Hey Guys,
I've been debating whether I should even acknowledge this thread. I wasn't going to post, but this whole topic has been bothering me and I wanted to put my voice out there.
I just joined Torn on July 4th. My fiance has been playing for almost 2 years now. It looked like a lot of fun, and I've have a lot of spare time recently, because you know, COVID, so figured I'd give it a shot.
Despite being a new player, I've been listening to my fiance talk about this game for ever, and I knew he wanted to enter Mr & Ms Torn this year for the merit. He asked me to take his picture and was bouncing ideas off me for it (his pic is really cute BTW, check out SassyMcSlacker's entry with the top hat and our adorable cat :)). Anyway, I originally wasn't going to enter for Ms Torn, but then figured why not? I wanted the merit too, so I took a minimal effort selfie and didn't really think anything of it. I just joined and didn't know enough about the game yet to plan anything too creative, but I read the guide in the newspaper which recommended appealing to something universal, like the COVID-19 pandemic, so I went with that. I had a Corona bathing suit and thought that might get some smiles. When it came to voting, I never expected to rank anywhere near the top, and frankly don't think I really deserved to place above some of these other entries that are way more awesome and creative. I also didn't anticipate the amount of exposure and attention I'd bring on myself...ever since my photo was put up I have received a ridiculous amount of chats, messages, and unsolicited item gifts to the point where it's frankly overwhelming. In retrospect, if I could go back in time, I would have chosen not to enter this competition.
This thread seems to cover a number of concerns...let me try to cover the basics:
#1 Concerns photos/accounts may be fraudulent, and just wanting to look out for the legitimate female users in this regard?
First off, being accused of not being a real person? Um, ouch? I know I'm a newbie and it may surprise some people how fast I've advanced in such a short amount of time (I've actually had only one troll ask if I'm a multi, which I didn't even know what it meant at first, but a bunch have asked if I'm a restart - older player returning to the game)...well, I live with my fiance and not only has he been talking about this game forever, but he's literally right there beside me to guide me and answer questions, and I'm also in a faction that is very supportive to new players. Not really sure how to prove I'm real? I mean, you can tell Sassy and I took our pics in the same room of our house and I'm not some random cam girl. Now that I know multis are not only a thing, but a real problem I can't say I'm surprised. If the sheer amount of unwanted attention (and probably close to $100M in item gifts I received) from one picture I don't even consider racy, it obviously works/gives incentive for guys to pose as hot girls to reap the benefits. Is that a female player issue? To me it seems like more of a 'this site is crawling with thirsty simps' issue. I never asked for any of this and actually actively discouraged and requested people NOT send me stuff at every opportunity. To also say that this concern is founded in attempts to protect the "legitimate" female Torn populace, why don't you let them speak for themselves because it certainly doesn't seem like they need you to save them. I had a number of female players reach out to me, and you know what they were concerned about? Asking if I was OK and ensuring I wasn't being bombarded or harassed by weirdos. One player actually told me that she didn't enter the competition because when she had the year prior a number of guys refused to leave her alone, and one actually found her social media and called and threatened her real life employer and parents...so she was making sure I was alright and told me to be careful. I've been lucky, I haven't received any threats so far, most players who reach out are actually pretty kind, although I've definitely had to block a couple who crossed definite lines (insinuating they looked at my picture all day and jerked off or asking me inappropriate questions like if I am a virgin and how many guys I've slept with). I didn't block this guy (mainly because he gave me some sympathy Xanax after lol) who sent me a Batman gif to make fun of me being flat chested...list goes on. I mean I know the female Torn population is low, but you also have to wonder why? As most of you who entered the competition can probably relate to even as guys, it takes some courage to put your face out there and have the internet rate you. How do you think it feels to get objectified, criticized and harassed on top of that? You think you could muster up a shred of human decency and give a little more respect to your fellow female players? Because at this point it's you thirsty jerks that are deterring us from sticking around. This isn't a dating site and we're real people, so you think you could just back off a bit and let us play the game?
