[Sitka]

I was looking through the thread on "who's the best." Unfortunately, these things always turn into a chest-thumping, "I'm a God" type thing or a popularity contest and it's difficult to get a true measure of how good someone really is.

I would love to see ST take this natural desire to excel (and brag) and turn it into a contest. Here's how I would see it happening.

You have solo challenge month. Everyone that wants to participate has a month to take as many characters as they wish through all nine or all five challenge stages for Episode 1 and Episode 2. Your time is based on how well YOU play the game and not how good your teammates were (we all know about the c-mode self-proclaimed GODS out there who have overall good times because they had the fortune to run with three studs).

Everyone starts off with exactly the same gear/techs etc....

All stages are run solo. If you die, you start at the beginning of the stage and have to run to the last area you were at - the game doesn't reset - you just keep on playing.

Your stage and cumulative times are recorded and posted for everyone to see and at the end of the month, the top players for each class are rewarded with a unique/special weapon that no one else can get.

This, then, would be the true "best player" who on a level playing field can achieve the fastest time (s)for each class.

The beauty of this type of a contest is if you consider yourself to be the best ever Ramar, you could run this 24-7 for a month to try and prove it. If you consider yourself a great all around player, run every class as best you can - they might even award an overall champion for the individual with the best cumulative time for all 12 classes - now THAT would be something!

Just a thought I had - but I know I would enjoy the hell out of such a contest.

Hmmmm - maybe it could just be another feature of the game in addition to team challenge mode, solo challenge mode.

I could see Slon and some of the other folks like myself who have taken characters through c-mode using multiple controllers offline doing well with this.

If the thought of tackling Flow/Falz solo with a low-level hucast/hucaseal sounds a bit daunting (it does), they might even lower the enemy stats or increase the player stats a bit to give more people a realistic chance of completing the challenge.

Oh, I ramble - just thought I'd put it out there for y'all to consider.

[Blitzkommando]

Interresting idea, but, some of the awards would not happen or be very difficult to do on BB. Specifically: Being the best at all twelve classes. While you could re-create all the classes, that would be a pain to do. Plus, many people already have all four classes picked out and don't have the spare slot to do so. Now, if Sega implimented this with the ability to have, say, 12 characters, that would be awesome.

It could be fun, but there would be those people who already do too much chest thumping that would go overboard, then complain if they don't get 'the best'. We already have the 'best team' type competition on BB, adding this could make tension within a team go beyond the breaking point. This contest could only work in an environment of modest and mature people, which, obviously is impossible. Especially with PSO.

Overall, I like it, it would be fun. I would love to be able to say, "I'm the best RAmarl." But, hey, I don't care that I won't. I already know I love playing as that class, no need to show off that I do.

[Shigecki]

On 2005-11-10 12:35, Sitka wrote:

If the thought of tackling Flow/Falz solo with a low-level hucast/hucaseal sounds a bit daunting (it does), they might even lower the enemy stats or increase the player stats a bit to give more people a realistic chance of completing the challenge.

Obviously you haven't been in a chellenge with Ajax. Been there, done that.

[Skorpius]

WHat about people who have the ability to, or the care to, play more often than others?
Or how about those who can't play Blue Burst at all?
What about Battle Mode?

And if this is Challenge Mode, it wouldn't be accurate, either. Challenge Mode is Challenge Mode, not normal gameplay. You wouldn't be playing BEST OF CLASS, you'd be playing WHO CAN MEMORIZE CHALLENGE MODE.

Also, who chest-thumped "I am God" in that topic? I didn't see much of that. I know, as well as others, that anyone can be "really damn great" at any given class. Just because I personally do not have a FOnewm doesn't mean I'm clueless and wouldn't know how to play as one.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Skorpius on 2005-11-10 19:42 ]</font>

[Sitka]

It's just another way of having some fun with PSO - just a thought.

No reason to go off yet again Skorpius.

Bah, why even bother replying.

[Skorpius]

I disagree with your idea, and asked questions about it, so you can explain it more. To me, your idea would just create more of an elitist persona among certain players; "Oh, I'm the best." if you look at that topic mentioned, you'd see how I don't have that kind of hierarchy mentality. I don't quite understand it, and I think it's unneeded in a co-oporative environment that is supposed to be PSO.

I realize I'm usually the face of opposition in many cases, but isn't that necessary to revise our ideas and make them better?

[Corey]

(Agrees with Skorp)

And Sitka, I do believe that if you post a topic on PSOW, others are entitled to post their opinion.

[Sitka]

You are entitled to your opinion Skorpius.

I just will make three short points in answer then.

1) I do play solo - a lot - for different reasons and would like the idea of a standard to shoot for. Rankings work well in many other games - why not here?

2) Challenge mode - which can be modified for individual considerations - allows for a level playing field where everyone gets the same weapons/spells etc and all have the same chance. In open play, too many variables exist to truly determine one's true ability. Battle mode is another way of doing this.

3) The "I am a God" referred to the many people I have played with that consider themselves to be the best when in fact they are not even close.

I don't consider myself to be the best, but I do consider myself to be competent and having a standard to compare against other - minus hacks/dupes/cheats etc... - is simply another way of making the game more enjoyable for those of us who like competition.

Enough said - as mentioned it was simply an idea that I wanted to share - if it's a bad idea, as you suggest, it will die it's own death without any assistance.

[RadiantLegend]

well there is challenge mode, normal and battle.

<_< i dont see how challenge mode is the only determining factor....

Solo quest? i like that idea.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Ragolismine on 2005-11-12 07:30 ]</font>

[Skorpius]

On 2005-11-11 16:50, Sitka wrote:
I do play solo - a lot - for different reasons and would like the idea of a standard to shoot for. Rankings work well in many other games - why not here?

Because games with a proper ranking system are competitive games. You can do Time Attack runs with against your friends if you want to, that would probably give you some kind of standard to use without having it forced onto players who wish not to be compared to the standards set by other players. If you look back at history, official competition in PSO has only caused severe drama and an influx of upsetting behavior by the PSO community as a whole.

I'd suggest making some kind of bracket tournament, with all participants recording their best times during runs of certian areas. You could have it set up for Forest, Spaceship, Crater, Episode 2, or whatever Quest, anything that can be done solo. Set up level groups, record equipment, and see who comes out at the top per character class.

Using the honor system, and a good set-up, I'm sure that could probably be a lot of fun.