EQ1 was a huge part of my life back in the day but having tried to get back into it 3 or 4 years ago for the nostalgia feels, it looked and played like crap. Why would I want a "new" version that plays like that? I already own EQ1 and frankly I'm never going to play it - or a game made to mirror it - ever again. It was great back then, but time, tastes and processing power have all changed.
I'm an old guy now and, trust me, nostalgia is overrated. These days if a game dev describe their game as "old school" it's just a cop-out that means "a new game with piss-poor play and inferior graphics because we're too lazy to exert ourselves". I own a pretty powerful gaming rig and I want games to make use of all that processing power and I do NOT want a game that looks like it belongs on a Windows 95/98 PC.
I agree and I don't as well. I love modern systems but I am tried of twitch combat. It's over done IMO. I'm also tired of every class is a hybrid of healer/tank/DPS. I miss unbalanced classes that needed to rely team dynamics to accomplish things like dungeons. I don't even mind if every class can spec a few rolls but play a role and be a master of that. That's something I think modern games are missing.
Heh, my twitch skills have atrophied to basically being non-functional these days, and I've given up a few of my favourite games because I'm just too slow to react. I'm also done with PvP, Twitch combat and so on.
I, personally, can no longer see the appeal of games that need a few people cooperating to achieve goals, although I loved that in EQ1 and quite liked it in EQ2 and WoW although communities were starting to change rapidly by then. That said, back in the 90's MMORPGS had servers with pretty small communities that had, broadly speaking, cut their teeth on tabletop role-playing games. The more "modern" MMORPGS had larger communities and very transient populations.
They were polite, articulate, respectful, always willing to help with a corpse run or a teleport because they might be the next person to require help. People would use Druids and Priests to sit with a group of lower-level people just to heal them up and buff them for 20 minutes or the odd hour. I was never griefed or harassed in EQ!, ever. If someone pulled a train to the zone border they used to warn the entire zone about it, apologising for the inconvenience as they did so! Now they do it on purpose just to grief people. Character names were recognisable on sight, very often, so you saw a name of someone that helped out a week or so ago and you dropped everything to return the favour. Players even took time to chat!!
Those days have long gone, and I can't be bothered to spend an hour in an LFG channel only to end up with randoms I have nothing in common with who kick others out of a dungeon, or who leave because they got what they wanted and screw everyone else. Everything is speed-runs, gear scores and monosyllabic chat or which consists of acronyms and a few emojis. I don't need any of that boring crap.
EQ1 was a huge part of my life back in the day but having tried to get back into it 3 or 4 years ago for the nostalgia feels, it looked and played like crap. Why would I want a "new" version that plays like that? I already own EQ1 and frankly I'm never going to play it - or a game made to mirror it - ever again. It was great back then, but time, tastes and processing power have all changed.
I'm an old guy now and, trust me, nostalgia is overrated. These days if a game dev describe their game as "old school" it's just a cop-out that means "a new game with piss-poor play and inferior graphics because we're too lazy to exert ourselves". I own a pretty powerful gaming rig and I want games to make use of all that processing power and I do NOT want a game that looks like it belongs on a Windows 95/98 PC.
I agree and I don't as well. I love modern systems but I am tried of twitch combat. It's over done IMO. I'm also tired of every class is a hybrid of healer/tank/DPS. I miss unbalanced classes that needed to rely team dynamics to accomplish things like dungeons. I don't even mind if every class can spec a few rolls but play a role and be a master of that. That's something I think modern games are missing.
Heh, my twitch skills have atrophied to basically being non-functional these days, and I've given up a few of my favourite games because I'm just too slow to react. I'm also done with PvP, Twitch combat and so on.
I, personally, can no longer see the appeal of games that need a few people cooperating to achieve goals, although I loved that in EQ1 and quite liked it in EQ2 and WoW although communities were starting to change rapidly by then. That said, back in the 90's MMORPGS had servers with pretty small communities that had, broadly speaking, cut their teeth on tabletop role-playing games. The more "modern" MMORPGS had larger communities and very transient populations.
They were polite, articulate, respectful, always willing to help with a corpse run or a teleport because they might be the next person to require help. People would use Druids and Priests to sit with a group of lower-level people just to heal them up and buff them for 20 minutes or the odd hour. I was never griefed or harassed in EQ!, ever. If someone pulled a train to the zone border they used to warn the entire zone about it, apologising for the inconvenience as they did so! Now they do it on purpose just to grief people. Character names were recognisable on sight, very often, so you saw a name of someone that helped out a week or so ago and you dropped everything to return the favour. Players even took time to chat!!
Those days have long gone, and I can't be bothered to spend an hour in an LFG channel only to end up with randoms I have nothing in common with who kick others out of a dungeon, or who leave because they got what they wanted and screw everyone else. Everything is speed-runs, gear scores and monosyllabic chat or which consists of acronyms and a few emojis. I don't need any of that boring crap.
Waiting for groups does not need to be a thing with modern game systems. Like LFG tools. Also games like Rift had classes that can fill more then one role but only one role at a time. I loved my Bard, being able to switch between a healer or a DPS outside of combat.
Teams in that game would dynamicly switch roles depending on who was on hand. Healer would leave and you would just ask "who wants to be the healer?" Even had teams where the healer said they were tied of healing and wanted to DPS or Tank and someone else would take a turn.
IMO there are things awesome from games like DAoC, EQ1, UO that can be brought into modern games but with modern game systems.
Waiting for groups does not need to be a thing with modern game systems. Like LFG tools. Also games like Rift had classes that can fill more then one role but only one role at a time. I loved my Bard, being able to switch between a healer or a DPS outside of combat.
Teams in that game would dynamicly switch roles depending on who was on hand. Healer would leave and you would just ask "who wants to be the healer?" Even had teams where the healer said they were tied of healing and wanted to DPS or Tank and someone else would take a turn.
IMO there are things awesome from games like DAoC, EQ1, UO that can be brought into modern games but with modern game systems.
I do play games that allow role-switching( New World and Guild Wars 2 are the first to spring to mind) but I always solo the game. I just can't be bothered with grouping with randoms any more. Grouping is just a pale, unsatisfying shadow of what it once was to me. I'm quite happy never grouping with or even talking to another player. That's just me though.
I do play games that allow role-switching( New World and Guild Wars 2 are the first to spring to mind) but I always solo the game. I just can't be bothered with grouping with randoms any more. Grouping is just a pale, unsatisfying shadow of what it once was to me. I'm quite happy never grouping with or even talking to another player. That's just me though.
If you are all about solo, what brings you to MMO's? Just curious what is driving you to MMO universe instead of sticking with single player games or survival games with 80 per server.
Are there mechanics you just can't get from a single player experience you find are indispensable in MMO's?
I do play games that allow role-switching( New World and Guild Wars 2 are the first to spring to mind) but I always solo the game. I just can't be bothered with grouping with randoms any more. Grouping is just a pale, unsatisfying shadow of what it once was to me. I'm quite happy never grouping with or even talking to another player. That's just me though.
If you are all about solo, what brings you to MMO's? Just curious what is driving you to MMO universe instead of sticking with single player games or survival games with 80 per server.
Are there mechanics you just can't get from a single player experience you find are indispensable in MMO's?
The off chance of occasionally meeting a gamer I can relate to and actually get to know better.
There are more of course, this one is the most important reason in my book.
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
I do play games that allow role-switching( New World and Guild Wars 2 are the first to spring to mind) but I always solo the game. I just can't be bothered with grouping with randoms any more. Grouping is just a pale, unsatisfying shadow of what it once was to me. I'm quite happy never grouping with or even talking to another player. That's just me though.
If you are all about solo, what brings you to MMO's? Just curious what is driving you to MMO universe instead of sticking with single player games or survival games with 80 per server.
Are there mechanics you just can't get from a single player experience you find are indispensable in MMO's?
The off chance of occasionally meeting a gamer I can relate to and actually get to know better.
There are more of course, this one is the most important reason in my book.
Would be much easier to get to know better if you actually grouped with them. Just saying.
I do play games that allow role-switching( New World and Guild Wars 2 are the first to spring to mind) but I always solo the game. I just can't be bothered with grouping with randoms any more. Grouping is just a pale, unsatisfying shadow of what it once was to me. I'm quite happy never grouping with or even talking to another player. That's just me though.
If you are all about solo, what brings you to MMO's? Just curious what is driving you to MMO universe instead of sticking with single player games or survival games with 80 per server.
Are there mechanics you just can't get from a single player experience you find are indispensable in MMO's?
The off chance of occasionally meeting a gamer I can relate to and actually get to know better.
There are more of course, this one is the most important reason in my book.
Would be much easier to get to know better if you actually grouped with them. Just saying.
Problem is we live in the present day where people are connected 24/7. You can interact with someone whenever you want even if you don't know them personally as we are doing now.
People used to want to group up in MMO's and make connections because it was the Facebook of the day, a discord, a place to get with your friends and hang out. To talk and chill. That magic just isn't there anymore and most people are tired of talking to people due to the reasons above. Playing video games is an escape.
Most people who play MMO's and do so solo just want to feel like they are part of a world, that they can interact with people, not that they are forced to do so
Heading out for a 3 mile run, can't outrun death without good cardio.
Still, older games don't hold much appeal for me as I'm "finished" with them and there are so many games I'll never live long enough to play, so I try to go forward rather than looking back.
One year older and cannot run anymore as my back is shot. Ride my bike instead with a group 3 days a week.
As I already mentioned If they redid the graphics and provided widescreen support at up to 4K I would go back and play EQ. It is one of those games I get a bit of fun out of.
Agree with other posters that there are some MMO's that I have finished the game as far as I am concerned and will not go back to ever.
That magic just isn't there anymore and most people are tired of talking to people due to the reasons above. Playing video games is an escape.
If people are tired of talking to people, then play single player games? Why try to change MMO's into a non social game?
If want to find water, its best to look for a lake, ocean, river. Going to a desert to find water is probably not the best way to go about it. Is there water in a desert? Yes but its harder to find. Wanting to turn all the oceans and lakes into deserts to find water seems counterproductive. Just because you found water once while in a desert, doesnt mean thats the best place to find it.
If you want to meet people and get friends in a game, then MMO's are a good way to do that, especially when you group up. Its pretty hard to find friends if you are "tired of talking".
TLDR if you are "tired of talking", rather than change MMO's to non social solofests, go play single player games, you will probably be happier.
That magic just isn't there anymore and most people are tired of talking to people due to the reasons above. Playing video games is an escape.
If people are tired of talking to people, then play single player games? Why try to change MMO's into a non social game?
If want to find water, its best to look for a lake, ocean, river. Going to a desert to find water is probably not the best way to go about it. Is there water in a desert? Yes but its harder to find. Wanting to turn all the oceans and lakes into deserts to find water seems counterproductive. Just because you found water once while in a desert, doesnt mean thats the best place to find it.
If you want to meet people and get friends in a game, then MMO's are a good way to do that, especially when you group up. Its pretty hard to find friends if you are "tired of talking".
TLDR if you are "tired of talking", rather than change MMO's to non social solofests, go play single player games, you will probably be happier.
The problem is that MMO's have already changed to solofests though. I can't name a MMO that has come out in the last 10 years and even ones that came before have turned into solofests. I have been playing Everquest and even that game I solo pretty easily
Like it or not the world has changed. IF Pantheon ever comes out that is the problem it will be facing. That the vast majority of people like playing MMO's solo now a days or at least like having the option to do so
Dont confuse socializing with forced grouping You can be social in an mmo while having a character that can take up some chalenges by himself You are supposed to be ahero after all I never understood why you need 6 ppl to kill 1 rat
What MMO has forced grouping? I have never seen one. Are you talking WoW, ESO, FFXIV, DAOC, EQ? Name the MMO's that force grouping I am curious what you are defining here. Because all those MMO's I just said have raiding with large groups as the main part of the end game.
