MapleStory Twitter account apologizes for tweet that some interpreted as endorsing the use of macros

The official Japanese Twitter account for MMORPG MapleStory has apologized for a tweet that was phrased in a way that led to a misunderstanding among some users.

MapleStory is an MMORPG published by Nexon. It is one of the longest-running MMORPGs in Japan, having first launched in 2003, and is enjoyed by many players, even today.

The game’s official Japanese Twitter account features information about the game that is posted by mascot character Maple Kinoko (Orange Mushroom). The account makes lighthearted posts on a daily basis that befit the cute, cheerful nature of the game. The tweet that caused a stir, seen below, was posted on October 17 (JST).

At first glance, the tweet seems perfectly normal; however, a number of users felt that the last line of the tweet may have been endorsing the use of macro tools.

The term “macro” is used for a variety of concepts, but in online games it generally refers to supplementary tools that can provide automatic operation of a software application. Through the automatic execution and repetition of various commands, it becomes possible to achieve things in-game even when you aren’t actually playing.

Many online games prohibit the use of such tools because they can cause a wide variety of problems, including ruining the balance of the in-game economy and increasing server load. Even Nexon prohibits the use of macros and automated play. MapleStory has a long history of troubles caused by macros, and it is a topic of great interest to the game’s players.

When you consider the game’s past, it is easier to understand why some would criticize the line “Aren’t there any items that will let me hunt while I sleep?” for seemingly endorsing the use of macro tools.

Only four hours after the tweet was posted, the MapleStory Twitter account issued the apology below:

The first tweet did not contain anything that directly implied that it was an endorsement of macros. However, the fact they felt it necessary to issue an apology makes it seem like they couldn’t turn a blind eye to people believing that to be the case. This has resulted in a series of tweets that express amusement regarding the situation rather than anger. Maybe a certain level of sincerity was conveyed to users through the message.

As an aside, for official twitter accounts that are operated as if posts are written by the characters themselves, companies have different approaches when it comes to things such as whether apologies should still be posted in the character’s voice. For example, the official Japanese Twitter account for Splatoon will post in more formal language when issuing an apology compared to just a regular tweet.

For the MapleStory account, while not apparent when translated to English, the original Japanese text for the apology was written in character as Maple Kinoko (Orange Mushroom) and includes said character’s speech quirks. While some find this loveable or charming, others get the impression that the apology is not genuine. It appears that finding the right way to address different topics on Twitter is something that every company has a hard time of.

Written by. Marco Farinaccia based on the original Japanese article (original article’s publication date: 2022-10-17 19:47 JST)