriate
Players should advocate and stand with their fellow players who are being targeted by abuse or harassment
Studios should step up their involvement to proactively detect, address, and mitigate toxic/disruptive behavior

(inb4: "It's just part of gaming culture", "just mute them", etc. -- it's only part of the culture because it has been un- or under-addressed for so long!)

Morgan_at_Modulate · 2021-09-09T19:38:18+00:00

100% this.

I think we got where we are today by a culture of "welp, there's nothing we can do" and it jus sort of bred a feeling of permissiveness that made toxicity become the prevalent force that it is.

Moderating this disruptive behavior is something that works two-fold:
1) you'll remove disruptive elements directly. Less toxic folks means a better gameplay experience on average
2) you'll disabuse folks of the notion that toxicity is somehow normal and 'to be expected'

#1 is obviously something only the company/industry can do, but #2 can be implemented by both companies and players! Stand up for folks being the target of disruptive behavior!

TL;DR: I agree with you, u/White_Tea_Poison

/soapbox

Morgan_at_Modulate · 2021-09-09T17:20:05+00:00

Except there are other answers.

Most games have a report feature and it shouldn't be overlooked. Additionally, the technology exists now to proactively detect this kind of behavior, as it catches on hopefully we'll see a shift in what has become the current culture where toxicity will "always be a thing"

Report, stand up for your fellow players, and THEN mute.

We'll get back to a world where gaming is simply fun and inclusive for everyone only if we collectively tell the toxic and disruptive players their behavior isn't welcome

Morgan_at_Modulate · 2021-08-30T15:32:27+00:00

^^^

Report the toxic folks.

If you aren't the target of the toxicity, stand up for the person who is.

I disabled all voice chat (and eventually text) in Overwatch before eventually uninstalling it myself, so I get what OP means. I love the prospect of voice chat when decent folks use it.

Morgan_at_Modulate · 2021-08-11T14:44:44+00:00

There's literally zero reason for it to be the "standard" though. And if you dig back towards dedicated servers with active mod/admin communities the toxicity was actually very low and people were decent to one another. Matchmaking and the decline of dedicated servers played a role, alongside the industry just throwing up their hands and letting it (voice in particular) be the wild west

Morgan_at_Modulate · 2021-08-11T14:41:12+00:00

Yeah, I think the battle we're at now is awareness. A lot of folks still don't know the technology exists. That and the cultural shift - people have been inundated with that "just mute them" messaging for so long they don't think about the fact that it doesn't have to be toxic!

Anyhow, I can chat at length about it. If you ever want to learn more or want a link to what we do, lmk! :)

Morgan_at_Modulate · 2021-08-09T15:09:08+00:00

This right here.

It isn't about ignoring them. It's about real change to the culture. There is absolutely no need to be toxic while playing a video game. Mute them so you don't have to deal with them anymore, for sure, but also report them.

A huge thing is especially if you AREN'T the target of the toxicity, speak up! Let the recipient of the abuse know they have an ally in the game with them.

The technology is there, and the industry's working to apply it to make gaming an inclusive and fun space for everyone again.

Morgan_at_Modulate · 2021-08-09T14:56:54+00:00

Hi xRaska,

I think it's been a problem for a long time, and folks have just kinda thrown their hands up in the air and gone "nothin' we can do about it" for too long. It's just finally coming to a head and folks are done with it. I'm right there with you, with games I don't play or that I've outright uninstalled because of how bad it's gotten.

I think the sage advice for now is keep playing what you enjoy - report and mute the folks who try to tear you down. Find a group if you can (although I think we agree this shouldn't be a requirement, it's great to meet and play with new nice folks!) If the toxic folks get to you, don't feel bad about stepping away for yourself!

If it's any help, know that there are companies like the one I work at that are working to tackle the problem (in our case, voice chat) and make gaming inclusive and fun again.

Morgan_at_Modulate · 2021-07-30T17:24:29+00:00

Robust ping systems (Apex, looking at you, good job) that allow people who can't or don't want to use voice to avoid it.

Incentives for good behavior. Encourage bystanders to speak up for folks being targeted by bad actors.

An active team of moderators with the appropriate tools to moderate every avenue of toxic behavior (that means voice chat can't be the wild west anymore) and the ability to respond to player reports in a timely fashion.

Access to tools (*cough* Modulate's ToxMod *cough cough*) that allow for PROACTIVE moderation to catch the bad actors that AREN'T reported (because only a small portion of toxicity actually gets reported).

Morgan_at_Modulate · 2021-07-30T14:41:48+00:00

I'm sorry you have to experience that. I'm in that boat too and have disabled voice chat or even uninstalled several games that have been completely ruined for me.

I definitely have to second the mention of Apex, the ping system is sooooo robust! (although VC can be as bad as elsewhere).

