I don't know whether I'm Hardcore or Casual and I wish I didn't have to think about it, or even that the distinction had to exist, but it does. I don't know why I even feel the need to preface what I am saying here with this but, again, there you go.
If I had to pigeonhole myself I would say I was Casual. I have a full-time job, a mortgage and a 2 year old son so there's a lot of responsibility right there, and little time for games. I do try and play as much as I can but that might only amount to 5 hours a week sometimes, and rarely (never!) am I able to commit to scheduled events or late night schtick. But if I was a purely casual player I wouldn't pour over combat logs nor would I be spending time on a blog.
There are people like me who can't easily be pigeon-holed, who might have limited playing time but want to make the most of it. That's why I like the reward system in Warhammer. It definitely keeps me playing.
Scenarios reward insignia despite losing and the new City system will also reward the losing side. Participation brings rewards but don't forget winning gives better rewards.
Rewarding particiption has rubbed some people up the wrong way but it shouldn't. Participation is required for a healthy and competitive game. Earning them shinines keeps people playing. If I felt I wasn't getting anything out of my precious 2 hour game slot then I'm sure I'd find myself drifting away, as well as many other players similar to me, and that would not be good, would it?
Losing with rewards doesn't keep most people playing either. It is hard to stay motivated, and why Warhammer has a hard time keeping players happy.
ReplyDeleteMost servers are lopsided. There is always one side dominating the other side. Even with the underdog system it doesn't help. Eventually players quit, or reroll on a server where they are winning.
Take for example NBA players. Do you think KG liked being on the timberwolves losing most of the games even though he was rewarded with millions. Money or rewards doesn't buy happiness.
You notice the difference of his playing once Boston put together this championship team? People love to win, and money or rewards doesn't buy happiness.
My ex wife made a very nice salary, but do you think having to not think about spending money, or budgeting made me happier. I still had to come home, and put up with all the things I hated it for. Was it worth the reward? Of course not.
I agree with both sides of the debate. I consider myself medium core; because I too have limited time to play, about 1 to 1.5 hours a night, more on the weekends. I like to feel like I'm getting something out of my playtime. I agree with WASD that rewards mean nothing if your losing in scenarios 500 to 50 and basicaly getting farmed all day long.
ReplyDeleteI think balancing a pvp game with the rewards and classes, like Warhammer does is a monumentous task. They are really in a tight spot and in the end, you just can't please everyone. I truly believe that Warhammer is the best pvp game out there.
I should've made the point that I too enjoy winning. I always play to win. If I'm feeling tired and off my game then I usually won't attempt any PvP at all. But if I'm feeling good then I'll play on despite bad odds, to continue learning and progressing my character.
ReplyDeleteI also believe there are some people who like a challenge. I know ppl who have re-rolled to the losing side because they wanted a challenge.
I don't like the comparison between WAR and professional sport. In sports there are rules and systems in place to create a level playing field. You won't find NBA teams playing college teams for example (or do they? I'm not from the U.S.). But in WAR it's not like that. There's no choice who you compete with. A lowbie casual can come up against RR80s and will get beat - they need some incentive to keep going and close the gap.
I would suggest that as long as you feel you are making progress and improvement towards a goal then you can take satisfaction from that. Rewards like tokens and character progression in WAR offer that.
Yes. I like rewards. Rewards are nice, everybody likes them. Shinies they call them. Because shine is what we all like. What else is gold good for but shine anyways, right?
ReplyDeleteI agree that participation shinies might be one of the reasons that keeps some players hooked. I, myself, stopped playing for a few months right when I was RR30/40ish and before even medallions were in effect. I just got bored out of the randomness of keep rolls and how hard/long I had to play to get any gear.
So yes, rewards keep me coming back, even during periods when I don't have much time.
I don't know anything about basketball either. Or american WAR servers. I know that at least Norn isn't that lopsided. We can push to Altdorf 2 times a day just to have IC invaded repeatedly on the next. Keeps are defendable, skirmishes happen but so do zergtrains and WC farmings. Depends on the time of day.