Quote:
Originally Posted by t0lkien
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It always odd to me when players grandstand about skill in these games too. Skill? It's all knowledge and persistence, and power acquisition through items and level, and understanding of the game systems. If you want skill go to FPS's or RTS's or console style fighting games (not you, just generally). The level of physical "skill" required is really pretty low. They are cerebral more than visceral.
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I agree with this. I'm a guy that has spent a lot of time playing League of Legends, Warcraft 3, and Starcraft 2. MMOs were never meant to be in the same category as these games; known now as "esports."
Anyone who has played these games long enough will notice almost every player thinks he's better than he actually is. They sit around bitching about their elo and their bad luck and how the sun was in their eyes, completely unphased by the fact that everyone says the same thing they are. Then there is the more mature crowd of self deluders, who are convinced that they would be pro if they "had the time" or "took it more seriously." One thing is for sure, a small minority is actually comfortable accepting their how they rank.
This is why LoL changed their Ranking system from simple ELO to some grind oriented system that allowed mediocre players to get shiny gold/platinum/diamond medals (same with SC2). Because it turns out, most people don't really want to told where they stand as far as skill relative to other players.
What I'm getting at here, is that when you reward players strictly based on skill (which natural talent plays a big part), it necessarily sucks for the vast majority of people that play the game. Most people simply aren't mature enough to handle it. And even if you are, a lot of people like a sense of progress as they sink more time into a game.
Game knowledge and practice plays a big part in esport games. But what really gets you to the top .001% is natural talent in the forum of quick thinking and "twitch." The absolute top combines this with years of rigorous practice that essentially is going to rewire you brain to handle (for example) SC mechanics.
The "skill" in MMOs basically takes out a lot of the influence natural talent has on one's overall performance. While leaving the effects of game knowledge and generic practice as the big impactors on one's in-game success.
Given that most people play these games to create an avatar in a fantasy world, this more egalitarian approach makes much more sense.