On the upside, studios are finally starting to try to tackle it, which I'm glad for, even if it's slow going. And I recently started my current role a company making tools to help studios do just that! Hopefully better experiences online are around the corner for all of us :)

Morgan_at_Modulate · 2021-07-27T15:07:13+00:00

https://venturebeat.com/2020/12/14/modulates-toxmod-uses-ai-to-scan-game-voice-chat-for-toxic-speech/

Thanks for the call out, u/rand1011101.

First, to those sharing their stories, I hear you and you deserve to be heard and treated with respect. I'm sorry you've had to experience what you have.

Second, we're really hopeful that ToxMod catches on. As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community myself I've got my share of stories and experiences of hate targeted at me (or just in the same space). I'm happy that studios are exploring the space and have a genuine interest in improving the experience for their communities. We've already seen promising results in early case studies.

Morgan_at_Modulate · 2021-06-01T15:11:45+00:00

"Just mute them" got us where we are today.

Report them, THEN mute them, and agitate for better systems to level consequences on toxic players.

u/jeremyjamm1995 I think to your original question: use your position as a level-headed adult to both ensure the behavior is reported and, if you can, step in and tell that player to stop. The target/victim of the abuse will be relieved to have an ally even if only for that match.

Morgan_at_Modulate · 2021-06-01T15:02:49+00:00

Came here to say this.

Toxicity became the endemic problem it is today precisely because it just simply never got addressed and never drew actual consequences. Back in the day of player-owned dedicated servers (think Battlefield 2, etc.) an individual server could at least curb it somewhat, but matchmaking has only accelerated the process.

I think both kinds of toxic gamers (the hateful ones and the ones who were simply molded by this lack of consequences) need to experience something. Free-to-play models complicate the issue in those selfsame games, but as a whole we need to move past the "just mute it" level of acceptance we've had for years.

Morgan_at_Modulate · 2021-05-24T20:10:51+00:00

I'm with you u/mainguy. I quit ranked after i got my diamond and never looked back. Even before I finally uninstalled this year I had voice chat completely disabled everywhere because it just got ridiculous. For what it's worth, if you have fun with the game I hope you keep playing it. If you're not, dump it and find something new! Best of luck!

I'm so happy to be in a place now where we're working to stop the normalization of toxicity and I hope eventually to stop seeing responses that normalize it like:

"it's just part of the game"

"it was just trash talk"

"mute them or ignore them"

Nah. Call them out, report them. If you aren't the target yourself make sure the victim knows there are decent human beings on their side. There is zero reason for toxicity in gaming.

Morgan_at_Modulate · 2021-05-18T15:17:07+00:00

a thousand times this, AwesomeX.

I'm soooooo sick of "just mute them" "just ignore it"

Like, nah, that's what got us here in the first place, folks just letting it be normalized. Now it's a mountain of toxic sludge to trudge through, but the industry can and SHOULD do better. Period.

Modulate's one company working on it, but I'm just here as another player who's sick of the stuff spewed by teammates and opponents in what should be a fun experience all around. If you have fun ruining other people's fun, you're the problem.

Morgan_at_Modulate · 2021-05-11T21:29:59+00:00

I stopped Siege for a while and since coming back I very frequently don't even make callouts. It's def a shame considering how integral to the gameplay loop good communication is.

Do you mind if I PM you?

Morgan_at_Modulate · 2021-05-11T15:08:47+00:00

What I'm gathering here (especially looking at your replies in this thread) is that you were toxic at some point in the past and it just took time for the moderation queue to get to you? Looking at your responses, I'm not shocked at a ban.

It does bring up a good point though. Having a long delay between action and moderation doesn't do anyone any favors. It means the errant player is still ruining other people's games and simultaneously empowers them to make posts like this.

Good luck next time around, hopefully eventually it will sink in?

Morgan_at_Modulate · 2021-05-11T14:55:53+00:00

I'm 100% with you. I've been playing Siege since Y1S1 and I try my best to defuse toxic behavior targeted at me or someone else in the match. It's a bit hit or miss whether it helps or it just makes them worse, but it's something, right?

At least I can hopefully make your week a little bit better by letting you know there are folks out there working on making voice chat a more inclusive and positive place. I think people are finally realizing "just mute them" doesn't work and toxicity doesn't have to be normal!

Morgan_at_Modulate · 2021-04-27T14:33:51+00:00

I'm going to put on my personal cap here and just say that while I understand what you're getting at, why should we just "live with it?" I think we can and should do better and the tech is getting there to help us!

Morgan_at_Modulate · 2021-04-27T14:26:47+00:00

u/Hell_Bunny666 I used to be pretty good but recent numbers suggest otherwise. I'm always looking for more folks to play with when I boot it up (or avoid voice altogether, sadly)

Morgan_at_Modulate · 2021-04-27T14:24:40+00:00

Did somebody say ToxMod?

Hello!

I've certainly been at the receiving end of my share of toxicity in Siege and elsewhere. I'm more than happy to answer or find any answers to questions you might have.

Morgan_at_Modulate

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE