(Okay, one more long rant from me... and yes, I’m still here ;) )
Yes, yes... it is very irritating to have a game ruined by the human weaknesses of other gamers. After all, the entire point of the game is to match skill with other tankers... and what is the game then, if that challenge is corrupted by shallow, opportunistic, play? It’s a pointless, hollow, joke. And a huge disappointment.
But wait! THE ENTIRE GAME’S LIKE THAT! LOL. Especially for subscribed players. Instead of just playing the game, the top-ranked tankers are out for shiny plumage points. Instead of the way the game was meant to be played, they’ve developed routines of gathering these points that operate by opportunistic strategies. I’ve played a few times with a rank, and EVERY time (unless it’s in a full room) I get people that stop by long enough to get in a few sneak attacks then leave as soon as it’s legal. It’s common practice, and it’s a shallow, disappointing, joke. Especially compared to how things were in the “good” old days.
You complain about not having a room only for ranked tankers. You whine about having paid to be waited upon by FOD as though they were a bunch of nursemaids. You talk about privates and nonsubscribed players being detrimental to the game.
There already are rooms only for ranked tankers... they’re never used because all the high ranked tankers can’t milk weaker players there, or play opportunistically. FOD aren’t nursemaids, and there’s nothing in the subscription subscribers paid for that says they are; nevertheless, they’re working on it.. bear with them. That’s right, nonsubscribed and anonymous tankers are detrimental... but that’s only to YOUR game; YOU being those who are out for ridiculously false titles and empty prestige... you who have ruined the game, and now look to anyone with a marginal label to blame for the consequences of your own actions.
But I’m biased here. You see... I set high-ranked tankers on fire. I laugh when they swear about how it sets them back. I enjoy it when it makes them leave my ops. It’s one of the few tools at my disposal to influence the game in favor of straight play... also, if I didn’t, high ranked tankers would continue to LET ME KILL THEM for healing and rearmament, which they’ve incorporated into their opportunistic strategies.
However, I know it’s disruptive. It’s far more productive to create an atmosphere of healthy competition, anything else loses sight of what you’d be striking out for. For all you like-minded Fire-Starters (Nice term Tali... thanks for giving us a common label, maybe we should all start a guild! HA!), keep your goal in mind, know that there’s already a lot of gaming going on that’s less than “virtuous”. Go ahead and light the lamers on fire, but make sure they’re lamers, and be careful of the innocent bystanders.
Thorn: Right on buddy.