I remember when we had epic slow motion battles.
No, I don't mean the fighting was slow- it was fast. Faster than it is now, faster than native. It made everything count. To win against an equally skilled opponent, you had to play a perfect game- to line up all your blocks in fractions of a second and launch an offensive based on instinct.
Sure, this sounds like nostalgia from an older player, but you know what? I took a gander on a native duel server last night, and the pace was faster. There were more epic moments frozen in time- moments that actually raised my heart rate up a little. And, yes, I know, increasing the pace of the game would bring a return to more 'spam', but, if there's anything I've learned about this game, it's that you're only spammed because you allow yourself to be.
It made me realize that combat in cRPG these days is played like a chess-game- and the length of a single fight is only limited by the impatience of it's participants. I mean, I've been in a freakin' fifteen minute duel. It's lost that frenetic pace that managed to loosely conjure the feel and exhilaration of physical competition- something that few games can achieve.
Ultimately, I agree with the reasons that slowed cRPG down. For starters, it's a lot easier for new players to learn the game, and the slower pace evens the playing field for many since we've moved away from our Flash-like speeds. It's just that...I can't get over the fact that it's just not as much fun as it could be at a faster pace. I'd love to see the developers raising the speed bar just a little bit- to about native levels, if not cRPG's previous time-defying levels.
However, another advantage to the slower speed is that the ping difference isn't as big a deal as it used to be. Gah. There are plenty of reasons for the speed to be the way it is, and only one reason for it to be faster: my personal pleasure.
I'm curious to see how many others share a desire for a faster pace.