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mother
03-03-2011, 06:12 PM
Hello Everyone

I am a mother of 2. My oldest is 14 my youngest is 13. As a family we are looking for a game we can enjoy together. This game looks interesting, building a village together and crafting together sounds perfect for a family. I was about to sign us up when I looked at the forums. What I see here is not what I want my kids to be involved in. Allot of angry people here.

Is this what it is like playing the game? Can a family build something together without the angry people butting in? Or should I look elsewhere for family fun? I know what the internet is like but I am sure there is a game out there that is fun for kids as well as adults without the hate.

Also some of the news I have seem is disturbing. Is the development company corrupt? Is the game fair? I have never seen anything like that in a game before. Sounds way to serious for a family with kids that just want to creat something together and relax.

Is this correct or am I misunderstanding? I apologize for my ignorance but I have never really player online games before and my kids love xbox. I was thinking we could do this as a family together.

If above is true maybe someone could suggest a game a family would enjoy together. Is it even possible in this day and age?

Thanks you in advance and have a great day.

Virtus
03-03-2011, 06:44 PM
Hello mother,

I am not sure what you are referring to about the news.

Xsyon is unofficially, meaning not rated by ESRB, a mature audience game. Because of this we give leniency on language and other things.

Jadzia
03-03-2011, 06:51 PM
Hello :)
I'm a mother as well...and I wouldn't recommend this game for teenage kids. Xsyon has open-PvP, as in other players can attack and kill your character in the game, and can get all the stuffs you are carrying...may happen that they taunt and insult you. You are right, there are a lot of angry people in the game (there are very nice ones as well of course) and it may happen that they turn your relaxation into frustration.

You can plant a totem in game and by that you get an area which is safe, no one can touch you there, and no one can destroy what you have built...but when you step out of that circle you are vulnerable.

The developers are correct and very hardworking.

I'm not sure if I'm allowed to advertise another game here, so I'll pm you about the games I'd recommend for a family.

boomer0901
03-03-2011, 06:51 PM
There are a lot of angry delinquents around so I would not put this as a friendly family game. Although 14/13 are a little bit older and unless you raised them in a cave they've probably heard more bad words than you have. So that shouldn't be too offensive I wouldn't imagine. I guess it could be fun if you found a really secluded spot that is hard to find and hope no one harasses you.

And as Kroom said it's nice to see parents taking an interest and spending time with their kids, there isn't enough of that

Kroom
03-03-2011, 07:01 PM
First, let me say… You are a cool mom!

Regarding inappropriate player interaction, you are at risk with any game online. Unlike Xbox, if someone is harassing or making racists comments you can report them to a guide. Terms of Services (TOS) are enforced. It does help that the chat system won’t be global at launch (last I read). In my experience most people are kind and helpful in-game. Don’t let the heated forum debates fool you.

Regarding “development company corrupt”, I think that is the opinion of very few. These cries can be found on every game forum.

Regarding fairness of the game, cannot answer that objectively. It’s like asking if it’s fun.

My biggest concern would be the games learning curve. It’s not obvious “what to do” but that could be a fun learning experience together. Check out Saintbob’s videos (http://www.youtube.com/user/Saintbob001)!

It’s a tough call…

I hate to drive any potential players away but I would consider setting up private Minecraft (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI-s6HqPbS4) server. It’s more casual and you control the chat.

Mishima
03-03-2011, 08:25 PM
Why can't a ffa pvp game be "family friendly"?

Families that slay together, stay together!

boomer0901
03-03-2011, 08:32 PM
lol that is a pretty good play on words, straight from the manson/bundy family

mrcalhou
03-03-2011, 08:49 PM
As a High School Chemistry teacher (10th-12th grades), I would suggest this game for a family with teenage kids. I feel that at your children's age level they should be able to take in information, analyze it, determine the appropriate-ness of it, and choose a response based on what they reasoned. I would keep them away from the forums if you do not want them involved with petty bickering, of which I too am a part. If you are going to be playing the game alongside them, I see no reason why they cannot play. Of course you would want to pick out the community you all associate with in game, but also realize that online interactions are always dynamic and you cannot fully predict what will happen. When something that you do not particularly like does happen, you could use that time as a "teachable moment" to educate your children about what happened and have a discussion on why it is or is not an appropriate action.

crowley23
03-03-2011, 09:21 PM
Id say unless your willing to call a naked man swinging an axe at your head a "teachable moment" you might just look for another family game. I have a feeling this one would not be appropriate but that’s just my 2 cents.

