Correct use of the term "gg" in gaming

[BonsaiK]

"gg" stands for "good game", right? Good. Just so we all understand each other.

I got the idea from this thread from watching the Starcraft II battle reports. In these, the loser would say "gg" to the winner when they knew they had nothing to fight back with, it's like raising the white flag. Check out http://www.starcraft2.com/features/battlereports/1.xml if you haven't already (although most Starcraft fans probably already have). But what I'm about to say applies to any online competitive game, not just RTS-style.

Okay, so if I'm playing a game with someone online, and I lose, I might say "gg" to the winner, it's like conceding defeat. If it's a close one and I just scrape in a win by the skin of my teeth I might say "gg" after the round also, just to acknowledge that, yes, that was a close game, they nearly beat me then, they played well, it was a "good game".

What really bugs me though is when an enemy absolutely destroys me, in a situation where I really had no chance whatsoever, because either they had far superior equipment/tactics or I was just really playing like a complete nublet. Or perhaps both. And then, after I lose they say "gg" to me. That really annoys me. Why? Because I DIDN'T play a "good game" and I know it. So the "gg" can mean, in that scenario, one of two things:

1. "I know that that is the best you can do because you're basically a completely useless player, so thanks for trying to best of your pathetic meagre ability. By the way I am completely awesome and you are but a lowly worm."

2. "I had a 'good game' beating you. The 'gg' is me patting myself on the back. Whether you had a 'good game' or not doesn't matter to me because I had fun completely owning you and that's the only thing I care about - myself."

In other words, I find it really arrogant. You don't congratulate someone on playing well when in fact they obviously played like a complete loser and you kicked the crap out of them in under 0.5 seconds. To me, that's just being a complete dick.

If you still think I'm being a bit harsh - think about it in the world of sports gaming. If I'm playing tennis with you and you beat me in every single game because you're a world-standard tennis player and I've never picked up a racket before, do you say "that was a good game" afterward to me as we shake hands at the net and walk off? No, of course you don't, not without some serious "post-qualification" of the statement anyway.

I'm sure I'll regret starting this thread and I'll get super-flamed for this so knock yourselves out guys. But although I'm sure to get a hail of abuse for even daring to state this no doubt fairly unpopular opinion, along with several accusations along the lines of "emorage", "you've obviously lost a lot of online games lately" etc, does anyone actually agree with me on this point?

 

[Internet Kraken]

Really......who cares?

 

[BonsaiK]

Really......who cares?

Most people who don't care about a topic ignore it rather than post in it. Obviously a part of you does care.

 

[Compatriot Block]

ERROR: Requires more context from mid-game banter to compute.

Hard to make a call like this.

 

[BonsaiK]

ERROR: Requires more context from mid-game banter to compute.

Hard to make a call like this.

Assume there is none, and "gg" is the sole communication between the two players. In that scenario, what would you think?

 

[Internet Kraken]

Really......who cares?

Most people who don't care about a topic ignore it rather than post in it. Obviously a part of you does care.

You don't understand. I was referring to the idea that nobody finds this to be a big deal. The term gg in strategy games like Starcraft is essentially just a way of ending the game. Whether the game was actually good does not matter.

Plus the loser usually says gg first so they would be saying the winner played a good game.

 

[Lios]

Uhhh.... I can't see why you would get so very annoyed by something like this that you had to actually made a huge post about it. It's just common courtesy. Who cares if YOU had a good game or not, everyone else might have even if they got their asses whooped.

 

[BonsaiK]

Really......who cares?

Most people who don't care about a topic ignore it rather than post in it. Obviously a part of you does care.

You don't understand. I was referring to the idea that nobody finds this to be a big deal. The term gg in strategy games like Starcraft is essentially just a way of ending the game. Whether the game was actually good does not matter.

Plus the loser usually says gg first so they would be saying the winner played a good game.

Okay, that makes sense now, thanks.

 

[BonsaiK]

Uhhh.... I can't see why you would get so very annoyed by something like this that you had to actually made a huge post about it. It's just common courtesy. Who cares if YOU had a good game or not, everyone else might have even if they got their asses whooped.

To put it into cxontext, imagine a situation say, in an MMORPG, where you are minding your own biz. Two seconds later a rival player appears. Three seconds later, you are dead. Five seconds later, "gg" in the chat window.

 

[TaborMallory]

"GG" is just another term diluted by time. Does everybody actually laugh out loud when they say "lol"? Maybe people have just gotten so used to "gg" that they use it to signal the end of the game.

Then again, it is indeed excessively arrogant when you're just happy that you annihilated someone.

 

[WhiteTigerShiro]

Good Game isn't so much an implication at how well or how poorly you played, and more a show of good sportsmanship. It's like bowing to your opponent before and after a spar, or tapping swords before a duel. Pretty much any competition you can think of has its show of sportsmanship, and for gaming that's saying "gg" at the end of a match.

 

[Horned Rat]

I think you're right. I played Call of Duty Word at War last night and most players ended the round with "gg". We all played hard, obviously some were better than others, but it was an entertaining game for all because no one was being a dick about people camping, people laying traps or people getting good shots, so everyone had fun.

