Source
r/WorldOfWarships•
Lord-Prometheus

Another 3 day chat ban? Something's up with WG's auto-ban system

Discussion

TL;DR: I've been hit with another 3 day chat ban for the second time in a week after it never happening before in 3 years of play. Something has changed in WG's automatic chat banning system, and whilst I appreciate the greater focus on combating toxicity, I do not think this is fair, at least in my regard.

~~

I was chatbanned for the first time in 3 1/2 years of playing WoWS just the other day. The reason given was "insults, personal attacks, abuse/harassment, trying to 'bypass the chat filter'.

I could not remember for the life of me why this might have happened, because I had logged off for the night after a session of play and gone to bed, and came back the next day to the ban. I do not, I believe, ever actively engage in what I would think constitutes as insulting, ad hominem, let alone abuse or harassment, and never had been banned or even warned prior to this in my entire time playing WoWS.

And today, I log in for the first time, and I've been served with another one! This time, I actually remember playing on Sunday night, and literally nothing of the sort occured. I remember being vaguely salty about facing CV after CV in my Oland, but abuse? Harassment? I don't think it's impossible that a "fuck off" may have gotten thrown out, but that's occasional for me and has never resulted in a ban before.

I've been thinking about this for a bit now. There's only one through line in both instances of my being banned; I happen to swear, because I'm playing a computer game. 8 times out of 10, I'm not even doing it angrily, it's just part of my natural vernacular.

Now, I don't know why this is happening now, but my second guess as to why this has been happening is profanity usage. I don't have any solid evidence, but I've been hearing a lot lately about people like me who have never been chatbanned ever before, suddenly getting them over the course of the past week or so.

This is annoying to me. I like being able to communicate with my team, or even just have the occasional random conversation (there was one about gardening the other day). I think in general that chat, even if it can get a little heated sometimes, is a thing any online MP game needs. I feel like these new bans, for me and others, are over the top. and now it's happened twice basically back to back.

So I guess this is... a warning? Because of this pattern, I would advise people be more careful about how they're chatting in game, and also maybe watch your mouth.

(Also, is there a way of inquiring with WG about the nature of these bans? I'd very much like to see the exact moments that led to the bans. Thanks in advance)

Posted May 27, 2020, 5:44 PM UTC

037
Dilligaf__Military Month•

I would say you are doing something wrong and WG is doing just fine. I've been playing for many years and not once have I got a ban so I doubt the game is the issue and more a user error.

9
Lord-PrometheusOP•

Whilst this is a fair guess, I haven't been behaving any differently in the past week than I have in the past 3 years. So... I'm not sure that's the case, because this has quite literally never happened to me before.

2
Dilligaf__Military Month•

well more "sensitive" folks could be playing now.

1
Lord-PrometheusOP•

What is that supposed to mean? I really doubt that anyone is more sensitive to anything now than they have been in the past.

1
Dilligaf__Military Month•

More the idea that people are reporting more than they used to as a community. But its just a idea I have no numbers to support it.

2
Cru4y•

Is the message followed by a (R) ? If so it means someone reported you. I generally get a week or two every ranked season. 😎

9
Lord-PrometheusOP•

So that's what that means? Huh. Interesting. People must be report happy? I dunno

1
Kake997Certified CV Main•

People report anyone they find annoying and sometimes wg autoban takes it as a real problem

5
Lord-PrometheusOP•

Apparently it wasn't an autoban, so

1
r0b0c0dSeal•

Hey just voicing something here -- A couple days ago a guy entered a game with a politically charged message; I got matched with him twice in a row.

The second time I decided to tell him to stop getting his information off MAGA forums. Sure enough, the next day I was chat-banned.

Now the fun part is I submitted an appeal and got quoted to have said 'ah shit' 'fuck' 'oh shit' and 'ah fuck' -- four times in the course of 24 hours -- 2 days ago.

None of these were more than once in a single game.

