Sin
Private Tester
...but pugs are far more competitive and as a result I think people stop focusing on fun and starting leaning towards "Oh, I really want to win". And there's nothing wrong with that but eventually people get so caught up in winning that they forget about just having fun. And I feel that this level of competition is where most of this frustration, rage and general anger and toxicity come from.
This is not meant as a direct response to you, rather to all of the recent discussion.
PuGs are competitive for a reason. It's fun to win. I'm extremely competitive, and I love the way legions plays in the competitive aspect. Many others will agree with me on this, we play seriously because we draw enjoyment from that. This is why you don't see people setting up a time to all show up and pub. Sure, a pub can be fun, but most of us partake in pugs to try hard.
"Toxicity" as a term is bullshit. People bitching and whining will always be around, and bitching and whining about it isn't going to do any good. If you can't handle the fact that people are not always nice, then that's your problem, not ours. It's the internet, people are mean. Wah. Deal with it. You shouldn't be online if you can't accept the fact that it isn't pretty princess land. I'll be the first to admit that I can be a straight up asshole. However, it takes quite a bit for me to actually get pissed at someone in a PuG. I don't care if you're new, or just bad. Whatever, you're playing with the rest of us and giving it a shot. That's awesome. It's when people start refusing to play certain positions because "I don't wanna" or flat out refusing to switch off of something that a captain has requested, that's when I get angry. The refusal to try is the absolute worst in legions.
Legions PUGs being competitive is the sole reason I play in them, and I doubt I am alone in that. Wanting to win is (of course) going to be a factor in anything competitive, but surely that's when people will start trying and (hypothetically) the enjoyment for all those trying will be greater. You must also remember, that winning implies a player (I would assume) having a good team, and playing well themselves too, all of which adds to the enjoyment factor.
But if it's a landslide victory for one team, then the team on the losing side will not have enjoyed it (as it implies bad teamwork, unfavourable teammates, et cetera). I doubt they care about the loss; merely the time spent participating in something they didn't enjoy.
Exactly. I wouldn't show up if there wasn't competition. 80% of players wouldn't. I would rather lose a close game than win a blowout, you don't gain anything from stomping a team. The challenge and chance to improve is what keeps me around this game.
Finally, to all of the players throwing a fit about map choice, the position they play, and anything else regarding a CAPTAIN'S decisions, shut up. Plain and simple, you want to pick the map, you have a 50% chance as a captain. You don't want to play a certain position? Be a captain and assign yourself elsewhere. You don't like a certain player or their attitude? Don't pick them. You have quite literally no input on these things if you're not willing to step up and take control. People don't always get what they want, and a surprising amount of people in this community seemingly haven't learned that lesson yet.
TL;DR - Grow up. People are meanies. PuGs exist to be competitive. If you don't want to deal with something/someone, be a captain or don't play.