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Should an MMO have a social barrier?
DLuna
Member Posts: 90
I'm finding this game awkward to play with other people. Five minutes doesn't go by without "Sorry -- I need to finish this cut-scene!" or "I'm off to get all the quests here and do my class quest!".
That's not a bad thing when you're playing alone. But why this is an MMO is beyond me. I'm aware that there is PvP and Flashpoints etc... But they all seem secondary and the meat of the game just doesn't encourage grouping. : (
At least other MMOs are at worst, indifferent about grouping. This game seems to outright discourage it. Sure, you need a buddy for group-quests and whatnot, but when playing long-term, half the time you're isolated in cut-scenes.
I think Bioware are aware that most MMO players these days tend to play solo, so they cater to that. However, this is personally not how I think MMOs should move forward. MMOs should be "Multiplayer games with the option to solo" but it's disheartening to see BW has done the opposite. MMOs of late (WoW being one of them) have almost slipped into this format, but TOR has gone all the way. It's a shame.
Don't get me wrong, the game-play in this MMO is solid and very polished (though a bit too traditional for my liking but that's entirely personal). It's just a step back in the MMO genre as far as I'm concerned. Story is great, but not in the way they have implemented it. Great when you're alone, but I don't want to be encouraged to be alone.
This game may well be very successful. I suppose it caters to a lot of people (and BW probally knows it does). I'm just not liking the direction this game has gone and I hope it doesn't continue with future MMOs.
Comments
I had a group for 10 hours between yesterday and today and we did every cutscene together and every mission and conversation seamlessly outside of my direct story line. Went well and was amazing. I like the nice touch on the dice roll for who gets to respond. I chose to kill someone my party wanted to save... RAWR
Everything I say is my opinion or personal preference. You may or may not find it useful to your cause but regardless I am entitled to it.
I really agree with you. I miss the days when the major MMOs were very social/group centric almost to the exclusion of soloing. Unfortunately solo and instant gratification is where the money is nowadays so companies will invariably go that way.
I believe you can join people in their stories. Did you offer to help them?
I believe the real barrires are the players.
so today someone spams a group invite while I"m doing a quest. I figure he wants help doing it and probably doesn't want to fight over the few quest objectives. I hit "ok" and ask if he is doing the same quest. He then laughs and says "ok?"
and then runs away while I'm still in a group with him.
I kept trying to figure out how to drop the group but luckily he did it himself.
This is one of the many reason I try to only play with clan mates.
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Yes, a lot of time we joined the same cutscene. However, when everyone is silent and trying to concentrate on the cutscene, it isn't social. Randomising the responses from any given player doesn't really change much. If anything it just seems out of place for a feature that should be a single player experiance (not for an MMO...).
We even played with voice-chat too. Which probally added to the awkwardness when we didn't want to interupt eachother during these parts.
It just felt out of place in an MMO. We all played together for the sole purpose of playing together, although half of it wasn't playing as such. When I eventually went solo, it was far more enjoyable since I could go at my own pace and didn't have to be social. But then you remember it's an MMO and question why that is.
Thing is, when playing BW games, I enjoy being alone and when playing MMOs, I expect and enjoy constant co-operation and socialising with people. So it doesn't mix.
Both styles of play are completely opposite and contradict eachother. It just doesn't work from my perspective.
I for one am totally fine with having group content for groups, and solo content for solo play. I can group with people when I feel like it (and when other people feel like it) and the rest of the time I'm playing my game. The fact that I actually pay attention to the game and concentrate on what I'm doing in the game is a good thing. This just isn't a game to run through mindlessly while chatting with your friends.
I can not remember winning or losing a single debate on the internet.
But why not concentrate on the scene and then talk in between stuff?
I know I for one hate having constant chatter. So perhaps that's my disconnect. At least "constant chatter" that's just talking for the sake of talking. Sometimes i feel players have a compulsion to say whatever crosses their minds without the filters that might tell them that others might not care if they are going to the Auction House...
Now, having said that, I do see your point. if you want to "shoot the sh*t" so to speak it becomes a bit of a drag to constantly have to be quiet during game moments.
My only thought is to not do the story when you want to be more social and take advantage of the side quests (which have less talking) and fo course the exploring, flashpoints, etc.
For instance, if you were playign a game of baseball you wouldn't be having full blown conversations during game play. You would be concentrating on what was going on.
Still, if you just want to group and constantly talk I can see where doing full blown missions would hinder that.
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Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
I think the massive difference here is that a game of sport is cooperative and is entirely based on playing or 'doing sh**' to put it bluntly.
Watching cutscenes is like reading a book. You don't have much input and you are merely observing or watching. It's a stretch to call it gameplay.
It's just incredibly jarring when at one minute you're actively playing together; defeating mobs, exploring etc... then the next minute you're stuck watching a cutscene together which had near-no resemblance to what you were doing before.
MMOs should be constant social interaction. They should encourage that as much as possible. If you wanted to have a 'break' from that then stop playing. You could easily go play a single player BW game and get the same thing.
