Game developers, including Infinity Ward, have been catering to their fans for decades. The consumer is *not* vein or out of line to expect or even demand certain features. I did not buy, or play Modern Warfare 2 (not that it ultimately matters, since everyone else did). By exercising more control over their product, they're actually giving us fewer options while pretending to give us more. This, "feel free to make your own game" nonsense is, well, nonsense. What Infinity Ward *has* to do to make a billion dollars shouldn't be the only thing that motivates them if they're actually interested in making great games. Valve certainly doesn't have to provide epic support for Team Fortress 2, but they do it, not out of the kindness of their hearts but because it helps grow their community and fan base and keeps their customers happy and loyal. If only more people could see past short term goals and bottom lines.

I'm good up to three. I get lost after that.

Hence the use of the world "element." I'm not being critical of your critique here, if anything I dug a bigger hole here with typos and judgment errors. I'm not trying to say that these games are becoming classic RPG's, in any definition of the genre, only that some influence is spilling over that line.

Exploration.. sorry.

Well, that may be what defines the genre on the purest of terms, but it's still pretty clear that progression goes hand-in-hand with the *role*playing genre. Typos aside, the point is that there are developers flying the RPG banner as freely as anyone else. Oh, and the fourth pillar is exploration! I've been up all night, I shouldn't try to argue :(

The trend is the progression elements in these competitive games, not the lack of mod tools. For what it's worth, though, EA recently announced that Bad Company 2 *will not* support mods.

Bioware defines the four pillars of RPG design as: *progression*, combat, and story telling. But what do they know about roll playing video games, right?

Here's me wishing I left the MW2 example out of the rant entirely. There is a relationship between the two, but it's hardly what I wanted people to come away with when they read this. The removal of mod tools effects people who don't fall in line with current trends, because it forces us to play the game as is out of box. Many Call of Duty 4 players play "promod" to avoid the pitfalls of progression. For what it's worth, I *don't* play MW2, and I do still play COD4. I am sorry that I was not able to communicate the purpose of that example more clearly, and certainly wish it wasn't part of the summary.

Different strokes and all that. I don't fault you for liking something that I personally found boring after the novelty wore off. I just wish that developers could approach their products in a way that made everyone *mostly* happy. If there were mod tools for games like MW2 and Bad Company 2, people who crave more streamlined experiences could make that happen on their own dime.

I have to wonder if having the bit about MW2 in the description didn't damn this entry. I admit it's not the most well written thing I've ever done, but I'm pretty clearly just using MW2 as a single example. I did not imply that Team Fortress 2 lacked a mod community or dedicated servers. I'm sorry I wasn't more clear from the get-go, and wish I had avoided the subject of MW2 all together. It wouldn't make it perfect, but maybe it would make my point more clear. I also realize that there message that is there is wishy washy at best. Thanks for the comments anyway.

This is a troll post. I did not explain the relationship between mods and RPG elements sufficiently, but there is one. I actually state it pretty clearly, but clearly don't emphasize my point well enough. The removal of mod tools means that clans can't play a rebalanced game without progression. I am sorry. That is only a single example however, and hardly what the entire bitchy rant is all about. I'll take the criticism to heart though, so thanks anyway!

It's only related in that specific example, and I admit I could have been more clear. I knew this was a little messy, and frankly I'm surprised (and delighted) to see it on the front page. The relationship is: 70 levels of perks and attachments are difficult to balance in an actual clan scenario. Mods allowed communities to build new rule sets and rebalance the game around the idea of competition. Without those tools, you're forced to play it their way. This isn't necessarily bad, especially for public play, but it puts a lot of pressure on the way clannies have been doing things for years. I'm not saying that we shouldn't have to adapt to new trends in game design, I'm just worried that game designers aren't trying to please their core fanbases while expanding their markets with these trends.

The mod issue is only related here in that Call of Duty forces those RPG elements on to the player. Most clannies in Call of Duty 4 play promodlive, something not possible in MW2.

I wrote this, and I understand a lot of the reactions here. It does come off as a bit of a bitchy rant, but I had good intentions. I actually like the blending of genres myself, I just am worried about the future of competitive games as a side effect. This is where the lack of mod tools has had a tremendous effect on the Call of Duty community. People don't compete in COD4 with perks and attachments. They play promodlive, which not only stripped down the customization of the game, but also rebalanced it for straight competitive play. Infinity Ward forces you to play it *their way*, which while not necessarily a bad thing still limits our "classic" experience.