[Cardot]

Very interesting topic. When sliders became common place in video games a few years ago, I thought it was great. But I have also noticed that year after year I am spending more time on them, and less time actually playing the games. A few years ago, I would get a game, practice the controls for 5 minutes and begin a season. Nowadays it seems I put in 5 hours of gameplay adjustments before I am ready to begin a season. And I am not even overly obsessive about the stats (I really feel for those guys)...I just want a good challenge.

While I am now trying to limit my slider time, there is still alot I like about them. It is nice having an alternative when you are stuck between skill levels. It is also nice to be able to maintain a challenge when your skill slightly improves in one aspect of a game. If I find myself becoming a little too successful running the football, it is nice to bump a slider a notch, and not jump to an entirely new level, where everything becomes more difficult.

I also like the customizing possibilities. I want a realistic college basketball score, but I don't want to have to play 20 minutes halves to get it. A couple shooting % sliders can help me create these settings, while the guy who likes 20 minute halves can adjust them the other direction and have it his way.

It is nice when developers put in effective, well explained sliders. Often times, less is more. I never like seeing tons of sliders, several of which have no visible effect (NHL 2K4, I am looking at you). Or when there are sliders that you have no clue what they do (doesn't MVP have one called "Variable Stuff" huh??). Or ambigous sliders like a football game with a break block slider for the defense even though there already are pass block and run block sliders for the Offense.