It is exactly the kind of responses I can see here in reply to the question asked in the OP, that is making me seriously consider removing myself from PCF completely and permanently.
We can take many precautions against theft (PVPing space or planet or scamming) just as we can protect our homes, credit cards, bank details, cars in RL and no I am not just talking from the perspective of a warp ship owner (I hardly think the 2 hours a day that I run a scheduled warp service would have much impact anyway)
It is up to you all to think, to plan, and to protect your stuff if going to any pvp, stop blaming others for your losses, take a look in the mirror.
We may not like pirates, but they are a legitimate part of the game (as they are in many other games). Some are admittedly inclined to also 'smack talk'. But this is a game, we have no idea if they are 'bad people' in RL, or whether this is just some kind of stress relief. Further since when did we all get to sit as judges of the perceived rl morals of others rather than of their gameplay style. I very much doubt there are many people here that would qualify as saints.
So can we please stop pirate bashing (other than in threads about piracy/pvp etc ofc) and look at the question asked.
Is the following just banter or unacceptable even in an adult game ?
[Space travel] [USER]: well then I hope you get r*ped by someone with aids and have to live with it, better?
[Space travel] [USER]: so get r*pe, get aids, I don't care I just want you dead
and believe me this kind of talk is neither restricted to Space, to PVP nor even to pirates
Is it offensive ? YES
Is it likely to have a negative impact on this game ? YES
Misuse and overuse of the word !!!!.
No it is not just a word.. to those that have suffered the misfortune of sexual assault it is far, far worse than that. Those players that are RL female may feel threatened, belittled, and insecure
Some but not all may be able to shrug it off.
But a substantial number of women are !!!!! or assaulted annually all across the world. When they come to play a game they don't want or need constant reminders of male aggression (and yes I am aware some men have suffered it too). Do you really think it is right or reasonable to make them feel uncomfortable or even scared in a game ? Many probably simply quit and become isolated in the Real World, unable to even escape into a fantasy.
Can you live with yourself if you found you had been responsible for causing someone that kind of harm ?
Wishing someone dead, wishing them a harmful disease
Much as with !!!! we have no idea if other players are ill, if they, or a loved one, have a terminal disease, or are recently bereaved.
So...
Having typed some vitriolic response to a pirate, a PVP'er, or someone who mob stole, or otherwise pissed you off in game... STOP...THINK...
Would you say it in RL to someone you knew ?
Would you remind friends and acquaintances of tragedies in their lives ?
or would you stop, delete and retype in a more adult and mature manner... still rude maybe, still banter, maybe even still a strong insult. But I am hoping that in real life you would all draw a line that you would not cross, so why is it ok to throw our moral compass out of the window just because it is a game ?
Grow up, show some respect of fellow humans, behave like adults ffs.
I would actually like people to use the word as the dictionary intended though.
