I have a theory on why Americans are behind in raiding.

[Deleted]

They are more RP, even if not in RP servers. We in EU tend to be more boring in terms of Lore and mostly care about numbers, numbers, numbers. It might be a matter of a language barrier since if you don't get the Lore, how can you follow it. But, I don't really think it's that, I think the people are different in that regard culturally.

I have experience in an FPS game that had Americans being more about having fun in it (and showing off in creative ways), while Europeans tried to be mostly about pwning.

[xytech]

<---- Norwegian and one of the main reasons I love wow is lore.

[Deleted]

^ Well, don't take it individually, I'm talking about the collective result. Not generalizing.

[Velthy]

For me its just excuse for failing. You can be RP and be good, you can have fun and u can be good too.

[Aristeia]

I don't think this is the reason, perhaps more just PvP or play alts? I don't give two shakes about raiding, I only PvP.

[Whitcher]

For me its just excuse for failing. You can be RP and be good, you can have fun and u can be good too.

I hear someone coming in second place means they fail. True story.

So where's your gold medal?

[Lamora]

I'd say the faction of European players that don't have at least a decent passive knowledge of English, German, French, Spanish or Russian is quite small.

[Deleted]

It's because in the EU people tend to be more individually and do their best and you say "Eu players are better than US players!" well if you only look at how is number 1 that tend to be some Finnish guild. I've seen and heard several interview with them and other top guild and the trend i see is that i just said people in the US care more about each other than in the EU. In terms this should result in players that do better individual but they still need 24 or 9 other to do what they want.

Now this is my theory and put some bullets in it if you want to, i'm talking about the high end guilds here, not every guild that have HC reg down but thet few hat have him down within 2-3 weeks of paragon (or who's ever the first to down the content)

[Deleted]

Keep in mind they're only "behind" when it comes to top 10 raiding, ie world 1sts. When it comes to the average raiding guilds I doubt there's any real difference between the number of 7/7 normal mode guilds in the US and EU.

I think the reason they never get world 1sts is it's just much more difficult to be a hardcore top raiding guild in the US. In the EU when a new patch comes out the top guilds can just take their paid holiday which they're entitled to. The US has no mandatory paid holiday rules and so it would be much harder for a hardcore guild to spend 72 hours in a row attempting a boss.

[Deleted]

As an English guy, I find other EU countries have more lore nerds, in fact I often find those who speak English as a secondary language are much more interested in the literature and background.

[ambident]

players from the top us and eu guilds are probably more like-minded than you think

[jlcamero]

I think the reason they never get world 1sts is it's just much more difficult to be a hardcore top raiding guild in the US. In the EU when a new patch comes out the top guilds can just take their paid holiday which they're entitled to. The US has no mandatory paid holiday rules and so it would be much harder for a hardcore guild to spend 72 hours in a row attempting a boss.

My thoughts exactly its just a different life style in Europe.

[Slummish]

In America, we let subpar players raid because we're dating them...

[Sengiratolom]

This will most likely cause a "Us vs Them" debate, rather then talking about the topic.

The social security and rich-poor differences both influence the amount of time one can spend in a game, a persons preferences to RP or not to RP, doesn't make that person less or more skilled. In a game one can set targets you want to achieve, if your goal is arenas, then you will most likely play a spec, gearand team combo that you know is gonna work well, if your goal is raiding, you will spec and gear acordingly and try to progress with 9 or 24 other ppl.

If your goal is to collect an outfit that looks good, and to stand in a place were many ppl will be, to get comments about said gear, then be my guest and do that.

The 3 things i described (there are most likely more ingame things to specialise on, sorry if i didn't name your game goal) all require skill and dedication and embody a differrent approach on the game. The pvper will focus on setting up a kill, and the preparations for this, the raider will learn the combat system of his/her role and try to perfect this, the person focusing on the gears looks rather then stats, will spend time trying to get an original gear combo and will spend time being in said high atention place so ppl can see him/her.

Everything ingame can be something to be skilled @ or less skilled, the type of skill recuired varies, so does the type of skill you seek in others, when looking for more to join what you are doing.

Person A: known server wide for being "that guy/girl" that stands infront of the AH with the unique outfits.
Person B: Famous for the storytelling
Person C: Multi season gladiator
Person D: Top 10 guild raider

All of them will most likely respect the others acomplishments, even if it isn't their type of thing, and the others activity doesn't nessesarily have to be interesting to them.

I myself for example have no interest for Baseball @ all, but if i encounter some1 who is good at that sport, i respect that ability.

[ambident]

In America, we let subpar players raid because we're dating them...

this made me laugh

but it's true =(

[herpderpslurp]

i dont think there there is any reason, it just is what it is. one region has to be behind the other, and in this case its the americans behind the europeans. it could have been the other way around, but it wasnt.

[Rofl2mymao]

US use to hold up to the Top guilds I think all the Hard Core players in the US have quit or don't play Hard Core anymore most Conventions that are famous I always hear of are in the EU because for what ever reason Europeans seem to be more into it. I don't see many Hardcore Lore fans in the US.

[Deleted]

RPG games have always been an EU thing, Games that require you to think deeply have always been a easten thing, games that require you to shot things always have been a westen thing.

AoE / SC2 / C&C are gona be controlled by Easten gamers
DnD / WoW/ Diablo / FFxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx EU
MW / BF / GoW / Halo Westen

[Llyth]

Keep in mind they're only "behind" when it comes to top 10 raiding, ie world 1sts. When it comes to the average raiding guilds I doubt there's any real difference between the number of 7/7 normal mode guilds in the US and EU.

I think the reason they never get world 1sts is it's just much more difficult to be a hardcore top raiding guild in the US. In the EU when a new patch comes out the top guilds can just take their paid holiday which they're entitled to. The US has no mandatory paid holiday rules and so it would be much harder for a hardcore guild to spend 72 hours in a row attempting a boss.

This is not entirely true though. First of all, in any decent sized company you will need to plan your vacations months ahead, Second, there are several lines of work that do not allow vacations during certain months of the year (december is a great example, yearly revisions for accountants, christmas sales for salesmen etc etc). On top of this, many many people in my country work part time, and as such are not entitled to -any- kind of vacation. They have to ask for it, and can very well get a no.

That said, I'm not claiming corporate america is nice to its employees, I know first hand that europe gets much more leeway. But that doesn't mean we can do what we want when we want to (even if I wish I could). While certain individuals are privileged enough to be able to play whenever, it's more an exception than a rule.

God I wish I could raid whenever :<

[Deleted]

Interesting theories those about leave days in jobs, but I don't think it's technical. It must be cultural because if we go technically then people here in this southern country should be the best players in the world, but they aren't even if there is high unemployment. I have distinct memories of most games I've been into with Americans being more about the whole package and europeans more about the 'winning'.

It's probably the common oxymoron of "you aim for what you don't have". An empire that is winning does not need a game to feel that. Conversely, do you really think Europe is a continent that where it lives needs lore and stories? Where I live, next to me is a civilization more interesting than that depicted in Uldum.