System Wars Survival Guide 3.0

Overall Recommendations

Read the Terms of Use and follow Gamespot’s Code of Conduct

When you sign up for a GameSpot account, you agree to a Terms of Use. It's important to read and understand this Terms of Use (TOU) agreement. The TOU also applies at all times in System Wars, and violating its rules can result in moderation, suspension, or possibly a permanent ban from posting on GameSpot.

The Code of Conduct contains all the info that any user on Gamespot needs to know, including (but not limited to) what Strikes are and how the Three Strikes Rule works. The behaviour that is expected of any of you regardless of posting in System Wars, the other boards or in the comments section is fully explained there.

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Read the Stickies. DO IT.

Popular upcoming game releases, major trade shows, news stories, GameSpot announcements, or other events may receive a special stickied thread dedicated to them. If there is a stickied thread for a topic, please do not create, or post in, other threads related to that topic. By posting in the sticky, all discussion on the subject can be organized in one thread, rather than having dozens of posters each creating their own threads as they hear the news.

Know the Karma System

When you flag a post, that content gains +1 karma point for the submitter and the accused. If the moderator accepts the accusor's position, their karma is reset. Once a user hits +10 karma they are banned from posting until their karma goes back under 10. Karma automatically degrades -1 karma each night. Please allow at least 72-hours for a moderator to act on the flagged content.

Spamming flags is a strikeable offense. DON’T DO IT.

Avoid Redundant Topics

Before you create that topic, remember to use the search feature to see if that same topic has recently been created. It’s also recommended to check back a page or two to see if it’s on the forum. It's also important to avoid creating “fad topics.” For example, if someone creates the topic "10 Reasons the PS4 rocks 2013", and another person creates the topic "10 Reasons the Xbox One rocks 2013", the process can quickly spiral out of control, flooding the board with too many of the same type of discussion.

DON’T DO IT, it will be considered spam.

Remember to Disagree without being Disagreeable.

Take diligence to remain on discussion about the systems or games being debated or discussed, rather than discussing the people who play them. It's a good idea to make sure the purpose of each post is to debate ideas, rather than to attack the poster presenting the ideas.

What is System Wars?

System Wars is the place where you come to discuss your favourite games and platforms and tell the board how much better they are compared to everything else!

Do you think the Ouya is the best platform to have ever existed? Feel the PS4 is kinda awful? Do you believe Ridge Racer is the best game ever!? Well, then present us with your arguments and "fight" with your fellow System Warriors to make sure your choice, is the right choice!

Now, before you get ahead of yourself and start blasting on that keyboard, you'll have to read the rules of engagement down below so we all can get along and have some fun! (THIS IS MANDATORY! Bad threads will be locked.)

Understanding System Wars: The Very Basics

Fanboy Nicknames

• FAKEBOYS are those who falsely support one system. They are often used to create false hype for new games or products, making a certain type of fanboy look very bad when said product doesn't fully deliver as expected.
• FANBOYS are those who support a system, and show extreme disgust for other systems.
• HERMITS are those who support the PC. Possible origin being that PC fanboys have a hard time finding a place amongst the console fanboys.
• COWS are users who are devout supporters of Sony's hardware. (The name comes from 6th gen characteristics where many accessories were needed to get the full experience, like the multi-tap, additional controllers, hard drives, eye toy, etc. This was called "milking" therefore getting the name "cows")
• LEMMINGS are those who support the Xbox and its entire franchise (Comes from the 6th generation where Microsoft fanboys believed anything that Microsoft said. And also because they listen to all of the Microsoft commands, like "jump off a cliff".)
• SHEEP are those who support Nintendo and their entire franchise (They are called sheep because they blindly followed anything that Nintendo said.)
• MANTICORES are those who support all systems. It's a rarely used term. They are called manticores because they are a mixture of a lot of animals. Now you see "multi-system owners" in place of this formerly common name, although don't be mistaken, a multi-system owner is not impartial towards all systems like a manticore.

These terms are the only accepted ones in System Wars as far a defining factions go. Anything else (ie, xbots, sheens, etc) will be moderated.

As such, avoid using these terms outside System Wars. They may lead to moderation.

Explaining Hype

Big (or small) upcoming releases typically have a "hype" level attached to them judged by hype threads, or sometimes (rarely) general consensus hype found in the forums. HYPE (noun) is a word used to describe the expected results. Example: The hype on Bloodborne for the PS4 was AAA.

Sometimes, games do not reach that quotient which then they are considered a FLOP (noun). This occurs when the score of a game does not meet the hype. Example: Halo 5: Guardians was hyped AAA yet reached only AA status.

A game can be hyped in the following four ways:

• AAAA (or AAAAE*) - this is a game that scores a 10 .
• AAA (or AAAE*) - this is a game which scores a 9.0 (and in gaming in general is a term that also usually refers to the large scale/budget projects).
• AA (or AAE*) - this is a game which scores a 8.0.
• A (or AE*) - this is a game which scores a 7.0.

* The E stands for exclusive.

