As I said, IMO, for a "serious player" of a game like this, no one wants to skip anything, even if it is a giant repetitive area like the Battlefields. Saying the Battlefields are optional is like saying side quests are optional, yes they are, but someone who's really into the game is going to want to do them all anyway.
Actually, Fireblade, I was referring to the "serious" gamer (myself included) and I look at the battlefields as optional. I think an 'avid' player would probably not want to miss out on the battlefields. However, I still contend it's not absolutely necessary that a player participate in them to complete the game. Curiosity is only part of gaming. Granted, it's not fun to play a game and ignore 1/3 of it. Then again, "not going" could be looked at as a challenge.
One could argue that the battlefields are the only place in Act one to sell merchandise. To this I disagree. There are other areas to sell items. And, depending on what type of character you're creating, what rule says you have to keep or even take everything you find in the game? (Or any game?) So, that negates that argument (in my opinion). <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />
In fact, there are a couple of players on this forum who are playing the game without utilizing the battlefields or summoning dolls. Sure, the battlefields can be used for pure merchandising but there is no particular battlefield quest that is required in order to finish the game. A "serious" player may say the battlefields are a 'crutch'. *shrugs* Then again, that would depend on a person's definition of a serious player, which (btw) is subjective.
Faralas <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mage.gif" alt="" />
