Today’s question is inspired by a question sent into us ages ago by reader Camelotcrusade, and it centers on damage meters and their ilk.
“Should MMOs have accessible, in-game metrics for player performance? What are the pros and cons of building it right into the game, so everyone can be exposed to the same information should they choose to access it? Should it be private, public or optionally shareable?”
A lot of people will object to the idea of damage meters or other player-accessible metric tools simply because they think plugins are akin to cheating, but what if, as Camelotcrusade suggests, they are built right into the game, something everyone can access and learn from?
I tend to favor more information over less when that information can lead to better decision-making. On the other hand, I’ve seen some online video game tyrants equipped with fight parse logs really wreck the game experience for everyone else. It’s one thing when everyone thinks a class is underpowered; it’s another when the numbers prove it and lend credibility to class discrimination, and that’s just one example.
Where do you stand on in-game metrics for performance?
Every morning, the Massively Overpowered writers team up with mascot Mo to ask MMORPG players pointed questions about the massively multiplayer online roleplaying genre. Grab a mug of your preferred beverage and take a stab at answering the question posed in today’s Daily Grind!