Hype threads these days don't count for the Metagame as they used to. Now they are a means for you and your fellow System Warriors to proclaim how excited you are for any given game. Hype threads can also function as small "hubs" for each game pre/post release (think sharing news, discussing the game, planning game nights, etc in them).

For more on how Hype/Flop will now function please read the "System Wars Metagame is Dead" thread.

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Creating Threads

• Any Versus Threads;

If you are the CREATOR of the thread: Focus on a specific aspect. Asking "What's better PS4 or XB1?" is boring. "Which has better analog sticks, WiiU or PS4?" is much more interesting and discussion can get more detailed.

If you RESPOND to the thread: Keep the discussion focused where it started.

• Graphics Threads;

If you are the CREATOR of the thread: Use an interesting title, and until further instructions have some kind of 56k warning. Separate the games clearly if you are talking about multiple games.

If you RESPOND to the thread: Don't quote more than one image in a post.

• Hype Threads;

Before the game releases,

If you are the CREATOR of the thread: Give us some interesting information about the game, how it its different from games that are similar to it. Give us a few graphics, and if posting more than 6 images, put a 56k warning in the title.

Extra Special Note: Don't put OFFICIAL in the title of your hype thread, unless a moderator has posted that they will sticky the thread when they the time comes. Try not to make threads more than 6 months in advance of a games' release.

If you RESPOND to the thread: Don't quote more than one image in your post. Please post your hype, and discuss the game's strong points and weak points.

After the game releases

If you are the CREATOR: Place the score in the title of the hype thread.

If you RESPOND to the thread: If the thread is stickied, keep all discussion in that thread. Any threads about games who have stickied hype threads willl be locked.

Extra Special Note:As we have many users interested in making Hype Threads, please refer to the SW Hype Thread stickyto claim the game you want to make a thread about. (Click on the orange text.)

• News Article Threads;

If you are the CREATOR of the thread:

Post a link to the thread you are talking about. Take a stance on the article.

Extra Special Note: No threads about Illegal Activities. This includes roms, emulators and posting copyrighted material. As far as GameSpot is concerned, we don't want any legal complications. It's fine to post links to articles that talk about Piracy, but make sure the article doesn't say how to pirate stuff, no matter how vague the instructions are.

If you RESPOND to the thread: Take a stance on the article.

• Special Notes;

SOMETIMES, Community (What are you Playing? Threads, Post your Picture Threads, Discuss the Summer Season Threads) may be approved by moderators from time to time at the moderator's discretion.

Surviving Interactions: SW Rules

The Golden Rule(s) To Follow, DON’T DO ANY OF THE FOLLOWING.

• · Flaming, spamming, personal attacks and thread derailing are not allowed and will be moderated accordingly.

• · Bait threads are not allowed (A bait thread is an online forum post or thread designed to provoke a reaction, usually negative) and will be moderated accordingly.

• · Posts cointaing just “inb4[something]” and any of its variants are considered spam, thus, can and will be moderated.

• · Blank quote replies are considered spam.

• · Responses of "Damage control" or "Denial" are considered spam or trolling.

• · Intentionally misquoting posts from other users is a form of trolling.

• · Quoting somebody with QFT or any variants is spam.

• · Quote chains over 4 replies are considered disruptive. We request that you either use the “Reply” button or start editing things down so that you're only quoting the most recent post. This includes quoting more than 1 single user.

• · Quoting posts/ filled with media (videos, gifs or pictures) is considered disruptive posting. Either quote the single piece of media you want to comment on OR just delete any and all media if it’s not relevant to your conversation.

• · One-off comments saying "Stay salty", "Butthurt", "lol_____" . These do not constitute an argument nor are they appropriate answers. These, and some of the examples above, are known as drive-by posting.

• · Backseat modding is also not accepted. Posting in threads saying something isn't "SW material" or that it should be locked just because you don't agree with it, is not the way to go about it. Contact the moderator team, we are here to help you.

• · This is System Wars not Fanboy Wars. Threads made about who the worst type of fanboy is, or threads made to complain about certain fanboys, or anything similar are not permitted and are deemed trolling.No advertising, solicitation or commercial self promotion will be allowed

• · Prohibit discussing any illegal activities. Yes, we get that there are some federal guidelines that may not represent your area.

• · No posting of lewd comments, language or photos, while the internet is for p0rn, GameSpot is not a place for fap footage.

On the subject of alts

Any account that is deemed to be an “alt” (alternative) account of a user will be banned along it’s “main account”. Zero Tolerance Policy on this. Don’t do it!

Need Help?

Feel free to ask the moderator team!

• Either send a general PM to the whole team.

• Ask your questions at "Ask the Mods".
• Or, should you see a moderator online, send him/her a question by PM.

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For reference purposes, the new Metagame rules are being added to this thread, so users can refer to them whenever necessary:

The System Wars Metagame has been a mainstay of System Wars for over a decade, since the forum first came into being. It was a way to try and quantify each system's library, and to try and reach some consensus over what system has the best games. The metagame existed by:

• Using Gamespot reviews for games;
• Assigning a grade value to scores (A for scores in the 7 range, AA for the 8 range, AAA for the 9 range, and AAAA for the elusive 10);
• Keeping track of all of these scores;
• Comparing which system had the most number of A, AA, AAA, and AAAA games

As an aside, the metagame also placed emphasis on exclusives as the most important component to a system's library.

