Possible Solutions to offensive Banners/Badges

[Warskull]

The problem is simple, some people will always think it is cool to put offensive images in banners or badges. Currently the worst is Nazi banners, but eventually someone will probably get the idea to put either pornographic images or worse (ala goatse.) The player isn't given the tools to deal with this however.

First in custom games the player needs to be able to preview a player's banner and badge. This way if an offensive image comes up in the preview the player can be kicked from the game. If the host doesn't kick him from the game other offended players can turn teamcolours on for him. Currently you cannot tell if someone has an offensive banner until the game starts. This makes it impossible to deal with it properly.

Next, there needs to be an option for "Always use default color schemes." Hitting this would cause the game to use a default color scheme for every player. This will be useful for easily offended players when playing ladder (you go in blind.)

A third option could be an in game toggle to "Block Banner/Badge." Accessed through the diplomacy menu this simply stops showing the banner/badge for the player it is selected for. Thus until the game ends or the option is unchecked that player has a blank banner/badge.

These all focus on the fact that a player has no tools to deal with offensive banners/badges. The only current way is to toggle their color scheme off before you see their banners/badges. You don't see the potentially offensive material until it is too late to deal with it.

This thread is not about if it is cool or okay to have Nazi insignia, pornographic banners, or shock banners. This is about giving the player proper methods of dealing with such banners should they choose to. This puts the choice in the players hand so if one finds something offensive they can block it.

[ani]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/anifc/01-custom-color.jpg

The best and easiest solution.

[Warskull]

No, that isn't Ani. There are a number of problems with that. If the player has an obvious name like "White Power" you know. However what if the player's name is "AverageJoe", how do I know his banner is going to be offensive? I can't see the banner until I get in game. So you either have to block everyone's banner or put up with offensive banners. Once the game starts I can't block your badge or banner. So being able to see your banner/badge before the game starts lets me intelligently block it.

Next, there is no way to do that for ladder games. Thus I can run around the ladder with offensive material on my badge and banner and there isn't much you can do about it. So a way to either always use default color schemes or a way to choose to use default color scheme in automatch matches needs to be available.

Third, blocking banners/badges for everyone is a bit extreme. However you still go into automatch not knowing what your opponents race, badge, banner, or name is. Thus being able to just stop showing their banner/badge once the game starts would be useful. For example you are playing automatch and things are normally good, but the guy you are playing now uses the goatse guy as his banner and you really don't want to see it. You couldn't block him ahead of time because you didn't find out until the game started. A way to stop showing his banner/badge and just see a blank flag would be useful.

I know that button exists, however it doesn't provide the tools necessary for the player to block offensive banners or badges. They are simply stuck guess based on the player name. If you can tell me a way I can figure out if you have an offensive banner or badge based soley on what I see before the game starts (only time you can hit that button) I would like to hear it. Currently the only way I can see is if their name is obvious or if you have played with them before. I am basically saying the tool should be expanded so the player has a fair shot at blocking offensive banners and badges.

[ani]

Short of not playing online altogether there really isn't much you can do about it i'm afraid.

Yes you can kick the players with offensive names, if you get into a game and see something you ethically disagree with then it's up to you whether or not you quit.

The suggestion of previewing badges/banners before a game launches is a good one but unfeasible. This would mean each player sending/recieving eachothers decals back and forth, if a player decides to leave the game that time is wasted, if several players join/leave in the time it takes to launch you have killed a lot of time and a lot of bandwidth.

The other suggestion of having the choice to remove the decals from withing the diplomacy menu ingame is a good idea but again, not possible. The decals form part of the models textures and are loaded into the engine with everything else, in order to remove these from within a game itself would mean all players having to reload, not gonna happen.

There is no real solution to the problem, as long as people keep getting offended, people will keep on offending.
Sad fact of life, but not a lot you can do about it.

[Warskull]

I think the preview can work. The banners are 16k a piece and the badges are 25k a piece. That comes out to 39k, even on dial-up that is a fast transfer. It could even work so they don't transfer the banners/badges until the player checks in. Thus everyone gets a chance to see the banners/badges, but bandwidth isn't wasted by people changing banners or joining and leaving.