Mr Bhagpuss had a nice post about Everquest 2 where he said: "Those instances are still profitable but they're also fun for me right now because they're easy and getting easier every run." I like to think that my approach is quite the opposite and I like a good, challenging fight. After all if you know for sure you are going to win a battle what's the point of having a battle in the first place? But reality is a bit more complicated.

Firstly I think at least half of MMORPGs on the market have bad combat systems. When playing those games I have almost no fun fighting so if I can have extremely fast fights that I can win by mashing a single button I'll gladly take them.

Another issue is that MMORPGs tend to lock "hard" content behind either giant time sinks (killing a challenging foe a hundred times to get access to a slightly more challenging foe is no fun) or behind content for giant groups that's usually knows as "raids." While I like taking on a challenge solo or with a friend or two, I don't really like raids. Not only my skill and effort matter less in a larger group, but I also don't like the social aspects of raiding.

The last reason why I don't often see challenging fights in MMORPGs relates to my completionist attitude. While playing MMORPGs I usually try to do every quest I can, at least on my first character. Since most MMORPGs noticeable increase leveling speed over time so players can "catch up" I usually outlevel content I am playing by at least a couple levels. I guess I could make things harder by fighting naked like some people on forums suggest, but I don't want a challenge that much.

So yeah, while I like difficult fights in theory, I seldom see them.

Also yay! First post!