Originally posted by gravesworn To me I dont understand why people want a solo mmorpg. There are plenty of rpgs, fps and other types of games that are solo. I like guild wars 2 when I bought it, but... I just havent logged in. My hope for mmorpgs is dwindling. Hopefully darkfall unholy wars will be a group based game like darkfall.
It seems like alot of people like to have other people around, people to sell to and buy from, maybe even chat with some, but not to play with in a group.
It's a lot harder and possibly more risky to develop a mmo that is successful on the social interactions as well as the mechanics of gameplay: Therefore adding the solo, is definitely a safer design option for player enjoyment and for financial success. There must be a ton of variables on how players organize logging in and out of mmos and net immigration/emmigration between an old to a new mmo or other games. there was a good article on devs using analytics to predict when types of players would leave an mmo and they got really accurate results so they could use these on eg new players, 3 month players, vets to lure them back. Solo has got to be important way of easing players into spending time online in a low key way?
Probably a niche mmo has more chance of an community developing that then allows the design to build off that real life basis?
Team play, grouping, guilding, etc. definately enhances the gaming experience. Be it PvP, PvE or a combination of the two, it provides an immersion that playing against an AI can't provide.
That being said, I agree with a previous poster that we "older" players just can't do so (or, do so at least nearly as much). Time committments are the big thing. Those of us who are employed full time, have a family life, a house to maintain, just can't committ 2 hours of uninterrupted play time (let alone 4 or more). Bathroom, snack, chore, smoke breaks as well as the needs/expectations of kids, wives etc., make this all but impossible. Even when it is possible, our grouping skills, familiarity with the dungeons/scenarios is inadequate and we are a liability to the team.
Yet, we love to game! We love to interract with the people behind the Avatars when we can, be it only briefly! "Solo" play allows this. Sure, leveling speed, ease of leveling, items received will never be up to par with those who even casually group and/or raid. Is it fair? Probably. It would be nice to be able to gear up with near raid level gear via solo play, but for me, just being able to play is enough in itself!
I'm not liking the solo prevalent MMOs of the past couple of years......Most of the time I dont even feel part of the community anymore....Most people don't even chat in game anymore.....I miss the days when we needed other players both in groups and to accomplish other tasks.....
I am fine with the solo player trend in MMOs. I'm also fine with dynamic grouping in games like Rift. What I'm not ok with is game mechanics that require me to sit around and wait for a specific group.
Putting groups together for heroic dungeons and putting groups together for raids is a huge pain. Even when you're in a guild or running a guild it's a huge pain. The group content itself is usually fun. It doesn't seem to matter what the content is, having a bunch of people together, doing the same thing is fun. Getting those people together sucks.
I can not remember winning or losing a single debate on the internet.
Originally I played EQ when it first came out. One of the first MMORPG's. There were no groups per say. Groups formed spontaneously to help each other out in "Crushbone". Of course then kill stealing was invented and there went that. People crafted some of the first stuff and gave it away.
Now in Lotro and WoW, and EQ2 groups can be hard to come by if you don't have real friends who play.
So you join a Guild with a couple of exceptions all of the guilds I have come across do not care about the players who are not FULL TIME AND AT LEVEL CAP. Basically you have your guild click who all play together and 70 percent of every one else who are left to solo and ignored in guild chat. Unless you have real friends and family who play welcome to solo. This is the new MMORPG reality. This is why solo play availability is critical. BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE PLAY PART TIME FOR FUN. Many people have no friends or family who play. WOW and EQ2 once you hit about level 50 it's group or get out and stop your whining. So big surprise people leave once they hit the Group wall. It's like you want to play and you like to group just not all the time. But wait, I can't find a GROUP.
If LOOT LAWS were made so that every one involved in a kill got the loot, then we could have spontaneous groups with no group chat. Groups where people are simply helping each other. There would be, in my experience more groups that way. I 'm not saying do away with formal goups they can be fun too.
In the end anti-social elitiest Dungeon junkies must rule. Anti-social because the big guys just don't want to play with the little guys. Their personal play style is egotistical Dugeon diving within their click. I submit that it is not your average solo/seeking group player that is anti-social it is your little clicks that are anti-social. LOL
"I try other mmos but keep returning back to Lotro and a huge part of the reason is the friends and kin members I've got to meet over the years. I may solo my alts etc, but I still craft for others, they craft for me, it still feels to me like I'm in a huge game with other real life players."
In response to ojustaboo:
I like LOTRO too ---best comunity out there so far on Brandywine. Their instance joiner was an attempt to help people who can't find groups. But it doesn't work unless you have a group already or are at level cap. My minstrel for example was stuck in a duo more than once with another healer. Also while my Champion can solo instances with ease, my 68 mini. can not solo most of the Skirmishes.
The solo content in LOTRO is not perfect but some of the best so far. I have not hit too much of a GROUP WALL at higher levels. You've now reached such and such level so start grouping or go home. But, wait I can't find a group. In EQ2, and WoW that's exactly what I did hit the Group wall and quit the games.
The real anti-social in the games are some of the hard core players, living with mom, who only want to play with their clicks, and are Ubber concerned about loot.
One of the first MMORPG's EQ when it first started had great groups who formed spontaneously to help each other storm Crushbone. Then kill stealing was invented, and people became gready for those Crushbone belts. Kinda killed it.
