test content
Logo
What is the Arc Client?
Install Arc
Profanity Filter Solution Suggestion
doc4goth
Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Knight of the Feywild Users Posts: 61
The foundry recently flagged my text as containing profanity for using a specific word. The word itself taken as a whole is in no shape profane. Only when considering the first 3 letters or the first 5 can it be considered "profanity" Can someone please tell me in what way a word is profane if you only consider a part of the word?
Where do you draw the line? Let us consider a word of 3 letters, 2 of which repeat and the other is the first letter of the alphabet. Is using only the first 2 letters profane? Judging by the current system it most certainly should be. While I realize there are probably legal issues that I am not cognizant of relating to the use of profanity in the game, I would still suggest the following.
There is already an option in the UI for filtering profanity which replaces words considered profane with a has of characters. Why not simply make it so that words flagged as profanity are filtered out in the game by the settings for the profanity filter not only in chat but also in the foundry texts. This would eliminate the need to try and identify which word are actually profane and which are not. As a programmer this would appear to me to be a very viable solution since the system is able to filter the thousands of chat messages occuring live. Filtering the text in foundry missions is simple compared to that.
Simply add words you consider profane to the list and if people have the filter option set then they will see a hash of characters. This would remove the burden from the developers, eliminate the aggravation for the authors and empower the playerbase to decide. We already have so many limitations in the foundry that we have to live with ATM, so at least let us use the language we choose. Allow the players to see or not to see the language they choose.
The foundry was the primary decision factor in deciding to play this game for me. I love the AD&D world and have been playing it since Gary Gygax introduced it way back when. (For all you younguns out there back then it wasn't online or even PnP. We still used stone tablets with hammers n chisels :cool:) and potentially has the ability to allow NW to unseat the competitors as the top dog in the MMO arena. The intellectual property is out there.
And before someone tells me that this should be reported as a bug, it already has been.
Please do not post replies containing words that the filter has flagged as this will simply result in the thread being locked. Instead post constructive ideas or suggestions on how to resolve this. If the thread is locked due to words being posted then it will not be able to show how important this issue is to authors. If you find a word that is considered profane simple respond to this thread saying you found another word that is filtered.
I REPEAT DO NOT POST THE WORD!!
Just post the fact you encountered another one. Perhaps if this thread continually pops up due to someone replying there will be an actual solution produced.
Thanks
Where do you draw the line? Let us consider a word of 3 letters, 2 of which repeat and the other is the first letter of the alphabet. Is using only the first 2 letters profane? Judging by the current system it most certainly should be. While I realize there are probably legal issues that I am not cognizant of relating to the use of profanity in the game, I would still suggest the following.
There is already an option in the UI for filtering profanity which replaces words considered profane with a has of characters. Why not simply make it so that words flagged as profanity are filtered out in the game by the settings for the profanity filter not only in chat but also in the foundry texts. This would eliminate the need to try and identify which word are actually profane and which are not. As a programmer this would appear to me to be a very viable solution since the system is able to filter the thousands of chat messages occuring live. Filtering the text in foundry missions is simple compared to that.
Simply add words you consider profane to the list and if people have the filter option set then they will see a hash of characters. This would remove the burden from the developers, eliminate the aggravation for the authors and empower the playerbase to decide. We already have so many limitations in the foundry that we have to live with ATM, so at least let us use the language we choose. Allow the players to see or not to see the language they choose.
The foundry was the primary decision factor in deciding to play this game for me. I love the AD&D world and have been playing it since Gary Gygax introduced it way back when. (For all you younguns out there back then it wasn't online or even PnP. We still used stone tablets with hammers n chisels :cool:) and potentially has the ability to allow NW to unseat the competitors as the top dog in the MMO arena. The intellectual property is out there.
And before someone tells me that this should be reported as a bug, it already has been.
Please do not post replies containing words that the filter has flagged as this will simply result in the thread being locked. Instead post constructive ideas or suggestions on how to resolve this. If the thread is locked due to words being posted then it will not be able to show how important this issue is to authors. If you find a word that is considered profane simple respond to this thread saying you found another word that is filtered.
I REPEAT DO NOT POST THE WORD!!
Just post the fact you encountered another one. Perhaps if this thread continually pops up due to someone replying there will be an actual solution produced.
