we should definitely introduce variance.

[hivemind]

Here are the three (6) reasons I think variance should be introduced.


1. More competitive server (top raid force will be required to invest more time/effort to continue getting as much loot as they currently do).

2. Raid targets will die with less average people present each time (since there won't be a globally known, static timer associated with any raid target any longer). This will make the pve encounters and whatever pvp contesting occurs for pve encounters more skill (and less zerg) based.

3. PVP will be more spontaneous (ie less predictable) since 95% of lvl 60 pvp occurs around raid bosses. Since bosses will be spawning less predictably (ie more spontaneously), the PVP will be less forced/staged and occur both more continuously and more spontaneously.

4. Guilds will be rewarded more for their ability to detect, mobilize, and quickly execute a boss as opposed to setting up raid times one week in advance for their entire guild to prepare and recruit for. More people will still translate into more power (don't worry Nihilum), but there will be less of a double/triple/quadruple incentive to stack players for pve and pvp strategy (since timers will not be predictable down to the second).

5. A more competitive server will attract more players and more guilds, and take some power away from the "zerg everything" approach, allowing guilds to care about more than just pure size/numbers. Again, greater emphasis will be placed on a guild or group's ability to detect, mobilize, and quickly/cleanly execute as opposed to brute-forcing an encounter they have a timer of a week in advance.

6. Implementation of variance will make Nihilum cry more than they do now just at the prospect of variance.