it's not that wf is a bad concept, or out of vogue... it's just old and tired... it was made, and became popular, for 2 reasons, firstly, it was a great and novel idea... a whole new world of gameplay to explore... secondly, because the idea turned out to have a very strong core of replayability... which accounts for the reasons farts like us continue to enjoy fireside chats by wf(a)'s graveside.
This solidity, at it's core rests on firm cornerstones: a partial paper-rock-scissors (+skill) class-based balance system, gameplay rewarding teamwork and chemistry among small closely-knit groups, and very fast-paced gameplay with a learning curve both wide and deep.
The lead weight is the novelty.... different classes, jetpacks, big explosions, a slew of weapons/grenades, suicide attacks, spies, automated guns, and grapples are all old hat... a dime a dozen-- even if you don't believe they're done better anywhere else, you have to admit it's far from unheard of. WFA is so kitchy, nuanced and over-the-top, that without a fresh influx of radical ideas, it has no chance of ever drawing a new fanbase. Part of it's personality is to be unique and different, but that's been robbed in so many ways, it now often resembles a tattered hooker.
There were serious problems with the game that were never truly remedied, but everyone knows full well about the steepness of the learning curve and all that (.... hard to find people willing to RTFM, experiment by yourself in a multiplayer-only game, and write text config files for 2 hours, just to try something different).
I dunno, I just wanted to type all that... and now I can't remember if this is the thread where ss brouht up the qcon convo about coding team interaction reminscing... I don't think I'd find it boring at all... my imaginings are that it'd be somewhere between a close clan environment, and a casual workplace... maybe 70-30, but uh, I am curious to know for shizzle.
WHEE!