Last week, I talked about survivability in Champions Online. I mainly talked about passive defenses and stats -- things you can plan for. Anyone can adjust a stat build to be more effective, and anyone can get a defensive passive to adjust survivability. This week, I'm going to talk about something you can't get from a drop or gain when you level up.

I'm talking about player skill.

CO is one of the few MMORPGs out there that rewards player skill greatly. The game engine itself is reasonably well-suited to tactical decisions made in the heat of battle. Being able to react quickly to things occurring in a fight also often means the difference between taking an opportunity to attack (thus ending a fight) and having that opportunity wasted by standing around and blocking.

How do you measure up? We're going to explore an issue that persists between MMOs and even between genres. The magic that can be produced by dexterous bashing of keys is obvious, and yet often overlooked. Hit the jump, and we'll figure out why.

Continue reading Behind the Mask: Some things experience points can't buy

Behind the Mask: Some things experience points can't buy originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Jun 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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