friction vs convenience
DesignComments
Aim assist is not a crutch for most people. It is a necessary adjustment for the hardware; trying to be precise with a thumbstick is a physical limitation, not a skill gap.
I am not sure friction and mastery are strictly linked. In rhythm games, reducing input lag is a convenience that actually allows for higher level mastery by removing technical bottlenecks.
That brings up a weird distinction... do you think there is a threshold where a technical fix becomes a gameplay crutch... like aim assist in shooters?
look at the shift toward checklist quest logs. convenience shifted from 'easier play' to 'easier tracking.'
Auto battle systems are the ultimate soul killer. Why bother with tactical positioning when a script does it better? It turns a strategy game into a spreadsheet simulator.
It reminds me of how some modern strategy games use smart casting to handle basic inputs. It lets the player focus on the high level strategy rather than the mechanical stress of a thousand clicks.
What about accessibility? If a feature removes friction for a player with motor impairments, does that strip the soul from their specific experience, or does it enable it?
We saw this with the rise of accessibility toggles in the last decade. It did not kill the hardcore scene; it just expanded the player base enough to fund bigger budgets for the complex systems we like.