Kitty Genovese and the Bystander Effect
Fellow Pilots,
In March 1964, a young woman - Kitty Genovese - was stabbed by a man with a knife outside her New York City apartment. She screamed and he ran away, but he returned to find her locked out and seriously injured; he stabbed her again, stole $49, and left her to die. Although there were 636 murders in the city that year, Genovese's became infamous after a sensationalized, error-riddled media report with the headline "37 Who Saw Murder Didn't Call Police." In the New York Times' version of events, now discredited, people ignored what they saw or heard from their apartments in callous indifference while Genovese struggled and died. The truth is more complicated. No one witnessed the initial attack, some neighbors did call the police, and one - a tiny lady named Sophia Farrar - rushed to the scene in an effort to help. Police did respond to the call, and Kitty Genovese died in an ambulance on the way to the hospital.
The shocking media tale gave rise to a new term in social psychology: the "bystander effect." Put simply, it means that individuals are less likely to help victims if other bystanders are present. In fact, the greater the number of bystanders, the less likely any one individual will help. Much empirical research has been done on the subject - and some of it bears on our game.
In War Robots. you play on a team with five other pilots. Or do you? When you aren't in a squad, do you refer to this as "playing solo?" Do you try to stay near your teammates for fire control and mutual protection? After being destroyed, do you look to see where your teammates need assistance? Do you know who your teammates (and opponents) are?
War Robots University respectfully submits that most pilots can improve their win percentage, ratings, rewards, likability, and overall number of friends with a few minor tweaks to their play!
FIRST: take note of the names when you enter the battle. I've seen dozens of reports in chats after battles that say, essentially, "Hey, clan mate, I didn't even notice you were in there!" If there is any relationship between bystander and victim, it makes the bystander much more likely to assist.
FINALLY, don't watch from the rear while you lose. When blue finally iced this one, "M" had spent the whole game in the Zenit Fury. It was WAY too close to leave the other four robots on the sideline. His teammates would have thrown him off a cliff if they could ...
You can boil it all down to a very simple message - don't be a bystander. Help your friends. Fight! We're told that Pixonic's plans include enhancing the rewards for clan participation, and this is great, but DON'T FORGET IT'S A TEAM GAME even when you think you are "playing solo."
Happy Wednesday,
Professor Yat
Faculty Notes
In March 1964, a young woman - Kitty Genovese - was stabbed by a man with a knife outside her New York City apartment. She screamed and he ran away, but he returned to find her locked out and seriously injured; he stabbed her again, stole $49, and left her to die. Although there were 636 murders in the city that year, Genovese's became infamous after a sensationalized, error-riddled media report with the headline "37 Who Saw Murder Didn't Call Police." In the New York Times' version of events, now discredited, people ignored what they saw or heard from their apartments in callous indifference while Genovese struggled and died. The truth is more complicated. No one witnessed the initial attack, some neighbors did call the police, and one - a tiny lady named Sophia Farrar - rushed to the scene in an effort to help. Police did respond to the call, and Kitty Genovese died in an ambulance on the way to the hospital.
The shocking media tale gave rise to a new term in social psychology: the "bystander effect." Put simply, it means that individuals are less likely to help victims if other bystanders are present. In fact, the greater the number of bystanders, the less likely any one individual will help. Much empirical research has been done on the subject - and some of it bears on our game.
In War Robots. you play on a team with five other pilots. Or do you? When you aren't in a squad, do you refer to this as "playing solo?" Do you try to stay near your teammates for fire control and mutual protection? After being destroyed, do you look to see where your teammates need assistance? Do you know who your teammates (and opponents) are?
War Robots University respectfully submits that most pilots can improve their win percentage, ratings, rewards, likability, and overall number of friends with a few minor tweaks to their play!
FIRST: take note of the names when you enter the battle. I've seen dozens of reports in chats after battles that say, essentially, "Hey, clan mate, I didn't even notice you were in there!" If there is any relationship between bystander and victim, it makes the bystander much more likely to assist.
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| If you don't watch the names, you don't notice when you are facing a deadly squad like USSR ... and you might miss the opportunity to rub it in after a hard-fought victory by the randomly selected blue team! |
SECOND, recognize the capabilities your allies bring to battle, and support them! One of the great pleasures in this game is running a Carnage behind a Lancelot with the heavy weapon blazing. Lance provides Carnage with a physical shield and a ton of firepower; Carnage brings two weapons and an energy shield to the mix. Group cohesiveness matters, and your teammates generally appreciate the company.
 |
Here, I see my buddy in a beautifully appointed yellow Fujin. He or she is utilizing Talumbas, which don't penetrate energy shields. So I am using the Thunder for what I call "Ancile eating." I will knock down the shields, and the Fujin can strike with the Russian Death Button action from up to 500 meters away. Plus, if the Fujin activates Bastion mode, it will provide me with a shield. |
THIRD, keep an eye on the clock. You can't help your teammates if you don't notice that the game is about to end. Le Francais has spent this entire battle in his Gekko Patton, and blue lost despite a superhuman beacon effort by yours truly. In case you are wondering, Frenchy's win rate was 40% on this day and is probably lower now!
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| 3-2 beacon matches end in seven minutes!!!! |
FINALLY, don't watch from the rear while you lose. When blue finally iced this one, "M" had spent the whole game in the Zenit Fury. It was WAY too close to leave the other four robots on the sideline. His teammates would have thrown him off a cliff if they could ...
You can boil it all down to a very simple message - don't be a bystander. Help your friends. Fight! We're told that Pixonic's plans include enhancing the rewards for clan participation, and this is great, but DON'T FORGET IT'S A TEAM GAME even when you think you are "playing solo."
Happy Wednesday,
Professor Yat
 |
| Don't be that guy. |
Faculty Notes
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The U is not just a blog ... we are also iOS clans #48669, #141459, and #139479. We are always looking for champion-league pilots, and welcome skilled communicators from around the world.
The U is not just a blog ... we are also iOS clans #48669, #141459, and #139479. We are always looking for champion-league pilots, and welcome skilled communicators from around the world.
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