However, in you scenario, "gg" would be inappropriate. More appropriate would be saying thanks for the game, these are things you could improve on. The opponent knows they were outclassed and beaten, so will want to know how to improve. As the winner you obviously didn't have a good game if it was a walk over, but helping those worse than you improve will help you get better competition in the future.

 

[Lios]

Uhhh.... I can't see why you would get so very annoyed by something like this that you had to actually made a huge post about it. It's just common courtesy. Who cares if YOU had a good game or not, everyone else might have even if they got their asses whooped.

To put it into cxontext, imagine a situation say, in an MMORPG, where you are minding your own biz. Two seconds later a rival player appears. Three seconds later, you are dead. Five seconds later, "gg" in the chat window.

Once again, it's just common courtesy. Would you have rather him say "Wow, you suck incredibly, go find another game to play you noob"?

 

[SharPhoe]

ERROR: Requires more context from mid-game banter to compute.

Hard to make a call like this.

Assume there is none, and "gg" is the sole communication between the two players. In that scenario, what would you think?

I've had this exact thing happen to me. I was playing in a SSB:M tournament on campus, and regular tourney players showed up (of course). I won one round, but sound the floor wiped with my head in the next two matches because the person pulled a lot of "hardcore" gaming tactics, like wavedashing. The whole time we played, the guy did not say a word to me, did not look in my direction, did not even acknowledge the fact that he was playing against a human opponent. after I lost the two matches out of three, all he said was "Good game." Again, while saying this, he didn't even take his eyes off the Tv screen. I'dve preferred he didn't say anything at all, because tacking that on at the end without actually meaning it just feels like a slap in the face.

 

[BonsaiK]

"GG" is just another term diluted by time. Does everybody actually laugh out loud when they say "lol"? Maybe people have just gotten so used to "gg" that they use it to signal the end of the game.

Then again, it is indeed excessively arrogant when you're just happy that you annihilated someone.

It's funny, I NEVER type 'lol' unless I actually did laugh out loud, and I find people who use 'lol' excessively to be really asinine. Maybe I just have an attitude problem... lol...

 

[wordsmith]

If it really annoys you that much, do what I do.

I lose, purely through my own fault, having made several useless mistakes:
"Them: GG
Me: Not really, I played really badly... Well done though mate"

 

[BonsaiK]

Uhhh.... I can't see why you would get so very annoyed by something like this that you had to actually made a huge post about it. It's just common courtesy. Who cares if YOU had a good game or not, everyone else might have even if they got their asses whooped.

To put it into cxontext, imagine a situation say, in an MMORPG, where you are minding your own biz. Two seconds later a rival player appears. Three seconds later, you are dead. Five seconds later, "gg" in the chat window.

Once again, it's just common courtesy. Would you have rather him say "Wow, you suck incredibly, go find another game to play you noob"?

Well at least it would be honest!

ERROR: Requires more context from mid-game banter to compute.

Hard to make a call like this.

Assume there is none, and "gg" is the sole communication between the two players. In that scenario, what would you think?

I've had this exact thing happen to me. I was playing in a SSB:M tournament on campus, and regular tourney players showed up (of course). I won one round, but sound the floor wiped with my head in the next two matches because the person pulled a lot of "hardcore" gaming tactics, like wavedashing. The whole time we played, the guy did not say a word to me, did not look in my direction, did not even acknowledge the fact that he was playing against a human opponent. after I lost the two matches out of three, all he said was "Good game." Again, while saying this, he didn't even take his eyes off the Tv screen. I'dve preferred he didn't say anything at all, because tacking that on at the end without actually meaning it just feels like a slap in the face.

This is my point exactly.

 

[meatloaf231]

It's become an easy way for imbeciles to shout "I TOTALLY PWND JOO NUB YOU SUCK GO DIE NUB." Instead of actually insulting the loser, idiots have gone to simply spouting "gg." It's also an exasperated way of saying "We've got a snowball's chance in hell, folks. I give up."

Neither of the current uses actually mean a good game has been played. It irritates me.

 

[Lios]

Uhhh.... I can't see why you would get so very annoyed by something like this that you had to actually made a huge post about it. It's just common courtesy. Who cares if YOU had a good game or not, everyone else might have even if they got their asses whooped.

To put it into cxontext, imagine a situation say, in an MMORPG, where you are minding your own biz. Two seconds later a rival player appears. Three seconds later, you are dead. Five seconds later, "gg" in the chat window.

Once again, it's just common courtesy. Would you have rather him say "Wow, you suck incredibly, go find another game to play you noob"?

Well at least it would be honest!

That seems rather contradictory to what you believe about people using "gg"

You don't like them using that after they beat your ass because you did not have a good game, and you would rather have them rub it in your face? What do you want to be annoyed MORE?

GG is more of a common courtesy in gaming than it is a declaration of having a good game nowadays.

 

[atol]

What really bugs me though is when an enemy absolutely destroys me, in a situation where I really had no chance whatsoever, because either they had far superior equipment/tactics or I was just really playing like a complete nublet. Or perhaps both. And then, after I lose they say "gg" to me.

I just say "not really" and move on.