The Reason People Play MMOs: Not Enough Single-Player Games!

Cephus404

Like many people, I'm really tired of the state of the MMO market today so over the last couple of months, I've gone back to playing a lot of single-player PC games.  The problem is, they don't last long and there really aren't nearly enough of them that I think are worth playing.

In the past couple of months, I've played or re-played all of the following, in no particular order:

Batman: Arkham Asylum

Bioshock

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Call of Duty: World at War

Dead  Space

Doom 3

Half-Life

Half-Life 2 (including Episodes 1&2)

Halo 2

Halo: Combat Evolved

Left 4 Dead

Mass Effect

Portal

Quake Wars: Enemy Territory

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

And you know something?  I'm out of ideas.  The problem, honestly, is that I really have no time for playing online with others, I can only dedicate 15-20 minutes at a stretch to sitting in front of the computer before I have to put the game on pause and go get some work done, so I'm really limited to single-player games.  Lots of games, like L4D, are just excuses for online multiplayer with a couple of  tacked on singleplayer missions.

So, anyone have any more I can try?  Just a couple of conditions and/or preferences:

1.  Single-player only.  It can have online multiplayer, so long as it also has a significant single-player component.

2.  Preferably single-person shooter, I really don't care for squad-based.

3.  Reasonably indepth but fun, I don't want to hate playing the game.

4.  PC only, I play mostly at work so don't have a console available.

It's no wonder people sit around and complain about MMOs, there's really no way to play single-player games long-term, it seems.

MMO_Doubter

Originally posted by Cephus404


Like many people, I'm really tired of the state of the MMO market today so over the last couple of months, I've gone back to playing a lot of single-player PC games.  The problem is, they don't last long and there really aren't nearly enough of them that I think are worth playing.
In the past couple of months, I've played or re-played all of the following, in no particular order:
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Bioshock
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Call of Duty: World at War
Dead  Space
Doom 3
Half-Life
Half-Life 2 (including Episodes 1&2)
Halo 2
Halo: Combat Evolved
Left 4 Dead
Mass Effect
Portal
Quake Wars: Enemy Territory
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
And you know something?  I'm out of ideas.  The problem, honestly, is that I really have no time for playing online with others, I can only dedicate 15-20 minutes at a stretch to sitting in front of the computer before I have to put the game on pause and go get some work done, so I'm really limited to single-player games.  Lots of games, like L4D, are just excuses for online multiplayer with a couple of  tacked on singleplayer missions.
So, anyone have any more I can try?  Just a couple of conditions and/or preferences:
1.  Single-player only.  It can have online multiplayer, so long as it also has a significant single-player component.
2.  Preferably single-person shooter, I really don't care for squad-based.
3.  Reasonably indepth but fun, I don't want to hate playing the game.
4.  PC only, I play mostly at work so don't have a console available.
It's no wonder people sit around and complain about MMOs, there's really no way to play single-player games long-term, it seems.

Good points. I think solo-by-choice players are a bane on MMOs. I agree that modern single player games are short and lack replay value.

By a PSP and get the FF Tactics game. Tons of replay value in that one.

Have you tried RTS games? I have owned Starcraft for 10 years, and still find it quite enjoyable to play versus multiple CPU opponents. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it runs well on my Vista system.

Josher

Try Stalker and its sequel.  Besdies a few bugs, GREAT games and if you like MMOs, the large open non-linear feel to it, should be a nice departure from a typical single player FPS.  

Cephus404

I actually like single-player FPS, you can get in, play, get something done, get off quickly.  A lot of the RTS I've played in the past has ended up getting boring because there isn't enough going on and it's directing the action, not being in the middle of it.

Scrogdog

Two words.

Fallout 3.

It's an open ended RPG but you can play it as a shooter plays (mostly ) as well.

dreamsfade

Try out Borderlands

rodingo

edit: I added Deadspace but noticed you already said that.

 

Like the guy above me wrote,...Borderlands.

lifer86

No Dragon Age?

Once you are done that. The Witcher Enhanced Edition is of similar quality.

Cpt_Picard

Might I suggest Oblivion, plays like a shooter, one of  the only games with an actual open world and Patrick Stewart Voices acts the emperor...

Kenaoshi

well for RPG side i sugest:

Mount&Blade

ES IV: Oblivion (get mods or gonna be boring)

Gothic 3



Risen

Two Worlds

and "Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People" for some laughs

Jimmy_Scythe

15 to 20 minutes of gaming huh?

