The Issue of the 10%-20% Power Differentiation

[Malorn]

Originally Posted by Raymac

Well, I don't know how to read, so I'd appreciate a little more compassion. OK, I'm kidding, but I did read that sentence, even in the normal font size, I just disagree with your conclusion, and I explained why I disagree. It wasn't because I ignored what you said.

Options are a form power but it is not direct; while a br20 can do more than a br1, they are on equal footing in the things they have both certed. Having medical makes a player more versatile, but in a firefight it isn't going to help you (a medkit would, which is why good players still carried them and they were available to all players regardless of BR). Having access to mosquito doesn't matter when you are indoors. Having access to MAX doesn't matter when you aren't in one. Same for infiltration and all the other support certs. In most cases in PS1 having more options didn't give you power - it just limited what you could do in your play session.

However if you got bonuses in addition to access means the BR 1 and the BR 20 would not be on equal footing.

Thus, the two concepts are significantly different.

Another way to put it is that in PS1 if you had the same equipment on two different players then skill and circumstance will determine the victor. If you have bonuses applied over time to longtime vets, then that statement is no longer true.

Bonuses over time is a fundamental change from PS1 - it isn't a continuance of a trend.