Every time I look at the list of multiplayer Crucible games, a significant portion (sometimes more than half!) of them are 100 80 die farm or AFK farm games. It’s gotten so bad that even players joining my regular games often ask to do some die farming, often resorting to complaining or begging.
Now, I understand that this game is mostly singleplayer, and it shouldn’t bother me how other people play the game (it doesn’t); however, the mere fact that it is so easy and rewarding to die farm often deters players from playing the Crucible normally. This then affects the way they play in multiplayer and make it less likely that we can enjoy a game together. That is what I have an issue with - the amount of players willing to play through normally are dwindling in number and being replaced by these AFK or die farmers. Even those who enjoy playing normally are being sucked in by the overwhelming ease with which they can obtain rewards for doing nothing (it appears to be hard to have self control when the path of least resistance is staring you in the face).
I enjoy playing with others, and I hope that in the near future some steps are taken to deter this type of gameplay. For example, if one runs from wave 1 to 99 but dies, that person shouldn’t be severely penalized; however, if a player simply runs a single wave and doesn’t even finish it, why not reduce the exp/loot rewards to next to nothing? I can’t imagine it would be difficult to set up a sliding scale that harshly penalizes players’ drops/exp/tributes for completing zero/one waves (even at wave 100) but reduce the penalty for each completed wave. If one starts (even at 50 or 100) and dies immediately or within a few waves, I can’t imagine why there are any rewards for that anyway.
I feel like an excited kid just arriving to a playground and finding dozens of other kids to play with! Then, upon closer inspection, I find that they’re just sitting still, staring off into space while the teachers wait on them.
“Don’t you want to play?” I ask. “We’ve got to participate to be able to have our afternoon snack and juice.”
“Nah, man. I told the teacher that I’d accuse her of molestation if she doesn’t do what I say, so now I just sit here doing nothing while she simply brings me my afternoon treats.” He glares at me. “What I do shouldn’t concern you anyway, new kid.”
“I suppose it doesn’t, but it is disappointing to be so close to having a friend to play with, only to find out he’s a manipulative tool with no self-control” I blurt out.
“You going to go tattle to Principal Zantai?” He is starting to look angry now; it would appear this child fears change and will say whatever he must to maintain his cushy, lazy system.
It’s not the time for cowardice! I take a deep breath and reply, “You’re damn right I am! I don’t mind kids getting free snacks, but it shouldn’t be so easy and able to be exploited! I believe the school administration should continue to allow these kids to modify the way they play during recess if they so choose, but things should be removed from the core playground that make it overly easy to cheese the system.”
“Whatever man, go play by yourself.”
I shed a single tear, for I know that this is exactly what I will be doing.
