Well, that seems to be the impression I am getting based on my experiences in Red Dead Redemption's Free Roam. (I play on PSN) Of all the human beings I have encountered, the most obnoxious, idiotic, and childish ones were on this game. Between cheaters, children (often younger than thirteen), and annoying clan members, it's a true testament to the game's appeal that I actually deal with these people. Though that may seem like a hyperbole, but from what can tell, man's greatest displays of ignorance and depravity rise to the surface on the internet. From what I can apprehend, most clans operate much in the same way gangs do in the real world. By which I mean they often form from a lack of identity and a yearning for acceptance. Much like gangs, they find their only strength in numbers, bullying others to boost their sense of worth.
The major impetus that compelled me to write this however, was an encounter I had during the last triple XP weekend. I have made the presumption they were a clan based on the fact they all had variations of the same name. It was fairly easy to ascertain their sole purpose in the game was to create trouble, and from the instant they entered the session they proclaimed their superiority and began shit-talking the other players. Childish would be the best way to describe it, albeit I probably know seven year olds who have stopped the "repeat everything you say to annoy the hell out of you" tactic. Which was one of their only two responses. The other was "you're gay". Of course, they would be just as arrogant when they were losing too. If they got sniped, they would berate the player for doing so, because apparently sniping is a weak tactic. They would of course, subsequently switch to their Carcano Rifles and do the same. There were even accusations thrown about modding, but I give players the benefit of the doubt unless I can be certain it's cheating. Within ten minutes of playing with the aforementioned troglodytes, I had to mute them all to ease my growing migraine. The people with whom we had the displeasure of sharing a game were:
- Loco_Killer_365
- Loco_Killer24_7
- LocoKiller_357
- LocoKiller_111
- LocoKiller_733
If notoriety precedes them, I am ignorant to it. The slight variation in their usernames was the only way to differentiate between them. They all had the same arrogent attitude, and even sounded alike. Like I mentioned earlier, I play on PSN, and don't really know know often people run into the same clan multiple times. Their annoying behaviour confounded me, but it made me ask: Why are so many clans so annoying?
When I formed The Milkman Clan, I did so because it wanted to mess around with my friends. We play to have fun, not dominate the competition and exuberant supremacy over other clans. We aren't picky about who joins, as long as they know how to have a good time. We don't hunt players down if they want to be left alone, and tend to be unorganised in our actions. The clan we encountered the other day was a pungent reminder of what I try not to be.
I have tried explaining to people that instead of getting mad, they should just forget it and keep playing. Personally, I don't see the purpose in complaining every time another player gets a kill, when many times luck is the major factor behind it. If someone nails a headshot on me from 200 yards, I laugh and praise their marksmanship. All too often, players get to caught up in the facets of the game meant to make the game fun, they forget the whole point of playing is actually having fun. Ranks, loot, challenges, achievements, clans, customisation, and competition are meant to make the game more fun. We aren't supposed to play for these things alone, we should be playing because overall the game is just that good. When you are up at two in the morning, eyes red and hands trembling, your sole motivation shouldn't be to unlock the next trophy. These things should drive you forward in a game, but if you're not having fun doing it, why are you playing?