The best example i can think of this is in the game barotrauma, someone once asked “why do you grief?” The question itself is best answered by Bartle’s Multiplayer Psychology maxim. We all lean toward some aspects of basic multiplayer motivations: Socialites, Explorers, Achievers or Killers. If you don’t have much ‘killer’ (defined as someone who gets their fun by causing a negative reaction in others) in you, then it’s hard to understand that motivation. Of course, few griefers will admit to that need. No-one is 100% one motivation, but Our Explorers lean toward Engineer roles, our Socialites are Medics or Captains, while our Achievers and more balanced motivation players tend toward Captains and Security.
This is the only way I can understand killers/griefers, as I struggle to see the emotional reward in the action.
I tend to assume griefing and shittalking in multiplayer games is roleplaying as a powerful character to forget one’s own inadequacies in real life, where power structures can be harder to overcome. The bullied kid, the teen failing hard at school, the adult stuck in a demeaning job or under the thumb of others. ie. probably someone with poor social skills who is having a rough time and doesn’t know how to deal.
So I warn/ignore/kick/ban them as needed, and move on… they will either learn or they won’t, but I’m not a social worker.
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I tend to assume griefing and shittalking in multiplayer games is roleplaying as a powerful character to forget one’s own inadequacies in real life, where power structures can be harder to overcome. The bullied kid, the teen failing hard at school, the adult stuck in a demeaning job or under the thumb of others. ie. probably someone with poor social skills who is having a rough time and doesn’t know how to deal.
So I warn/ignore/kick/ban them as needed, and move on… they will either learn or they won’t, but I’m not a social worker.