It’s all a matter of perspective

So this morning, whilst showering and having pre-church coffee, Margie was regaling me with her thoughts on CO (which were the foundation of the lengthy post I did this afternoon). 

After about, oh, half an hour of various gripes and complaints, I was feeling more than a bit tense. I realize (in retrospect) that it was because I felt like (a) I had gotten her into CO, and (b) she wasn’t having a good time, thus (c) I was responsible for her being unhappy. That she was going on and on about it simply made me feel like I was being righteously scolded for my iniquities (I can say “iniquities’ because it was, as I mentioned, pre-church).

I actually did voice my concerns and unhappiness over same, and was, in turn, reassured that, despite her various complaints, she was still having fun and that there were a lot of good things about CO, and that, really, her main complaints were (a) it could be so much better, (b) she felt like she didn’t know what she felt she needed to know, and (c) kill-stealing / spawn-stealing seriously sucks and any game that allows it deserves whatever opprobrium it gets. (I inferred the last item).

On reflection — and it didn’t take much reflection — her various gripes and griefs and suggestions re CO were, in fact, very well taken. They were also proportional — there’s a recognition that some things are Very Bad, and other things are just Mildly Annoying. And the fact is, once I stopped feeling all defensive about it, I agreed with nearly everything she said.

What seriously put it into perspective, though, was some skimming through the forums this evening. Oh. My. God. You’d think that Bill Roper and the various CO Devs were personally spitting on each person’s mother’s grave, and also selling their sisters down to Rio. “Game is screwed – quitting now.” “One last shot for CO to prove me wrong.” “30 minute Retcon grace period or i cancel my account.” “This sucks.” “Nerf is WRONG, WRONG, WRONG.” Etc.

In many cases, the complaints boiled down to, “I want a character that can do X, Y, and Z, and they are not letting me have that.” Some such criticisms were valid concerns, but most were akin (in style, and usually in substance) to kids screaming incoherently about candy not granted or toys not bought. And very, very few of them had any perspective viz where CO is in its life cycle, how most MMOs look and feel, and how game balance works.

Compared to which, Margie’s critiques are positively the Roger Ebert of reasoned, enlightened, perspicacious, insightful observations. She makes cogent comments that don’t involve invocations of DOOOOM! or assumptions that the Devs are out to rob her, personally, of having any fun. And she’s also quick to note the things she likes, too.

It’s all a matter of perspective.