The report itself undoubtedly game from that guy, but applied to some kind of weird rolling window between games.

It's completely absurd.

None of what was sited was directed at any individual; just responses to taking massive damage or getting myself into a bad situation.

Now I could understand if WG didn't want that language in their game at all... But if that was the case, they can filter it, do whatever they want.

But a single f-bomb in one game out of like 10-15 is not 'excessive profanity'. It's just regular profanity.

Keep in mind this was reviewed by an actual person, and upheld. Given the report was on other content, which he could also review. I can't be sure if this is just heavy-handed policy enforcement, or if it was just an excuse due to the content of the other chat.

I was 100% surprised when the chat ban came from innocuous periodic f-bombs and 'shit' of all words, and not the content of that chat... Neither of which I plan to do again, but... still.. It's either draconian, or shady.

If WG doesn't want any profanity at all, filter it and don't send the message. It's ridiculously hostile to chatban people for something of that degree. I gave these people my money, for f-sake.

So, in conclusion, you probably got reported by someone who was just mad, in a game where you didn't swear, and then the you were banned based on completely unrelated single instances of profanity to which no one actually objected.

1
Cru4y•

Theirs the care bear retards that don’t like to hear that they have no idea what they are doing. Especially the old guys that just play casually. They will hit you with a report every time you say even a small insult

1†
Lord-PrometheusOP•

Surely that's always been the case though. Why would it be different w/in the past week?

1
Cru4y•

Idk. You would have to ask support exactly why they did. I know why I get chatbanned so I don’t bother

1
wilkatis_LV•

3 days ain't automatic tho

Also

The reason given was "insults, personal attacks, abuse/harassment, trying to 'bypass the chat filter'.

This message you get EXCLUSIVELY for manual chatbans, and as you later point out - it was issued to you while you were offline - meanwhile autmoatic chatbans are issued to you mid-battle.

​

The only automatic part here is that WG has some automated system checking accounts that have already been punished in some recent timeframe, and if that detects something that could possibly be a violation it flags that for a manual follow-up check, at which point you may get another ban.

First one was still submitted to support about you, and then manually approved, nothing automatic there.

​

Also, is there a way of inquiring with WG about the nature of these bans?

Yes, you can ask support & they'll give you the chat logs.

​

Also you should note that it doesn't have to be swearing. There are other words that will get you banned - like, for example, saying "jap" instead of japanese / ijn / anything similar to those. Why? Well, "jap" is a derogatory term in 'murica or something like that.

4
learnyouahaskellDistance is a capitalist komplot.•

The reason given was "insults, personal attacks, abuse/harassment, trying to 'bypass the chat filter'.

This message you get EXCLUSIVELY for manual chatbans,

It's given out as wellfor getting reported for "chat" while chat banned. E.g. for driving a carrier, clicking on the map, asking someone for help, spamming at the fail-throwing griefer/AFK in base, or any reason.

2
wilkatis_LV•

Automated (24h) chatban has a different message. Simply getting reported without any actual penalty issued carries no such message of any kind.

The one OP got is exclusive to a manually issued chatbans

1
learnyouahaskellDistance is a capitalist komplot.•

You didn't read what I said. What's missing is that you will get a "manual" chatban if you get enough reports while 24h temped, in my experience. His emphasis is on the manual, as if a trigger or ticket were in play (for example), but it's only "technically" manual in that case (and only maybe). Basically as little as look at a flag and click a button.

2
wilkatis_LV•

What's missing is that you will get a "manual" chatban if you get enough reports while 24h temped, in my experience. His emphasis is on the manual, as if a trigger or ticket were in play (for example), but it's only "technically" manual in that case (and only maybe). Basically as little as look at a flag and click a button.

Manual & automatic chatbans exist completely separately of each other, they don't affect each other in any way. "Misbehaviour in chat" reports have no bearing on manual bans, those go through submitting a ticket to support.

