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soul sythe11 -> ED analysis and hopes for the future (2/5/2012 12:37:41)
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For a very long time, I've been a big fan of ED. This is mostly for its absolutely amazing art and it's has a very nice futuristic theme. The team behind it are great people who are earnestly working at making ED bigger, better, and more fun for all. The amount of effort put into this game is very apparent and I hope that one day I may be able to contribute to it. The one thing that seems to be dragging this game down the most though is rooted in the fact that its PvP focused. PvP, especially in the 1vs1 form, is a challenge of who has the better gear/strategy. Because of how potent some of the stats and occasional exploits are in this game, the strategy needed to win a match you are disadvantaged by in terms of equipment would require you knowing your opponent's every move. Even then, one dodge, crit, or even weapon effect can ruin your chances of winning in an instant. The opposite is also true. A game resulting from these all too common occurrences, win or loose, leave a sour taste in your mouth. Players who win often end up feeling like that battle was unfair and not a true test of skill. Loosing such a battle can lead to what is diagnosed as nerd rage. Nerd rage has been proven to be a leading cause of forum rage. Studies have also suggested that this can lead to trolling. Now, I don't suggest erasing PvP from the game, since it gives even the players who have done everything the game has to offer a fun, never ending challenge. It is also fun to challenge friends to a simple battle of good feelings. What I do suggest is giving players a challenge where they can still fairly win, feel accomplished for winning, win without causing someone else to loose, and prepare them for future challenges. PvAI can usually fit this description. Shifting the game's focus to making more permanent story and PvAI content would effectively achieved the aforementioned as well as give the people with an advantage in PvP a challenge different from what they are used to. It would require a lot of work but it would probably give the players a much more positive attitude toward the game.
Also, to provide some insight from my gamming experience, the games I find that are the most successful and overall just fun to play are the games that:
-Involve rewards/equipment that require overcoming an obstacle, or achieving a feat. (I.E. Beating hard but beatable boss or bosses in order to get better equipment, or, like what the original AQ did, open up a shop for that equipment.)
-Have a fun way to farm or no farm needed. (Remember, games are meant to be fun, but farming is usually not. This would require some thinking.)
-Have a large amount of PvE/PvAI content that the player can progress through alone or, even more fun, with friends.
-Have a way to manage difficulty setting, whether it be a selectable easy/medium/hard/brain-melt modes or strategically layered content (As in, storyline quests being easy/normal, side quests being normal/hard, hidden quests being brain-melt)
Please refrain from dragging Var or enhancements into this. Its how the game makes money......and chatting about it in any forum thread usually entices raging and hate posts, resulting in a deleted thread. I have written this as an attempt to offer the ED team my view on the game and how I think it can be changed for the better.
Agree with me? Disagree? I'd like to hear your opinions.
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