This is a theory I have been working on for about two weeks that used extensive study and critical thinking. If you want to reply, please do it with an open mind and respect for my research. I'll be more than happy to clarify anything you want me to, but this was done to hopefully settle any further "skill" related debates regarding rule settings.

                                            Critical Moment: The most crucial part in winning a game.

To quote an old saying: “It’s not over until the fat lady sings”, but when does that fat lady sing? I believe that there is a window of opportunity in competitive gaming that I call the “critical moment”. The “critical moment” is the part of the game where the winner is decided, maybe not by the game, but a careful eye can see when one player has triumphed over the other and all that’s left is the finishing blow.

An in-game match can be divided into three parts: “The Beginning” which is where both players set up for their victory, either mentally or strategically, “the middle” where the battling takes place and “the end” where the victor can clearly be seen. Now in an in-game match, the players use “the beginning” to set up their fight which takes place in “the middle”. Imagine “the middle” of being like game of tug of war. It can go back and forth but once a player gains the upperhand they win the game, the upperhand being called “critical moment”. “The end” is clean up so that game can officially end.
Traditionally, the “critical moment” in a fighting game like Tekken or Virtual Fighter, I believe, is in the middle. I’ve been playing some traditional fighters lately and if I noticed anything, it’s that most players can tell that they lost in the middle of the game (this is of course assuming that the two players are seriously trying to win and the room for error must remain small). In the traditional fighter, the game is over when one player reduces the other player’s health to less than half or even to a quarter through a chain of combos and there becomes a significant difference in health. Once that happens the player with more health has already won as long as they continue to play seriously and not become over-confident. Now, the longer the health bars between the two players remain close, but damage is still being dealt, then the critical moment becomes smaller and smaller, but it still exists, although between two equally matched opponents, the critical moment can very well towards the end, but it still remains the “middle” of the fight.
Now, what about a game where there are random factors? Another phrase comes to mind: “Beating the odds”. When a game like Mario Kart adds random factors such as items, what it does is make “the end” almost non-existent, there is just a beginning and an end. Now, to continue with the Mario Kart example, it’s highly possible to be in first place for the entire race, only to be hit by a blue shell or a red shell and get third or fourth. In a traditional style racing game, being in first for the entire race might have the critical moment pass as soon as that player pulled ahead of everyone else, but in Mario Kart, the critical moment was the last half second...”the end” is not even present. Now, this does not necessarily randomize the winner every time, but instead introduces a very different kind of strategy. While a traditional racing game might have the players fighting for first place the entire time, a racing game like Mario Kart has plenty of random factors that could cause some strategies to include hanging back in third or fourth place until the end and then using the item advantage to win first place. Since the odds are that the further you are from first place the better the items, then hanging in a lower place on purpose can be called “beating the odds”, while at the same time, there are the chances that the odds work against you. What that does is create a constant need for adjusting strategies. In Mario Kart, second place seems to provide the same kind of items that first place does, so when the third lap starts, some players find it easier to make a comeback by dropping a few places, but always keeping the competition close so they can’t drift too far ahead. At the same time, the person in first wants to create as much distance as possible so they’ll do whatever it takes to slow the opponent down, but the need comes, they can change strategies. This happens deep into the game and makes “critical moment” occur at the very end.
Now, every now and then, a game appears that has a multitude of options that can used to drastically change the game. One such famous game is the Super Smash Series, which is quite famous for having either it’s random factors turned on or off. What does this do? Well, by turning the random factors off (items, stage events, etc.) the critical moment is towards the middle of the match. In some cases, two evenly skilled opponent’s may know the winner of the game from the very first point scored. This method requires a lot of training and repetition to master, usually a dominating strategy can overcome all and once a player has began their push for dominance, it is very hard to recover from it. When the factors are turned on, the critical moment is pushed back, towards the end of the game. Scoring the first point doesn’t necessarily mean you win the game, even between two equally matched opponents. This kind of play requires a better sense of reaction time, the ability to formulate plans on the spot and use the random factors to your advantage while keeping the odds that the random factors will harm you low. Now, when you take a player who predominantly plays with the critical moment in the middle of the game, adding random factors will throw them off. They usually come into play with a strategy to win and counter strategies to counter other dominant strategies. The random factors give them something they can’t prepare for before the game. There is no “first I do this, followed by this, if he does this, I counter with that”. On the other hand, players who play with the critical moment closer to the end of the game, then planning complex strategies is rendered more or less useless. Instead, simple situation strategies are formed. “If this happens, I do this, if they get it, I counter with that, etc.” and it becomes less dependent on what the opponent is doing, but more dependent on the situation.

