I spent 10 days in the January tour in the Taka (new name now) field. In just a few days, it completely killed my enjoyment of the game and my motivation to keep playing. I have not played since the end of the tour, and I am not sure I will ever return to playing regularly — or at all.
For the past two years (since I came back to play rsf), Taka has been provocative, has used offensive language, has made inappropriate comments, and has been aggressive almost every time I have raced with him. He constantly stays on the edge with his words and sometimes crosses the line, though he is rarely reported. Even when he does not use a clear insult, his behavior — constant provocation, aggressiveness, and use of bad language — is often worse than a single insult said in the heat of the moment. He behaves as if he owns the race chat, acts superior to most managers, and is aggressive toward many of them on a regular basis.
Whether I use the race chat or not, his behavior toward me remains the same: bad language, provocation, and unacceptable conduct. Some of his comments about me were posted in his own race chats (when I was not even in the same race), and others were made in the general chat, which shows his motivation to talk bad about others outside of the common races.
This is nothing new
For the last two years, I have done my best to avoid being in his field. Whenever I could choose another time or another field, or simply not race at all, I did so. Despite that, I still ended up racing with him more than 30 times, mostly because I was not online in time to unregister. At times, it was frustrating not to race during the day just to avoid being in his field, but I felt it was better that way, and today I realize I was right about that (I would have stopped the game way before I guess). I also believe I am not the only one who does this to avoid him.
I also tried my best never to respond to his provocations in race chats, as he often seems to be waiting for a reaction, an insult or any negative response, so he can open a fairplay case or simply enjoy provoking a reaction. I cannot guarantee I succeeded every time. I only used fair play votes sparingly, with a few -3 votes in retaliation.
To those who say, “Just ignore him and the race chat,” my answer is no, for two reasons.
First, we (you) should not allow such a toxic individual to dominate the race chat and destroy the fun that can come from exchanges between managers. Giving Taka space in the game is a mistake, as it leads to a toxic atmosphere and less enjoyment for everyone.
Second, I tried to ignore him a lot, and did it a lot, it does not work. Also, I want to be able to communicate with others without having conversations interrupted by false accusations, bad language, and constant provocation.
There were also several occasions where his race actions appeared to go completely against his own chances, seemingly just to ruin mine. This is not new either, and other managers have experienced the same behavior. It is difficult to prove, as he can always claim it was a tactical mistake or a choice made for his own benefit (which one ?). However, given previous cases and the number of complaints about this behavior, I am confident many of you know what I am referring to and how it feels. In any case, it is yet another way he damages the atmosphere and enjoyment of the game.
Below are a few examples collected over the past two years, though I likely missed many others. Would you call this harassment? Is there really nothing wrong with this behavior simply because it does not always include a clear insult according to the latest “rules” on that topic ?
My personal opinion
Taka is a supreme troll. Just look at his latest name change, research its meaning, and interpret it as you wish; I have formed my own opinion about it.
He is a high-level troll, but one who leans toward the darker side. He actively tries to make people angry and upset. He thrives in a negative atmosphere and enjoys influencing and damaging relationships between others. He is satisfied when negative outcomes result from his words and behavior.
He shows no compassion or understanding of basic values such as respect and politeness, hopefully only online. He repeatedly targets the same people with aggressive behavior and language, which makes him a bully. He is smart and knows exactly where the line is, staying close enough to enjoy his trolling while avoiding serious consequences or bans, allowing him to continue harming others and the community. He benefits from the current situation, with a limited number of managers, which gives him visibility, power (calendar role) and allows him to focus on a few targets repeatedly. He spends a great amount of time and energy being hostile toward others. This may suggest personal or mental health struggles, but that is not an excuse to let him thrive here and negatively affect players who simply want to enjoy the game and its community without enduring trolls or bullies.
I play two other games with very small communities, and the atmosphere there is completely different from RSF. People like Taka are not allowed in those games, and they do not even appear, because there is no environment for them to thrive.
I have never understood how Taka (and others like him) has never been banned, at least temporarily as a warning, for his behavior in RSF. There were endless debates about what qualifies as an insult, case after case. Fair play cases are treated individually, as if there were no prior incidents that should be considered together. It feels as though players must either accept people like Taka or leave the game.
I have very little hope that this new fair play thread against Taka will change anything. Still, I felt it was important to express my personal, and negative, experience with him, which likely reflects the experience of many others who remain silent.