If everyone involved in a kill got the same loot then I believe spontaneous grouping would occur. This made the play fun and fast. I'd love to see the looting in LOTRO changed so that everyone gets the loot no more roll of the dice. Who cares if somone helps you with your kill you still get experience and loot.
Comments
It seems like alot of people like to have other people around, people to sell to and buy from, maybe even chat with some, but not to play with in a group.
It's a lot harder and possibly more risky to develop a mmo that is successful on the social interactions as well as the mechanics of gameplay: Therefore adding the solo, is definitely a safer design option for player enjoyment and for financial success. There must be a ton of variables on how players organize logging in and out of mmos and net immigration/emmigration between an old to a new mmo or other games. there was a good article on devs using analytics to predict when types of players would leave an mmo and they got really accurate results so they could use these on eg new players, 3 month players, vets to lure them back. Solo has got to be important way of easing players into spending time online in a low key way?
Probably a niche mmo has more chance of an community developing that then allows the design to build off that real life basis?
http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1014633/Classic-Game-Postmortem
Team play, grouping, guilding, etc. definately enhances the gaming experience. Be it PvP, PvE or a combination of the two, it provides an immersion that playing against an AI can't provide.
That being said, I agree with a previous poster that we "older" players just can't do so (or, do so at least nearly as much). Time committments are the big thing. Those of us who are employed full time, have a family life, a house to maintain, just can't committ 2 hours of uninterrupted play time (let alone 4 or more). Bathroom, snack, chore, smoke breaks as well as the needs/expectations of kids, wives etc., make this all but impossible. Even when it is possible, our grouping skills, familiarity with the dungeons/scenarios is inadequate and we are a liability to the team.
Yet, we love to game! We love to interract with the people behind the Avatars when we can, be it only briefly! "Solo" play allows this. Sure, leveling speed, ease of leveling, items received will never be up to par with those who even casually group and/or raid. Is it fair? Probably. It would be nice to be able to gear up with near raid level gear via solo play, but for me, just being able to play is enough in itself!
I am fine with the solo player trend in MMOs. I'm also fine with dynamic grouping in games like Rift. What I'm not ok with is game mechanics that require me to sit around and wait for a specific group.
Putting groups together for heroic dungeons and putting groups together for raids is a huge pain. Even when you're in a guild or running a guild it's a huge pain. The group content itself is usually fun. It doesn't seem to matter what the content is, having a bunch of people together, doing the same thing is fun. Getting those people together sucks.
I can not remember winning or losing a single debate on the internet.
Solo Play,
Originally I played EQ when it first came out. One of the first MMORPG's. There were no groups per say. Groups formed spontaneously to help each other out in "Crushbone". Of course then kill stealing was invented and there went that. People crafted some of the first stuff and gave it away.
Now in Lotro and WoW, and EQ2 groups can be hard to come by if you don't have real friends who play.
So you join a Guild with a couple of exceptions all of the guilds I have come across do not care about the players who are not FULL TIME AND AT LEVEL CAP. Basically you have your guild click who all play together and 70 percent of every one else who are left to solo and ignored in guild chat. Unless you have real friends and family who play welcome to solo. This is the new MMORPG reality. This is why solo play availability is critical. BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE PLAY PART TIME FOR FUN. Many people have no friends or family who play. WOW and EQ2 once you hit about level 50 it's group or get out and stop your whining. So big surprise people leave once they hit the Group wall. It's like you want to play and you like to group just not all the time. But wait, I can't find a GROUP.
If LOOT LAWS were made so that every one involved in a kill got the loot, then we could have spontaneous groups with no group chat. Groups where people are simply helping each other. There would be, in my experience more groups that way. I 'm not saying do away with formal goups they can be fun too.
In the end anti-social elitiest Dungeon junkies must rule. Anti-social because the big guys just don't want to play with the little guys. Their personal play style is egotistical Dugeon diving within their click. I submit that it is not your average solo/seeking group player that is anti-social it is your little clicks that are anti-social. LOL
Miracles happen when you believe.
"I try other mmos but keep returning back to Lotro and a huge part of the reason is the friends and kin members I've got to meet over the years. I may solo my alts etc, but I still craft for others, they craft for me, it still feels to me like I'm in a huge game with other real life players."
In response to ojustaboo:
I like LOTRO too ---best comunity out there so far on Brandywine. Their instance joiner was an attempt to help people who can't find groups. But it doesn't work unless you have a group already or are at level cap. My minstrel for example was stuck in a duo more than once with another healer. Also while my Champion can solo instances with ease, my 68 mini. can not solo most of the Skirmishes.
The solo content in LOTRO is not perfect but some of the best so far. I have not hit too much of a GROUP WALL at higher levels. You've now reached such and such level so start grouping or go home. But, wait I can't find a group. In EQ2, and WoW that's exactly what I did hit the Group wall and quit the games.
The real anti-social in the games are some of the hard core players, living with mom, who only want to play with their clicks, and are Ubber concerned about loot.
One of the first MMORPG's EQ when it first started had great groups who formed spontaneously to help each other storm Crushbone. Then kill stealing was invented, and people became gready for those Crushbone belts. Kinda killed it.
If everyone involved in a kill got the same loot then I believe spontaneous grouping would occur. This made the play fun and fast. I'd love to see the looting in LOTRO changed so that everyone gets the loot no more roll of the dice. Who cares if somone helps you with your kill you still get experience and loot.
When will they ever learn.
LoL
Miracles happen when you believe.