#2 New players with minimal effort pics placing in the top 3. I mean, I agree with Lenin on this. I think new players have just as much a right to participate than vets, but if you feel differently you're welcome to give 1s to newbies I guess? If the concern is more related to multi accounts, I encourage you to report any suspect activity to Torn staff. From what I've seen since joining (like how quickly they were able to take down that towel girl pic), I find their diligence pretty encouraging as they seem to have a pretty low tolerance for BS. In terms of the minimal effort aspect, I don't even really know what to say about this. I obviously didn't vote on my own picture, but if I did I wouldn't rank it high. I gave 10s to entries that were creative and to people who obviously put a lot of thought and effort into the shot, but I don't control how others choose to vote. I hate to categorize this as a 'blaming the victim' issue, but it kind of is. If you're upset about "undeserving" entries making it to the top, this isn't something a female contestant can control, it's a direct reflection on how players vote, so if it really offends you that much I'd recommend giving 1s to entries you find undeserving and encouraging your comrads to do the same.
#3 "sexy" or "boob pics" outranking cool creative entries...I think this falls under the above as what some would consider "undeserving". Again, this is a direct outcome of how players vote. If this is an actual concern for you I would take it up with your fellow male players and encourage them to vote for pics that appeal to their brains and not what's in their pants. I personally think as long as photo complies with the rules (no outright nudity) players should have the freedom to post whatever they want, and I'd even argue they are deserving of a high vote just for the sheer amount of harassment and criticism they no doubt were subjected to as a consequence. Sometimes it's even awesome...look at SheReaper. She's obviously showing her chest, but as a reviver the sexy nurse look works with her concept and is relevant to the game. Are you really discouraging female players from showing skin? Is it jealousy the same tactic doesn't work for dudes? Like what is the real issue here?
All in all, I guess I just want to say: grow up, relax, and try to have some basic human decency and respect. We're all here to play the game, you don't have to be a dick.
Pinner
I've been debating whether I should even acknowledge this thread. I wasn't going to post, but this whole topic has been bothering me and I wanted to put my voice out there.
I just joined Torn on July 4th. My fiance has been playing for almost 2 years now. It looked like a lot of fun, and I've have a lot of spare time recently, because you know, COVID, so figured I'd give it a shot.
Despite being a new player, I've been listening to my fiance talk about this game for ever, and I knew he wanted to enter Mr & Ms Torn this year for the merit. He asked me to take his picture and was bouncing ideas off me for it (his pic is really cute BTW, check out SassyMcSlacker's entry with the top hat and our adorable cat :)). Anyway, I originally wasn't going to enter for Ms Torn, but then figured why not? I wanted the merit too, so I took a minimal effort selfie and didn't really think anything of it. I just joined and didn't know enough about the game yet to plan anything too creative, but I read the guide in the newspaper which recommended appealing to something universal, like the COVID-19 pandemic, so I went with that. I had a Corona bathing suit and thought that might get some smiles. When it came to voting, I never expected to rank anywhere near the top, and frankly don't think I really deserved to place above some of these other entries that are way more awesome and creative. I also didn't anticipate the amount of exposure and attention I'd bring on myself...ever since my photo was put up I have received a ridiculous amount of chats, messages, and unsolicited item gifts to the point where it's frankly overwhelming. In retrospect, if I could go back in time, I would have chosen not to enter this competition.
This thread seems to cover a number of concerns...let me try to cover the basics:
#1 Concerns photos/accounts may be fraudulent, and just wanting to look out for the legitimate female users in this regard?
