Reimagining Progression: The Mastery System

[Fencers]

to be honest, I have no clue what you are talking about...

Th Mastery system as described in the article. It lays out a system that: A. Is bound by play area, allowing discrete promotion/progression by specific play area B. Is barred from application till an arbitrary threshold is satisfied C. Is a limited linear progression of capability in satisfying the game goals. This is ostensibly an endgame, the first in the franchise history, which is quite a neat idea in my opinion.

Zito seemed to be talking about some broadening of play options post-satisfaction of the endgame. Which is not an endgame or relevant to my post on the particular implementation of an endgame as described in the article.

I suspect you gentlemen may be conceptualizing an "endgame" in a vulgar sense. However, that kind of "endgame" is not necessarily the only kind or even a standard model. That the Mastery system "broadens" play possibilities post-acquisition is merely the result of the former and necessary constrictions that limit play options.

However, I think Zito and yourself might be interpreting "limited play options" and "narrowing" as fewer things to do in a negative sense (like WoW perhaps). Rather than in the a more game design method of "requirements necessary for X, Y, Z". Which has no negative really.