Another day, another forum topic on the World of Warcraft boards making a comparison with Rock, Paper, Scissors. OK, I didn't provide a link because I didn't really check the forums to find that. But there's a zillion topics a day on this subject over there. The basic argument usually goes like this:
The best way to illustrate that is with the Rogue and Warlock. The Warlock - which, as one funny forumer aptly said in his forum signature, "Warlocks are like big fucking scissors that can cut through rocks" - is a spellcaster class that, broadly defined, does ranged damage-over-time and places debuffs to weaken targets. However the Warlock can use one of six minions that fight alongside him, emulating different classes. So it's basically nothing much on its own, but can call upon a little scissor, a little rock, or a little paper to help him out. Suddenly the RPS analogy doesn't hold so well. My own character, a Paladin, can beat a Warlock unless that Warlock uses the Fel Hunter minion, whose powers are tailor-made to counter my modes of operation.
The Rogue is a more interesting, and simpler, example. Basically, if he manages to sneak up on anything, it's dead. This is a bit hyperbolic, but the nature of his special powers allows it to stunlock something - that is, pile up effects that all cause stuns which effectively locks the player into a stun loop while he is butchering the opponent. If the Rogue gets detected, however, his odds of survival are pretty low. This urges us to consider the context of the fight - another huge factor is what's going on around. If the target of the Rogue gets healed while being stunlocked by a Priest, Druid or Paladin hanging around and survives through the stunlock, then the Rogue has one or two tricks to try to run, but is most probably going to end up dead.
Context is brought about as soon as a game deals with depictions of navigable space. Rock/paper/scissors is a game where one makes a choice and that's it. Any game with spatial navigation implies maneuvering that affect the odds of success. Multiplayer is another feature that complicates the equation. And special powers that require skill and adaptability from the player is the last bit that makes WoW, and many other games, nothing like Rock, Paper, Scissors. So cut out the analogy already!
The problem I have with that is not that it's false per se - but it is..."inexact". Yes, Mages are long-range killers, and a Frost mage can chill the target with his Frost Bolts, slow down his movement speed, blink away, etc., which makes the warrior - a close-range killing machine - unable to reach him to hack him to pieces. Rock beats scissors. But there's a lot more going on, because if the warrior manages to sneak behind the mage from around a wall, or if the mage is attempting a long-cast-time spell and the warrior manages to use his Charge to rush up to him, he's going to murder him really quickly. (Back in the 1.x days, they could get one-shotted, if memory serves me.) Scissors beat rock?OMG I went to this battleground the other day with my 70 warrior, and a mage just three-shotted me!Yeah well, I'm rock and you're scissor. Big deal huh?
The best way to illustrate that is with the Rogue and Warlock. The Warlock - which, as one funny forumer aptly said in his forum signature, "Warlocks are like big fucking scissors that can cut through rocks" - is a spellcaster class that, broadly defined, does ranged damage-over-time and places debuffs to weaken targets. However the Warlock can use one of six minions that fight alongside him, emulating different classes. So it's basically nothing much on its own, but can call upon a little scissor, a little rock, or a little paper to help him out. Suddenly the RPS analogy doesn't hold so well. My own character, a Paladin, can beat a Warlock unless that Warlock uses the Fel Hunter minion, whose powers are tailor-made to counter my modes of operation.
The Rogue is a more interesting, and simpler, example. Basically, if he manages to sneak up on anything, it's dead. This is a bit hyperbolic, but the nature of his special powers allows it to stunlock something - that is, pile up effects that all cause stuns which effectively locks the player into a stun loop while he is butchering the opponent. If the Rogue gets detected, however, his odds of survival are pretty low. This urges us to consider the context of the fight - another huge factor is what's going on around. If the target of the Rogue gets healed while being stunlocked by a Priest, Druid or Paladin hanging around and survives through the stunlock, then the Rogue has one or two tricks to try to run, but is most probably going to end up dead.
Context is brought about as soon as a game deals with depictions of navigable space. Rock/paper/scissors is a game where one makes a choice and that's it. Any game with spatial navigation implies maneuvering that affect the odds of success. Multiplayer is another feature that complicates the equation. And special powers that require skill and adaptability from the player is the last bit that makes WoW, and many other games, nothing like Rock, Paper, Scissors. So cut out the analogy already!
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