All these solo fest MMO's people are talking about are all flopping. I cant think of an MMO that forces you to group, unless you are talking about the ones I just named.
The problem is that MMO's have already changed to solofests though. I can't name a MMO that has come out in the last 10 years and even ones that came before have turned into solofests. I have been playing Everquest and even that game I solo pretty easily
Like it or not the world has changed. IF Pantheon ever comes out that is the problem it will be facing. That the vast majority of people like playing MMO's solo now a days or at least like having the option to do so
Exactly, so what MMO that has released in the last 10 years is doing well in your eyes?
The only one I can think of which is like 8 years ago is ESO, which is mainly grouping required for best gear other than maybe the master weapon.
So no grouping MMO's other than ESO in the last 10 years. All solo mostly MMO's are pretty much flopping, they cant even get subs.
I am over 65 and I am having some problems with my leg and been told to stop walking. I used to walk everyday. It's depressing that my body is betraying me and now if I cannot walk for long how can I go on holidays where you need to able to walk to look at the sights.
I cannot play games that are twitch and most MMOs are using action combat and I am useless in a group for that. I don't think even with all my abilities and spells mapped to my gaming mouse I can really click them fast enough for a run in a dungeon in FFXIV. I have become that slow now and I'm prone to making mistakes. Nobody will accept and play with me in this state. I cannot expect them to either.
I play WoW on Nytermoon where you have very good AI that can take the place of the other party members. They even talk and say stuff like real people They probably say more than the average group member in WoW with their monosyllabic responses.
As for socializing I played in groups in WoW and all I got was abuse for being slow or falling down somewhere. I cannot jump to save my life.
I think I've given up on MMORPGs. I don't think any new game is something I can play in a group. Solo I can do as my actions have no consequences on other players or wasting their time. Games are relying on fast actions , dodging and making sure your reflexes are prime. My old body is gone so is my desire to play MMORPGs like this.
No matter what graphics you put on them and show wonderful gameplay if that gameplay is beyond me they are all just mirages. I am now mainly playing turn based games and surprisingly Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order because the game has a very forgiving mode for old slow people like me. Loving the game so far. I also completed Stranger of Sword City and only 6% have completed the game on Steam.
I am over 65 and I am having some problems with my leg and been told to stop walking. I used to walk everyday. It's depressing that my body is betraying me and now if I cannot walk for long how can I go on holidays where you need to able to walk to look at the sights.
I cannot play games that are twitch and most MMOs are using action combat and I am useless in a group for that. I don't think even with all my abilities and spells mapped to my gaming mouse I can really click them fast enough for a run in a dungeon in FFXIV. I have become that slow now and I prone to making mistakes. Nobody will accept and play with me in this state. I cannot expect them to either.
I play WoW on Nytermoon where you have very good AI that can take the place of the other party members. They even talk and say stuff like real people
As for socializing I played in groups in WoW and all I got was abuse for being slow or falling down somewhere. I cannot jump to save my life.
I think I've given up on MMORPGs. I don't think any new game is something I can play in a group. Solo I can do as my actions have no consequences on other players or wasting their time. Games are relying on fast actions , dodging and making sure your reflexes are prime. My old body is gone so is my desire to play MMORPGs like this.
No matter what graphics you put on them and show wonderful gameplay if that gameplay is beyond me they are all just mirages. I am now mainly playing turn based games and surprisingly Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order because the game has a very forgiving mode for old slow people like me. Loving the game so far. I also completed Stranger of Sword City and only 6% have completed the game on Steam.
I feel for you @cheyane, I'm beginning to loose some motor skills because of my brain, however I can feel much better if I exercise a bit. But I think my video game days are over because I'm afraid of having a seizure (very minor playing WoW). Sorry for us having a rocky past, I'll pray for you.
I do play games that allow role-switching( New World and Guild Wars 2 are the first to spring to mind) but I always solo the game. I just can't be bothered with grouping with randoms any more. Grouping is just a pale, unsatisfying shadow of what it once was to me. I'm quite happy never grouping with or even talking to another player. That's just me though.
