Why no dueling?

[Nalien]

The moral change made things fair.

They really didn't. Moral changes just make PvP progression completely redundant. Why get i55, i70, i90, i100 when only i100 PvP matches i110 PvE? Easier to avoid redundant stats in PvP with PvP gear, but that's it.

Ilevel sync doesn't make the game fair. In reality it only makes it unfair to people who are over i80 by making that effort null.

I'm really starting to doubt you know what fairness is... It simply is not a fair contest to match up an i80 against an i130. Is it unfair that your i130 doesn't do anything? Sure, but that doesn't really effect the fairness of the match now, does it?

Duels have historically always been about fairness. You both pick a pistol, walk equal steps away, turn and shoot. The idea that a duel should be held between two people of vastly different skill sets (Jobs) and with different equipment (iLevel) is utterly absurd. That would be like one contestant wearing full body armor armed with an assault rifle "dueling" someone in the nude armed with a water pistol... It's an utterly absurd suggestion, and hiding behind the excuse that it would be fair because "I earned my assault rifle and body armor" is pathetic at best.

We've already had SEs attempt at gear progression based PvP. It's called Wolves' Den, and it is a complete and utter failure. One of the main reasons people were initially turned off PvP in this game (never to return) was because of the fairness of Wolves' Den matches. If you were outgeared it was very unlikely you'd win, and losing because your opponent grinding gear more simply isn't fun. Individual skill is the only thing that should matter in PvP, not "Who has the better gear/Job". You can cry about your gear being made "worthless" all you like, it doesn't change that fact.

On top of that it just creates stagnation.

Frontlines is doing perfectly fine, queues can take a bit but I manage to play regularly. Meanwhile Wolves' Den, where gear progression can play a part, is utterly dead. Which causes stagnation again?

I'm shocked that people don't want gear having an impact in a genre of games that are designed around gear progression.

I PvP for fun, not to obtain gear. Leave that PvE mentality in PvE please. If I wanted a gear treadmill I'd be in Coil instead.

[Layth]

TDuels have historically always been about fairness. You both pick a pistol, walk equal steps away, turn and shoot.

I can reach those straws for you, if you'd like.

[Nalien]

I was under the impression you were already grasping at straws when you started the whole "It's unfair I'm level synced" spiel.

[Layth]

I was under the impression you were already grasping at straws when you started the whole "It's unfair I'm level synced" spiel.

If that's all you choose to take away, then that's your choice.

I can create a silly real life scenario comparison in similar logic to yours. It might help you understand where people against the ilvl sync are coming from.

"I'm sorry guys, you can't wear tennis shoes on the court anymore. Everybody has to wear flip flop sandals instead to make it fair for players who don't have shoes."

"But there's a vendor right there handing out shoes for free...all you'd have to do is take the effort to walk over..."

"IT HAS TO BE FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIR"

[Nalien]

Silly real life scenario? That's how duels actually worked. Two people on equal ground, not two people facing off in a hilariously onesided match. That's how practically all sportsmanship works, in fact. The only difference that matters is personal skill.

Your example certainly is silly though. Vendor handing stuff out for free? I was unaware i130 was free from a vendor. No, the whole point of the iLevel sync is to set the iLevel at a point where it is reasonably easy to obtain such gear for the sake of fairness. i80 is fairly easy to achieve, that's why it is set as the cap.

To continue your ridiculous example though, no cap would be closer to steroid use than tennis shoes. In sports everyone has their uniform, that's their i80. People who use steroids to go beyond i80 are generally not welcomed. I suppose it's unfair that athletes who paid for steroids don't get to compete though, they put extra effort in buying and taking those steroids after all, they should count for something!

[Layth]

To continue your ridiculous example though, no cap would be closer to steroid use than tennis shoes. In sports everyone has their uniform, that's their i80. People who use steroids to go beyond i80 are generally not welcomed. I suppose it's unfair that athletes who paid for steroids don't get to compete though, they put extra effort in buying and taking those steroids after all, they should count for something!

