I can see why boxing is fun and requires skill, but it ruins the spirit of the game, which is a social game where you rely on other human beings to create synergies and help each other out.
Boxing is the ultimate way to kill off the MMO aspect of the game, turning it into a single player game like NWN--but worse.
What has always made EQ special is the social element. Boxing absolutely kills this--not just by trivializing content but also through a chilling effect on socialization. You can no longer tell if the character you are talking to or seeing or askng a question is even a person. They don't act or move like a person but like a robot, and usually the boxers dont respond appropriately as if they were a person. Instead they act really weird and are basically a drain and eyesore on the landscape. You have this team of dummies standing there looking stupid who never say anything and when they do act move like a weird keyboard turner or something. It sucks.
EQ is not actually about doing something difficult. If you want a challenge go play chess or maybe read some Wittgenstein. EQ is about entering into an immersive roleplay fantasy environment and the "gameplay" elements are there as tools to help with immersion. They aren't the point of the game.
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