The problem is...

by kapowaz, Tuesday, April 23, 2013, 01:43 (4020 days ago) @ breitzen
edited by kapowaz, Tuesday, April 23, 2013, 01:56

Now when it comes to grinding for armor, I think that is fundamentally flawed system (even though every buys into it) because my charcter is forced to evolve. I can't start out with the look I want, I have to 'earn' it by playing. I never actually feel like unlocking armor in H4 is a reward, it'd more of a "finally" feeling.

As ever, the devil is in the details. This is why I take issue with this kind of sweeping, generalising Cody decree: it has massive collateral damage for things that an awful lot of players do enjoy (consciously or otherwise), not only in modern games (as Cody would have you believe) but also in older generation games dating all the way back to coin-op arcade games. What is effect of the power pill in Pac-Man other than a reward? Mario's temporary invulnerability? Extra lives for reaching so many points? Smart bombs in shoot ‘em ups? History is replete with examples of positive reward mechanics in games.

When discussing grinds, frequently these are rewards for meta-game activities rather than the primary mechanics. I think that's an important distinction, because anything that encourages or prioritises secondary game mechanics over the primary ones is likely to be less enjoyable (that's why they're secondary mechanics, after all). Where these are concerned, yes, I think there's a danger they can be harmful to the game's sense of fun, but as with so many things, YMMV.