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Griefer

 Griefer
type
FeatureClass
 Griefer
label
Griefer
 Griefer
page
Griefer
 Griefer
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Here you are just having a good time with your friends on your favorite online game. Everyone in your party is pulling their weight and gaining lots of items and gold. What Could Possibly Go Wrong?...wait, what's that sound? You suddenly hear a high level spell being used and before you can turn around and blink, you and your friends are dead. Who used the spell? The giggling player within your own party as he runs around looting your dropped items and runs away.
Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_1'); })You just met another form of a Troll for online games, the Griefer.
The Griefer is the most known term for this type of player. The act of griefing dates as far back as the days of old arcades in your local pizzeria. Methods of griefing included but were not limited to reaching over and pressing buttons on games people were playing, turning off the game while it was in use, attacking players in games where friendly-fire exists, physically distracting them (such as covering their eyes or tickling them), or tilting a pinball machine. But these early griefers were much more contained as they could not at all grief people on the other side of the world, oh no, they were limited to Arcade games. Plus, you knew who they really were, and they were within range of your foot or your hand. When online gaming became the norm, Griefers jumped all over it.
Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_2'); })Griefers are also known for ruining games of sports.
Griefers play online for one sole purpose: to annoy and anger the other players. It doesn't matter to the Griefer if he gets killed in the game, loses the match, or gets booted/banned from the server. As long as the Griefer pisses off someone, he has already won. Griefers enjoy seeking out new and interesting ways to ruin the games for others. Griefers cannot be stopped by countering their strategies on a case by case basis, joining a different game, or even reporting them to a moderator or administrator, because they don't care. They also love to be away from the keyboard during Player Versus Player games
Some Griefers have formed communities to improve their irritating strategies and induct new misanthropes to their circle of jerkhood. Occasionally, Griefers post their plans and "achievements" in forums where the acts are not looked upon with such favor, resulting, predictably, in Flame Wars and Bans all around.
Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_3'); })Recently "vigilante" griefers have sprung up in some games, harassing other players for the sake of "justice" or "fairness". This type of player can be an extremist Scrub who, rather than complaining that a certain technique is unfair and cheap, decides that the easiest way to keep people from spamming the "cheap" technique is to attack only the players who are using the shunned spam attack.
There exist videos of people griefing players and sometimes getting a funny reaction...which has sadly done exactly what the griefers want...to get people ticked off and laughing at something. Because thanks to videos of griefing getting loads of positive comments on Youtube and forums internetwide...people now think they can grief to be funny, when in reality, it was only funny the one or two times it was actually done in the video. After that, it's about as unfunny as Seinfeld is today.
Calling Griefer is a popular accusation in MMORPGs that allow Player Versus Player combat, particularly in MMORPGs that don't have separate PvP and Player Versus Environment.
In-media examples only
Examples:
 Griefer
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2020-07-29T23:34:33Z
 Griefer
parsed
2020-07-29T23:34:33Z
 Griefer
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DBTropes
 Griefer / int_a825da3e
type
Griefer
 Griefer / int_a825da3e
comment
Magic: The Gathering's New Phyrexia expansion was intentionally designed with Griefing in mind, and contains many cards that are intended to make your opponent feel bad. For example, Shattered Angel takes something they normally feel happy about (getting more mana) and makes them feel bad about it (by making you gain life every time they play a land); there's a similar dynamic with cards like Consecrated Sphinx, Suture Priest, Invader Parasite, and so on. And while most sets have spells that kill or disable your opponent's stuff, in New Phyrexia they have added effects that rub your victory in their face, as with Numbing Dose, Victorious Destruction, Psychic Barrier, Glissa's Scorn, Enslave, Phyrexian Ingester, etc. Or, as development team member Tom LaPille puts it:
 Griefer / int_a825da3e
featureApplicability
1.0
 Griefer / int_a825da3e
featureConfidence
1.0
 Magic: The Gathering (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Griefer / int_a825da3e
 Griefer / int_baf3bcd7
type
Griefer
 Griefer / int_baf3bcd7
comment
In Wraith: The Oblivion, each player, the eponymous Wraiths, have Psyche and Shadow as part of them. The Shadow specifically is the worst side of the character, their darkest desires and personality flaws, but the character must interact with this because it gives them power. Normally the GM controls this, but the game also suggests letting other players control the Shadows, following the guidelines of the chosen Shadow archtype to grief the Wraith player until they give in to what the Shadow wants. After doing so, the Shadow is happy (for a bit, they soon return to their mischief), and the Wraith has to deal with the (usually horrible) consequences.
