Goonhub
01-22-2024, 11:21 AM
(This post was last modified: 01-29-2024, 10:55 AM by Largeamountsofscreaming. Edited 5 times in total.
Edit Reason: Adding edits as people add their own points and suggestions! Thank you to anyone who shares!
)
IMPORTANT PREAMBLE: I AM NOT BY ANY METRIC A MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL. THIS IS BASED OFF OF MY EXPERIENCE WITH INTERACTING WITH GOONSTATION AS BOTH A PLAYER AND COMMUNITY MEMBER. THIS WRITING IS TARGETED AT NO ONE AND IS MEANT TO BE A PERSONAL SUGGESTION FROM ME TO THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT HAS HELPED ME FEEL COMFORTABLE PLAYING. IF YOU HAVE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, PLEASE SEEK PROFESSIONAL ADVICE.
Goonstation is a community that I have almost only ever had wonderful experiences with. Making stories with characters and even other players has been an amazing experience to be a part of, and I've enjoyed growing as a community member. A few players have even become good friends, and I couldn't be more grateful for what they've offered for me. It's an experience I want as many people to have, as well as for them to offer their own experience and ideas to the melting pot that is Goonstation.
Unfortunately, due to the unique nature of SS13 as more of a cult classic and with a tighter knit playerbase, there comes with it unique problems that aren't present in other games that I know of. For some playing Goon, especially new players just getting invested, there can exist a certain parasocial relationship with the community and game as a whole that can eat at the enjoyment of playing. Social and performance anxiety and other fears are natural things that happen when playing Goon, and I believe it is important to remind players that such feelings are valid and not something to fight or ignore. I would also like to take the time to offer a few things to help soothe those issues and solve them so those players can focus on enjoying the game again.
Who is this PSA for?
I understand that a lot of people playing this game have a fairly healthy relationship with playing Goonstation and interacting with its community. This may very likely be fairly unnecessary for you, and if you are happy with how you feel in the community, I happily encourage you to keep at it!
For some others, this game is a very different social experience, and it is easy for them to start to form bad habits in relation to the community. For some, it is about performance and fame, being as valuable as possible to as many people or risk fading into obscurity. For others, they might find themselves causing a parasocial relationship to the community, using them as a coping mechanism for health issues rather than seeking professional help. Whoever you are, if you recognize that Goonstation is causing distress, I offer my perspective and experience on the matter
Common Issues
THIS LIST IS BY NO MEANS COMPREHENSIVE, AND IT'S POSSIBLE YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT PERSONAL ISSUE NOT ON THIS LIST. That is okay! Humans are varied, emotional creatures, and you could experience many different concerns. Just because I did not outline it doesn't mean that it doesn't matter. I simply wish to make it clear that your emotions, whatever they are, are something that someone else has experienced and are recognized
Things to Remember
If you recognize these issues are starting to harm your enjoyment of the game, I think there are a fair few things that you can forget in the process. It is too easy to fall into a negative feedback loop, only noticing and thinking things that fuel your issues. As such, try to remember these things
What to Do
Taking a few steps to address these issues that you might have with the game can be much more beneficial than you might realize. Even just being able to breathe and recognize that you got a little closer to understanding your relationship with Goonstation makes it that much easier to enjoy.
What you shouldn't do
Other smaller points to make
Why I made this
I've been playing Goon for almost 2 years now, and in that time I've grown so much as a player and a person. The reason I try to be so thorough in my descriptions of these dos and don'ts is because I've made so many of these exact mistakes. It's something that had killed my enjoyment of the game for longer than it should have, and recognizing those issues and putting effort to fix them is what made me love this game. The community is full of wonderful people, and I can only encourage you to join in the fun.
My hope is just that even one person has found value in something read here and takes it to heart, either for themselves or a person in need of it. Even I can see that this whole PSA is a bit of an odd thing to have for SS13, but all too often have I seen people lose themselves in this game and become extremely anxious. I don't believe that mental health relative to this game is a non-issue, and even more so for Goonstation just because of how inclusive it is and how friendly everyone is. Thank you for reading this, I hope that this guided you on a path to joining in the fun!
Goonstation is a community that I have almost only ever had wonderful experiences with. Making stories with characters and even other players has been an amazing experience to be a part of, and I've enjoyed growing as a community member. A few players have even become good friends, and I couldn't be more grateful for what they've offered for me. It's an experience I want as many people to have, as well as for them to offer their own experience and ideas to the melting pot that is Goonstation.
Unfortunately, due to the unique nature of SS13 as more of a cult classic and with a tighter knit playerbase, there comes with it unique problems that aren't present in other games that I know of. For some playing Goon, especially new players just getting invested, there can exist a certain parasocial relationship with the community and game as a whole that can eat at the enjoyment of playing. Social and performance anxiety and other fears are natural things that happen when playing Goon, and I believe it is important to remind players that such feelings are valid and not something to fight or ignore. I would also like to take the time to offer a few things to help soothe those issues and solve them so those players can focus on enjoying the game again.
Who is this PSA for?
I understand that a lot of people playing this game have a fairly healthy relationship with playing Goonstation and interacting with its community. This may very likely be fairly unnecessary for you, and if you are happy with how you feel in the community, I happily encourage you to keep at it!
For some others, this game is a very different social experience, and it is easy for them to start to form bad habits in relation to the community. For some, it is about performance and fame, being as valuable as possible to as many people or risk fading into obscurity. For others, they might find themselves causing a parasocial relationship to the community, using them as a coping mechanism for health issues rather than seeking professional help. Whoever you are, if you recognize that Goonstation is causing distress, I offer my perspective and experience on the matter
Common Issues
- 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
THIS LIST IS BY NO MEANS COMPREHENSIVE, AND IT'S POSSIBLE YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT PERSONAL ISSUE NOT ON THIS LIST. That is okay! Humans are varied, emotional creatures, and you could experience many different concerns. Just because I did not outline it doesn't mean that it doesn't matter. I simply wish to make it clear that your emotions, whatever they are, are something that someone else has experienced and are recognized
Things to Remember
If you recognize these issues are starting to harm your enjoyment of the game, I think there are a fair few things that you can forget in the process. It is too easy to fall into a negative feedback loop, only noticing and thinking things that fuel your issues. As such, try to remember these things
- 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
What to Do
Taking a few steps to address these issues that you might have with the game can be much more beneficial than you might realize. Even just being able to breathe and recognize that you got a little closer to understanding your relationship with Goonstation makes it that much easier to enjoy.
- 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)
What you shouldn't do
- 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
Other smaller points to make
- 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!
Why I made this
I've been playing Goon for almost 2 years now, and in that time I've grown so much as a player and a person. The reason I try to be so thorough in my descriptions of these dos and don'ts is because I've made so many of these exact mistakes. It's something that had killed my enjoyment of the game for longer than it should have, and recognizing those issues and putting effort to fix them is what made me love this game. The community is full of wonderful people, and I can only encourage you to join in the fun.
My hope is just that even one person has found value in something read here and takes it to heart, either for themselves or a person in need of it. Even I can see that this whole PSA is a bit of an odd thing to have for SS13, but all too often have I seen people lose themselves in this game and become extremely anxious. I don't believe that mental health relative to this game is a non-issue, and even more so for Goonstation just because of how inclusive it is and how friendly everyone is. Thank you for reading this, I hope that this guided you on a path to joining in the fun!