If we further continue with the Super Smash example. When all random factors are turned off (usually no items on a flat level called Final Destination or other simple levels) long chains of combos can be performed, often characters weaknesses and strengths are amplified, and surprise attacks are harder to pull off due to the opponent paying more attention to you instead of their surroundings. If random factors are turned on, long combo chains are harder to pull off, characters strengths and weaknesses are downsized creating a more balanced environment , surprise attacks are easier to pull off, and mistakes are a thousand times more fatal. When random factors are turned off, accidentally killing yourself can be no problem. If you know you could eliminate all their lives easily or make up the points then you have won the critical moment. However, when those factors are turned back on, an accidental death could lead to a loss of the critical moment, and thus the game. But still, it’s not always the case, which is why the critical moment still resides at the end, however if your opponent can utilize the random factors better than you or can counter your utilization, then at a certain point they will win the critical moment. Another example could be in the Halo series, which can compete in teams or free for all’s. Now, let’s establish a rule setting for this example, normal map weapon placement, on really any level, but we’ll say Coagulation (a relatively flat level, with two bases at each end, a cave running along one side and rocks running along the other, and one high sniper spot). Here, teams can win the critical moment fairly quickly. Equally skilled teams will have to fight harder to gain that advantage, but at some point a critical moment is gained, especially once a rather large lead is established. Now, if we change that rule setting, to something like, random starting weapons, where any weapon can be given to a player as soon as he respawns. This random factor will push the critical moment back towards the end of the game, and even huge leads can be taken away through random factors. While the first rule setting relies on superior tactics that often need perfecting through planning in advance and practice, the random rule setting requires a knowledge of how each weapon works, how to utilize them and quick on the spot strategizing.

Now, let’s leave the realm of video games for a moment and explore the real life critical moments. Boxing, a one on one sport where two players attempt to pummel each other using a variety of sport specific skills in a square ring, has no random factors, everything relies on their training and strategizing beforehand. Here, there are very little random factors and thus a critical moment can be seen as soon as someone gains dominance, very rarely does it change after that. Now a game like baseball has its critical moment towards the end due to random factors that affect the game. Normally, all players want to hit a homerun and score for their team, but often that doesn’t happen, mainly due to the unpredictability of hitting a spherical object against a cylindrical object. From that players and coaches (who might even be considered the equivalent to a player in video game terms) have several factors to analyze every inning. Who is pitching and batting and what are their strengths and weaknesses? How strong is the wind? What way will the ball curve? Should I call a steal? Is the pitcher left handed or right handed? Where will the ball land? Who should I throw it to? Usually, this results in either very high scoring games or very low scoring games, and even 5 or 6 run leads can end up in defeat at the very end do to random factors. To many, baseball is slow paced and rather dull, but to others, it’s the fact that the critical moment is at the end of the game that keeps them on their seats.
So a quick recap. Games can differ in when the critical moment happens. Games where the critical moment are in the middle, tend to be more practice oriented, where planning, set strategies, and forethought into certain strengths and weaknesses will lead to success. Games with critical moments at the end often have random factors within the game, and thus a reactionary strategies must be implemented, possibilities must quickly be formulated and executed in the middle of the game where time to think may be limited, and usually certain strengths and weaknesses become less apparent or even completely eliminated. Game designers know this, if they don’t then they have stumbled upon something amazing, because with this knowledge they can make a gamer practice whatever they want and know how to make a really exciting game.

Final thoughts: Is one way better than another? No. Does one way prove you are better at a game or require more “skill”? No. They require different kinds of skills, To truly become “good” at the game, a mixture of both must be practiced. Afterall, a boxer must still be able to predict the unexpected and know how to change strategies, and a baseball coach needs to make sure his players are strong and have a winning team before hand without relying on random factors. Sometimes, a game is too precious to let it half of it die. We must all learn to accept both ways to play and understand that games were meant to be played and enjoyed, so we shouldn’t let a certain rule setting rule over the game, and have arrogance determine who is right and who is wrong. We must understand that most video games are not just one game, but two games, maybe even three or four games or an unlimited amount of games. The customizable the rules settings, the more ways a player can change the game, the more games that come out of it. Imagine is baseball has a rule setting where players play barehanded instead of with mits…more emphasis would be placed on hitting and thus the game has changed completely in strategies and when to use them.