Manual chatbans can sometimes be delayed even by as much as a week (haven't seen a longer time, maybe if support's really busy), and they are issued to you whenever the person checking your chatlogs does it. This may be while you're playing, this may be while you're offline, this may accidentally happen to be added mid-24h ban (never personally seen that kind of timing tho).

His emphasis

You mean mine? Cuz both your answers were to me. And yes, the emphasis there is on the "it's manual not automatic"

as if a trigger or ticket were in play (for example), but it's only "technically" manual in that case (and only maybe). Basically as little as look at a flag and click a button.

Manual means a person reviewed the case and issued the punishment. Automatic means a computer did it. That's literally the difference there.

----------

Either way, I don't see what point are you trying to make here? In your 1st reply you strike through "exclusively", even tho that particular message is exclusive to manual bans. Automated bans have a different message, exclusive to them.

And then your description of "reports while chatbanned" implies the in-game "misbehaviour in chat" reports, which are 100% irrelevant for any manual case. This (3 days) being longer than 24h is a manual case, as automated bans are 24h only.

​

So I read exactly what you wrote. Perhaps you failed to write your actual idea in an understandable fashion

1
Lord-PrometheusOP•

Oh, well, as I think I pointed out somewhere else, I didn't know that 3 day bans weren't automatic.

like, for example, saying "jap" instead of japanese

I don't use such words, either, so... it must have been me telling the enemy carrier to "fuck off" precisely once. (I think that might've happened, not sure)

1
wilkatis_LV•

"fuck off"

Yeah, that would qualify.

Would need to happen at least 2x tho, at least 1x for each ban

2
Lord-PrometheusOP•

Again, why now though? I'm sure I've said that in the past, but it never resulted in a ban

People must be trigger happy with reports. I wouldn't report someone for just telling me to fuck off, it's just a vent of frustration. I get it.

1
wilkatis_LV•

why now though?

It's not the "misbehaviour in chat" report.

Someone had to submit an actual report ticket (typically with replay and possibly screenshots) to support about you. Nearly noone will ever bother with that, which is why it took so long to catch onto one that actually does send in a complaint.

2nd ban came so fast after the 1st one because of the "automated followup" which then flagged something you said [presumably] since that 1st ban without the need for another player-submitted report, which a manual review later confirmed & issued a new ban to you.

1
Son_Of_The_Empiretwitch.tv/Kingpin6100•

You can message support, as 3 day bans are usually manual.

2
Lord-PrometheusOP•

Huh, manual? That's even weirder then. Maybe some WG staffer has it out for me. /s

1
Lord-PrometheusOP•

Wait, so how does one go about doing this?

Never needed to message support before..

1
kratjeatje•

Don’t even bother sending a ticket to WG, I’ve got a 14 day chat ban probably due to ranked being so frustrating right now for me (iknow I shouldn’t be so salty, but still some bad plays just triggers me)

1
turbokrzak•

I had the same, never banned and 2 3 day bans recently, also WG didnt respond to my ticket about chat logs. They just changed something so that you csn get banned for nothing. I chat a lot but never say anything offensive.

2
Raz0rkingHarugomo the Burninator•

I do not think it is profanity though. I've been droping fuck bombs quite a lot these days and i have not recieved a ban ... yet.

2
StinkinBishop1•

You need to be more creative with your insults. Spunkplate or pissbag don’t get picked up.

1
Lord-PrometheusOP•

I don't use insults, though. I said as much in the post.

1
_CPR•

If you submit a ticket, they will send you what caused the chatban down to the minute. Pretty neat ngl

1
Lord-PrometheusOP•

...So let's assume I've never submitted a support ticket, how exactly do I do that? o.O

1
_CPR•

https://na.wargaming.net/support/en/products/wows/

2
SnowHeader•

Just turn off chat and spam the in game message options. They can’t do crap with banning you because don’t use chat.

1