Missed Web

When was the last time you considered the consequences of your words? Misty Matonis ponders whether or not Origin Systems has gone too far left of the politically correct field.
By Misty “Beans” Matonis

In December, Origin Systems, Ultima Online‘s developer, issued the following press release:

Ever gotten “spanked” in a guild war? Have you “owned” players in PvP? In a game like UO, where players from all over the world come together in a society of their own creation, it’s common for terminology to evolve into new meanings. Sometimes those words are innocent, like the words above, and sometimes, as in the case of the word “rape,” they’re not. The word “rape” is not an acceptable term to use in UO, regardless of whether it’s being used to mean the act of sexual assault, or simply having “raped” someone in PvP (meaning to have won, or dominated, the fight).

Why is there no distinction made? Well, our GMs have no way to discern what someone actually means when they use certain terms, and we will not get into debates as to the intended meaning of terms that are considered offensive by others. So if the word “rape” is used, and called in as harassment, the player will have their account penalized up to and including termination, regardless of the context.

When talking to other players you don’t know, don’t assume that they understand your meaning in cases like this. They could be new to the game, or maybe not a native English speaker. In short, please consider your audience when speaking!

In other words, using the word “rape” in whatever context could be a bannable offence depending upon, of course, the level of penalties accrued on your account.

Like many players, my initial reaction was “Origin is getting heavy on the PC tip!” And then something happened. Gestation. The policy sat around in my head gestating until I realized that this wasn’t necessarily about political correctness, but understanding the consequences of one’s actions and the responsibilities the recipient of the word the inherits.

Words, Words, Words

Let’s say you killed my avatar, and stood over my corpse and said “I raped your [fill in the blank]!” You may be saying, “I owned you,” however, that’s only half of the picture. You have given me the responsibility of trying to understand not just what you mean, but the context and intention of your one sentence.

Let me illustrate:

• What does the PK mean when he says that he “raped” me? Does he mean that he killed me so well that I’m “owned”? Or is he attempting to illustrate a non-consensual violent act upon my person?
• What’s the context of this exchange? He’s killed me, obviously.
• What’s his intention? To me, you intend to show me that you’ve successfully dominated me, and I am supposed to, by the simple use of the word “raped,” to feel anger at this violation.

Of course, these thoughts go quickly through my mind. They may not even register if at all. And yet, one simple word has brought about such responsibility where I have to decipher another person’s intent. The question then becomes do I want this responsibility?

Flipping the Coin

Let’s look at this from another perspective. Chances are the woman who sits next to you in class, or on a bus, or even your own mother was a victim of a sexual crime. Non-consensual. They did not ask to be placed in that situation, nor did they enjoy it. And yet they must live with what happened for the rest of their lives. Think about that for a moment. Think about how a woman who’s lived through this feels when you casually toss around the word “rape” simply because that’s what everyone does when they kill another player. Having problems picturing it? Let me help you out. It’s doesn’t make me feel good. It makes me angry. I feel it deep in the pit of my stomach. That’s my response when someone casually tosses around a violent word like you may from time to time. What’s yours?

That certainly is something to think about next time you attack, kill, rob or cuss out a player without his consent. Think about how it feels to be in that person’s shoes. For a second. Maybe you’ll think twice about your actions. Or not.

Is Origin Systems being overly politically correct by making use of the word “rape” a bannable offense? It’s quite possible that my initial response was the correct one. Maybe banning players who use the word “rape” in any context is too much. But, on the other hand, it sure is good to know that there’s a gaming company who understands that not everyone feels comfortable with the word.

Originally published on Stratics 3/9/02