neorants

I posted the following rant on the WOW forums, and thought I would repost it here.

So, this initially started out as a response in another thread, but it occurred to me that it was somewhat off-topic, and branched into a discussion all its own. My apologies if this has all been said before. I’m sure it has, but it hasn’t been said by me, and I’ve got to get it out of my system.

To provide some context, I had expressed my disappointment that a hunter whom I had heard some good things about in the past had admitted to using terrain exploits in an AV match. This evoked the response that I was “overreacting.”

I don’t feel as though it’s an overreaction to be disappointed that someone who is pushing for honor and rank is observed to be cheating or otherwise committing acts that most, when being honest with themselves, would have to deem dishonorable, because it further degrades the achievement’s significance.

I will never see Grand Marshal under the current system. I’m okay with that, because the designation is currently based on time spent, not skill. This does not mean that I believe the previous Grand Marshals and High Warlords are unskilled players. On the contrary, many of them are incredibly skilled at what they do. What I’m saying is that the GM or HW designation, in and of itself, does not indicate anything more than a dedication of time, like most other achievements here, and there are outstanding PvPers and those who are downright horrible spread throughout the spectrum of ranks. If I could manage to grind my way to Grand Marshal in a couple of months, I still don’t know that I’d “deserve” the rank. The system’s just not set up that way.

So then, the only tangible (insomuch as anything in this virtual world can be tangible) benefit to gaining rank is the equipment. Since equivalent and better gear can be obtained through raiding, this leaves two intangibles as the most likely reasons for ranking: personal preference in play (preferring PvP grind to to raiding as a method of obtaining gear) or the gaining of a sense of self-worth or respect from other players through the status attained, more often referred to as “e-peen.”

Ranking in PvP requires such an intense, concentrated time investment that the likelihood of a continued preference for PvP as a method of obtaining gear decreases as one approaches rank 14. I base this on the fact that almost every former rank 14 player has referred to the grind as “hell” in some form or another, and most scale back their participation in PvP drastically for some time after attaining their target rank, unless specifically pushing other team members. Therefore, I would contend that the primary drive for most players in PvPing for the hours required to rank becomes one of pride at some point as they perceive that, though the demands on their time increase every week, the carrot at the end of that stick is so close that they can’t possibly quit.

Sorry if it seems I have veered off topic — here’s why I think the above is all relevant. If the most likely long-term benefit to ranking up is to prove one’s ability to oneself and others, I would contend that this is easily done outside the confines of the ranking system. People remember the opponents whose skill is to be respected based on encounters they have had with that opponent, not the rank tag over their head, or the gear they wear. I knew Wolfhoof, Beastfeast, and Melephis were flag runners to be respected the first few times I ran into them. I knew Annomander and Regenesis hurt me… a lot. I know Polyphemus will make me a sheep before I can blink. And the entire Schadenfreude crew — well, they’re just scary. All of them already had the “rank,” before they started ranking. Greatness in this game is a lot like greatness in the world, in that way. People know it when they see it, and everyone has their opinion on what makes a player truly great. I could name dozens more horde-side and a ton of alliance folks that are incredibly skilled players, and I’m sure most of you could, as well.

In like manner, no matter what rank tag hovers over someone’s head, if they got there by treating their opponents and allies alike with disrespect, by playing the superstar instead of helping their allies, and by exploiting whatever they can to get ahead, heedless of any code of honor or sense of fair play, then their victory is hollow, and they denigrate the rank by their actions.

I can’t help but think that this server has seen its share of truly great players and genuinely good people, on both sides, disappear from the PvP scene, if not the server altogether, due to burning out on this broken system to prove something we already knew — that they were some of the best players of their class. And I wonder if they only realized that they didn’t need to put themselves through the torture to prove themselves — that we recognized their greatness the first time we encountered them on the battlefield — would they still be here today?

So, you’ll have to forgive me when I say I’m disappointed in people who are pushing for rank, or have already pushed, acting dishonorably. It’s just that they exemplify everything that is broken with this system, and it is incredibly frustrating to see the depths that people will sink to to reach their goals, going about earning “honor” in the most dishonorable ways imaginable, and, in the end, robbing only themselves of the satisfaction of respect well-earned.