I think it's important not to be too po-faced about gamey aspects. For many, there is a lot of enjoyment to be had trading statistics or looking over the record of many hours spent in an activity. On RO2 for example I like being able to compare my accuracy with different guns, see how many games I've played and points gained. Kills to deaths also has its place, although I think RO2 does this well by not including it as a public figure during matches, instead using the 'Team Points' figure as the most important.
For anyone interested in sport, you will know that most discussions in the pub revolve around numbers. For any self-respecting cricket follower, Wisden's enormous and comprehensive annual "Cricketers' Almanac" is a necessary purchase, recording innings played, scores, records, batting averages...
I feel that the way the records are kept is important (I believe my suggestion in another thread for alternative ways to gain points, such as a 'humanitarian' section for the medic class, whether treating allied or enemy soldiers, would be a good corollary to this) but that hurdle doesn't mean they shouldn't exist.
To not have records means that each game is held in a vacuum which both damages player relations (there is no signifier as to which player is more experienced) and lacks the gamey and addictive aspect of treasuring one's badges and achievements. We know this works from the Scouts and various researches into reward, so let's not lose it for some misguided anti-CoD crusade, or nostalgia for a time when server synchronisation meant this kind of thing was impossible.
Embrace the possibilities!
