07-21-2009, 11:00 PM
Nothing wrong with $$.
Question is, how much $$ does WOW/WAR actually lose by having such a fluffy PvP environment?
We look at WOW and think, "Gee, they sure are popular, they must be doing it right" but we can't be sure of how many disenfranchised players they're actually missing/losing because the PvP was just kinda flaky -- it didn't really matter and it wasn't a big part of the game.
I can only really rely on the anecdotal evidence we have.
I would suggest that what ultimately makes The Purge quit these games is two things --
* The PvP is flaky and insubstantial (or too hard to get into / keep up with)
* We eventually tire of the PvE
It's not the harsh death penalty that makes us quit Lineage II or POTBS. I don't think it's the light death penalty that kept is in WOW or WAR. I think it's vaguely possible that if WOW had incorporated a better death penalty and a more substantial PvP system, we'd still be playing it.
Similarly, I don't think it was novelty that kept me in EQ for 3 years. The novelty wore off after about 3 months. It was substantial, risky, blood-pumping PvP that kept me in for so long (and the horribly dull PvE that eventually drove me out).
Along the same lines, EVE, frankly, is the most boring game known to man. The only reason I enjoy it is because the PvP penalty is steep. EVE is one of the few games where I'll fly into battle and actually have to take a deep breath and focus on not getting worked up because it's actually exciting to go into battle with other players. There's risk! It turns out that I can put up with fighting rocks and other dull activities if the carrot at the end is risky, reputation-impacting, bragging-rights PvP.
Without the risk -- without the loss -- I don't think PvP really has the same...gravity...the same ability to draw people in and keep them there. Someone kills you in WOW, who cares? It was rarely worth keeping track of their name. In EVE, it's personal and you want to play for another month just to even the score.
I'm sure it drives some people away, too, but I dunno how much of the population that really is.
Question is, how much $$ does WOW/WAR actually lose by having such a fluffy PvP environment?
We look at WOW and think, "Gee, they sure are popular, they must be doing it right" but we can't be sure of how many disenfranchised players they're actually missing/losing because the PvP was just kinda flaky -- it didn't really matter and it wasn't a big part of the game.
I can only really rely on the anecdotal evidence we have.
I would suggest that what ultimately makes The Purge quit these games is two things --
* The PvP is flaky and insubstantial (or too hard to get into / keep up with)
* We eventually tire of the PvE
It's not the harsh death penalty that makes us quit Lineage II or POTBS. I don't think it's the light death penalty that kept is in WOW or WAR. I think it's vaguely possible that if WOW had incorporated a better death penalty and a more substantial PvP system, we'd still be playing it.
Similarly, I don't think it was novelty that kept me in EQ for 3 years. The novelty wore off after about 3 months. It was substantial, risky, blood-pumping PvP that kept me in for so long (and the horribly dull PvE that eventually drove me out).
Along the same lines, EVE, frankly, is the most boring game known to man. The only reason I enjoy it is because the PvP penalty is steep. EVE is one of the few games where I'll fly into battle and actually have to take a deep breath and focus on not getting worked up because it's actually exciting to go into battle with other players. There's risk! It turns out that I can put up with fighting rocks and other dull activities if the carrot at the end is risky, reputation-impacting, bragging-rights PvP.
Without the risk -- without the loss -- I don't think PvP really has the same...gravity...the same ability to draw people in and keep them there. Someone kills you in WOW, who cares? It was rarely worth keeping track of their name. In EVE, it's personal and you want to play for another month just to even the score.
I'm sure it drives some people away, too, but I dunno how much of the population that really is.