PvP games have better potential for open ended interest. Playing against
human brains is a lot more fun than against NPC's that do the same thing
over and over. (I wish my friends would have switched to PvP server about 48
levels ago but we decided to stay on Innoruuk.) There is no dynamic to EQ
NPC's. Once you find out what they do, you can rely on them to do it onver
and over again. In the PvP games that I have played, you can do obstensibly
the "same thing" over and over yet each time it can be different and unique.
I am talk about the games where you are on more or less equal terms in
"equipment" but the "skills" depend on the person and their ability to play
the game. Games where you have to make decisions in battle and the
situation is dynamic. And the dynamics come from having real live thinking
people as opponents vs pre-programmed NPC's.
EQ has great potential for PvP in role playing situations but my year has
been spent on an NPC server so I have seen very little of that. On the
other hand, I have been in "scenarios" in other games where you have 1000
registered players and each plays a "role" (not talking with accents but has
a tactical role in planned combat.) These have been the most entertaining
events I have been part of. EQ could do alot more of this to develop their
"GM Events" or "large scale events." And we hashed this all out here
before. You need it to be "staged" in out of game venues (web pages,
discussion forums, assigned team leaders, pre-planned actions) all this so
people know where to go and what to do once they get online and want to kill
stuff. Think of 2 teams of 6 full groups starting on opposite sides of
Rathe Mts with the objective of securing some designated spot like the
burned out fortress.
If you have dueled, you know that the combat technique is alot different
from soloing or grouping vs NPC's (you get to use all kinds of different
songs - and some of them actually work.) But do any of us have significant
experience in "guildwar" combat? Where multiple groups of comparable level
and equipment face off to accomplish some tactical and or strategic goal?
Fighting against other people provides for a more dynamic combat and thus
holds interest much longer.
All the stuff you mention about how characters have become one-dimensional
at the high levels - I pretty much agree with. The way they have designed
the higher levels where multiple group combat is necessary kind of forces
this situation even more. There is no "west karana" for level 50's to shout
for a group and go hunt "tormented, undead, rotting, tentecle, thought
ravishing, bixie commanders." Maybe expansion has these - 20 new dragons?
Zones larger than West K? Hmmm.
Fighting NPC's relies on them to make new npc's. Fight other people can be
different each time.
Sylly
----- Original Message -----
From: <kim@...>
To: <eqbards@onelist.com>
Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2000 4:03 PM
Subject: Re: [eqbards] Attack speedups
> On Thu, 30 Mar 2000, Sylly Songsynger wrote:
> > >
> > > You don't understand. I've already done all that, made those
> > > decisions and adjustments countless times, and figured out
> > > near-optimal solutions. Starting a twink would just be
> > > treading the same ground.
> >
> > You have played to 50 on PvP? Your enchanter is 50?
>
> PvP doesn't appeal to me in this type of game. Presumably you
> want player versus player conflict to determine who is the
> better player.