So, with the Vytal Festival going on and a bunch of PvP fights taking place, I got to thinking about game design and interactions. So, I figured I'd take an opportunity to share some of my thoughts and let other people decide if they're relevant.
So to start off, I'm going to describe two encounters, one that I think is interesting and one that I find uninteresting. The first encounter starts off with Character A and Character B controlled by Player A and Player B, respectively, and the following dialogue occurs.
Player A: Character A does this!
Player B: Well, Character B responds by doing that!
Player A: Character A reacts to Character B by using his ability!
Player B: Then Character B will use his ability to counter Character A!
In this scenario, both Character A and Character B act and react in response to their opponent, and have the means to do so. Now let's look at the other scenario which looks very similar to the first on the surface. There is still Player A and Player B controlling their characters, but their interaction is very different.
Player A: Character A uses his ability!
Player B: Character B responds by doing this!
Player A: He can't do that, my character used his ability.
Player B: Oh, well then Character B will do thi--
Player A: Nah, can't do that either.
Player B: Then maybe--
Player A: Nope
Player B: What can he do?
Player A: Not much. Run, maybe?
Now, of those two interactions, which one seemed like the more interesting one? Because, from my point of view, the second one was bogged down by Character B's inability to meaningfully respond to Character A in any shape or form, while the first dialogue involved constant action and reaction taking place between the two characters. Essentially, the first interaction was made more exciting by "I can" abilities while the second was ground to a halt by a "You can't" ability. Obviously, this was taken to the extreme, there's almost always something that can be done most of the time; but I think my point is clear: "You can't" abilities rob agency from other characters and make interactions less dynamic as a result.
Now, to some of you, this may seem obvious, especially when given in a context like this. But if you take a look through my characters' profiles, I'm pretty certain you'll see at least one "You can't" ability. And if you look through the Vytal Festival fights, I'm sure you can find one fight where said ability made the fight uninteresting, if not two. And the reason those fights are uninteresting is because that ability robbed the opponent of potential options. Because said options were denied, they were put at a tremendous disadvantage. All because I pushed a button that did a certain thing.
Now, does my character have weaknesses? Of course! A "You Can't" ability is not in and of itself almighty. It simply lacks engagement. They deny opportunities instead of creating new ones. Similarly, "I Can" abilities aren't necessarily weaker than "You Can't" abilities. But, "I Can" abilities give something to react to. For instance, "I can shoot a bullet of ice that will freeze you in place!" "Oh man, it hit me. I try and break the ice with brute strength and continue my charge!"
Anyways, I have more thoughts on the matter, but if I write any more, this'll end up being nothing more than a ranting stream-of-consciousness post. So for now, I'll leave it here.