If you look at experienced players and the Rage Deletion Craze, it's very easy to see that our playerbase doesn't take losing well. It's a competitive game by design, and it tends to attract the overly Type-A crowd.

One of the consequences of a well-balanced game is that every dog has its day, and sometimes you're wearing Milk-Bone underwear. Player skill still trumps other variables, but every kick-ass character will have a tough matchup with someone.

One stat that I don't have is PK ratios of top-end killers from very early in the game, vs. now. My gut feeling is that it's much harder to win 90% of your fights (or land 100 kills) now. You can't just roll up one of the Power Combos and say "Oooh. Elf paladin. Time to take his lunch money.", because the elf paladin might actually whoop you.

valguarnera@carrionfields.com