To a large extent, the forums of simulation sites like SimHQ exist for the very reason of sharing opinions, the balance of positives and negatives, how to get things to run better, look better, sound better, be more fun.
We should be willing to allow fellow members the leeway to be enthusiastic, support and enjoy their simulation of choice and similarly allow others to offer different opinions without constant derision and insults.
And that brings me to my final “should not be”, the ubiquitous and ever-popular “whatever floats your boat” argument. Taking the previously cited hypothetical thread, let’s say I really liked Sim X, and although I purchased Sim Y, I didn’t care for it. For whatever reasons, it didn’t make my simulation highlight tour.
Maybe my machine wasn’t on par with the requirements and it ran slow or not at all. Maybe it crashed at various points which aggravated the living heck out of me. Maybe I thought the voice characterizations sounded like Alvin the Chipmunk with his tiny tail caught in a door.
Whatever the reasons, it did not meet my simulation expectations, and instead of flying high and often, it fulfilled a role it was more suited for in my opinion: Protecting my computer desk from the ill sweating effects of cold adult beverages. And having assigned it to janitorial duty, I never bothered to check any of the subsequent patches which may or may not have fixed it, never reinstalled it on my latest home built super machine. Therefore, it remains on my minus list. I’ve had this happen. I know you have too.
A thousand and one reasons, but the result is the same: A boat on the bottom of the sea.
Along comes the “Sim X or Sim Y” thread. First, I could choose to read and not participate, after seeing numerous posts from members whose experience with Sim Y was the polar opposite of mine. No sweat off my brow, if they really like it, love it, live it, and want to sing its praises.
Cool.
Perhaps I decide to offer my opinion. I liked “X” for “x” reasons, and I didn’t care for “Y” for “y” reasons, with some detail behind the reasons. Straightforward, just the facts ma’am, not impugning anybody else’s taste or intelligence for the crime of not sharing my opinion. A thoughtful analysis of the balance sheet, which in this example ends up with more minuses than pluses. No harm, no foul.
Because the harm is not in stating an opinion, the harm is getting all upset because someone said something you didn’t like about whatever sim, and then responding with an insult. The foul is not trying to help another member make that informed decision, the foul is getting foul with members who don’t agree with you.
So, why should it be?
Obviously, it doesn’t help when the opinions contain pejorative terms, as in “Your sim sucks… is crap… garbage… junk… arcade…” “Arcade” is an instant insult. This of course means that this simulation is in fact not even worthy of the name, but is rather a game that only children might play.
This is often where things turn wrong for the first time, when someone uses one of those words (or worse), instead of simply saying, “I didn’t like it” and then listing the reasons why. Once it goes personal, the “fights on”.
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