I also play games based on my mood. I don't recall ever feeling the need to play an MMO for five minutes, then go play a BW game for five minutes and then go back to playing an MMO. They are complete opposites of eachother and I don't really see how they mix, especially with other people.
Just watch the cutscene. If you want to group don't be selfish about it. Try to work within the group.
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I have no problem wiht it either. I love the part that u do cutscenes together for the non class part of the game. Thats actually quite cool.
Of course no one wants to hear u talk during that . They are enjoying the story why must u talk every minute u are grouped that would annoy me to no end if i was stuck in group with a player who cant shut up for the 2-3 mis a cutscene takes.
I think you're completely misinterpreting my point.
Me and my friends were fine with watching the cutscenes together and such. But it just felt incredibly jarring when all we wanted to do is actually play together. You know, like how MMOs have always been.
Story driven gameplay is best played when you can go at your own pace and when you can make all the decisions yourself.
Imagine if there was a new DOTA where after destroying a tower, there was a five minute cutscene with immersive storytelling. it just doesn't work. Multiplayer gameplay doesn't need to be interrupted like that. Watching cutscenes just doesn't feel like "engaging multiplayer gameplay" like what MMOs should have.
I don't WANT to talk with people. What can I possibly say to them? And I'm not interested in whatever they have to say to me, provided they have anything to say to me.
When I want socializing, I go to thematic/discussion forums or my real-life social net. When I'm playing MMORPG I'm PLAYING, I don't want any other interaction!
This is my point exactly. MMOs should be incredibly social.
I suppose I don't like what they have become.
MMO stands for massively multiplayer online. Is it wrong that I expect all the content to encourage playing with others?
If you don't want to talk to others, why not just play a single player RPG?
No, they SHOULDN'T. You want them to be, but that's not the same as "they should".
Playing! Playing! Competing! Cooperating! Interacting! Not socializing! There is a DIFFERENCE. I greatly enjoy game/playing/competing/cooperating with other people in the game. I do not enjoy socializing with them in the game. Stop chattering and just play already.
You don't like it? Fine, but don't tell me what should and shouldn't be. My opinion is no less valid than yours and there are more people like me than people like you.
Most modern mmo's are anti-social at the very core of their design. they are all about personal achievement and personal gratification..you are not playing with other players anymore you are competing against them.
[citation needed]
Why do you play mmo's if you dont like socializing with others? so really you are saying you use people as a means to an end. I guess that is a sick glance at society today.
Enter any mmorpg? Look around? Check how many people are NOT socializing and don't want to? How many prefer soloing rather than be bothered with a hussle of searching for a group?
Check who developers cater for? Two newest tittles: SWTOR and GW2 - PERFECTLY tailored to people who want minimal socializing, maximum gaming? Think about it. You don't even need to actually throw invites, group and even acknowledge other people in dynamic events in GW2 - you can just all play towards common goal! A _dream_ of players like me.
So, who's the target audience?
I don't know, I do not see into the heads of all 22 million of players playing MMOs at this time.
But apparently you do, so you will be able to prove your point beyond "its common knowledge", speculation and anecdotal evidence.
You are not bright potato, are you? I'm playing mmos because I like competing/cooperating with other players - it's just more interesting than to play with/against bots. Same reason I'm playing TF2 and WoT. Mmos are _games_, not social platforms; if I want to socialize, I go to platforms that specifically tailored to socializing, where I can find people who share my interest, my worldview, people I'm interested in socializing with. I'm not interested in socializing with random gamers in mmos - with them I share the game and I want to play it, damn it, not to be friends.
There are more people like me than you? well i'd rather be mpre like me than like most people. That is probably the most egotistical comment ive seen on here yet. you don't know most people. so you are saying the target audience are self centered ,anti-social players who think games are made for them only?
Do developers develop games for convenience of solo players or not? That was the gist of complain of the OP.
Do developers think that they get more money doing than than developing games for socializing players? I think yes.
Does that means that developers think that there are more solo/casual/non-socializing players than socializing? I think yes.
Are they right? I don't know, but I think they have done their homework, being professionals and stuff.
Yes. That was actually the main point of the OP. Games are tailored for solo, non-socializing audiences. And I'll tell you why: because if I had to actually speak with the likes of you in the game, it would go off my harddrive in a heartbeat.
Excuse me? That's quite arrogant. But it may well be right, considering the communities most MMOs have nowadays.
Okay, allow me to correct myself; MMOs used to be about socialising/playing together, apparently they are not anymore.
Also, just so you know, socialising = playing or cooperation. They are two sides of the same coin. My point entirely is that the story cutscenes are not cooperative gameplay. They are mostly single player content that do not encourage grouping.
When me and my friends were playing TOR, the story content did not support the fact that we wanted to play together; is that better wording? That's probally our problem, but the point of this topic is based on how MMOs have changed and that they've lost their appeal in the multiplayer aspect.
This particular MMO encourages cooperation and multiplayer the least I've probally seen in an MMO. According to you, that's what everyone wants, so perhaps the genre is not for me anymore?
haha because you come across like such a nice guy yourself.
MMO's have changed and are aimed at jerks like you, you're correct. don't think you are a jerk? re-read your post.