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Monday, February 28, 2011

Can't We All Just Get Along?

No frickin' way, two posts in one day?

Stargrace doesn't understand why we're all so quick to judge the gameplay style of others. Those of us that like to level at a leisurely pace criticize those who race to the top. Can't we understand that that is fun for them? It's just a different play style, like PvP. Right? RIGHT??
Wrong. And she says why it's wrong-headed right in her post. "[T]hey’re of the mind that rushing to the top is the end all be all of a game only to bitch about lack of content when they get there." You should not be allowed to complain about lack of content in a lore-based adventure game if you rush past all the content in a mad dash to be first to the top. It may a valid gameplay style, but it is a poor one. And one which ends in disappointment for the player. If those min-maxing racers get to the top, play the content that is there and then say wow that was great and move on to another game, that would be great. But instead, they whine about how there is nothing to do now. And the game SUCKS! And the devs should do more for them! Which the devs do. Instead of creating more low or mid-level content, for the altoholics (another valid play style), or more battlegrounds for PvP (never thought I'd throw in with the PvPers).

It goes along with the question Spinks asked about using guides for the puzzles in Rift. I suppose it's OK if you do. But what have you accomplished? It's like having the jig-saw outline underneath the puzzle surface and the pieces numbered. Truth in advertising: I did use the book map in the Guardian starting area, but only because I knew I would not be able to get back to that area with my character. I would be somewhat interested in finding out about the existence of in-game puzzles, artifacts, but would prefer to work them out myself.

Oh, and in the end, it may be as much a case of us versus them, Stargrace. Because as often as not, the power levelers and "hardcore" players look down on those of us taking our time and enjoying the scenery.
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6 comments:

  1. RerMonday, February 28, 2011 at 8:28:00 PM CST

    Not to be argumentative, but I'm not entirely sold on this:

    "You should not be allowed to complain about lack of content in a lore-based adventure game if you rush past all the content in a mad dash to be first to the top."

    Any game worth its salt should have a solid endgame, ready to go, at launch. The fact that some people get there in 2 days in comparison to 2 months isn't really a factor, given that both parties will *eventually* reach that point.

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  2. stargraceMonday, February 28, 2011 at 9:08:00 PM CST

    You sort of really missed the point. It's about name calling, and how they're not idiots just because they hit level 50 before the casuals. Just like casual players are not idiots (or morons, or any other name) for playing their way. If they rush and then bitch, sure, there's things wrong with that - it still doesn't deserve name calling. Nice try though.

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  3. rowanblazeMonday, February 28, 2011 at 9:53:00 PM CST

    That was partly my point at the end, there is a lot of mutual "name-calling" in the gaming community on all sides. I never said they were idiots. And I stand by what I did say, if you race to the end in a week or less, and have skimmed over all the content up to that point, you missed the whole point of the game.

    The biggest clue that the power levelers are not having fun is the fact they are whining about "lack of end-game content." Compared to what? The content of the whole leveling phase? Unless they are having fun whining. And that's a whole 'nother blog post.

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  4. AnonymousMonday, February 28, 2011 at 11:52:00 PM CST

    I've been trying to find all of the infospheres in DCUO all by myself, so I very much understand the desire to do things methodically and slowly. My leveling has actually been helped, too -- discovering whole sets of spheres grants a hefty XP bonus.

    That said, I'm at level 16, and the game caps out at 30. In terms of actual productive playing, I'd played probably ten hours. So even I am worried about endgame content.

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  5. RerTuesday, March 1, 2011 at 9:15:00 AM CST

    The biggest clue that the power levelers are not having fun is the fact they are whining about "lack of end-game content."

    But what if their definition of fun is the competitive nature of racing through content? I know plenty of people, myself somewhat included, who feel this way. We enjoy having things to strive for, and dislike being stagnant.

    Are we in the minority? Definitely.
    Do most of us scream that we're the most important? Some do yes.

    But does this mean we aren't having fun? No.

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  6. rowanblazeTuesday, March 1, 2011 at 9:44:00 AM CST

    If you have fun racing to the top/end, great. I am not criticizing your play style. But then you have have nothing to complain about. What is at the end of a race? The finish line, and maybe a trophy. There is not another race.

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