 Griefer / int_baf3bcd7
featureApplicability
1.0
 Griefer / int_baf3bcd7
featureConfidence
1.0
 Wraith: The Oblivion (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Griefer / int_baf3bcd7
 Griefer / int_c5e0b864
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Griefer
 Griefer / int_c5e0b864
comment
The Non-Adventures of Wonderella: In "Toad the Wet BLANKET" we're shown that, every time young Dana and Penumbra played a Battletoads-esque game, Dana would deliberately throw Penumbra's character off a cliff. The Alt Text on this particular comic reads, "Everyone who did this is going to a special Circle of Hell where you just ride hoverbikes forever."
 Griefer / int_c5e0b864
featureApplicability
1.0
 Griefer / int_c5e0b864
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Non-Adventures of Wonderella (Webcomic)
hasFeature
Griefer / int_c5e0b864
 Griefer / int_d9c602eb
type
Griefer
 Griefer / int_d9c602eb
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South Park has a famous World of Warcraft episode where the cast goes off in pursuit of revenge against a griefer.
 Griefer / int_d9c602eb
featureApplicability
1.0
 Griefer / int_d9c602eb
featureConfidence
1.0
 South Park
hasFeature
Griefer / int_d9c602eb

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Griefer
processingCategory2
The Jerk Index
 Marvel Rising (Comic Book) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 HAT Films (Lets Play)
seeAlso
Griefer
 Over The Gun (Lets Play) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 ProtonJon (Lets Play) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 SSoHPKC (Lets Play) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Tipping Forties (Lets Play) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 videogamedunkey (Lets Play) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Haganai / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Haganai / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 GRiefer
sameAs
Griefer
 Spoiler Hound
seeAlso
Griefer
 Australian Survivor / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Survivor / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 The Amazing Race / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Blood Bowl (Tabletop Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Ace of Spades (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Battlefield (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Battlestar Galactica Online (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Call of Duty (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Call of Duty: Zombies (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Combat Arms (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 CyberStrike (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Dark Souls (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Dark Souls II (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 DayZ (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Disney Universe (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Divinity: Original Sin II (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 EVE Online (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Garry's Mod (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Guild Wars (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Guild Wars 2 (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Left 4 Dead (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Left 4 Dead 2 (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Lethal Company (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Mario Kart 8 (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Mega Man Battle Network (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Minecraft: Story Mode (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 PAYDAY: The Heist (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Palworld (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Rust (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Second Life (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Sonic.exe The Disaster 2D Remake (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Sonic Robo Blast 2 Kart (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Space Station 13 (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 SubSpace (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 The Aether (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Transformice (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Tribes (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Trouble in Terrorist Town (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Ultima Online (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Urban Dead (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Vindictus (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Viva Piñata (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 War Thunder (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 World of Tanks (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 World War Z (2019) (Video Game) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 The 2b2t Chronicles (Web Animation) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Cocoon Central Dance Team (Web Video)
seeAlso
Griefer
 Internet Comment Etiquette (Web Video) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Monster Factory (Web Video) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Outside Xbox (Web Video) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Shady Oaks SMP (Web Video) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 SpartanJay
seeAlso
Griefer
 Tank Fish (Web Video) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Team Avolition (Web Video) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 TierZoo (Web Video) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 TreeTopia (Web Video) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Nerf NOW!! (Webcomic) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Survivor: Fan Characters (Webcomic) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Fantasy Powers League (Website) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Something Awful (Website) / int_62899967
type
Griefer
 Noob (Franchise) / int_62899967
type
Griefer