There are still players like that. They are just a little more to the normal level now and not quite as strong as they were back then but they can still be game changing. It's just more skill based than equipment/level based.
When it takes 5 PL guys with Huscarl shields to surround someone like Chase and pen him in so he finally can't keep slaughtering your entire team with a bloody awlpike, then there's evidently still some level of this present.
I admit there were some times when it would take ridiculous organisation just to get Finn of his plated horse, or to corner Pelilu and stop the headshotting, or any number of heavy platers...but there are still players in crpg today who can have a devastating affect on the battlefield and I actually hate to see on the opposite team to me because it generally means you'll lose. I think it just gives pubbys a little bit more of a chance to even the score though. Whereas before if one team got a couple of heavy platers with high level and moderate skill you were near enough destined to lose if you didn't have the same.
Thank god for pikes and Huscalr shields. If those five people had swords they would never kill Chase
Chase is killing people because he's simply that much better than them, same for every other player of his skill level. The_Finn was lamer who sucked so bad, his only strength was his gear and high level. When that went away he stopped playing.
Before this pike fest even I could easily win against four or five average opponents. Right now all it takes are two noobs, one of them with pike and your life becomes hell (paulstaggered to death). Pikes aren't epic dueling weapons but sure are one of the easiest weapons to kill someone in battle.
Also, Chase is rarely higher level than 31. He respec so often, most of the time you see him he's 29-30 level