SystemWars Survival Guide and Code of Conduct

Updated 10/06/2019;

Overall Recommendations

Read the Terms of Use and follow Gamespot’s Code of Conduct

Quick 411 to Avoid trouble

1. No flaming, trolling, disruptive activity or posts which encourage such behavior;
2. No victimization of others or use of discriminatory language;
3. No discussion of illegal activities;
4. No material of a pornographic, overtly sexual or macabre nature;
5. No alternate accounts.

When you sign up for a GameSpot account, you agree to a Terms of Use. It's important to read and understand this Terms of Use (TOU) agreement. The TOU also applies at all times in System Wars, and violating its rules can result in moderation, suspension, or possibly a permanent ban from posting on GameSpot.

The Code of Conduct contains all the info that any user on Gamespot needs to know, including (but not limited to) what Strikes are and how the Three Strikes Rule works. The behavior that is expected of any of you regardless of posting in System Wars, the other boards or in the comments section is fully explained there.

Read the Stickies.

Popular upcoming game releases, major trade shows, news stories, GameSpot announcements, or other events may receive a special stickied thread dedicated to them. If there is a stickied thread for a topic, please do not create, or post in, other threads related to that topic. By posting in the sticky, all discussion on the subject can be organized in one thread, rather than having dozens of posters each creating their own threads as they hear the news.

Know the Karma System

When you flag a post, that content gains +1 karma point for the submitter and the accused. If the moderator accepts the accuser's position, their karma is reset. Once a user hits +10 karma they are banned from posting until their karma goes back under 10. Karma automatically degrades -1 karma each night. Please allow at least 72-hours for a moderator to act on the flagged content.

Spamming flags will result in a strike and/or a suspension from the site. Do not abuse the flag system.

Remember to disagree without being disagreeable.

Take diligence to remain on discussion about the systems or games being debated or discussed, rather than discussing the people who play them. It's a good idea to make sure the purpose of each post is to debate ideas, rather than to attack the poster presenting the ideas.

Dealing with toxic post(s) and/or poster(s).

The umbrella of anonymity on the internet can at times brings nasty commentary from posters. It's important to not engage toxic comments and flag them to the moderator team so that can be swiftly handled. Further note: any users who dox another will be permanently banned. Doxxing is the search for and publishing of private or identifying information about (a particular individual) on the Internet, typically with malicious intent. It will never be tolerated.

What is System Wars?

System Wars is the place where you come to discuss your favorite games and platforms and tell the board how much better they are compared to everything else!

Do you think the Nintendo Switch is the best platform? Feel the PS4 is kinda awful? Do you believe Ridge Racer is the best game ever!? Well, then present us with your arguments and "fight" with your fellow System Warriors to make sure your choice, is the right choice!

Now, before you get ahead of yourself and start blasting on that keyboard, you'll have to read the rules of engagement down below so we all can get along and have some fun! (THIS IS MANDATORY! Bad threads will be locked.)

Understanding System Wars: The Very Basics

Fanboy Nicknames

• FAKEBOYS are those who falsely support one system. They are often used to create false hype for new games or products, making a certain type of fanboy look very bad when said product doesn't fully deliver as expected.
• FANBOYS are those who support a system, and show extreme disgust for other systems.
• HERMITS are those who support the PC. Possible origin being that PC fanboys have a hard time finding a place among the console fanboys.
• COWS are users who are devout supporters of Sony's hardware. (The name comes from 6th gen characteristics where many accessories were needed to get the full experience, like the multi-tap, additional controllers, hard drives, eye toy, etc. This was called "milking" therefore getting the name "cows")
• LEMMINGS are those who support the Xbox and its entire franchise (Comes from the 6th generation where Microsoft fanboys believed anything that Microsoft said. And also because they listen to all of the Microsoft commands, like "jump off a cliff".)
• SHEEP are those who support Nintendo and their entire franchise (They are called sheep because they blindly followed anything that Nintendo said.)
• MANTICORES are those who support all systems. It's a rarely used term. They are called manticores because they are a mixture of a lot of animals. Now you see "multi-system owners" in place of this formerly common name, although don't be mistaken, a multi-system owner is not impartial towards all systems like a manticore.

These terms are the only accepted ones in System Wars as far a defining factions go. Anything else (ie, xbots, sheens, etc) will be moderated.

As such, avoid using these terms outside System Wars. They will lead to moderation.

SystemWars Postulates

• Sales =/= Quality;
• No one is unbiased;
• The cake has always been, and always will be a lie;
• The internet is serious business;
• Shipped Units = Sold Units.

Explaining Hype

Big (or small) upcoming releases typically have a "hype" level attached to them judged by hype threads, or sometimes (rarely) general consensus hype found in the forums. HYPE (noun) is a word used to describe the expected results. Example: The hype on Bloodborne for the PS4 was AAA.

Sometimes, games do not reach that quotient which then they are considered a FLOP (noun). This occurs when the score of a game does not meet the hype. Example: Halo 5: Guardians was hyped AAA yet reached only AA status.