Larsa
03-04-2011, 03:26 AM
Hello Everyone

I am a mother of 2. My oldest is 14 my youngest is 13. As a family we are looking for a game we can enjoy together. ...

Thanks you in advance and have a great day.In my opinion, this game is not what you are looking for. Too many testosterone driven young adults here that think their ego would be getting any better when they kill every human controlled pixel they see and brag about their toughness on the boards later.

mrcalhou
03-04-2011, 05:03 AM
Id say unless your willing to call a naked man swinging an axe at your head a "teachable moment" you might just look for another family game. I have a feeling this one would not be appropriate but that’s just my 2 cents.

I think you're on the wrong game forum. Perhaps you are thinking about Mortal Online?

cnrday
03-04-2011, 08:05 AM
Hi,

I am also a mother of 3 children. My eldest is 10 and has shown a desire to play the game. I have thought about it a bit, and decided that he could as long as he is in my tribe. Of course, there are the annoying players that can't control themselves. This activity is mostly in global chat and on the forums. As another person mentioned global chat should be gone in the future. I personally do not have a problem running around with my son hunting animals, gathering, crafting etc. There have been a few times that naked people have attacked me and stolen my pants, but Oh well not all players are like that. The map is also large and is supposed to become larger. I think children these days are fully capable of getting the jist of a game like this one. Another factor is the in-game guides who can help if your being harrassed unecessarily by another player.

I have found it very fun to have a little family design and start to build our own little area. Also for the nice price of $40 and the 2 free months after that= some fun with no real loss.

Sabina
03-08-2011, 09:43 PM
I am a mum too, my kids arent interested in playing mmos - my 16yo was slightly freaked out when I was character creating on Mortal Online but I got to say that game was a pile of crap. A guildmember in Darkfall was playing the game with his 4yo son, he used to come and chat to us in vent too - he was a better pvper than I was!

I think this would be a good game for you to play with your kids, you might want to consider joining a clan or tribe until you feel confident enough to strike out on your own. There are a lot of really good people out here in MMO land and of course there are plenty of idiots too. Just keep the kids away from the forums and i think you will all have a lot of fun

Melaquinn
03-08-2011, 11:11 PM
I would suggest Lord of the Rings online. There is no pvp, you can shut off the shout channels and it is a great way to improve their reading skills. After seeing what all is said and has been said ingame, I would do my best to keep my smaller children away from here at least until they give a way to shut off the chat channels you don't want to see.

Thraz
03-09-2011, 02:04 PM
if your kids are boys then this game is right for them sure there might be trolls insulting them and calling them names but to tell you the truth all games are like that there is no such thing as a family friendly game and your kids will eventually find more violent/graphic games this is just a good place to start

there are some good tribes out there that just sits in their village gathering/crafting all day which I'm sure that's what you want but a quick warning make sure your kids stay out of their ventrilo/teamspeak servers because there will be alot of curses thrown around

mrcalhou
03-09-2011, 02:58 PM
There's no need to be so sexist.

Thraz
03-09-2011, 09:34 PM
There's no need to be so sexist.

I wasn't being sexest I'm just saying that most male kid/teens enjoy playing violent games then they do playing hellokitty crap

ifireallymust
03-10-2011, 04:31 AM
Well if we are going to be sexist, then let's remember girl children might enjoy tailoring and cooking (when it's implemented).

Sigh. The bad thing is, stereotypical or not, I DO enjoy tailoring, and I'll probably think cooking is fun, too.

