Mirajj,May 31 2005, 10:50 PM Wrote:Something I haven't understood for the longest time was the animosity between those who play on PvP and those who play on PvE. I am not a "carebear" nor am I a "warbear".
What I like is the ability to play the game as I like, when I like. I prefer to match my wits against the computer for now. To me, there is tons of content that I've not explored yet, and will have a great time exploring, at my pace and not at the whim of some Horde or Alliance players.
I have a feeling that I'll give battlegrounds a try, and see what I think. From what I hear, I'll enjoy the Warsong Gulch one quite a bit. I am also very much looking forward to the raids that are being planned on the Stormrage server. I am not anti-PvP, but I do only want to engage in it when I feel like it, instead of at the whim of anyone who happens to be on the same server as me.
Apparently to some folk, this makes me a "lesser gamer" than they are, somehow...
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I think it originates from a number of things
- people came from different backgrounds, coop pve games generate different cultures to pvp fragfests
- there was probably forum competition for developer attention
- there have almost certainly been conflicting interests. For instance in wow it's hard to see how they could beef up defensive-specced warriors to be competitive in pvp without hugely over-powering then in pve.
- there is in most mmo communities I've seen a fair amount of "the world revolves around me" thinking. There are players out there who get cross when any change is made which doesn't directly benefit them
- it's macho bullsh*t. I still find the concept of machismo in these games utterly bizarre but without question it's a huge part of many players' gestalt. Beating someone in these games is for some players a validation of their masculinity. Why it seems so bizarre to me is the notion that a 13 year old couch potato proves his masculinity by beating another player, quite possibly an adult, with a cartoon character. I suppose it isn't innately more illogical than 2 million people watching 22 guys kick a football around a pitch
It only matters if you let it bother you. Stupid arguments (like "I pwned you, so you suck") only appeal to stupid people. I doubt the argument will ever end between pvp and pve players since it relates to some archetypal rite of passage that is highly emotive and to a large extent subconscious.
Fwiw I consider myself both a carebear and a warbear and enjoy helping other players and enjoy killing reds. It's entertaining stuff. However, it's the things I do for my family, for my friends, for my community and in my career that generate my self-esteem, not what my cartoon alter ego does ;)