First off, being accused of not being a real person? Um, ouch? I know I'm a newbie and it may surprise some people how fast I've advanced in such a short amount of time (I've actually had only one troll ask if I'm a multi, which I didn't even know what it meant at first, but a bunch have asked if I'm a restart - older player returning to the game)...well, I live with my fiance and not only has he been talking about this game forever, but he's literally right there beside me to guide me and answer questions, and I'm also in a faction that is very supportive to new players. Not really sure how to prove I'm real? I mean, you can tell Sassy and I took our pics in the same room of our house and I'm not some random cam girl. Now that I know multis are not only a thing, but a real problem I can't say I'm surprised. If the sheer amount of unwanted attention (and probably close to $100M in item gifts I received) from one picture I don't even consider racy, it obviously works/gives incentive for guys to pose as hot girls to reap the benefits. Is that a female player issue? To me it seems like more of a 'this site is crawling with thirsty simps' issue. I never asked for any of this and actually actively discouraged and requested people NOT send me stuff at every opportunity. To also say that this concern is founded in attempts to protect the "legitimate" female Torn populace, why don't you let them speak for themselves because it certainly doesn't seem like they need you to save them. I had a number of female players reach out to me, and you know what they were concerned about? Asking if I was OK and ensuring I wasn't being bombarded or harassed by weirdos. One player actually told me that she didn't enter the competition because when she had the year prior a number of guys refused to leave her alone, and one actually found her social media and called and threatened her real life employer and parents...so she was making sure I was alright and told me to be careful. I've been lucky, I haven't received any threats so far, most players who reach out are actually pretty kind, although I've definitely had to block a couple who crossed definite lines (insinuating they looked at my picture all day and jerked off or asking me inappropriate questions like if I am a virgin and how many guys I've slept with). I didn't block this guy (mainly because he gave me some sympathy Xanax after lol) who sent me a Batman gif to make fun of me being flat chested...list goes on. I mean I know the female Torn population is low, but you also have to wonder why? As most of you who entered the competition can probably relate to even as guys, it takes some courage to put your face out there and have the internet rate you. How do you think it feels to get objectified, criticized and harassed on top of that? You think you could muster up a shred of human decency and give a little more respect to your fellow female players? Because at this point it's you thirsty jerks that are deterring us from sticking around. This isn't a dating site and we're real people, so you think you could just back off a bit and let us play the game?
#2 New players with minimal effort pics placing in the top 3. I mean, I agree with Lenin on this. I think new players have just as much a right to participate than vets, but if you feel differently you're welcome to give 1s to newbies I guess? If the concern is more related to multi accounts, I encourage you to report any suspect activity to Torn staff. From what I've seen since joining (like how quickly they were able to take down that towel girl pic), I find their diligence pretty encouraging as they seem to have a pretty low tolerance for BS. In terms of the minimal effort aspect, I don't even really know what to say about this. I obviously didn't vote on my own picture, but if I did I wouldn't rank it high. I gave 10s to entries that were creative and to people who obviously put a lot of thought and effort into the shot, but I don't control how others choose to vote. I hate to categorize this as a 'blaming the victim' issue, but it kind of is. If you're upset about "undeserving" entries making it to the top, this isn't something a female contestant can control, it's a direct reflection on how players vote, so if it really offends you that much I'd recommend giving 1s to entries you find undeserving and encouraging your comrads to do the same.
#3 "sexy" or "boob pics" outranking cool creative entries...I think this falls under the above as what some would consider "undeserving". Again, this is a direct outcome of how players vote. If this is an actual concern for you I would take it up with your fellow male players and encourage them to vote for pics that appeal to their brains and not what's in their pants. I personally think as long as photo complies with the rules (no outright nudity) players should have the freedom to post whatever they want, and I'd even argue they are deserving of a high vote just for the sheer amount of harassment and criticism they no doubt were subjected to as a consequence. Sometimes it's even awesome...look at SheReaper. She's obviously showing her chest, but as a reviver the sexy nurse look works with her concept and is relevant to the game. Are you really discouraging female players from showing skin? Is it jealousy the same tactic doesn't work for dudes? Like what is the real issue here?
All in all, I guess I just want to say: grow up, relax, and try to have some basic human decency and respect. We're all here to play the game, you don't have to be a dick.
Pinner