I never got into FPS, didn't play much of 007, or halo or anything. What I did get really into was a PC game that was released on PS2
mouse+keyboard greater than "gamepad" any day insomuch as what it allows in accuracy and movement
trust me thats all a matter of what your used to, even after going on 3 years of L2 I am teh suck with keyboard and mouse. Give me a pad anyday.
Anyway, the game was Tribes Aerial Assault. You had a few basic weapons and light, medium, or heavy armor, each let you carry more, the heavier the better the fire power. But your size made you slower and fly shorter distances. It had the same basic elements you find in an FPS, but it also had jet packs, and very complex terrain that you had to maneuver, you had to optimize your landing, "skiing" and your jumps to make the most of your airtime, since being on the ground made you a much easier target. You had to pay attention to your enemy, their trajectory, the terrain, your jet pack energy, all while taking shots at fast moving targets.
I don't want your stinking gear spud, but to claim that no game takes skills is laughable. The skill may not guarantee you success, your opponent may not need as much skill as you to win in some circumstances, you may find a way to win cheapyly yourself, but that does not indicate an absence of skill in the game.
Even L2 has skill, its just vastly overshadowed by lvl, class, gear and buffs. Even in the rare instance of a fair fight, some classes just have a natural advantage over others. But this doesn't mean we can't use skill, and ingenuity to try to overcome these disadvantages.
L2 has always been like this, it rewards those that are higher lvl, it rewards those that work harder to get the best gear, that organize, that work togeather. Sadly much of that hard work can be bought. And cheaters seem to stick togeather. So really you don't have much skill, and you don't really have honest hard work being rewarded. The (illigitimately)strong get stronger and the weak get weaker. Which makes skill count for less and less.
i do believe in airforce games that manouverability = win.
i bet in that game all the light armor/light gun/migh manouverability planes won most often.
if they didnt, they were caught noobishly unawares.
point C still stands. catch your opponent unawares = win. regardless of gear or levels or whatever. those (when you catch your opponent off guard) make it easier.
and as to horse, if youre referring to the game of basketball, no it doesnt take skill to win. i can always choose to loose. in that instance, you could win blindfolded.
to sum up; l2 as with every other game be it virtual or real takes no skill to win. while it is true that many variables are involved in every game, he who exploits the major factors (gear, levels, buffs, team) wins. this takes no skill. as to real games - every opponent has his price. make him choose to walk off the field, and youve got your win. this also takes no skill.