Showing Posts For Gredge.5719:
All of the arguments against the change in this thread. I wonder what the nay-sayers would say if Masteries originally were character-bound only, and not account-wide.
I’ve been mentioning this to people in game: along with what Yak is saying, the Revenant appears simple, but when you look at all of their skills, they are jam packed with utility.
Wait about a month, then you’ll start seeing Revenant pvp videos showing off just how to put all this utility into action, and it’ll make you want to play a Revenant again.
I find it more helpful to use words like “enjoyable” or “not enjoyable,” “mandatory,” etc than “imbalanced” or “OP.”
The best term is truly, as someone else said, “options.” As long as there are viable options, the game is competitive. The moment everything stagnates into that unbreakable team that uses this one tactic that has no counter, then the game is, for lack of a better word, junk. As long as options remain open over what players can do in arena, the game remains playable.
I’m not sure what sirlin has to do with any of it. Yes, playing to win is fine, but no, that is not an end-all argument: “I disagree with your idea on how to make the game more fun because of Sirlin!” It’s a little weird.
Sirlin has quite a bit to do with it. There’s too many people who think the game is focused on 1v1, or that their random, off-the-wall build should be viable, while they have no concept of what it takes to make sure all of the classes remain relevant in an MMO.
Thing is, nothing is stopping people from running hot joins and solo arena with their random build (hahahaha). Should you wish to create a build outside the meta that you enjoy, then feel free, and explore all the joys that would entail. Who knows, you may even discover a unique team synergy of your own that’s effective!
However, you can’t complain and say the game didn’t give you options to be viable and competitive when you blew right past them. If you choose a suboptimal build that wouldn’t mesh with any arena group, then that’s on the individual. If the individual didn’t take the time to focus in and research what kind of build is competitive for what role in arena they’re aiming for, then again, that’s not on the individual. You can’t fly an off the cuff “super sweet 1v1 condi/healing build” and expect to win in arena. You play it if you want, but you only play it under the understanding that you’re not being the best contributor to the team that you could be. There’s no award for losing, and you don’t get bonus pvp glory from “losing in the most creative manner possible.”
That’s essentially what the TC is trying to get across.
lol if you dont like kits, and turrets are teribad, then i guess time to reroll character class.
Honestly, some of the most fun I had as an Engineer about a year ago was a rifle/alchemist build. It was pretty cheesy, but man did I enjoy it. Loved having my potions and smacking people down left and right with my rifle.
Sirlin is absolutely right, and listening to him years ago turned me into a very competitive, and highly successful, player. This post is simply to further explain what Sirlin is going with in regards to competitive gameplay.
In the regards to this MMO, it has to do with the mechanics. The game’s not balanced around an individual, but rather the team. The question comes down to not the best class, but the best team composition and builds for every member.
Is there an unbeatable strategy, or is there a powerful strategy that has a counter? If there is a counter, then game on. If the counter is punishing, then perhaps a counter for this counter is required, and so on. This creates a meta-level situation where players compete back and forth, play mind-games, and attempts to push the odds of the battle in their favor. A person who’s had a lot of success using a powerful tactic may be hesitant in using this tactic against a player, in fear of reprisal. It goes back and forth.
Where the difficulty comes into play is the fact that, well, it’s an MMO, and they’re never really known for their balance. Tier lists aren’t an evil, and using an incredibly effective tactic isn’t a cardinal sin. As long as the game is playable at a high level where competition goes back and forth, the game is good. It’s competitive, and creates a competitive environment.
Now if the tactic is unbeatable, that is, one move or team composition is so powerful and effective that there’s no other point in using anything else, and it cannot be countered, then the game is broken. It becomes a game of whoever can pull off this one unbeatable tactic first/most effectively. In cases like that, the game isn’t great, and should be discarded. However, as long as a counter remains, the game is fair play.