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Any game friendly for soloers?
Orophin
Member Posts: 7
I've played a few MMO's, and I enjoy them to a point, but I find my enjoyment cuts off when I reach the "You must make friends" point. I'm not inherently an antisocial person, and I have many good friends offline. I'm not averse to some grouping or even guilds or whatever the particular games choose to call them, but I am averse to being forced by game mechanics to go find people to help me get to level 12, or some such thing. I played DAoC for a couple of months, but hit a wall around level 12. I had to go find other people to help me, and I just don't want help that early in the game. That's my breaking in period. Check back around level 20, I'll probably be good to go. But the game seems designed to discourage soloing after level 10.
Does anyone have any suggestions for a game I should try? I've heard similar complaints from like-minded RL friends about other games too. Are there more versatile games out there?
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"This is the way the world ends, this is the way the world ends, this is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper." -- T.S. Eliot
"Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate" -- Dante Alighieri
Comments
Sorry, but doesn't that rather miss one of the main points of MMORPGs?
If ur not looking to socialise, why even start with an MMORPG, surely the single player RPGs avaialble for PC or console would suit you better.
I make this comment as inherently a solo leveller in MMORPGs but I still prefer to be in some sort of guild/group to be able to cha while levelling at the very least. Plus groups give you the opportunity to do things you can't (and shouldn't be able to) do solo in an MMORPG.
I think most of the MMORPGs will let you solo reasonably effectively but you can't expect to find one that promotes solo play ahead of group play.
Lineage 2 is very solo friendly. I personally prefer small groups in the game for the social entertainment value but you can do exceptionally well soloing throughout the life of your character.
Also unlike many mmorpgs where only certain classes can solo when needed, In Lineage 2 pretty much any of the classes can do well on their own. I mean you wont be fighting any dragons by yourself or anything, but there is never a lack of creatures that you can solo for good exp and money.
I feel like I get the point of MMO's, but it's forced interaction that I dislike. I hate idle chatter, and most of the groups I've been in have never gotten beyond the standing around waiting for KeWl Dood to show up, because we can't leave without him. It's the immaturity I've experienced, even, sadly enough, on role-playing servers that frustrates me most. I enjoyed DAoC, had fun playing it, that is, because the world changes, rather than stays static in single player games. I think that this, too, is one of the points of MMO's. No longer are we in a static world, but one that can change (within the limits of the game's architecture). I like to interact with players in a game, but I like to keep things within the game. I'm not rude, but I don't care about the dog barking, or the phone ringing, or needing to go to the bathroom. I have IRC for chat, but I don't use it. I like to play games. Again, I don't mean to step on toes. This is simply one person's opinion.
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"This is the way the world ends, this is the way the world ends, this is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper." -- T.S. Eliot
"Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate" -- Dante Alighieri
DAOC is solo friendly, but there are certain classes which soloing is very difficult and slow.
I have soloed a fire wizard, a thane, a necro, a mistral, an enchanter, a ranger, and a hero. The necro was the easiest to solo and at the other extreme the hero and thane had alot of down time.
What class were you leveling?
PS. I also solo 90% of the time because I can only play for a brief period at a time and I don't have the time to wait or find a group.
PPS. I also agree, I hate forced grouping as well.
I second AC1.
I've played many MMORPG's to the highend without ever join a guild, and seldom grouping. A benchmark of a worthy MMORPG is one I can do everything (within reason) solo. Forcing people to group is a load of dung invited by Brad McQuad. My it die a quick death.
While I may join with others to archive a certain task, I'm not social and I consider the /gu spam a turn off.
EQ is the only I've played where I was actually forced to group in able to do the things I wanted.
I never joined a guild, and got to level 50 in DAoC only grouping when I felt like it. (witch wasn't often) Although some classes have a much easier time doing that than others.
I'd recommend you look for skill based games instead of class/level ones, those generally tend to not make content for a certain group... since it's difficult to guarantee certain skill will be present as a content Dev.
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Make no mistake, MMORPG's are not games, they are hobbies.
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Achievers realise that killers as a concept are necessary in order to make achievement meaningful and worthwhile (there being no way to "lose" the game if any fool can "win" just by plodding slowly unchallenged). -bartle
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"Plus groups give you the opportunity to do things you can't (and shouldn't be able to) do solo in an MMORPG"
They should really make more quests in mmorpgs able to be accomplished with or without a group (such as quests that involve knowledge rather than slaying a boss).
