Ratboy’s “Rant”icles #1

Bringing “Cheese” into the Online World

Welcome to Ratboy’s “Rant”icles; brought to you by me (Ratboy).  As a quick introduction to what exactly this is, allow me to explain…  A “Rant”icle is half-way between a rant and a structured article, a writing style that is predominant in many forums out there.  We here at TenTonHammer are always trying to bring you the best news and information from a viewpoint that is “different” (sometimes like getting hit with a TenTonHammer), and these “Rant”icles are meant to bring that attitude into a different medium.  Since this is the first of my series; I thought I would start with something predominant in MMO’s, RPG’s, and Miniature games…  “Cheese” or players who simply like to “Twink Out”.

The gaming term of “Cheese” is used almost exclusively when a player does a combination that allows him to stay within the ruleset of the game, but is either breaking the spirit or theme of the game in doing so.  For those of you who have played Fantasy Battles, you likely all have an opponent who is considered by your gaming group to be “Cheesy”; someone who you may dislike playing because they use the rules of the game for almost unfair advantages; now what if that person were to step on over to the online world…

Since Warhammer Online is going to be a large PvP game due to the Realm VS Realm system that has been established by Mythic; it seems to me that there will be players who go against the spirit of the game in order to “win”.  A good question is; “How can you break the spirit of an online game?”, if there’s a certain combo that you can perform, why shouldn’t you be using it if it gives you a decisive advantage?  There are a lot of sides to this debate; but let me be honest in saying that the online world is far different then the world of Pen and Paper, or Miniature Combat.  In Fantasy Battles, some characters can cost in the area of 800 points.  When a standard game of Fantasy Battles is 2000 points, a single character can amount to almost half of the points that you are fielding on a table, a prospect that a lot of players find unappealing.  In the Online world; there is no “points limit” for your character; it’s all about investment of time and effort in adventuring and collecting the different skills and equipment necessary to be the best you can be.  So if there are no points and it’s simply a matter of time investment; it’s certainly possible for one player to have the advantage.

My times on the forums for Warhammer Online have led me to see that there are a lot of people who still see it possible to be “Cheesy” in an online medium; I really can’t see eye to eye with those people.  One of the prime debates I’ve seen in lots of Online Games is the possibility of having single named unique items that only a few characters would ever be able to acquire; a prospect a lot of players find is a bad idea.  Using World of Warcraft as an example; the latest raid dungeon of Ahn’Qiraj had a massive quest chain that was needed to open the gates.  When the quest chain was completed and the gates were opened, only a scattered few players had the necessary items to complete the quest themselves, and these players were rewarded with a single rare item that had no impact on any combat aspect of the game (it was a special mount).  An uproar came from the players on this topic, as many found it unfair that a select few players were getting items unavailable to the “casual” player.  I say; suck it up!

On the topic of casual vs. hardcore players; that might be the best way to view the induction of “cheese” into the online world.  In Miniature Games there is no way to be “hardcore” and play your way to the top.  Practice makes perfect, but that doesn’t mean you can play miniature games to become the best out there; in fact many players of Fantasy Battles refine their lists online, taking the advice of others even though they are all still limited by a universal constraint (in this case a points limit).  In the Online World however, hardcore players become the elite, as they have invested hours of time into obtaining the best items and levels they can.  Again I refer to World of Warcraft as an example of an MMO where the Hardcore prevail; because even though every player has the same restrictions (levels and talent points), a character equipped in all epic items VS. a player equipped in standard gear, will simply crush his opponent (in most cases, but it is still a definite handicap for the later player).

Is it fair that players who invest more time into the game get more out of it?  I’m going to go out on a limb on that question and say; yes.  This doesn’t mean I like getting killed by a player who is “twinked” out in better equipment then I could possibly ever devote my time to getting; but I can take it like a man and not cry (much).  While that player may have the best equipment in the game and has devoted hours upon hours of time to getting it, I just remind myself that I am not 100% devoted to the game (just a good 80%).  When it comes to the Miniatures Game, I should always be on equal footing with my opponent as we are playing under the same guidelines; in an MMORPG I understand that’s not possible and I damn well accept it!

Don't agree with this article? Have your own views on Cheese that you think should be expressed? Feel free to post your own views on our Forums or even sending me an email: [email protected]