Gamer Ethos

So, in my Writing 150 class we learned about the three elements of communication: pathos, logos, and ethos. Pathos is the emotional appeal to listeners, logos is the logical appeal, and ethos is the speaker/writer/presenter's own personal credibility. I have noticed these elements a lot since I learned about them, but what struck me greatly was the effects that ethos specifically has in the world of gaming.

Now, I'm not exactly a huge gamer - I play a few games, but not to the point of obsessiveness - but I have noticed a few things when I do play these. The game that I play the most is called "League of Legends." It is an online, multiplayer game where to teams try to invade and destroy their opponents' base. One of the biggest aspects of this game is its reliance on teamwork and trust. Even when the players are total strangers (as they "often are) they have to be able to work together and rely on one another.

Now, gamers can be quite a varied bunch. There are the casual gamers, like myself, who are just there to have fun and play the game. Then there are the professional gamers - players whose entire lives revolve around the game and who actually form their own teams to compete in tournaments and contests. And, finally, there are the "hardcore" gamers - the players who don't care enough or aren't skilled enough to play professionally, but the game is their entire life, and you'd better not mess them up or their gonna come burn your house down. It's hard to believe, but there really are players who think like that.

A lot of times, though, these "hardcore" gamers can be pretty good, and they usually know how the game works, and how to win. Unfortunately, they generally don't do a very good job of establishing ethos with their teammates. They make crude jokes, insult other's mistakes, and generally display a negative attitude. If you die too often, you are automatically a "noob," and you will be told so repeatedly throughout the game. However, if you do well, you are not complimented. These players come across as rude, mean, and self-centered. So, when a team is behind and they try to tell their teammates what to do, they are ignored (leading, of course, to more "noob"-ranting). Through their actions, they tell their teammates that they do not have any real credibility, and should not be listened to. This leads almost inevitably to defeat. If these gamers only understood how to establish a good ethos, they would be able to gain their team's respect and possibly pull their team to a victory.

Just some quick thoughts on real-world ("real") applications of ethos.