UPDATE: Allow me to reiterate why I would love to see dueling in the game, as well as go over a few concerns people seem to have about the system. I will also update this list if more issues arise, and as I collect more of my thoughts on the matter.
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The Concerns -
1. “The game is not balanced around 1v1, some classes are going to be more OP than others”
- Well of course the game isn’t balanced around 1v1. In fact, no MMO that I can think of is balanced around 1v1. Truthfully, balance should never even consider dueling when the devs are making their decisions for what needs to be fixed etc. It is simply a system where people can enjoy themselves and try to learn other classes, as well as their own.
2. “Dueling is for fun, not for leaderboards”
- I’ve seen some people say that they would like to have a ranking system and a more competitive scene if dueling were implemented. This is not what dueling is about. Sure it’s competitive, but it is by no means a solo queue, 1v1 style tournament. Sure, there may be people who hold dueling tournaments, but those are always going to be held by players, not a main PvP system. Dueling in an essence is a system allowing people to enjoy PvP, wherever they want, and have the ability to keep it completely casual. Dueling is a side feature, not a main one.
3. “I don’t want to see dueling when I’m in a PvE environment”
- This one I cant seem to understand. So dueling is not acceptable however zerging events such as Lyssa or Shadow Behemoth where hundreds of animations are going off, and you cant see anything are? The visual effects of a duel should not be a problem for others. As an elementalist i can simply stand in town and cast all my aoe where people are gathered at the tp and who is going to care? Most likely no one will say anything, and that can be done as of right now.
4. “People who duel have a negative attitude towards everyone else.”
- This couldn’t be further from the truth. Of course, there will always be negative attitudes in an online game. It’s everywhere, not just with pvpers. However, it should not be the assumption that those who enjoy a fight amongst friends or rivals completely disregard anyone elses feelings. In fact, most people surrounding the dueling community that I’ve experienced in other games are quite friendly. I know that if someone were wanting to duel me and struggling, and wanting to get better, that I would gladly offer my assistance in helping them improve. It’s a great way to meet new people, make new friends, and create another community that people can be a part of.
Reasons I would love to see dueling in the game
1. “Dueling is a great way to pass time, while waiting either for a queue or other things”
- Having the convenience of initiating a duel right on the spot is a great way to have some fun while waiting on anything, be it a dungeon or spvp queue. It is a quality of life feature that I believe every mmo should have.
2. “Dueling is a way to get to know someone, without them even speaking”
- This is the concept I used in many other games when I was recruiting for pvp team or guilds. Every time someone was considered, they were required to duel either myself or another person high up in the guild. Of course with those other games they had different levels of gear, so that was already an imbalance no matter how you look at it. And secondly, just like guild wars, those games weren’t balanced around 1v1 either. Knowing this, we still decided to have duels anyways to test a players skill. We knew how to look past the gear and the difference in classes, and look at how the other player was behaving under pressure as well as the decisions they were making. These and other factors can determine a players level FAR greater than any interview I’ve ever given. Now you can queue in the seeing is believing, and actions speak louder than words quotes. And they are the truth.
3. “Dueling allows players to get to know themselves.”
- This is great because when we face a better opponent and lose, we want to know what we did wrong and how to face them differently next time. We strive to improve our own skill and learn from our mistakes. Dueling is also a great introduction to PvP for those who have not experienced it yet. If the option were available on the PvE side, friends new or old to the game could simply right click another, request a duel, and battle to their hearts content. Fighting in this casual sense where no extra pressure is added can be a very fun and exciting way to enjoy the game, as well as each others company.
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Also I will add anything else to the list if people would add in on what they would like to see more of, in regards to both benefits and concerns. And the original message has been deleted to make room for this post
(edited by Cynic.4805)