A game can be hyped in the following four ways:

• AAAA (or AAAAE*) - this is a game that scores a 10 .
• AAA (or AAAE*) - this is a game which scores a 9
• AA (or AAE*) - this is a game which scores a 8
• A (or AE*) - this is a game which scores a 7

* The E stands for exclusive.

Hype threads these days don't count for the Metagame as they used to. Now they are a means for you and your fellow System Warriors to proclaim how excited you are for any given game. Hype threads can also function as small "hubs" for each game pre/post release (think sharing news, discussing the game, planning game nights, etc in them).

Creating Threads, some tips:

Avoid Redundant Topics;Before you create that topic, remember to use the search feature to see if that same topic has recently been created. It’s also recommended to check back a page or two to see if it’s on the forum. It's also important to avoid creating “fad topics.” For example, if someone creates the topic "10 Reasons the PS4 rocks 2013", and another person creates the topic "10 Reasons the Xbox One rocks 2013", the process can quickly spiral out of control, flooding the board with too many of the same type of discussion.

Any Versus Threads; If you are the creator of the thread, it can be best to focus on a specific aspect. Asking "What's better PS4 or XB1?" is ambiguous and too broad. "Which has better analog sticks, Wii U or PS4?" can result in a much more interesting direction and discussion can get more detailed. If you respond to the thread: Keep the discussion focused where it started.

Graphics Threads; If you are the creator of the thread, use an interesting title or ask a catchy question. It's good to lean on objective sources as well, such as Digital Foundry who provide excellent analysis on games. It can be helpful to have some kind of mobile data warning if your thread has a lot of photos and/or videos. Separate the games clearly if you are talking about multiple games.

Note: If you respond to the thread, do not quote more than one image in a post.

News Article Threads;

If you are the creator of the thread, post a link to the thread you are talking about. It's important to take a stance on the article and provide some of your insight to why you're posting it.

No threads about Illegal Activities. This includes roms, emulators and posting copyrighted material. As far as GameSpot is concerned, we don't want any legal complications. It's fine to post links to articles that talk about Piracy, but make sure the article doesn't say how to pirate stuff, no matter how vague the instructions are.

Hype Threads;

Before the game releases:

If you are the CREATOR of the thread: Give us some interesting information about the game, how it its different from games that are similar to it. Give us a few graphics, and if posting more than 6 images, put a mobile data warning in the title. If you RESPOND to the thread: Don't quote more than one image in your post. Please post your hype, and discuss the game's strong points and weak points.

After the game releases:

If you are the CREATOR: Place the score in the title of the hype thread. If you RESPOND to the thread: If the thread is stickied, keep all discussion in that thread. Any threads about games who have stickied hype threads willl be locked.

Surviving Interactions: SW Rules

The Golden Rule(s) To Follow, DON’T DO ANY OF THE FOLLOWING.

• Flaming, spamming, personal attacks and thread derailing are not allowed and will be moderated accordingly. Do not use the word retard, or any variation of retard (ex; libtard), to demean or attack anyone. It will be moderated.
• Bait threads are not allowed (A bait thread is an online forum post or thread designed to provoke a reaction, usually negative) and will be moderated accordingly.
• Posts cointaing just “inb4[something]” and any of its variants are considered disruptive posting; thus, can and will be moderated.
• Blank quote replies are considered spam.
• Responses of "Damage control" or "Denial" are considered spam or trolling.
• Intentionally misquoting posts from other users is a form of trolling.
• Quoting somebody with QFT (quoted for truth) or any variants is spam.
• Quote chains over 4 replies are considered disruptive. We request that you either use the “Reply” button or start editing things down so that you're only quoting the most recent post. This includes quoting more than one (1) single user.
• Quoting posts/filled with media (videos, gifs or pictures) is considered disruptive posting. Either quote the single piece of media you want to comment on OR just delete any and all media if it’s not relevant to your conversation.
• One-off comments saying "Stay salty", "Butthurt", "lol_____" . These do not constitute an argument nor are they appropriate answers. These, and some of the examples above, are known as drive-by posting.
• Backseat modding is also not accepted. Posting in threads saying something isn't "SW material" or that it should be locked just because you don't agree with it, is not the way to go about it. Contact the moderator team, we are here to help you.
• This is System Wars not Fanboy Wars. Threads made about who the worst type of fanboy is, or threads made to complain about certain fanboys, or anything similar are not permitted and are deemed trolling.
• No advertising, solicitation or commercial self promotion will be allowed.
• No discussion of any illegal activities.
• No posting of lewd comments, language or photos.

On the subject of alternate accounts:

Any account that is deemed to be an “alt” (alternative) account of a user will be banned along it’s “main account”. Zero Tolerance Policy on this. Don’t do it!

Need Help?

Feel free to ask the moderator team!

• Either send a general PM to the whole team.

• Ask your questions at "Ask the Mods".
• Or, should you see a moderator online, send him/her a question by PM.

Archive;

SystemWars Guide 3.0

SystemWars Guide 2.0