"AC 1. Its very solo-friendly."
I agree. If you're not a mage and you want to go an extreme melee template then just get into a guild with a buffbot and you can fight by yourself all day long. Fighting in groups is beneficial if you're not 10+ lvls above the group or you're not an archer/ sword character with awesome equipment. If you're a mage then you can just buff yourself and fight alone all the time. This is slower but mages have what it takes to fight alone (with the exception of fighting hollow minions, etc.).
Socializer 66% Never would've guessed...
"Put your foot where your mouth is." - Wisdom from my grandfather
"Paper or plastic? ... because I'm afraid I'll have to suffocate you unless you put this bag on your head..." - Ethnitrek
AC1: Wierding from Harvestgain
Xander
Xander
There is no reason why a person can't hunt alone, but want to hang out at the bar with real people. Or hang out where people are selling goods. Or hear other peoples stories of accomplishment...
I don't think that solo play is anti-mmorpg at all.
Maybe a person wants to hunt for his crafting supplies alone, but wants to craft and sell to other people and enjoy the social aspect or the capitalist idea of buy low sell high. Or make the most money from your prfit margin.
I have had a few characters in MMORPG's that didn't level much at all, just hung out around hot spots where others hung out or sold goods to be a part of the social world. Take screen shots, see if you can get people to do crazy things. Heck, in UO I even made a begger once, dressed him up in the raggediest clothes I could find, and walked around begging money and gear from people. I role-played it well and enjoyed it immensely. Some people gave me good stuff, and tried to lead me to places to hunt, others kicked me to the curb like royalty probably would have in real life.
There are many aspects to the game, and people just enjoy doing some of them alone.
Play the necromancer in DAoC.They never group and have no reason to group as they pull in same exp like if they were grouped.
However if you are looking for a game that every class can solo then just go to horizons.Did not meet a single class that could not solo there.
I would say, yes, MMO's are designed with social interaction in mind. No doubt about that. Why call it multi-player if it's not designed with social interaction in mind. But I think that some developers have a very narrow view of what constitutes social interaction. I would agree with the above post that some prefer to hunt alone and socialize in town. I enjoy grouping. I had lots of fun hunting dragons and titans and such things in UO over the years. I have enjoyed PvP equally as much. But don't force me to group to accomplish the basic tasks. Grouping and guilds are great outlets for difficult quests or battles, but please allow players CHOICE over their gaming experience. I would never give up the grouping experience, but I hate it when I'm told that things MUST be a certain way. I rebel against that idea on general principle. I pay the money. They MUST be the way I and other gamers want them to be, and I think that we can all agree that CHOICE is key to our enjoyment of games. I stand-alone game will NEVER, in my mind match an MMORPG. At least not until AI reaches a point where I can't tell the difference between a real person and a computer person. I need real people to have fun, but I want to pick and choose when I interact. Not all games offer that. I don't expect them to. You won't see me on EQ. That's my choice. Let me choose to group for major undertakings, but don't expect me to want that all the time. I'm human, and a fickle one at that. But I love my games. I feel like I'm coming across as an asshole, but I certainly do not intend that. I just feel passionately about the way I spend the little free time I get.
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"This is the way the world ends, this is the way the world ends, this is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper." -- T.S. Eliot
"Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate" -- Dante Alighieri
Lineage 2...
this game is all about balance and they this also includes solo/party play...
solo'ing is very easy and as long as your actually working, you will gian just as much EXP as you would in a party...
also like stated in an earlier post, practically any class/race can solo... seriously, even my level 26 human cleric (which is 100% healing/buffing) could solo AND DO IT WELL... how many games can say that ^.-
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I expect a game to promote every aspect of the game, soloing as well. The best soloer NEED to have earn his stuff soloing, not in a group, tradeskilling or raiding, but soloing.
Even Morrowind content is rather limited as to why someone might pick a MMORPG and socialise as little as possible, and that is fine, it is every player choice.