If you are all about solo, what brings you to MMO's? Just curious what is driving you to MMO universe instead of sticking with single player games or survival games with 80 per server.
Are there mechanics you just can't get from a single player experience you find are indispensable in MMO's?
I used to group but aside from grouping there is something that MMORPGs bring to an online experience that you don't get from single player games. The feeling of being in a world with other people, their presence in your sphere of existence.
You can play an MMORPG and still want all the other things like trading and talking to people and sharing your stories with people that you meet without grouping. If grouping is the only reason you play then why play an MMORPG why not play a MOBA or a shooter in groups. If that is your sole criteria what are you playing an MMORPG for?
You have forgotten that MMORPGs are more than just grouping there is a whole big world you can explore and play in and grouping is a part of it but experiencing that world isn't dependent on grouping.
I soloed a lot in Everquest 2 mainly I think in 2007 and only grouped with my guild but I was obsessed with decorating and making furniture and my guild leader was mad at me for using an item I won to make furniture instead of using it to make a spell or ability (cannot recall which now) so that part of the game ended for me. I however interacted with people decorating their homes. Are you going to begrudge me my time in Everquest 2 because I did not group and follow your narrow idea of why people play MMORPGs.
Sorry for spamming this thread but these are the pictures of my house in EQ2 and this house was what made people who visited my home while buying things to employ me to decorate their homes.
It may not look like much to you and I had to trade with people to get some raw materials and recipes and I spent a lot of time interacting with others to get what I needed.
If grouping is the only thing important in an MMORPG then it is truly not worth playing because without all the other aspects it is a husk and honestly grouping to do dungeons or PvP has been done way better in other genres.
Don't ask people why they solo in an MMORPG and don't try to shame us for playing how we wish. I may sound a tad irate because I often don't play games for the same reasons 75% of the player base play a game for.
Someone talked about how you needed to spend a mini fortune in EQ2 now to compete and even do high level dungeons. I explained that you didn't if you were interested in the lower level experience and actually followed the lore and spent a lot of time in completing the dungeons with a mercenary or one other guildees. I am so glad I can find pleasure in these activities as playing it only for dungeon grouping is such a small part of the games for me.
Even PvP games like what Archeage or Black Desert is to me as a game. It was the trading and my worker empire that kept me invested. The farming in Archeage was very interesting and the trading between peace times too was what kept me in game for awhile.
Sorry for spamming this thread but these are the pictures of my house in EQ2 and this house was what made people who visited my home while buying things to employ me to decorate their homes.
It may not look like much to you and I had to trade with people to get some raw materials and recipes and I spent a lot of time interacting with others to get what I needed.
If grouping is the only thing important in an MMORPG then it is truly not worth playing because without all the other aspects it is a husk and honestly grouping to do dungeons or PvP has been done way better in other genres.
Don't ask people why they solo in an MMORPG and don't try to shame us for playing how we wish. I may sound a tad irate because I often don't play games for the same reasons 75% of the player base play a game for.
Someone talked about how you needed to spend a mini fortune in EQ2 now to compete and even do high level dungeons. I explained that you didn't if you were interested in the lower level experience and actually followed the lore and spent a lot of time in completing the dungeons with a mercenary or one other guildees. I am so glad I can find pleasure in these activities as playing it only for dungeon grouping is such a small part of the games for me.
Even PvP games like what Archeage or Black Desert is to me as a game. It was the trading and my worker empire that kept me invested. The farming in Archeage was very interesting and the trading between peace times too was what kept me in game for awhile.
I would definitely get you in to decorate my Gaming home, maybe the real one two! I can remember showing a couple of girls around my real home and one said "this really says bachelor pad" and I think she was trying to be nice. Also we left our homes open to guild in Lotro and the girls complained, "there are only trophies in yours!"
You are right that grouping is only part of the "interaction" story of MMOs, from trading to guild meetups to roleplaying it is many faceted.