Well, Torchlight comes immediately to mind for that. Then again, any roguelike game will do. Most freeware indie games fit the bill as well. Spelunky, Escape Velocity, just about anything by Kenta Cho or Cactus... You get the idea.

I would also recommend you get a DS and check out Shiren The Wander, Izuna: Legend of The Unemployed Ninja, Etrian Odyssey 1 and 2, Rune Factory 1 and to, Advanced Wars Dual Strike, and Age of Empires: Mythologies.

You could also get a PSP and check out Half Minute Hero, Jeanne D'Arc and Disgaea. I also understand that the PSP version of Little Big Planet is pretty replayable.

In general, portable gaming lends itself to short burst of gaming and there's a larger number of infinitly replayable games available on portable platforms. At anyrate, I hope this list helps.

Cephus404

Having a portable really isn't an option.  I already have a DS, it's fine for some things, but being at work playing on a handheld... not so much, just like having a console at work, not really a good idea.

Chainspell

i cant get into single player games and play it for hours if its not a persistent world, its like whats the point. after i finish it and beat the hardest toughest boss wat then and what for?

i play single player games for intellectual reasons like civ4, medieval total war 2, sins of a solar empire, etc.

Cephus404

Originally posted by Chainspell


i cant get into single player games and play it for hours if its not a persistent world, its like whats the point. after i finish it and beat the hardest toughest boss wat then and what for?
i play single player games for intellectual reasons like civ4, medieval total war 2, sins of a solar empire, etc.

I play them really out of necessity.  I'm bored shitless with the MMO genre, it's all crappy games and awful communities, I just want some mindless entertainment to fill otherwise boring times.  Otherwise, I have a real life and don't bother playing games.

maji

You seem to play only FPS games. And FPS are mostly designed for multiplayer. Single-player games that you can play for a longer time are RPGs or strategy games.

Kaisen_Dexx

I'd highly suggest Mount and Blade for a single player game. It has kept me busy for long periods of time, and its always been fun and entertaining. And it fits your criteria rather well. 

Chainspell

Originally posted by Cephus404

Originally posted by Chainspell


i cant get into single player games and play it for hours if its not a persistent world, its like whats the point. after i finish it and beat the hardest toughest boss wat then and what for?
i play single player games for intellectual reasons like civ4, medieval total war 2, sins of a solar empire, etc.

I play them really out of necessity.  I'm bored shitless with the MMO genre, it's all crappy games and awful communities, I just want some mindless entertainment to fill otherwise boring times.  Otherwise, I have a real life and don't bother playing games.

 

if u want some mindless entertainment play plants vs zombies, awesome game!

Cephus404

Originally posted by maji


You seem to play only FPS games. And FPS are mostly designed for multiplayer. Single-player games that you can play for a longer time are RPGs or strategy games.

 

Pretty much, just because they're action packed and fast to pick up and put down when necessary.  I could play multiplayer, but anyone who played with me would have to deal with me vanishing at a moment's notice every couple of minutes, that's just not fair for anyone I might play with so I don't do it.

ic0n67

Originally posted by Cephus404


In the past couple of months, I've played or re-played all of the following, in no particular order:

 

ya know ... To me it looks like they are in alphabetical order ... just throwing that out there ...

drbaltazar

Originally posted by lifer86


No Dragon Age?
Once you are done that. The Witcher Enhanced Edition is of similar quality.

 

yep i heard very good praise about dragon age and the enhanced THE WITCHER.

Loke666

The reason that most single games today is shorter is that it takes more work to make a game today than it did 15 years ago, games like Bards tale 2, Daggerfall and Death knights of Krynn was a lot larger than games like Dragon age and Oblivion and still took a lot of shorter time to make for a smaller group of devs.

That is also the reason that MMOs takes so long time to make and costs so much, they must have a lot of content. A soloplayer game that costs 80 million bucks to make must really sell well to even get the money back to develop it, a MMO will get a lot of money from each player. 

But I don't play MMOs because there isn't any good single player games, I play it to play something with my friends, or sometimes strangers. Sometimes i prefer to play by myself and other times with other people.

Cephus404

Originally posted by ic0n67

Originally posted by Cephus404


In the past couple of months, I've played or re-played all of the following, in no particular order:

 

ya know ... To me it looks like they are in alphabetical order ... just throwing that out there ...

 

They are, I put them that way, I meant in no particular order of play.