First of all...
You will NEVER get better if you can not grow and adapt.
Secondly if you constantly hold onto the old and can't embrace the new then you may as well give up.
Seriously.
Check. Paid and played for 11 years. Not currently playing.
Seriously.
The game is ever changing and ever evolving. This may come as a complete shock to you but many of us have long since adapted and would prefer not to keep going in the same old same old direction. We enjoy new things new experiences and new skills and additions.
Cool, but likewise some of us don't want to be taken in directions the game really didn't have to go, without an alternative option, or opportunity for our concerns to be actually taken on board.
I don't want to do the same old boring things day in day out for all eternity.
Seriously.
Aren't you one of the same people who's often heard to utter that the game is what you make it?
If you're happy with the "new", whilst at the same time, the "old" (that's even in the current game) gets forgotten and left behind, then I suppose that's fine too, right?
Secondly adding arena's in no way makes things horrible... first of all I'm pretty darn sure they will be voluntary... so you shouldn't get all bent out of shape if you aren't going to participate. No need to get all upset about something you won't need to participate in.
Honestly I see them as another very good idea that really is long overdue.
Nothing I disagree with there.
Finally most of the things you mention holding you back are because YOU hold yourself back by not adapting to change.
Repeating your opening sentiment there again, but if "change" turns a game into something completely different to what it was, is that
always a good thing? Obviously open to debate and personal interpretation of course.
The only problems lately with PvP imbalances are this...
Faction items and faction gear adding bonus's that the "average" player can not achieve... do imbalance things.
Bingo! Oh, plus the factions system has never worked properly...
Hacking and cheating are rampant.
Always has been on one level or another.
Not all templates are created equal... and some are better than others at figuring that out. Unwillingness to adapt is your own problem not everyone else's...
EVERY template has strengths and weakness's it's up to you to know what those are... it's called Tactics and Strategy if you lack those you might want to work on them.
There always have been template differences. No problem here with that, nor the strengths and weakness' of each option.
My issue is with skill (yes and tactics and strategy) based game play, versus ITEM based game play. The two are poles apart. Arguably, the item based game play, removes much of the skill, the tactics and the strategy and replaces it with nothing more than numbers. If your suit and your items are numerically superior, your chances are so much higher that you'll win. How then, is that more balanced?
And finally I'm absolutely fed up with everyone telling me how darned wonderful it was "back in the day"... ok yes it was mindlessly simple to put together a suit and go out and hack things up... HOWEVER things were not as balanced as you think they were... Massive PK gank Squads STILL EXISTED THEN AS THEY DO TODAY... Hacks, cheats and that also still existed then as they do today... People always had better gear and better weapons than others... the time wasn't perfect... and you had people stealing everything you had... after spending 8 or more hours working at things someone was always quick to take it all away. Not exactly what I call paradise. I haven't forgotten that. You still had large groups of Reds who would gank you the second you stuck your head out of town.... not exactly what I call a good time... nor is that good skill nor is that good PvP and I don't know about you but I don't care what your skills are what your suit or tactics or gear does but 25 to one you can kiss your Arse goodbye no matter what. I'm sorry if I don't share your sentiment or love of those days... I don't.
I don't share any love of working hard to train up my 7x WW just to have something kill it in 20 seconds and me to lose it forever. NO sorry but that never appealed to me then and it still doesn't appeal to me now.
Like to see you replace that "gear" in just a trip to the smiths..... nope sorry not going to happen.
See, let's turn things around here. Sounds to me like
you couldn't "adapt" to things the way they were back then. You clearly weren't happy, but how are you any more "right" about adapting to things now, as opposed to those who aren't happy? See my point? Probably not...
you have what
you want now...
Also, you play Great Lakes and so did I back then. I didn't suffer as greatly as you seem to. I wasn't a red PK (except in occational RP activity amongst friends), most of my game play was non-PvP, but I did adapt to the environment the game was based in and enjoyed the thrill and the challenge much more.
I'll not say that everything was peachy back then, nor was the game "perfect" by any stretch, but in my opinion it was a much stronger and better game back then, certainly before AoS and irrespective of Renaissance, which didn't make a whole deal of difference to me personally, apart from splitting up groups of players I spent time with, which was the biggest downside.
