I would just love to hear your comment on my views regarding TTK in FPS games.
My views are these:
- I believe that games with longer TTK favor different sets of skills to games with shorter TTK.
- Games with longer TTK are more rewarding to the individual skill of players.* It rewards players who are able to make headshots quickly and accurately. It makes it safer for players to cross open ground that is being covered by snipers, and safer for players to charge around a corner that is being guarded by the enemy. It is safer to do these things because less players are able to make the accurate headshots required to quickly put another player down. This promotes more aggressive play, where aggressiveness is defined as players being more willing to cross open ground or charge into guarded areas.
- Games with shorter TTK are more rewarding to teamwork.* If an entire squad can be gunned down by one person with a single assault rifle clip, then it is imperative that players move together in a more coordinated fashion. Infantry formations that minimize friendly fire and maximize arcs of fire on the enemy become more important. Crossing open ground that is covered by snipers requires assistance of cover (eg. smoke or friendly armor), or flanking maneuvers to take out entrenched enemy. Entering a room that is guarded by enemy requires techniques such as coordinated entry by a squad via multiple access points, or the use of grenades prior to entry.
- Games that have a TTK that is too low or too high are both frustrating to beginning players. If the TTK is too low the beginning player will get more kills, but they will be too hesitant to move into more dangerous areas lest they immediately die. If the TTK is too high then the beginning player will hardly ever win any close encounters, and will get frustrated when they empty half a clip or more into an enemy only to have them turn around and kill them.
* Note that high TTK also rewards smart play and team work, and low TTK also rewards individual skill - its just that in my view the sets of skills that are favored the most are different in both types of games.
From your experience, is this an accurate view of TTK in games? If not then why not?