A Sense Of Entitlement
This is an article that’s been brewing for a long time. There’s a billion articles telling you to thank people on this site, and recently complaining about the unlocks has gotten a little absurd. Just look at all that fuss over the Sandman. There is one thing you need to know, and you need to know it now.
(credit to loafaries for the image)
What’s that? You’re helping your team? Well thank you for doing what you’re supposed to be doing. There is nothing wrong with giving some thanks, but you know what? Valve did that FOR you. Everytime you take a teleporter, your character thanks the Engie. Every time you get healed, your character thanks the Medic. Bind “thanks” to a key all you want, but when you actually threaten to stop doing your job until a Soldier stands still, fumbles with his keyboard, and gets sniped every time you point your mouse in his direction, you need to stop being such a brat.
"Oh, hold on, let me just find my "thank you" key while this uber runs out."
Every member of your team is helping. Mr-Hyper-Sandman-Scout is helping by stopping people shooting at you and distracting the enemy. Mr-Kill-Streak-Soldier is helping your team by stopping you from getting overrun by enemies. Mr-Very-Paranoid-Pyro is helping keeping Spies away and causing fear and confusion in the enemies. Mr.Downright-Deranged-Demoman is stopping them from easily getting to key areas. Are you getting the point yet? Every class is helping out, not just the Medic and the Engineer. If you see yourself as some kind of martyr, playing a class just to help out and whining at your teammates for not being more vocally grateful, then you need to go play a class you DO enjoy. Some people actually genuinely enjoy Medic and Engineer.
The second this is a little more obvious- valve didn’t sell you this game as being updated and having cool new weapons fit in. None of the new weapons are so overpowered as to make it impossible to play without them. And if they’re “so awful” then go back to playing with the old ones! They haven’t “ruined” the Sniper, because you can still use all the old weapons. No one is forcing you to use Jarate, you whiners.
So yes, thanking people is nice. It’s polite thing to do, and reflects that if you only cared about yourself you’d be doing something that’s better for your points. But it is NOT mandatory, and you should NEVER punish people for not doing it, because they’re helping too. And while it’s okay to point out whether you like or dislike something Valve has done, remember that they’re doing this all out of the kindness of their hearts, and they DO listen to the fans.
And honestly, who doesn't love Jarate. You're never too old for a good urine joke.
SirMax on May 29th 2009 in engineer, game classes, medic, rants, team fortress 2, valve
Stumble it!
Mickyan responded on 29 May 2009 at 8:10 am #
I’m not sure I get the actual aim of the article though..
HelisPoe responded on 29 May 2009 at 8:20 am #
Useless and ignorant article is Useless and ignorant.
Aimless article is also Aimless.
supremesonic responded on 29 May 2009 at 8:21 am #
I think the main aim of the article is to remove the illusion that is often given that you have to whack your “Thanks” key almost every five seconds, which is true. It’s nice to do it and express it more outright, but people seem to suggest you have to whack it if a bottle or jarate just got thrown into the fray (Which can be often) or if they are in the middle of a fight and got healed for half a second. It’s a useful key, but not one you should devote your life to.
Not sure about the unlock bit so much, but I think the idea is you sohlud’nt be whining when people on your team are using it too and you’re just turning a blind eye to that and not thanking your lucky stars they saved your life with it. At least, that’s the way I’M interpreting it…
RealLifePudding responded on 29 May 2009 at 8:25 am #
it’s about stop whining over every update.
but i still think the new unlock system is crap. the new weapons are nice, but the unlock system sucks. i don’t hate it as much as a week ago, but it’s still crap.
bla, i’m allways very excited, when a new update comes out, and i love the new weapons and i’m very greatful that valve is doing so much work for tf2 without charging us with money. but the new item system sucks balls!
Polterjunge responded on 29 May 2009 at 8:40 am #
I don’t think I’m overusing z+2. I just use it, when a medic heals me when i’m burning and low on health. I know, he should do it anyway but I’m so glad he saved my life I can’t resist… Or when a Engie left his sentry alone to wrench off a sapper while I’m dead. And so on.