I am not against some solo in an MMO. I am from the all of the above camp. Anything to encourage socializing and working with others is good for MMO's to me. MMO's need to appeal to a wide audience so their is a thriving world, this is the only way the social aspects will work.
What I see is soloers trying to remove grouping and social aspects from MMO's.
From what I am reading here, it really sounds like people are unsatisfied with their options in single player games so they are reaching out to MMO's and trying to change those. They have successfully changed many new MMO's into SOLO player online games, then come on boards wondering why all the new MMO's are all dead.
News flash, single player games make better solo player games. One of the biggest advantages MMO's have on single player is the social aspects.
If all the new solo player online games are so great, why are people wanting to go back and play EQ? They should be happy with the current slate of solo player online games coming out, yet those keep shutting down.
Are that many people clamouring to go back and play Everquest. It's there as P99. Not that many playing it. I've gone back but the terrible slog when groups are scarce reached a point where I told myself reading a whole book while I meditate is no fun.
I think we like the idea and I admit that too but the rate of mana return that requires you to buy buffs from players will eventually get tiring. It's my biggest issue with P99. I love everything else except the terrible time it takes to play when you cannot get a group. I encountered this when I played this originally too but I actually stood in long queues to get a spot. People don't want to do this any more. I realised that even if I enjoy the game so much I really have no desire to waste my time in this fashion.
Players don't change games developers do, they change because they want more people to play their games. If more people play your game when you offer solo options then that is what developers offer. If you want more grouping then offer good reasons to do so. Not making soloing a slog because that leads to people eschewing your game.
Look at grouping and soloing and offer players better options to group without denying them the option to solo. As a developer that is part of your job and don't blame the player that shuns your game when other games do a better job. Don't blame the player that does not want to waste their time and yes I know playing games is wasting time but there is time I am willing to waste and then there is just wasted time that makes you feel cheated. Making me meditate for 20 minutes is an absolute waste of my time.
If games are going in the wrong direction stop and think about what developers should try instead of heaping the blame on your fellow gamers.
The problem isn't players. Players have different schedules, different goals, and different expectations for a game. As a group, we're all over the place.
The problems come when developers develop for a small subset of the player base. I'm pretty certain that occurs because the developers are trying to maximize the amount of money they can make. Games get narrower in scope and their player base gets smaller. Soon, the industry ends up where we are now, games focused on mythical market segments and alienating everyone else.
The perfect game for developers are those games which cater to whales because that will make them the most money. The perfect game for players tends to be somewhat different.
Logic, my dear, merely enables one to be wrong with great authority.
The problem isn't players. Players have different schedules, different goals, and different expectations for a game. As a group, we're all over the place.
The problems come when developers develop for a small subset of the player base. I'm pretty certain that occurs because the developers are trying to maximize the amount of money they can make. Games get narrower in scope and their player base gets smaller. Soon, the industry ends up where we are now, games focused on mythical market segments and alienating everyone else.
The perfect game for developers are those games which cater to whales because that will make them the most money. The perfect game for players tends to be somewhat different.
That doesn't really make sense.
If developers want to "maximize the amount of money they can make they DON'T develop for a specific sub-section of players.
Quite the opposite. They try to make one game for everyone.
GOOD for developers finding a subsection of players to develop for. GOOD for developers making a specific game for a specific marketplace.
BAD for developers who think they are going to do that and are guaranteed to make bank.
BAD for developers who think they can make subpar games/experiences and expect players to run for their games.
Like Skyrim? Need more content? Try my Skyrim mod "Godfred's Tomb."
I do play games that allow role-switching( New World and Guild Wars 2 are the first to spring to mind) but I always solo the game. I just can't be bothered with grouping with randoms any more. Grouping is just a pale, unsatisfying shadow of what it once was to me. I'm quite happy never grouping with or even talking to another player. That's just me though.
If you are all about solo, what brings you to MMO's? Just curious what is driving you to MMO universe instead of sticking with single player games or survival games with 80 per server.
Are there mechanics you just can't get from a single player experience you find are indispensable in MMO's?