*Note to self: Grab shovel and get in touch with masculine side via lots of digging and wall building when terraforming is back on*

*Note to self 2: Watch language, there are kids running around in this game!*

d1g1talbuddha
03-10-2011, 03:40 PM
I have two of my daughters who are wanting to play Xsyon, one 13 and the other 11, and personally I don't see any reason to stop them. With any online game, or even in school you are going to come across foul mouthed, immature people. It is just a sad fact of life. My youngest, 7yr old daughter, came up to me the other day complaining about another character in Pixie Hollow, using racial slurs and obscene language. This was a game targeted at a very young audience. Anytime your children are online, they are going to be subject to it. That doesn't mean it is right, its just how it is.

Xsyon is looked upon as a mature game, has violence, ill-mannered people spouting vulgarities from time to time. But as long as your children have a strong backing, they will know right form wrong and not let it bother them. At 13-14 I am quite sure that your children have come across far worse then what they will here.

On the flip side, you will be playing together. And that is always priceless.

boomer0901
03-10-2011, 03:46 PM
Thats a good way to look at it buddha I've always thought that a good upbringing will negate most of the crap they will hear in the real world, teaching kids about stuff like that is the first step in helping them understand it and decide for themselves what they will eventually believe.

Zarin
03-10-2011, 07:27 PM
Not totally sure what has put you off from the game, the PvP, full loot, or the language? If it's language I wouldn't say it's a huge issue. I've heard worse from xbox online or ps3 online. If they take away the Global Chat then I think it will greatly improve the experience.

If you decide to play, teach your kids the ignore feature, so if they meet a offensive player they can ignore them and I believe they will be muted.

As for the game play, it's really unique, a sandbox - so you can choose to play it the way you would like. I think it works very well with families, friends, or any groups for that matter. When you start a tribe you can find a secluded spot that looks like it wont have too much activity and place a totem there. There on you can build up your land into whatever you desire - the game is great for team-work, it can be played solo fine, but is especially fun when working with others.

You will probably encounter PvP and if this is something you want to avoid then you may want to stay near your totem for protection. If PvP is a way you want to play, it's another fun feature and works good when you have a group of people to cooperate with.

I would give it a try, maybe just try it out yourself for a bit and see how you feel about it - but I think you would be surprised by the game and what it has to offer!

Snickle1980
03-14-2011, 03:40 PM
Although 14/13 are a little bit older and unless you raised them in a cave they've probably heard more bad words than you have.

ok, i have to step in here because what i'm reading is just disturbing. while i may have reached the ripe old age of thirty, i can still remember my teenage years. having been homeschooled and gone through public school and having dealt with other kids...

as a teen, i would be absolutely mortified if my mother was still checking to see if certain games were safe for me to play online. embarrased to say the least. i see this kind of sheltering from time to to time and i feel sorry for the kids who are going to go out in the real world and have difficulty socializing because of such sheltering.
now if we were talking about kids under 9 or ten, or older children who were emotionaly or socially under-developed or special needs teens, i could undertand this concern. at 13 or 14 , i think they'll be just fine. lol...this game isnt exactly what i'd call a blood and gore fest. it's a pvp sandbox game and i highly doubt any aspect of this is going to scar or damage a healthy teenage boy.
as a matter of fact, being males of the species, they're probably already going over to thier friends house to read thier dads playboy or watch late night skin flicks on cinimax.
its a game...i wouldnt worry.

bodangly
03-15-2011, 06:57 AM
Seriously, at 13/14 I played games with way more violence such as Mortal Kombat, Resident Evil, , Legacy of Kain, etc. I turned out fine. Pretty sure your kids will too. This game isn't even that violent and as others have said they are likely to encounter just as bad if not worse language at school or on the bus.

Dirt
03-28-2011, 04:56 PM
Let the kids play. I played with my 16 and 12 year old boys, they arent sheltered. My 9 and 8 year old boys can watch but don't play .
Edit: I will explain to the youngest how the swearing is only for the buffoon's and they , of course, must not be buffoons.