Post by Morreion on Mar 30, 2010 7:05:57 GMT -5
Jon Wood: Three Distinct Factions (MMORPG.com)
DAoC and Planetside showed that 3-faction PvP is a successful model because it is less predictable and more interesting in the long run. Personally, I think it would make for a much better default standard situation than 2-faction PvP. DAoC set the gold standard for organized PvP; other games should take notice.
It's not as though three faction PvP is something new. After all, the inventors of RvR did it quite nicely in Dark Age of Camelot. The lack of it is something that many people have pointed to as one of the reasons that Warhammer Online's RvR isn't as compelling. I think though that those of us out there who never had the chance to play DAoC have a more difficult time in seeing the benefits that tri-faction PvP can bring to the table.
First and foremost, three faction PvP breaks the tedium that often results from fighting the same enemies over and over using the same tactics. Adding a third faction into any combat mix complicates matters and makes the entire scenario play out in a less predictable way, adding to the overall excitement of the process. What happens if, for example, you hone in on a kill, only to be stabbed in the back by a member of the third faction?
Then, you've got to consider the fact that a third faction acts as a bit of a wild card in terms of single faction domination. If, for example, one faction is dominating, the other two factions can choose to work together to take down the first. Aion tried to do something like this with their third faction of NPCs, but there really isn't any substitute for a real live person at the other end.
I've been playing team vs. team PvP in FPSes for a long time, and I have to admit that playing with three factions, something that I thought would be a minimal change at best, has altered the way that I play the game and provided me with a unique experience above and beyond my favourite old mechanics in a new skin.
First and foremost, three faction PvP breaks the tedium that often results from fighting the same enemies over and over using the same tactics. Adding a third faction into any combat mix complicates matters and makes the entire scenario play out in a less predictable way, adding to the overall excitement of the process. What happens if, for example, you hone in on a kill, only to be stabbed in the back by a member of the third faction?
Then, you've got to consider the fact that a third faction acts as a bit of a wild card in terms of single faction domination. If, for example, one faction is dominating, the other two factions can choose to work together to take down the first. Aion tried to do something like this with their third faction of NPCs, but there really isn't any substitute for a real live person at the other end.
I've been playing team vs. team PvP in FPSes for a long time, and I have to admit that playing with three factions, something that I thought would be a minimal change at best, has altered the way that I play the game and provided me with a unique experience above and beyond my favourite old mechanics in a new skin.
DAoC and Planetside showed that 3-faction PvP is a successful model because it is less predictable and more interesting in the long run. Personally, I think it would make for a much better default standard situation than 2-faction PvP. DAoC set the gold standard for organized PvP; other games should take notice.