Lol, yes, of course! Couldn't you work it out yourself? I thought it was obvious. Other players gather resources and make stuff that I can't be bothered to do, so they are very useful to me indeed. I buy the things I need from other players, saving me lots of time and effort. Can't really do that in single player games.
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I, personally, can no longer see the appeal of games that need a few people cooperating to achieve goals, although I loved that in EQ1 and quite liked it in EQ2 and WoW although communities were starting to change rapidly by then. That said, back in the 90's MMORPGS had servers with pretty small communities that had, broadly speaking, cut their teeth on tabletop role-playing games. The more "modern" MMORPGS had larger communities and very transient populations.
They were polite, articulate, respectful, always willing to help with a corpse run or a teleport because they might be the next person to require help. People would use Druids and Priests to sit with a group of lower-level people just to heal them up and buff them for 20 minutes or the odd hour. I was never griefed or harassed in EQ!, ever. If someone pulled a train to the zone border they used to warn the entire zone about it, apologising for the inconvenience as they did so! Now they do it on purpose just to grief people. Character names were recognisable on sight, very often, so you saw a name of someone that helped out a week or so ago and you dropped everything to return the favour. Players even took time to chat!!
Those days have long gone, and I can't be bothered to spend an hour in an LFG channel only to end up with randoms I have nothing in common with who kick others out of a dungeon, or who leave because they got what they wanted and screw everyone else. Everything is speed-runs, gear scores and monosyllabic chat or which consists of acronyms and a few emojis. I don't need any of that boring crap.
Teams in that game would dynamicly switch roles depending on who was on hand. Healer would leave and you would just ask "who wants to be the healer?" Even had teams where the healer said they were tied of healing and wanted to DPS or Tank and someone else would take a turn.
IMO there are things awesome from games like DAoC, EQ1, UO that can be brought into modern games but with modern game systems.
There are more of course, this one is the most important reason in my book.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
People used to want to group up in MMO's and make connections because it was the Facebook of the day, a discord, a place to get with your friends and hang out. To talk and chill. That magic just isn't there anymore and most people are tired of talking to people due to the reasons above. Playing video games is an escape.
Most people who play MMO's and do so solo just want to feel like they are part of a world, that they can interact with people, not that they are forced to do so
If people are tired of talking to people, then play single player games? Why try to change MMO's into a non social game?
If want to find water, its best to look for a lake, ocean, river. Going to a desert to find water is probably not the best way to go about it. Is there water in a desert? Yes but its harder to find. Wanting to turn all the oceans and lakes into deserts to find water seems counterproductive. Just because you found water once while in a desert, doesnt mean thats the best place to find it.
If you want to meet people and get friends in a game, then MMO's are a good way to do that, especially when you group up. Its pretty hard to find friends if you are "tired of talking".
TLDR if you are "tired of talking", rather than change MMO's to non social solofests, go play single player games, you will probably be happier.
Like it or not the world has changed. IF Pantheon ever comes out that is the problem it will be facing. That the vast majority of people like playing MMO's solo now a days or at least like having the option to do so
All these solo fest MMO's people are talking about are all flopping. I cant think of an MMO that forces you to group, unless you are talking about the ones I just named.
The only one I can think of which is like 8 years ago is ESO, which is mainly grouping required for best gear other than maybe the master weapon.
So no grouping MMO's other than ESO in the last 10 years. All solo mostly MMO's are pretty much flopping, they cant even get subs.
I cannot play games that are twitch and most MMOs are using action combat and I am useless in a group for that. I don't think even with all my abilities and spells mapped to my gaming mouse I can really click them fast enough for a run in a dungeon in FFXIV. I have become that slow now and I'm prone to making mistakes. Nobody will accept and play with me in this state. I cannot expect them to either.
I play WoW on Nytermoon where you have very good AI that can take the place of the other party members. They even talk and say stuff like real people
As for socializing I played in groups in WoW and all I got was abuse for being slow or falling down somewhere. I cannot jump to save my life.
I think I've given up on MMORPGs. I don't think any new game is something I can play in a group. Solo I can do as my actions have no consequences on other players or wasting their time. Games are relying on fast actions , dodging and making sure your reflexes are prime. My old body is gone so is my desire to play MMORPGs like this.
