Do We Really Want the Shiny Event Item, or Just the Ability to Chase After It?

Do we really *want* the items that are proferred to us in MMO events? Or just the ability to pursue them?

The thought struck me as I finished up yet another losing El Dorado PvP match in The Secret World. It’s a faction based, collect and hold items sort of PvP match. In all the matches I’ve played so far, the Illuminati haven’t won a single one, it’s always been dominated by those dang Templars or Dragon. At least I was able to check off another daily challenge and that’s all that matters in the special item-of-the-month chase this time around.

The item up for winning is the Doomboard, a Hell-themed hoverboard mount. Do I want it because my character really “Hell” themed? No, not really. I style him more as your average joe-next-door. I don’t even think it looks that great, but… it’s an item to chase, and I do love The Secret World. So why not chase it? The chance to chase limited-time items isn’t one that comes around often in TSW, and any reason to play TSW is a good reason.

Illuminati defending the Center Facility in Fusang Projects

The worst part is, though, I don’t even *like* PvP. I’m not a competitive person and beating my fellow players isn’t something I would actively seek out. Then again, grouping up with them isn’t something I’ve necessarily enjoyed, either. I’ll do it periodically, just to check out some content I’ve never seen, but grouping for dungeons in MMOs I’ve found is just as competitive as PvP, if not more so. Sure, you’re all after the same target and same goal, but gear discrepancies, different builds, or experience will still separate you into the gaming haves and have-nots. And some players will go out of their way to tell you how much they think you’re a “have-not”. Social PvP, if you will.

To get the Doomboard, though, PvP and Dungeon running are a must, so I’m heading outside my comfort zone and trying new modes of play, just as the developers intended. I’m all up for trying new things, and now I have some nice self-made-builds for when I head down into PvP or dungeons, so there is that. Plus, I’m getting nice chunks of reward to keep making gear progress, too.

Tried out Shambala for the first time, too. With a win, no less.

The next-to-worst part, though, is that I may not even get it! Due to my reluctance and inexperience in the highest levels of running dungeons and content, I can still only complete just a few challenges a day, which puts me at an uncomfortable amount of playtime to get the remaining challenges completed. Dang it if I still won’t try, though, comfort zones be damned. If we all stayed inside our comfort zones, how would we ever grow?

In the end, if we didn’t enjoy the game itself, we wouldn’t care at all about the digital tchotchkes on offer. Sometimes, even the smallest of carrots is all it takes to get us interested again. Be it a starship that has never been flown, a special hat, a mount that will never be ridden, or a Hell-themed hoverboard. What matters is there’s a goal on offer, and if that goal is within reach in the slightest and we enjoy what it takes to get there, then why not chase after it.