I think most of you who miss those times miss the community.... WHICH was Much larger back then. We all had a bunch more friends... guildmates and comrades. Something most all of us are lacking now.
I think anyone on any side of the fence, or even sat on the fence, will agree they miss the numbers of players back then.
And if you ask me one of the biggest things missing of late... is common courtesy and common sense as well as a bit of compassion. Seems to me the game has gone from a MMORPG to something more along the lines of a What's In It For Me I Pay So I Deserve Everything Everyone Else Has Handed To Me On A Silver Platter Because I'm Too Lazy Too Actually Play Give It To Me Now, Game!
And I'm totally disgusted by the constant whining about stuff at every event, after every publish and after every update.
You can't even hardly hold a decent community event anymore because everyone who comes expects you to drop 30 mill per person on them or they just don't have a good time... People are so concerned about just getting stuff or how much crap is worth that no one gives a hoot about the actual point of the game which hello..... Is to have FUN... Isn't that why we all play?
If it's not fun what are you doing paying for it? If your just in the game out to make a buck then I sure wish you'd go somewhere else... and if the game isn't fun for you unless you make everyone around you miserable then please find another game and a good therapist.
Nope, can't find any argument here. For me, many points you raised are the fault of item-centric game play, which arguably created both "need" and "greed".
Ever considered though, that those that didn't whine and got on with playing the game, well, there aren't many of us playing the game any more? Did the whiners win?
As for the "me,me,me's", I always thought they were better off sticking to single player games. Making a buck? Never entered my head, I always just wanted to play a game. Making others miserable? Nope, I always tried to help people, but I know what you mean. Still, in some respects, a response to one groups chosen style of game play, might not be another's cup of tea. Neither are right or wrong, they just enjoy different aspects of the game.
In that respect, it's a bit like the anti-PvP crowd or the anti-trammie crowd. The problems only arise when they're both forced upon one another. I understood the reasons for the facet split, but not the methodology used. I believe there were better options.
I play to have fun... and to role-play. Perhaps all you who are complaining should take a good hard look at why you pay to play this game and go from there.
And then finally and certainly this is not the last time I'll say this... If you can't offer anything but complains shut up. One thing is for sure... criticism is fine... and all but it helps more than anything to not only offer constructive criticism but good helpful hints and suggestions to IMPROVE things. If all you do is put things down and you don't offer solutions or advise then perhaps your in need of therapy more than I am.
I agree that constructive criticism is the best form of criticism. But how long, when it seems that those in charge aren't listening, is one expected to remain as constructive as I'm sure they want to be.
Personally, when that point is reached, I would (and did) vote with my wallet.
Now. If it's not affecting you... ie if the addition of an Arena isn't your "cup of tea" ...... don't be so quick to criticize it. Honestly if it's not your thing then clam up. Don't participate... no one will make you. As for those of us who are looking forward to it... be sure to test it on Test Center when it becomes available and offer advice and be sure to report anything and everything you think needs fixed.
Too often folk are quick to put something down without testing it or without trying to help improve it. This is our game... and as a community we should speak up if things are NOT right... we should also speak up when the ARE... giving the DEV's an Idea on what we do and do not like. If you sit there and do nothing then the state of the game is as much your fault as it is the DEV's and EA's.
Agree with this too.
In some respects your first paragraph echo's my own sentiment, when it comes to the "classic" option. If it doesn't affect the game play of
your production shards and you have the choice
not to participate on a "classic" shard, were they to happen, then what is the problem? The only fair argument that has been raised by those "against", is the matter of development time and resources. Personally, I'm not too blinkered to understand that argument.
The last paragraph too, I agree with the sentiment. I have to wonder though, that it's a shame that some of the silent majority, who preferred to just play the game, didn't have much of a chance to speak up when various changes were made. Once made, it was always too late. Nothing that many consider to have "failed", ever seems to have been reversed or changed really. Once it's done, it's done.
Here's the final straw reason why I quit the game MalagAste. I simply got bored that all players seemed to want to talk about, was items, or item properties, or whatever... relating to items. Not how to get them, the fun or challenge of getting them, the strategies of beating foes that have them, or even the
pride of having them.
I also feel that since item properties are so readily on display, the game has lost its "mystique", now everyone knows pretty much, what's under the hood. That really should never have been "exposed" in my opinion.