No matter what graphics you put on them and show wonderful gameplay if that gameplay is beyond me they are all just mirages. I am now mainly playing turn based games and surprisingly Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order because the game has a very forgiving mode for old slow people like me. Loving the game so far. I also completed Stranger of Sword City and only 6% have completed the game on Steam.
You can play an MMORPG and still want all the other things like trading and talking to people and sharing your stories with people that you meet without grouping. If grouping is the only reason you play then why play an MMORPG why not play a MOBA or a shooter in groups. If that is your sole criteria what are you playing an MMORPG for?
You have forgotten that MMORPGs are more than just grouping there is a whole big world you can explore and play in and grouping is a part of it but experiencing that world isn't dependent on grouping.
I soloed a lot in Everquest 2 mainly I think in 2007 and only grouped with my guild but I was obsessed with decorating and making furniture and my guild leader was mad at me for using an item I won to make furniture instead of using it to make a spell or ability (cannot recall which now) so that part of the game ended for me. I however interacted with people decorating their homes. Are you going to begrudge me my time in Everquest 2 because I did not group and follow your narrow idea of why people play MMORPGs.
It may not look like much to you and I had to trade with people to get some raw materials and recipes and I spent a lot of time interacting with others to get what I needed.
If grouping is the only thing important in an MMORPG then it is truly not worth playing because without all the other aspects it is a husk and honestly grouping to do dungeons or PvP has been done way better in other genres.
Don't ask people why they solo in an MMORPG and don't try to shame us for playing how we wish. I may sound a tad irate because I often don't play games for the same reasons 75% of the player base play a game for.
Someone talked about how you needed to spend a mini fortune in EQ2 now to compete and even do high level dungeons. I explained that you didn't if you were interested in the lower level experience and actually followed the lore and spent a lot of time in completing the dungeons with a mercenary or one other guildees. I am so glad I can find pleasure in these activities as playing it only for dungeon grouping is such a small part of the games for me.
Even PvP games like what Archeage or Black Desert is to me as a game. It was the trading and my worker empire that kept me invested. The farming in Archeage was very interesting and the trading between peace times too was what kept me in game for awhile.
You are right that grouping is only part of the "interaction" story of MMOs, from trading to guild meetups to roleplaying it is many faceted.
What I see is soloers trying to remove grouping and social aspects from MMO's.
From what I am reading here, it really sounds like people are unsatisfied with their options in single player games so they are reaching out to MMO's and trying to change those. They have successfully changed many new MMO's into SOLO player online games, then come on boards wondering why all the new MMO's are all dead.
News flash, single player games make better solo player games. One of the biggest advantages MMO's have on single player is the social aspects.
If all the new solo player online games are so great, why are people wanting to go back and play EQ? They should be happy with the current slate of solo player online games coming out, yet those keep shutting down.
I think we like the idea and I admit that too but the rate of mana return that requires you to buy buffs from players will eventually get tiring. It's my biggest issue with P99. I love everything else except the terrible time it takes to play when you cannot get a group. I encountered this when I played this originally too but I actually stood in long queues to get a spot. People don't want to do this any more. I realised that even if I enjoy the game so much I really have no desire to waste my time in this fashion.
Players don't change games developers do, they change because they want more people to play their games. If more people play your game when you offer solo options then that is what developers offer. If you want more grouping then offer good reasons to do so. Not making soloing a slog because that leads to people eschewing your game.
Look at grouping and soloing and offer players better options to group without denying them the option to solo. As a developer that is part of your job and don't blame the player that shuns your game when other games do a better job. Don't blame the player that does not want to waste their time and yes I know playing games is wasting time but there is time I am willing to waste and then there is just wasted time that makes you feel cheated. Making me meditate for 20 minutes is an absolute waste of my time.
If games are going in the wrong direction stop and think about what developers should try instead of heaping the blame on your fellow gamers.
Logic, my dear, merely enables one to be wrong with great authority.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
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