stats vs skill
MechanicsComments
I am not sure that fits... a better racket does not automatically increase your speed or power in the way a plus fifty gear score does. Isn't the difference that gear in games often replaces the need for the physical action entirely?
This shift can actually make the game more inclusive for players who lack the reflexes for high skill ceilings. It allows people to experience the narrative and endgame content who otherwise would be locked out by a mechanical wall.
The claim that gear scores automate victory is a stretch for some genres. In high end raiding, hitting a gear floor is usually just the entry requirement; the boss mechanics still kill you regardless of your stats if you miss the markers.
Consider the parallel in professional sports equipment. While a better racket does not play tennis for you, it does raise the ceiling of what is physically possible, which might be how some developers view gear scores.
We have to consider the shift toward the live service cadence, where power creep is a deliberate retention tool. When the goal is infinite engagement, designers use vertical progression to create an artificial sense of urgency that overrides the intrinsic satisfaction of skill mastery.
If power creep is the engine for retention, does that mean skill is now just a secondary monetization hook? Are we just paying for the privilege of feeling skilled again?
I have seen this in too many ARPGs lately. You spend forty hours mastering a build only to realize a small stat increase from a rare drop completely negates the need to actually dodge or time your attacks.
stats are just a way to quantify time spent for people who cannot practice.