In For Honor, a topic divides the community: Is honor more important than victory? Players set unofficial rules.
Last weekend, I played For Honor extensively. Whether it was Dominion, Skirmish, Elimination, Brawl, or Duel – everything was played back to back. With my Orochi, I fought through the battlefields, racking up numerous kills, going down a few times myself, and fighting bravely on. All for honor – For Honor!
But what does “honor” actually mean in Ubisoft’s melee game? For many hardcore players, honor holds an extremely high value. Honor is often equated with “honorable kills”, meaning kills achieved solely in 1v1 combat without influence from environmental hazards. Two heroes, each with a weapon in hand, may the better one win – that is the epitome of an honorable kill.
Many other players, however, don’t care about the topic of “honor” at all. They attack other players from behind and overwhelm them in numbers – as long as victory is achieved in the end. Even the “most honorable warriors” have to admit that in the 4v4 modes, honor takes a back seat. Especially in Dominion and Skirmish, fair 1v1 fights are rare. Here, it’s about quickly gathering as many points as possible – and you don’t get that by idly watching a duel.
Duel and Brawl – Fight here for honor!
For many players, the appeal of For Honor lies in the 1v1 battles. Especially in the Duel mode, but also in Brawl (2v2), fans expect fair duels. However, everyone in Brawl knows the situation: Your buddy goes down, and suddenly the second opponent plunges his sword into your back. Now it’s 1v2 – and in most cases, the team with the numbers wins.
This divides the community: On reddit, players often discuss heatedly and emotionally how dishonorable it is to intervene in such duels as a third hero. For some, victory is only satisfying if the fight was won fairly. Others argue that Ubisoft enables these 1v2 situations. There are no rules prohibiting it.
Players set their own rules
Therefore, some “unwritten laws” that prescribe codes of conduct for fights can already be found in the forums. It is said: Only those who adhere to these unofficial rules fight for honor. Those who act differently are deemed dishonorable.
As an example, the rules set by Reddit user ztar92 can be cited. He specifies in his rule catalog, for instance, that each fight must be 1v1. Additionally, one must not intervene while the opponent executes the ally. This animation must be waited out. Furthermore, retreating is prohibited. If you fight for honor, you hold your position as long as you can stand. If you fall this way, you die with honor.
Environmental hazards are dishonorable!
In For Honor, every map is riddled with environmental hazards, whether it be fire, a spike wall, or a cliff. Those who utilize these are also considered dishonorable, according to some players. The combat system is designed so that in most cases, the better player wins. Therefore, environmental hazards do not fit into the concept at all. This way, it is far too easy to achieve quick kills.
However, there are also many players who dismiss these rules and “honor” as a fantasy. It is the players’ task to use these hazards or overwhelming situations to their advantage. Otherwise, they wouldn’t exist in the game or would have been prevented by Ubisoft. It’s not about chasing some kind of honor, but about winning. It’s pointless to get upset about players who don’t follow rules that are utterly made up.
A topic that ignites passions.
What do you think? Do you always play “honorably”?
Tips for the game mode Dominion are presented here.
