• Being new to the game, you will encounter many different, long-time members of the community. As such, you might feel unimportant relative to them, or feel as though they are a more important player or person because of their time and status. It's likely that if you do feel this way, it is for a long-term community member or whitelisted players such as mentors or admins
  

• You will see many friend groups and relationships as you play Goonstation or talk in the Discord, and making friends is a common outcome of being a part of the community long enough. Not being involved in these, however, might cause you to feel excluded from any meaningful gameplay or even think it isn't worth the effort to try and make friends in Goon due to a lack of prerequisite time-in to Goon
  

• For longer term players, burnout is a common and unavoidable feeling. It can cause you to have a jaded perspective on the game and turn playing into a less enjoyable and more painful experience
  

• You are not alone. So many people have played this game and experienced similar problems in their game, and it has caused both veteran and new players some anxiety in playing Goonstation
  
• You are not wrong for feeling the way you do. These reactions to the game's unique kind of community in a niche space game are natural and shouldn't make you feel ashamed
  
• You are a valued member of the community. If you have played for any length of time and made an honest effort, you have likely made someone's shift better and have been a positive influence on the community. It doesn't matter if it didn't shatter the station
  
• It's just a game. It's easy to forget remembering all this that this is a decades old game about spacemen farting and exploding. You have a much more important life than Goonstation. Don't let SS13 hurt it
  

• Admit to yourself you have the issue and remind yourself of the above. Don't let yourself suck into isolation and validate the issue you have, causing it to be much larger than it is
  
• Step back from Goonstation for a little bit. You can always come back at a later time and the community will not change much. You will always be welcome
  
• Take time to talk to someone you trust. It doesn't necessarily have to be a member of Goonstation, though please don't be afraid to ask questions to those okay with talking to you about it.
  
• Mix up how you play! Random naming, playing a new server, or even just choosing a different mechanic or role can take the stress off of the community and instead remind you that this is a game with many different ways to enjoy it!
  
• Try speaking to the community more often and engaging in fun ways! The more you envelop yourself with Goonstation in a way that's healthy and fun, you will begin to embody those feelings and ideals more and more
  
• If you find yourself in a panic or anxiety attack, or in a state of severe depression, take steps to reorient and help yourself. This thread is full of tips and hotlines (https://forum.ss13.co/showthread.php?tid=13670)
  

• Goonstation is not a place where you will find solutions to your mental health problems. Bringing in your actual issues, in the form of RP or otherwise, will likely net no results for resolution except making others uncomfortable. While your feelings are valid, people are playing Goonstation to play a game, not be a therapist
  
• In addition to the previous point (only particularly relevant on RP), try your best to not make your characters a reflection or representation of you or your issues. Your characters exist in a goofy farting space hell where they die and get maimed in horrible ways for laughs. Don't take it too seriously or get too attached as to fear the game killing them (It's gonna happen whether you do or not)
  
• In that same vein, the Goonstation Discord is not a mental health thread. If you find yourself often self-deprecating or ranting in public chats, I highly recommend you step back or even ]timeoutself yourself to limit yourself. This can also extend to oversharing to random players. I also recommend making sure to help yourself as much as others want to
  
• Don't let your bad feelings fester! Powering through the feelings and letting them simmer without addressing them, more often than not, just causes them to get worse. If taking a break is not helping, try engaging with everyone in new ways!
  
• Please don't let Goonstation affect your actual life. No game should ever genuinely cause your day-to-day life to suffer, and if it is, you really need to take some time to stop playing
  

• Don't be discouraged if your mentor or HoS app didn't get approved! It doesn't mean you are a bad player or person, you just need more time to grow and fill into the kind of player that makes that role
  
• Making friends is important and a normal part of this game, but latching onto others isn't. If you find yourself only ever playing with one person or refusing to leave their side, remember this is a social game and there are so many other friends to make.
  
• Don't assume anything of players just based off of first impressions or in-game status. Everyone is a human being with a personality and a life outside of Goonstation, and you shouldn't boil down anyone based to how you think of them in game.
  
• You probably WILL make these mistakes. I have, everyone has, and you will too. Don't get hung up on every instance of awkward RP or situation where you made a bad call. Apologize and move on, keep improving!
  
  

(01-23-2024, 04:18 AM)EristheSlackWyrm Wrote: Thank you for making this PSA. As someone with a serious mental health diagnosis, I sometimes find myself bringing parts of that diagnosis into the game or discord, despite being aware and vigilant to prevent it. It just slips in occationally, no matter how hard i try to keep it away.

I keep saying this and i mean it. SS13 is the Best and Worst game of all time. It has given me some of the most fun in social gaming I  have ever experienced online, and at the same time, has been the most mind destroyingly frustrating game that makes me rage quit in unnappealing ways.