OK, maybe I’m overusing it.
TPMX responded on 29 May 2009 at 8:49 am #
I’ve gotten thanks to such an art I can do it without interrupting my game. I’ve never died thanking somebody.
And some of you folks are missing the point, so I’ll spell it out. Don’t base whether you’re going to help someone by whether they thank you. Don’t complain about unlocks when there are ways to deal with them.
HelisPoe responded on 29 May 2009 at 8:53 am #
@TPMX
I’ll trade you my dignity for your items.
My dignity is super-holographic-limited edition.
eldrake responded on 29 May 2009 at 9:01 am #
I make sure to say thanks, just to make sure that my teammates gets the sense of “I feel awesome!”
I understand why Valve put in the voice responses… but being thanked by a artificial AI just doesn’t have the… helpful feeling in it.
ExAstris responded on 29 May 2009 at 9:27 am #
No, Valve does these things to boost sales. I agree that people shouldn’t stop playing to force others to play their way, and I don’t – but I do think “friendly” reminders are often more then appropriate to those who seem to think they’re playing “Me Fortress Only.”
However, I do agree that JARATE: THE JAR-BASED KARATE is both epic and wonderful. Who doesn’t like bottled pee?
LaZodiac responded on 29 May 2009 at 9:44 am #
You know, I just relized something. Its times like this when Jack Thompson would be awesome to have around. Imagine his reaction to Jarate.
Monchberter responded on 29 May 2009 at 9:44 am #
Random’s aren’t going away, but they are getting better and ‘partial’ unlocks are coming!
http://kotaku.com/5272295/valve-team-fortress-2-random+item-issues-improved-last-night
Valve trying to keep everyone happy. We’ll see…
Jesse responded on 29 May 2009 at 10:10 am #
Instead of saying thank you, I cheer like a man.
aitzim responded on 29 May 2009 at 11:12 am #
Alliteration Achievement
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Progress: 1/4
Paper Shadow responded on 29 May 2009 at 11:24 am #
In my defence, my article wasn’t about stop doing your job if people weren’t saying thanks, but asking people to recognise the hard work that some of the classes you don’t see as often as a Heavy or a Pyro on the front lines, but just as important… :/
ExAstris responded on 29 May 2009 at 11:57 am #
Paper Shadow, clearly the reason you were unclear is because you only have one PS3. Whereas I, on the other hand, have three PS3s.
Also, I find that article from Kotaku quite reassuring. Was about to link it here. I’m almost excited now. xD
nineteen responded on 29 May 2009 at 12:10 pm #
Thanks, SirMax.
The community needs to hear things like this, even if they don’t like it.
bertu responded on 29 May 2009 at 12:27 pm #
If no one is willing to thank you or recognize your job as a spy checking Pyro is because they think you would be more useful to the team being a medic, which does get thanked a lot.
What is the point in “asking people to recognise the hard work that some of the classes you don’t see as often as a Heavy or a Pyro on the front lines” if the team would be better of with other classes instead?
Xriloku responded on 29 May 2009 at 12:38 pm #
I found what he’s trying to say is that he’s kind of sick of all these articles and people thinking that they’re better than everyone else because they’re saying:
“I do my job. It’s thankless. You should thank me. I’m more important as a medic because I’m helping my team, and I’m important.”
Or stuff like that. Basically, it’s annoying that people think they’re better because they’re doing what they’re supposed to.
Spydra responded on 29 May 2009 at 1:27 pm #
FACT: The average TF2 player could press two keys in less time than it takes to reload any weapon in the game.
Lawlingbawl responded on 29 May 2009 at 1:48 pm #
How do I bind thanks because I tend to use that one where I am no longer fumbling but slightly pausing
Nolan responded on 29 May 2009 at 1:48 pm #
This is the best article on here in a while.
Seriously, every article is some bitchy rant about players who don’t appreciate a medic healing them or some shit.
