This is a subject that has been coming up lately with a few IC and OOC pilots I know.
I generally find the whole thing fascinating; the range and quality of smacktalk, its effect on pilots, and its ability to sometimes throw people so off and into a rage as to make mistakes and suffer for it.
For every "GF" given or handed out we can always expect 8,000% more general shit talking and posturing.
People don't like losing ships, people don't like being embarrassed. People like to talk a big game as soon as the odds are in their favor. People have short memories.
Being a "Pirate" these last few years I've noticed a marked increase in ferocity and nastiness in local comms in my direction. I never cease to be amazed how rage-inducing losing one's spaceship can be to generate this behavior.
Do any of you participate in this sort of thing? Do you enjoy ribbing people in local and harvesting bitter tears in return? Or have you been guilty of losing something and resorted to raging in local? Let's hear it
I used to have an extremely tight 'no talking in local, ever' policy for myself and my fleets, as I used to find it distracting, and then doubly embarrassing if someone under my command talks shit only to explode spectacularly seconds later.
This has loosened up over the years, I like giving out 'GF's when it was a fun fight, the enemy is well-mannered, and keeping it light in local when I can.
I will absolutely troll pvpers when they are gunshy despite knowing the odds.
I think TSF has had some experience with this lately, with one of their new ooc neighbors being absolute sore losers and trying to troll them as RPers for days on end, only to be met with wonderful TSF win
This brings me to the absolute greatest experience one can have in EVE, IMO.
Catching someone who smacktalks you, killing them, and sending them on the pod express home. There is no higher joy.
Bit of a rant but curious on some of your thoughts.