Casual Vs Hardcore

The battle in every (almost) MMO, rages on, between casual vs hardcore players. You're casual you don't need raid gear! Why cater to a small percent of players, giving content that not everyone will experience? I read it on a daily basis in forums, on websites and so on. There is also the player like myself, the casual hardcore player. Not quite hardcore but you wouldn't classify me casual either. I'm not the average player, I have seen both sides and I tend to burn both ends of the candle, at times, in games. Sometimes burning myself out in the process. I try not to do that so much, these days. I do see both players views, though.

The questions. Why do casuals need raid equivalent gear if they don't raid? It's not the fact that they need or even want it, they simply want some goals they can work on also. Content to gain accomplishments within also. Take for instance Everquest's new expansion Underfoot, it's a much more brutal place for casuals when compared to the last expansion. If they can't do it, they don't deserve the rewards. Deserve? Who deserves raid gear? You feel entitled more so to deserve raid gear because the game is harder, which only equals more time,  flagging, networking and so on. Who is to say that is fair and what games should be about anymore? That is a sure way to doom any MMO. However do we want to be bored because the end content is so easy you finish it in a week? Of course not!

You can't design content, in this day and age and think it is fine to aim for one play style. If you aim for the raiders, the casuals feel left out and grow bored quickly. What is there, in terms of goals, to accomplish? If the raider is left out, they feel there is nothing for them.

Developers should always keep in mind, todays players are a far cry from the players who once dominated the MMO scene. Parents, kids, singles, people with busy schedules, people with time on their hands and everything in between. There has to be a balance in what is offered. Not one or the other.

What bothers me the most is the feeling of entitlement, on both sides. The negative attitudes towards people who play at a faster or slower pace. If other people with different goals in mind playing bother you, perhaps an MMo isn't for you? Perhaps not.

One thing is for sure, if you stagnate one side or the other the game is sure to decline and players get bored. I mentioned doom earlier, there are so many games out today these people that are ignored will jump ship. I suppose this post was inspired by a few rude replies to a casual player on the Everquest forums. It makes me want to slap frogloks and murlocs. Hrmm, I wonder if there is any relation to the two species...

Point is- It's not going to get any better complaining about how one or the other getting this or that. Why not, instead- ask for content for both types of content? Instead of thinking the other is an insect that should be exterminated from the game. After all, that is what makes an MMO.


-kaozz