During the 10th Aniverssary Stream Zos_Kevin discussed adding RNG to the Infinite Archive. The theory is that we get a bunch of RNG within the Infinite Archive because it is fun.
Well, I beg to differ. And yes, this is a TOT post, we will get there.
I was personally discussing with others how fun a boss rush type of dungeon would be in ESO since, I don't exactly know, but let's say around 2017. All of the monster assets already exist. They just need to buff them up, put them in an arena, and have them come one after another.
So it was interesting to finally receive a similar game type in the form of Infinite Archive. As it turns out, there are a number of aspects of Infinite Archive that I don't like and I personally wouldn't have implimented the game type with drudge through trash adds and as an "infinite" game mode. Indeed, a finite game mode would be less of an unapproachable slog, but wait, there is more.
And these sentiments aren't just mine, but also that of some of the people who have gotten extremly far into the Infinite Archive. It's the understanding of how RNG impacts the game mode and there are a number of archive instances that amount to drudgery at best or a waste of time at worst due to RNG factos such as the Visions.
And it is absolutely the case that the RNG aspects of Vision powering up, trash compositions, and Marauder timing act as aspects that frustrate the experience of the Archive. Maybe some may think that is an
opinion, but keep in mind how we don't get to experience the alternate reality where superfulous RNG wasn't baked into the game mode and where people don't have those aggravating things to deal with.
Onto TOT. And I know that with this specific piece of feedback I am screaming into the infinite void. The power generating starter cards are a wholly unnecessary dimension of the game which add the dumbest form of RNG into the most vital part of the game such that drawing those specific cards in different orders is the difference between success and failure.
The power generating starter cards are extremely player unfriendly. They inhibit low skill players who don't know how to handle them. They inhibit high skill players who just so happen to receive them in a bad order.
Some players create a meta-game around these cards in the hopes that the opponent gets one and therefore scummed out of making a strong first play while they don't have such problems on their key turn. What an extremly toxic form of RNG.
They artificially hold players back from advancing their strategy and prolong the game by the direct inhibition of purchasing power.
I have nothing good to say about the power generating starter cards and that is because there is nothing good to say about them.
I'll scream into the void extra hard this time - THE POWER GENERATING STARTER CARDS ARE THE WORST GAME PIECES IN TALES OF TRIBUTE.
And for those in the back - RNG ISN'T FUN AND IF WE JUST ASSUME IT IS, THEN IT CLEARLY BECOMES UNFUN AT A CERTAIN POINT - THE POWER GENERATING STARTER CARDS ARE WELL PAST THAT POINT.
I've written previously about these extremely unfun cards below.
https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/648279/the-latent-toxicity-of-the-power-generating-starter-cards