Thanks
--Doc4Goth
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Post edited by doc4goth on
0
Comments
This is a purposeful choice that Cryptic have made long before Neverwinter was even a game. I've been playing Star Trek Online (another one of Cryptic's MMOs) for almost 4 years now and it's been the same in there for ever.
It's a big pain and annoyance but I very much doubt that Cryptic will ever change their policy in regards to the filter.
Lets assume for the moment "word" is a profanity. "w o r d", "w'ord", "wording worder", "@w@o@r@d" and other similar derivations could easily be missed if the profanity filter only matches full words and does not act in the way it currently does. This is quite an agressive system, too aggressive? maybe but it's the aggression level they want in dealing with profanity.
As I said in the OP doing it that way allows the Devs to add whatever words they want to the list, lets the authors use whatever words they want and the player decides what he sees using the filter option.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Of course cryptic are going to protect children. As a parent I would expect no less from them and of course they will be aggressive in the way they control it, Just like a school would.
On the flip side, they are very clear in what is right and what is wrong and it takes no effort in finding and changing the offending word. I don't see the problem.
There is no profanity filter solution because there is no problem. If you don't like it play another game, one that targets older players maybe.
The thing is, it is not only aimed at children. As bazag pointed out with the example used people that want to be offensive will find a way around it. Cryptic limit this as much as they can.
I agree with you to some extent. But it's no problem. The only time I have had an issue is when it bugged and words like John and minion were included. We may not agree with some of the words that are filtered such as 900k, but in this case it is easy enough to change it to nine hundred thousand and that is usually the case.
Neverwinter is what it is and that is child friendly. That's the target audience and parents can feel safe with games like this. I don't see that as a problem. If anything you should be grateful that Cryptic have recognised that older people may want to talk in there own way and have allowed people to do so with the use of a profanity filter option.
I don't think any parent would be happy with the following example:
'Lets go **** theses ******* up, I'm in the mood to kill.'
It's one thing to have this in player chat, quite another for the game to present it's language in this way.
(Note: this comment is directed to readers in general, not specifically to the person I'm quoting)
Children are the lowest common denominator. As a professional in whatever you do it is always the lowest common denominator you use as your base when erring on the safe-side. It wouldn't matter if the game were marketed explicitly to full-blown adults. In order to maintain a 13+ rating, the language filter is required. At least as an adult you have the option in chat - but chat is fleeting, never persistent, unless a player records it.
However the Foundry is persistent (in the space that it doesn't fade-away within seconds) and there are too many authors to attempt copy-editing every quest that is user-created.
Hence, which would you rather have: Developers spending their time on fixes and new content, or policing every Foundry Quest ever created for 13+ appropriateness? (Rhetorical question, obviously I hope)
Here's the real shamefulness of it all: that society is so loose-lipped-sloppy-mouth that any kind of filter is needed to begin with. That's the issue here: not the filter, but that the filter is needed.
2. If the solution where implemented as suggested it puts the burden of protecting minors playing this game precisely where it should be. Namely on the parents.
3. With the solution as suggested the Devs/company can not be held liable since the simply add words considered "profane" to the list. The built in filter in the game then handle the mark over. There is no need for the devs to "copy-edit" anything.
4. Yes a thesaurus is a useful tool. Yes I do ensure my text contains NO profane words! Unfortunately when the filter flags words in multiple languages to include words that there are no subsitutes for in some languages it is difficult. Look up the word for please in german and then the same spelling in french. Now look in a german thesaurus and find a word to replace "please"
As I stated in the OP simply extending the functionality of the in game profanity filter to also affect quest text would eliminate all the issues. Alternatively require authors to choose a language that the quest will be in and then apply only the profanity filter appropriate to that language.
Before someone throws out there well what if someone mark the quest as an english quest and then uses german. Simple make that a ToS violation.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Lets not be silly. Why do you think pop music now targets children more than anyone else. They may not have their own money but if you think children don't spend money then your are so wrong. We are talking about young teenagers, does anyone spend more than them?
The fact is that Neverwinter is a family friendly game, nothing anyone does or says will change this. You do make some fair points when talking about the difference in languages though.
I speak multiple languages and intend to author content in multiple languages since I play with people from all over the world who may or may not speak english or other languages aside from thier own.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]