Myself I want to go solo with a LFG tag and dont bother much about it, so nobody want to group me today? Fine, I am just going to solo and own the soloing system as much as I can! Noob02 and noob03 offer me to go do a group I find boring, I will decline and keep soloing! Random07 offer me something that actually interest me, I will go join them and if it get more boring then soloing, I will resume soloing! Do I want to build a group a raid or whatever nonsense a dev have in his mind, he can go to hell I will be soloing with a LFG tag and no more! If the best soloers earn their soloing edges outside of soloing, I will change for a game that understand that each activity deserve to rule it domain, not be a slave to another! Rude06 insult me? I will just quit his group, there is no reason for me to bear that, I can always solo! This is what a game need to offer me. How often someone was rude and you bear that person just because you need a group? This should not happen.
I am allergic to downtime doing nothing, I need some action, and soloing bring it unless I need to med forever between each fight. I rather be in a nice group, but I will not even ask someone LFG if he want to team up unless what I am doing is not entertaining(med time, running away from mobs to much or whatever), I will just solo! Do I prefer solo or grouping? I prefer grouping, I cant ****ing stand raiding, I faak on tradeskill and I go nut at PvP, yet, I enjoy soloing and I hate to *ask* more then I prefer grouping. (If I am pretty sure that a : Do you wanna group? question from me is almost certain to get a yes answer, if the player interest me(either friend or class use for a group or whatever), then I will ask, but asking when you know the answer is not really asking)
If a game enforce any aspect and it is not grouping or soloing, I am out. If they enforce grouping or soloing on others, I will find them nuts, but I will selfishlessly do my stuff. Yet, they will without a doubt lose non-soloers/groupers and in the long run, it will affect my gameplay as well.
"Those uber mobs are not to be soloed" I disagree, some Dragons need to be accessible only throught solo, if more then 1 person try to attack them, the Dragon either flee, gate, port, fly away, or get an extra adrenaline rush which he use to kill the added player instantly! Uberest soloing gear need to drop from soloed mobs, not mobs you need friends on them...FUN > logic! Otherwise we would be playing Sims and not a MMORPG with clerics and wizards!
Socialisation is not an excuse to kill soloing, soloing belong to soloers!
- "Coercing? No no, I assure you, they are willing to bring my bags and pay public transportation just to help me, it is true!''
- "If I understand you well, you are telling me until next time. " - Ren
Can I just point out that I never said that you shouldn't be able to solo, merely that you can't expect an MMORPG to be solo play focused.
I spend about 80% of my time in MMORPGs playing solo and only grouping for specific occasions (planned guild hunts, high level boss kills, bit of fast levelling, etc). But I solo precisely because it is harder to do in MMORPGs and requires much more thought and effort. I've only found a few games that actually make it near impossible to solo and I've avoided those.
I fully expect good MMORPGs to incorporate all aspects of play, including things for peopel to do solo, I just don't expect them to focus on that because its never been the main reason for the genre. Afterall, how much of the paper and pencil based RPGs were primarily solo play focused?
deloria online is very good solo game
(joke)
anyway, i can understand why u want to solo, there are times i dont want to sit around waiting for a group, ive only got 2 hours till i gotta go to work and i dont want to spend 1 hour of it waiting for everyone to gather up / buff / argue where to go hunt. and half the time some jabroni in the group dies and starts a big fight on who's fault other than his.
but for the people that say they never want to group, guild chat get on thier nerves, dont want to socialize with anyone? i agree that u got the wrong game, the only reason i can see these kind of people want to play mmorpg is to either pk/grief others or brag about thier stuff. its alot easier i guess than getting people to ur house to see how uber ur char is in morrowind. no offense intended but why else play with 1000's of others and not want to talk/play with anyone?
Most games will evolve to be solo friendly. There are classes in most games that do better then others Solo.
AC1 is prolly my favorite solo game.
As to the whole mmo solo opinion. A sucessfull game needs to balance solo and group play in order to allow those without much time to get in and enjoy their subscription. Again AC has really done this in a big way.
Refugee from AC1, AC2, EQ, UO, AO, JG, DAOC, SB, SWG, PS, FW, and HZ.
Refugee from UO,EQ,AC,AC2,AO,DAOC,L2,SB,HZ,CoH,PT,EQ2,WoW,VG,SWG,EVE,WAR,DF,MO,AI,GA,LOTRO, SWTOR... Gw2 on Deck
egg aumlet+noob=nooblet
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