Gaming Lessons

Good Riddance, Guardian: Your Number Came up Long Ago

As much as you remind us of Lockout, you’re simply not what MLG is looking for. You were always far too slow and far too easy to spawn-kill on. Did I mention you were a bore?

I’d like to say that I wish it could have worked out, but Heretic is just so much prettier and faster paced; not to mention Midship was always far more entertaining to play on, especially for Free-for-all. I also wish I could say it was me, not you, but that would be a lie.

It was all you.

We’ll still be friends. I think. You’re still good for 1v1… well sort of… the Octagon is a lot of fun.

I’m really sorry. Good luck in matchmaking.

Getting to the Meat of the Change

Haha, alright seriously…Why did MLG take out Guardian?

It’s probably a question a lot of you are running through your minds repeatedly I mean Amplified TS over Guardian TS? Really?

Well honestly, Guardian is just too slow paced for MLG. Games are much more entertaining when they are played at a fast pace; it’s what captures all sorts of people and brings them to the bizarre world of competitive gaming.

Think about it. If you were flipping through channels on TV and you seen Halo 3 people playing and there was little communication and hardly any conflict as people were hiding, you would probably watch for 2 minutes, 5 max, get bored and turn it off.

Well, perhaps not you as you’re a hardcore MLG fan, but the average person will. Now if the same person were to stop on that same channel and here the voices of 8 determined gamers going back and forth with callouts and communication, mixed with trash talking and a whole lot of conflict going on, well, it would definitely catch your attention—and it might even pull you right on.

Now Heretic, you’re something special. Let’s have some fun, shall we?

I have managed to pull many of my friends into the MLG circuit using some classic Halo 2 Midship action FB vs Carbon. Fast-paced gaming works. Guardian doesn’t. Plus, who didn’t love Midship? Heretic coming back onto the scene is pretty much the same as that drop-dead gorgeous girl walking through the door. Everyone, and I mean everyone, turns their attention there.

Put yourself in MLG’s Shoes

Okay so let’s look at this from the MLG gametype staff POV.

They have 3 new gametypes they want in: Heretic TS, Heretic Ball, and Heretic Flag. This means they need to get rid of 3 gametypes.

Many of us expected these to be Onslaught CTF, Lockdown Ball, and Amplified TS as the foundry maps delay is notorious amongst HDTV gamers.

Well, MLG took a deep look at this and although Amplified TS may have terrible spawns, it’s entertaining to watch due to it being fast-paced.

Take a look at Onslaught CTF, and it’s probably the most entertaining gametype on the circuit because of how often the professionals clutch against the odds. Lockdown Ball? Let’s get real for a second; that was going no matter what.

When MLG realized, and this is all just speculation, but when they realized that they wanted Amplified TS and Onslaught CTF to remain, they had to get rid of two other gametypes.

Constuct KOTH? No, take that thought and abandon it my hill-hating friend.

Granted, MLG isn’t a huge fan of hill either but Construct KOTH has by far the most strategic value out of any other gametype on the circuit.

So What’s Left?

So what’s left? Oh that really slow-paced map called Guardian—and look! It has one slayer and one objective gametype. Perfect, let’s throw it out and put new shiny Heretic in there. Done and done.

Quit crying. It’s not like you lost a brother. You lost a bad map that was only kept around because nothing better existed. Wah, wah.

That’s pretty much it. There are certainly other reasons as to why Guardian went the way of the dodo, but the primary reason was the slow pace of the map.

Rather than whine and mourn and complain, slowly working our way through the Kübler-Ross model, commonly known as the five stages of grief; let’s just skip it all and realize that this is for the better.

I wish I could say it was fun. But it really wasn’t. I suppose you could say we had some fun, well, as much as you permitted. But it’s over now. Call me mean, call me a sadist, call me a bastard: no matter, as I’m not looking back. Good riddance, Guardian.

About the Author: Bluestrike2

A student of economics, philosophy, and psychology at Duquesne University, Tom—known to the community as Bluestrike2—could be said to bring the rationality of an economist, the thinking of a philosopher, and the concern of a psychologist to the team. Drawing upon his work in these fields, he has helped shape Gaming Lessons into the company that it is today.