[RussianCow]

The fact that not being able to say "gg ez" sapped your will to play a game is part of the problem, isn't it? What happened to getting enjoyment from, you know, actually playing the game, rather than the pointless shit-talking that literally no one else benefits from?

[adnzzzzZ]

It's not your place to tell me how to enjoy the game. It shouldn't be the developer's place either. This is one thing Valve understands really well and it's why I like them a lot.

This image explains part of the problem when it comes to matchmaking, but it applies to other aspects of the game. https://i.imgur.com/0OA7fIt.png Companies like Valve understand that the best way for them to exist is to be a neutral platform that has some very basic rules, but then groups of people come together and create their own servers with more appropriate rules for that group. Some servers will have harsh moderation, some will have nearly none, others will be somewhere in between. Individuals can then find the servers they like best and everyone is happy.

Companies like Blizzard don't understand this and so they push for the view that they think will make the most people happy (at the expense of others), which is to prevent people from acting in ways that they deem are abusive. I disagree with what they think is abusive and so I'll just stop playing their game since they don't want me there.

[RussianCow]

That's fair, but I disagree with this:

> It shouldn't be the developer's place either.

Of course it should! It's up to the developer to create the atmosphere they envision for their game, whether that's a "wild wild west" or a heavily moderated environment. I think it's perfectly acceptable that Blizzard doesn't let you do the shit-talking you want, just like I think it's perfectly acceptable that you don't want to play the game because of it.

It's interesting that you use Valve as your example, though, because I've played a lot of Dota 2 (and DotA: Allstars before that), and that's by far the most toxic gaming community I have ever encountered, which is the biggest reason I don't still play it—otherwise, the game itself is fantastic. For someone like me who likes the gameplay but couldn't care less about the social aspect, even minor shit-talking can be draining when it happens every. single. game. So it goes the other way, too: clearly Valve doesn't care as much about players like me, so I will stop playing the game.