Non-gear based pvp

[Slamz]

The majority of people who play sports do it for individual achievement. When you are young your parents or peer pressure put you into it, when you are old you do it as something to dick around with. Very few people actually play team sports and put tons of time and energy into it because it is not a mass market thing (except to sell watching it). I don't put tons of effort into my softball team because its a personal diversion. Sure, its a team sport - but so is Arathi Basin.

Well, the sports analogy breaks down somewhat in that people don't quit it so much because they stop liking it but because you're generally one good twisted knee away from a forced break anyway. (And rain. And snow. And bitter cold. And heat waves.)

But anyway, even the 2nd linebacker on the left understands that he has both individual achievement and a place in the team even if he doesn't sack the quarterback and get a new Jersey of +3 Rushing out of it. In Planetside your individual achievement may just another sweet kill streak, or surviving that Reaver attack. Knowing that you are helping the team surely helps too, for both the linebacker and the Planetside player.

Basically you can't avoid "individual achievement" for broad enough definitions of "achievement". The root question is whether achievement has to come in the form of advanced powers and gear, to which I say "no", despite the fact that every AAA MMORPG implements it.

I am of the mindset that appealing to the lowest common denominator is done for a reason.

I think there's a reason too, I just think that the reason is guys in business suits who know exactly nothing about gaming are in control of game design these days.

I mean is there any question that PC gaming is dying? Why is that? It was booming 10 years ago with shittier graphics and weak online options.

I think it's because between 10-20 years ago, PC games were developed by small shops and innovation was key. Now it's developed by business suits who simply think they can copy what's already out there. You say it's working but I say a casual perusal of store shelves suggests it's not.



^ the death of innovation, in my opinion.