The point was to show you how comparing how real life functions to how a video game should function is silly. You're able to grasp how my example was dumb, but then go on to compare owning 130 gear to steroid abuse.

i100 gear is easier to get than i80 gear. Owning i130 is not illegal. I almost thought I was just being trolled, but I think that this is just how you are.

[Nalien]

I almost thought I was just being trolled, but I think that this is just how you are.

Right back at you. You're the one arguing against a level playing field, after all. Literally the only reason not to want a level playing field in PvP is so you can win because of your gear, whether you want to admit that or not. If you want to put more importance on gear rather than skill in PvP, then I really don't think PvP is for you.

Again, you have your event where gear matters and there is no iLevel cap. It's called Wolves' Den, go ahead and take a guess why it's such an unpopular event. Its initial unpopularity stemmed from gear playing a factor, Morale more than anything (which really was basically just steroid abuse). It's current unpopularity stems from SE trying to save it in the worst possible way. Rank based matchings were put in place to avoid such a one sided gear difference. The i80 cap option for Wolves' Den would actually be great if SE actually gave any indication that it was there.

And yes, i100 gear is easy to obtain these days, you are aware that having i100 automatically means you're at i80 though, right? You are aware that a lower iLevel cap means you have more options for gearing? By all means we should get a higher cap eventually, but the point of the cap is still going to be there. A gear advantage is utter nonsense and only servers to inflate the ego of "veterans" (and win traders). Any true veteran of PvP should already have enough experience to give them a significant advantage, they don't need a gear advantage as well. All a gear advantage does is turn people away from PvP. Again, just look at what happened with Wolves' Den, or you know, ignore history and continue taking examples far to literally.

[TheodoreMcIntyre]

Level of player toxicity would be on a very different scale. Taunting, harassment, duel invite spamming...

Have you ever PVPed in this game literally ever?
I mean, good God, it's already exactly like that in regular PVP.
It would be absolutely no worse and there's no reason to think it would be.
Also

duel invite spamming...

That's not at all a reason to keep duels out because that is incredibly easy fix.
Character > PVP Profile > Duels > Automatically deny duel invitations

If that's all you choose to take away, then that's your choice.

I can create a silly real life scenario comparison in similar logic to yours. It might help you understand where people against the ilvl sync are coming from.

"I'm sorry guys, you can't wear tennis shoes on the court anymore. Everybody has to wear flip flop sandals instead to make it fair for players who don't have shoes."

"But there's a vendor right there handing out shoes for free...all you'd have to do is take the effort to walk over..."

"IT HAS TO BE FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIR"

This is the worst example by far but really I'm not sure what to expect from somebody who litters their posts with

I can reach those straws for you, if you'd like.

[Nalien]

I actually think 1v1s would be better than the regular PvP atmosphere, assuming they're server based rather than instanced (please SE, cut down on the instanced content...). I'm sure there would be the odd exception, but obnoxious dickheads tend to weed themselves out in a static community by, well, being obnoxious dickheads. Real shame the only people I can really say "Good Game" to in current PvP are my teammates, I'd like to say it to my opponents as well, but for now I'll have to settle for /Mandervilling them.

Then again, I've not really seen too much toxicity in PvP as is. Worst I've seen was win traders lauding i100 over people, other than that it is solely a matter of, to sum up their point more politely, "You cost us the match", something that isn't even possible in a 1v1 scenario. I'm sure there would be cases of a victor gloating, or a sore loser, but I don't think they'd be anywhere as damaging as what currently goes on. When I see harassment in Wolves' Den or Frontlines, it does perhaps make me reconsider requeuing (mostly because I don't want to end up playing with people who point the finger of blame at everyone but themselves). If I see harassment from a 1v1? I'll just blacklist the fool. Wouldn't even need to be a 1v1 I was a part of. I'm sure we'd see shouts about 1v1s as a result, but 99% of the shouts in this game which aren't FC/PF related are utterly worthless banter anyway. I'd add "1v1 me brah!" to the list of shouts I ignore.

[Mendalas]

Gold Saucer coliseum battles. Please look forward to it.

Confirmed? Or just a prediction?