tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648911643577600653.post4484683682251271115..comments2016-08-06T11:29:55.171-05:00Comments on Thalen Speaks: Optimization vs FunThalen Firebeardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04227969415274980276noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648911643577600653.post-71139363542750300662014-08-15T07:29:02.449-05:002014-08-15T07:29:02.449-05:00But I think there's another fact of life here ...But I think there's another fact of life here as well. I've certainly played games where I had what I thought was a decent build that seemed to be working well for me, but because I missed a crucial stat or interaction between them, I wasn't actually playing the game the way the developer intended. As the difficulty of the game gradually increases, I begin to run into more and more trouble until I finally get frustrated and play something else.<br /><br />Then my friend says to me, "What, you didn't know that 'acumen' was a 'savagery' multiplier? How did you make it to level 24 with zero acumen?" Suddenly, my character feels much more powerful and the game experience is completely changed.<br /><br /> This happens regularly with Hit in WoW, until they are finally taking the thing away. Playing a Ret Paladin has been to walk through a graveyard of inscrutable mechanics.<br /><br />Yet I agree that there's a difference between using resources to research your character and simply copying a cookie cutter build.Arcadiushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08889041159771345852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648911643577600653.post-28779693035603461992014-08-15T00:36:02.840-05:002014-08-15T00:36:02.840-05:00I was just hanging around in a GW2 zone the other ...I was just hanging around in a GW2 zone the other day and someone asked an in-game question of mapchat. The immediately reply back was "go wiki it" with a side helping of incredulousness of why someone wouldn't just watch a video to find out the answer.<br /><br />I remember when in my MUD days, the best kept secrets were passed on from worthy player to player, not just pasted onto a third party website. Feel so old. :/<br /><br />The culture has changed.<br /><br />Anyhow, I figure those who define the meta have to start somewhere and experiment and test and measure, in between their calculations and theorycrafting.<br /><br />Is it better to slavishly follow what is understood to be optimal and never deviate, or learn how to figure out what is optimal or not to begin with? I favor the latter, makes one less helpless and stuck waiting for others when patch changes come along.Jeromaihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02206083433625986970noreply@blogger.com