Collective stupidity in multiplayer gaming.

A group of people tasked to work together towards a common goal can usually be assured to cooperate to some extent, this does not always apply to to the internet and multiplayer games, an example of which is the multiplayer flash game Transformice.

Transformice is a game with a simple concept, the player is given control of a mouse and tasked with retriving a cheese and returning to a mouse hole in a given amount of time. This is complicated by the fact you are to some extent racing against up to 20 other mice with the same goal as you and because most levels are imposible to pass without the help of a 'Shaman' a mouse with powers to create ramps, trampolines, balloons, boxes, balls etc and to combine them to create nearly limitless potential ways (a platform with balloons attached to each end creates an elevator to lift mice to their goal).

Problems arise when a shaman either cannot or chooses not to help or a mouse decides to prioritize their own success at the sacrifice of the groups. An inexperienced shaman can have trouble solving problem and a large crowd of other players yelling advice to him through the chat can quickly become overwhelming while a shaman can also choose to use his powers to hinder rather than help the group, he can block the exit hole with an unmoveable barrier, he can use a cannonball to push others of the map killing them or can choose to simply do nothing to help. Some levels can be compleately destroyed and rendered incabable of passing if done wrong or rushed, for instance the level where the mice have to get from one platform to the other be traversing a seesaw, 98% of the time, as soon as the level starts about 30% of the group imediately rushes toward the exit with 1 or 2 making it and the rest dying and taking the seesaw with them stranding the other 70% with no chance of clearing the level, over time people start thinking that the only way to clear the level is to rush at the start.

From experience the size of the group playing is directly proportional to the percentage of the group who pass the level, when playing with a group of only 6 almost every level was passed by everyone with the shaman given enough room to think about the problem and build the solution and when the shaman did not know the solution to the puzzle advise was alot easier to obtain while larger groups resulted in rushing and abuse of shamans who did not know answers instead of helpfull advice.