As of right now, however, the metagame is no more.

Q: Why was the metagame scrapped?

If you go through the metagame description above, it's not hard to see why, really. Things have greatly changed now from what they were just ten years ago. Exclusives are increasingly rare, and their importance has been de-emphasized from before. Gamespot's scoring system has changed- from .1 increments to just integer increments, 1 to 10, a system that does not lend itself to the metagame, as we used to have it, on System Wars. Metacritic culture, and the rise of other review sources and outlets, all of which form an ecosystem of game reviews, so to speak, has solidified in the last decade, so that limiting our discussion to only Gamespot's reviews when it comes to any game just creates an unrepresentative echo chamber, and doesn't really offer us a representative picture of the game or its reception. Moreover, it leads to derailments in discussion, as posters start debating the value of Metacritic versus just sticking to one outlet's scores, and really, the value of game reviews in the first place.

All of this, plus the fact that the official spreadsheets are dead- they have not been updated in over two years. No one is keeping track of scores any more, making the metagame more of an old entity we pay lip service to than anything that actually has any functional, meaningful use in the context of System Wars today.

Q: But there are still hype threads?

Yes, we're still going to keep hype threads. But the hype threads are now going to be more of pre-release information and discussion threads, as well as a place where, yes, users can predict what scores (Gamespot, Metacritic, elsewhere) a game may end up scoring. They will no longer determine whether a game has 'flopped' or 'met hype.'

Q: So how do we compare games?

You compare them any way you want- you can use Gamespot scores, if you want to, sure, but if the other person is using Metacritic scores, they are also equally right to do so. One is no longer given any official sanction or preference over the other. Simply put, someone who says that The Last of Us or The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess were AAAE games rather than AAE ones on the basis of Metascores is no longer wrong. Metascores are now as valid in discussion as Gamespot scores.

Q: What if the other person and I can't see eye to eye on what metric to use?

Then it's your job to convince them, or theirs to convince you. A reminder: this is a discussion board. It's a discussion board where, by definition, differences of opinion are played up. It's a discussion board the very existence of which is predicated on people trying to convince the others that your opinions are right, and theirs, not necessarily so much. You think the other person is wrong by choosing Metacritic as their metric of choice, or Gamespot, maybe? Then you tell them why. Try and establish to them why your point of view may have validity. Discuss, and try to arrive at a consensus.

Q: This is anarchy!

Yeah, but isn't all of System Wars, really?

Q: So can we at least still try to track hype in hype threads?

Sure, if you want to try and track a game's hyped Gamespot score within its hype thread, you are free to do so. Just remember, it doesn't hold any 'official sanction' anymore- so if The Last of Us 2 scores an 8 after being hyped 10, it doesn't make that game a flop, I'm afraid.

Q: Has the definition of 'exclusive' changed?

Again, it depends.

Look, one of the reasons the metagame was scrapped was because of its rigidity and inflexibility in trying to apply one standard even where it may not fit. Absolute exclusivity, which the old metagame favored, is still the gold standard, of course. But it is no longer viable in the present day marketplace. Absolute exclusives really don' exist- even first party games are often shared with PCs and smartphones sometimes, now.

So what definition of exclusives are we using? That will depend on the context of the discussion, and that's the beauty of it. Calling Street Fighter V a PS4 exclusive in context of a PS4 vs Xbox One discussion is perfectly acceptable, as is calling ReCore an Xbox One exclusive. Discussing the value of soft exclusives like these in the context of the larger market is a discussion that is now welcomed, rather than before, where it was against the metagame, and therefore invalid.

Of course, an absolute exclusive is still the best, because no one can really argue against it- but soft exclusives are no longer grounds for derailed discussions or dismissal.

Q: So what changes?

Honestly? Not much. For all purposes, the metagame has been dead for a while now. We haven't been updating the spreadsheets for two years now, and discussions using Metascores have been a thing for a fair while now. Functionally, not much changes. All that has changed is that discussions that got derailed over the value of the metagame, or Gamespot reviews versus industry reviews represented by Metacritic at large, are now officially no longer off topic.

Also, games will no longer be officially determined as 'flops' on the basis of Gamespot scores. Their value as A(E), AA(E), AAA(E), and AAAA(E) is no longer tied to just Gamespot scores. You want to call Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze a AAE game on the basis of its Metascore? Go nuts!

Q: Are these changes retroactively applicable?

Yes. Rejoice, The Last of Us and Halo 5 are no longer flops.

Q: Will the metagame ever be back?

Maybe eventually, one day. We've been trying to overhaul it for the present day context for a while now, but the issue is we haven't been able to come up with anything. We got nothing. We've been drawing a blank, and it led us to the conclusion that the metagame, as it exists, may probably just be too steeped in the past to be properly translated to today.

We're going to continue to try and come up with ways to bring the metagame back, and if you want to join the conversation, you're free to message the mods with your ideas. We'll be sure to take them into account!