I hate when people say, "That's not fair!" Fairness does not actually exist. It is a child's concept of how the universe should work and has no place among mature adults.
Cries of "Unfair!" most commonly arise in MMOs immediately after loot distribution. Whoever thinks they should have gotten loot, plays the "Unfair" card and proceeds to list the reasons they should have received the loot. Maybe they have a point; maybe they don't. It doesn't matter at they point because they are arguing from a position that doesn't exist.
Perfect fairness would mean that the same rules are applied to everyone, everywhere, all the time. Not only would people need to be treated equally; they would have to be treated exactly the same. There lies the whole problem, as soon as you treat everyone the same, it stops bing fair from someone's perspective.
Here's an example: 2 tanks have been raiding with a group for the same amount of time. They are both main tanks with equal armor and stats. However, one of them dies twice as much as the other because they have a harder time managing cool downs. As a result, progress has been much slower than everyone likes and there is talk of replacing the poorer tank as soon as a replacement can be found. A drop occurs that both have need for. Would it really be fair for the bad tank to get the gear? Isn't it in everyone's best interest for the better tank, which will be with the group longer, to get the gear? But can you fault the bad tank that much if they are truly trying their best? They are your friend, doesn't that matter?
Guilds get through this dilemma by establishing loot rules and systems. But no system is perfect. Even one that is simple enough to understand, yet complex enough to handle most situations will encounter situations where someone will believe they are being treated unfairly. Not maybe, not if, it WILL happen, and it's one of the most common problems that split groups.
Can we agree that fairness is an unattainable idea? The most we can hope for is that we strive for justice, the administering of proper punishment or reward. Justice has room for common sense and mercy, fairness does not. Fairness is tyranny. No one would like fairness if it were ever actually applied.
I'd like to see this community agree on 3 things:
1. We will not be fair
2. We will make mistakes
3. We will deal with it like mature adults
This extends beyond MMOs and to all our dealings with each other. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.
Cries of "Unfair!" most commonly arise in MMOs immediately after loot distribution. Whoever thinks they should have gotten loot, plays the "Unfair" card and proceeds to list the reasons they should have received the loot. Maybe they have a point; maybe they don't. It doesn't matter at they point because they are arguing from a position that doesn't exist.
Perfect fairness would mean that the same rules are applied to everyone, everywhere, all the time. Not only would people need to be treated equally; they would have to be treated exactly the same. There lies the whole problem, as soon as you treat everyone the same, it stops bing fair from someone's perspective.
Here's an example: 2 tanks have been raiding with a group for the same amount of time. They are both main tanks with equal armor and stats. However, one of them dies twice as much as the other because they have a harder time managing cool downs. As a result, progress has been much slower than everyone likes and there is talk of replacing the poorer tank as soon as a replacement can be found. A drop occurs that both have need for. Would it really be fair for the bad tank to get the gear? Isn't it in everyone's best interest for the better tank, which will be with the group longer, to get the gear? But can you fault the bad tank that much if they are truly trying their best? They are your friend, doesn't that matter?
Guilds get through this dilemma by establishing loot rules and systems. But no system is perfect. Even one that is simple enough to understand, yet complex enough to handle most situations will encounter situations where someone will believe they are being treated unfairly. Not maybe, not if, it WILL happen, and it's one of the most common problems that split groups.
Can we agree that fairness is an unattainable idea? The most we can hope for is that we strive for justice, the administering of proper punishment or reward. Justice has room for common sense and mercy, fairness does not. Fairness is tyranny. No one would like fairness if it were ever actually applied.
I'd like to see this community agree on 3 things:
1. We will not be fair
2. We will make mistakes
3. We will deal with it like mature adults
This extends beyond MMOs and to all our dealings with each other. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.