NightStriker responded on 29 May 2009 at 2:05 pm #
If you find it hard to use z+2, you’re coordination is too bad to play any class but engi. Really though, I always thank teammates when I see them help me. I thank the pyro for killing that spy. I thank the soldier for playing the pyro up that was gunning for me. Saying that people should stop saying thank you is like telling them to not appreciate each other.
FlyingHat responded on 29 May 2009 at 2:44 pm #
SirMax.
You were, you are and always will be my ubercharged favorite.
Ninja Kow responded on 29 May 2009 at 6:17 pm #
You realize the articles you’re complaining about teach the exact same thing, right? Don’t be big-headed, think of the team, do your part, etc.
Jammers responded on 29 May 2009 at 7:15 pm #
I tend to use voicechat to thank people.
Much more human. =D
gelugon2105 responded on 29 May 2009 at 7:33 pm #
As a player who also plays a lot of Medic (I just passed my 75th hour), I don’t wish players to be more thankful – a Medic is supposed to heal team-mates after all – I just hope that team-mates get SMARTER every time I heal them.
I have seen spies getting a little too over-confident after I gave them an over-heal, and used the guns that they have more often, inappropriately, than the Knife. Another example would be a Heavy, who had just retreated from a painful beating, rushing out again after I have JUST latched onto him – only to shower me with a lot of flying bacon moments later.
Perhaps it’s because I tend to get the highest score a lot – that’s not an empty boast – that my team-mates get all too confident when I latch onto them. Some just don’t seem to realize the main trick to getting a high score as a Medic is not making foolhardy decisions.
I have lost count of how many times a team-mate just charge out after I have latched onto them, especially late into a match and I have a full uber (that I do not want to trigger just yet).
Notger responded on 29 May 2009 at 10:07 pm #
Well, gelugon, you could use voice chat to command them back or say when you are about to deploy on uber.
Most situations that go wrong do so because of a lack of PROPER communication.
(I am a Demo-player who likes to play Medic from time to time, and my thank-you-button is in heavy use and when I play Medic, I tend to prioritize nice players even over good players. Unfair? Yes, but my choice, after all. So be nice, get an uber.
)
Pyrit responded on 29 May 2009 at 10:44 pm #
For the sake of my reputation, I’d like to point out that my own ‘Respect, bruv’ was the first article to mention anything to do with thanking classes on this site I think, and it was also intended to be light hearted and not a rant.
There’s a lot of trends on this site. It’s also harder for new authors to know what’s been done before, too, which is why there’s a lot of repeating things.
I agree with you on this article, max. Thanking is nice, but it’s not compulsory. I don’t think players should be punished.
Monchberter responded on 30 May 2009 at 12:10 am #
It’s all about macro’s…
http://www.itechnews.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/microsoft-sidewinder-x6-gaming-keyboard.jpg
SirMax responded on 30 May 2009 at 1:36 am #
Right, there seems to be half misinterpreting- @Ninja Kow: Read some of those articles. Let me just quote a line, if I may. “And all you who don’t play Medic, remember this- treat them with respect or the next time you let your Medic get crit-rocketed to death, you may find yourself quickly without one.” “That Heavy constantly calling for a Medic? The one who was trash talking and whining because things weren’t going his way? My goal actually transformed into ensuring I never healed him. Ever. Even if there was a situation whereupon healing him could have won the entire game, I wouldn’t of healed him. ” That’s not really about teamwork. Secondly, I’m not saying “don’t thank people they’re all worthless”. I have thanks bound to f, and I tap it when a medic heals me when I’m injured instead of sticking to a heavy, or when I use a dispenser that isn’t right next to a sentry, or even when someone comes along and helps me in a fight. But what I don’t do is let people burn to death just because they scream medic over and over and then don’t thank me. Thanks are OPTIONAL. “So yes, thanking people is nice. It’s polite thing to do, and reflects that if you only cared about yourself you’d be doing something that’s better for your points. But it is NOT mandatory, and you should NEVER punish people for not doing it, because they’re helping too.”
