Could playing EverQuest make you a worse person?

[Sweagen]

Like in the few months I’ve been playing this game, I’ve run into more people shit-talking each other behind their backs, hating on and excluding people because they’re not ‘strong enough’ or not a part of their clique, and just general constant anger and small-mindedness over who should be entitled to loot. For a game that is otherwise so chill, socially it can be exhausting at times and I think it’s partly to due with camps and other things being in short supply, but a lot of people are just kinda toxic too? Like is it possible the constant competition and people being exposed to each other in frustrating circumstances has lead to EverQuest itself creating toxic players? Not to discount the many cool and helpful players I’ve encountered, but after seeing that there’s a ton of drama even in the course of a regular small, pick up group in mistmoore, it really does make me wonder…

Discuss do you think playing EverQuest could have made people more toxic? Or is it just sometimes an environment that brings out the worst in people? Or am I imagining all of this? Idk, what are your thoughts, RnF?