07-17-2003, 04:15 AM
When people say they are looking forward to the ladder, Rataxes, many are talking about the Ladder Games & Characters rather than the competition. Why? Because they are interested in the fresh start and dupe-free environment. A lot of the people I play with -- and, uh, that's a lot of people -- are looking forward to the ladder games but have no plans at all to compete on the ladder. They just think the ladder "realm" is where the fun will be, especially because it will attract most of the legit players.
The reason I have played this game for so long -- and abandoned other games quickly -- is specifically because D2 does not require you to be competitive. That is only one of the options. This is a wonderful open-ended game that really only pits you against yourself and the monsters. If you choose to measure yourself against others because you need competition for it to be exciting to you, that's your bag. But for many of us it is not a competition and that's a big reason why we play it.
There are many games out there that are purely competitive, but D2 is not one of them. This game is great fun if you play it cooperatively and just try and have fun together.
Competing for drops? Please. That's only a part of the game if you play that way. Some of us play with friends and share. I'm not kidding.
I don't see how the party experience bonus is the problem. I understand that you are saying that people don't discourage leechers because there is no impetus to bother. But there are a bunch of other factors that made 1.09 ripe for leeching. While I'm not terribly concerned about the party exp bonus since there is plenty of experience in 1.10 (contrary to some fearmongering) your reasons for wanting to eliminate it don't make sense to me.
I don't personally have problems with leechers because random leeching does not happen in the games I usually play in. You don't have to play with leechers either, Rataxes.
Your beef really appears to be with co-op play and partying because Diablo is only fun for you if you are in competition. No one is stopping you from solo-8ing and playing the game the way you have fun, and you can still get loads of experience. However, I recommend you make some online friends and try playing more co-op in general and only measuring yourself by how much fun you and your friends have. Having fun is the goal of game playing.
Your theory that Blizzard's design goal for the patch is to return to the early days of D2 is interesting but not convincing.
PS: Probably my favorite real-life game to play is hacky-sack, specifically because in its purest form it is not competitive. It is a group activity where everyone wins or loses together.
The reason I have played this game for so long -- and abandoned other games quickly -- is specifically because D2 does not require you to be competitive. That is only one of the options. This is a wonderful open-ended game that really only pits you against yourself and the monsters. If you choose to measure yourself against others because you need competition for it to be exciting to you, that's your bag. But for many of us it is not a competition and that's a big reason why we play it.
There are many games out there that are purely competitive, but D2 is not one of them. This game is great fun if you play it cooperatively and just try and have fun together.
Competing for drops? Please. That's only a part of the game if you play that way. Some of us play with friends and share. I'm not kidding.
I don't see how the party experience bonus is the problem. I understand that you are saying that people don't discourage leechers because there is no impetus to bother. But there are a bunch of other factors that made 1.09 ripe for leeching. While I'm not terribly concerned about the party exp bonus since there is plenty of experience in 1.10 (contrary to some fearmongering) your reasons for wanting to eliminate it don't make sense to me.
I don't personally have problems with leechers because random leeching does not happen in the games I usually play in. You don't have to play with leechers either, Rataxes.
Your beef really appears to be with co-op play and partying because Diablo is only fun for you if you are in competition. No one is stopping you from solo-8ing and playing the game the way you have fun, and you can still get loads of experience. However, I recommend you make some online friends and try playing more co-op in general and only measuring yourself by how much fun you and your friends have. Having fun is the goal of game playing.
Your theory that Blizzard's design goal for the patch is to return to the early days of D2 is interesting but not convincing.
PS: Probably my favorite real-life game to play is hacky-sack, specifically because in its purest form it is not competitive. It is a group activity where everyone wins or loses together.
KS