Petrov responded on 30 May 2009 at 2:48 am #
I agree that some people use the “Thanks!” command too much. I occasionally thank the medic or engineer when I think it’s necessary, but I’ve never gotten killed for it. But I do believe you do have a point about saying thanks to the point that it kills you.
As far as binding it, I just quickly press z and 2. It really doesn’t take that long. I pretty much use voice commands for everything because I hate using microphones, so I also pretty much know where everything is.
The new unlock system isn’t bad, I just never had a problem with the milestone way of doing it either. I also believe the new ‘drop’ method has a way of making you look at all the weapons that other people have and go “ooooh, I want that soo bad”. So in a way, it makes you anticipate receiving your goodies even more.
(And it greatly reduces farming, which is a plus)
Teatime responded on 30 May 2009 at 2:53 am #
This might also be a problem of different expectations.
When I play medic or in another way assist a teammate I usually do so without thinking and definitely without expecting any reaction. We are all in the same boat, after all, and it’s just another contribution to win the match.
So consequently I tend to forget to thank people helping me (e.g. healing) all too often. This, of course, might come across as if I wasn’t acknowledging their contribution and their help, which is not true, but they don’t know that.
This kind of silent mutual understanding is rather easy with people who play which each other a lot, but naturally is missing when you play with random people. A few more “thank you” here and there might be useful.
carrot responded on 30 May 2009 at 3:14 am #
I noticed there is not a lot of microphone communication in pubs. Is this because people don’t have mics, don’t like to use mics, or because they’re already in Vent? I would really appreciate more mic use; to say thanks, sentry ahead, spy behind you, or whatever.
Sarda responded on 30 May 2009 at 9:11 am #
I use a mic. It helps people who play with me recognize when a spy is being me and pretending to talk to my team.
So, no, I don’t thank the medic every time. But, if I’ve been saved from some form of death, it’s likely that they’ll get a (verbal)thank-you. Especially if they went out of their way to get to me.
Paper Shadow responded on 30 May 2009 at 10:33 am #
@SirMax
You didn’t quote my article. Does that mean I’m off the hook?
nineteen responded on 30 May 2009 at 10:48 am #
Addendum:
A lot of why I became a career Medic is to be a support/overseer/delegator type class, it suits my play style.
But I’ve discovered there’s a certain measure of the Hippocratic Oath within me. You might be a dick, but I’ll still heal you. I can hold my own when it comes to Battlemedic, but two heads are still better than one. There are many other reasons why I should keep a fellow teammate alive, even if they are considered ‘ungrateful’.
Frankly idiots sitting just outside spawn, or running around on full health spamming MEDIC!!! annoy me more than those that don’t say ‘Thanks!’.
me responded on 31 May 2009 at 8:05 pm #
“How do I bind thanks because I tend to use that one where I am no longer fumbling but slightly pausing”
bind “key-of-your-choice” “voicemenu 0 1″
if I’m not mistaken. Not sure if the quotes are necessary.
I have “thanks” bound to mwheelup (scroll mouse wheel up) so I have a tendency to say it whenever someone does something even remotely helpful. And I always used to do X2 (Spy!) accidentally instead of Z2.
gelugon2105 responded on 01 Jun 2009 at 12:22 pm #
Notger, I do use Voice Chat! I have tested it using other players’ audio so that I may hear my own Voice Chat to check its clarity and lag. I have a cheap-ass mike, but other than a bit of ruffling, I still sounded clear.
Perhaps the seemingly not-that-smart players are hampered by the lag, but they would definitely have picked up my rapid-fire, twice-repeated phrase: “Not now! NOT now!”
And extra communication won’t help if the other player is not smart enough to fully reload or resupply first. I once ubered a Pyro who ran out of fuel, even though I have planning with him for the last quarter minute. (He didn’t have voice chat though.)
Snipers_get_the_head responded on 18 Aug 2009 at 4:51 pm #
ahh, the last line of every article gets me every single time.