Quote Originally Posted by Jonnycbad View Post
It's hard to balance specializations when people use spreadsheet math and simulators to figure out the best combination for most scenarios. Then, players flock to those "build" and anyone not using -that- is seen as gimp/weak/useless. It becomes an illusion of choice. These kinds of things work well in offline games, but when playing with other people, players prefer metas rather than what's -fun-.
I hate this excuse. Just fer example, XIV ain’t got any specialization at all, outside o’ choosin’ yer class, an’ people will still tell ya if ya picked a wrong one. If everyone was the same, an’ someone made a spreadsheet showin’ red hair gets ya 1 more DPS because it loads faster, blue haired people would eat shite. Ya said it yerself, that’s how people are in MMOs.

Stat points in XIV definitely qualified as an illusion. That was dumb, ain’t gonna defend it. But that don’t mean choices are bad, it means THOSE choices were bad. They coulda made the choice meanin’ful, but nope, trashed. Same thin’ happened ta cross class skills. An’ role actions. XIV’s got a problem o’ havin’ the thumbscrews on so tight in class an’ encounter design that there really ain’t room fer flexibility.

I’d say a lacka choice’s a big negative in MMOs, but it be a symptom of a larger problem. Parta old ones was creatin’ yer character an throwin’ ‘em out inta a world ta explore wit’ others. Now ya kinda just walk down the path devs created fer ya, an’ playin’ with others is a side thing that kinda happens sometimes. I can understand the appeal, I mean hell I’m playin’ this, but I miss real adventure.