It's kinda derp when most MMO's have this massive multiplayer aspect... yet on the gameplay is you doing your stuff alone most of the time. And proper group content is usually something that MMO's motivate at the end-game.
I always look for MMO's that have a concrete cooperative aspect of them as their core gameplay. Instead of using the cooperative gameplay as something secondary, optional or end-game related mechanics.
I've always loved games that give the feeling of being apart of your own Fellowship of the Ring! I.e progressing as part of a group rather than solo-play in an MMO.
Sadly though, I haven't found any MMOs lately that give me that experience. Most of them are solo-grind fests to a point where group play becomes more feasible.
Edit: Anyone have any suggestions for MMOs that have group content quite persistent and present? Aka, not only endgame which can still be achieved mostly 'solo' with LFG tools where you can still join and complete a dungeon with once talking to the people you are with.
I enjoy a game that offers multiple forms of both group and solo play. Especially if that game offers idle social features, ie. (now offline) Ultima Online sitting at the bank, (still online) Puzzle Pirates sitting at the inn, (ugh) WoW sitting anywhere while in a large guild.
Playing in a group should definitely be an option, with special items that aren't necessary being typically all that requires group play (elite mobs, group dungeons etc.), and there should be multiple forms of group play as well. Like mob farming, generic quests, dungeons, elite mobs, group exercises like events or travel (sailing etc.).
While playing solo should also definitely be an option, with more solo-centric portions of the game requiring playing solo but specifically as a not-required-to-play-the-game option to the player. Farming mobs, completing quests, doing non-loading or non-elite dungeons, events designed to have the option to solo, travel (sailing with NPC helpers etc.)
It all depends, but having more options to the player for either group or solo and more ways to do both, are definitely what makes an MMO rise above the rest.
Currently Playing:
Fallout 4 (Xbox One)
Puzzle Pirates (PC) Dreadtooth on Emerald Ocean
"Dying's the easy way out. You won't catch me dying. They'll have to kill me before I die!"
Kyleran: "Now there's the real trick, learning to accept and enjoy a game for what
it offers rather than pass on what might be a great playing experience
because it lacks a few features you prefer."
John Henry Newman: "A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault."
FreddyNoNose: "A good game needs no defense; a bad game has no defense." "Easily digested content is just as easily forgotten."
LacedOpium: "So the question that begs to be asked is, if you are not interested in
the game mechanics that define the MMORPG genre, then why are you
playing an MMORPG?"
I don't see why group versus solo play should be an issue in MMORPGs. The MMO industry doesn't seem to be in such sterling shape that any in it should turn away any potential customers. To maximize their potential for revenue and success MMORPGs would do well to appeal to both player types.
Massively Solo Offline Game. Really ruins the point of an mmo but I do understand some solo players that just enjoy leveling because I enjoy leveling by myself sometimes.
In the last 12 years ive levelled around 7 hunters to max level on WoW. Ive always found it relaxing.
Massively Solo Offline Game. Really ruins the point of an mmo but I do understand some solo players that just enjoy leveling because I enjoy leveling by myself sometimes.
The point of playing any game is to have fun while doing so. If I can have fun playing an MMO solo that point is still made even though the game is meant to be played along with others.
That a game is intended to be played along with others matters little to me at a time when MMOs are designed to be easily soloed by all characters regardless of role and abilities.
@KnightFalz you are right at some point but i think in long term solo players quit the game earlier. The developers mostly having hard time balancing the game for solo and group players.
@KnightFalz you are right at some point but i think in long term solo players quit the game earlier. The developers mostly having hard time balancing the game for solo and group players.
Exactly the last part. It waste developmental time and potential when stuff has to be talored to two types, which is one reason why we see so many "modes" for content (other reason being that its cheaper to develop mode content). Of course I agree that people should be able to solo some things, but not a majority of an mmorpg, there's single player games for that with text overlays. My stance will always be that solo should be possible but it should be inconvienent, making it so that is mostly a last resort if anything and in courage group play even on stupid stuff like kill quests. Make the rewards for grouping far outweigh those for soloing.
As of late, I am unable to find a game that I thoroughly enjoy. As of right now, I feel it is because MMOs are catering to the solo play style more and more. Every game has the same template for game design. Solo content makes up the majority of the game. All group content can be done in a weekend and is really only accessible at the end of the game (IE end level). The game's play style essentially does a 180. Solo all the way to max level, because it is the most efficient, then group for max iLvL because it is the most efficient.
This genre doesn't offer a challenge outside of an increase dungeon "mode"; which, honestly makes the game feel more like an arcade and less a persistent world. Additionally, it isn't new content it is just recycled content with higher mob stats. I hate that the first month of game play, feels like the combination of a tutorial & real money store advertising. NPCs are unable to put a dent in your health, even when I just stand there for a good 30 seconds. While there is "technically" a more efficient way to kill mobs, spamming your first spell is sufficient enough. I might kill a mob in 0.8 seconds instead of 1.0 second if I did a proper combo. Though, spamming my first ability while watching TV is more enjoyable. Use of potions, utility spells, heals and such are next to pointless until dungeon mobs; not only making every class feel the same, but the need to craft countless items that won't be used / are not wanted.
The outdoor world experience has become so catered to solo play, that playing with friends actually hinders your ability to play the game. This annoys more me than everything else. A mob will die in 1.5 - 3.0 seconds if I play solo. GCD is typically 1.5 seconds in games. Play with my wife, and we're either able to get one ability off between the two of us or we each get an ability off. Add a 3rd player and someone is literally doing nothing.
Play a DOT class? HAH, mob will be dead before your dots have done any significant amount of damage. Use a long cast ability? I hope you like seeing your spell fly towards a dead mob. As you've now done literally nothing as your two friends just burst the enemies down. Play a healer? Soak up XP from your friends thinking about how someday you'll get to heal.
The dungeon experience has been simplified so much that every game, every dungeon, has the same template. 3 boss dances, AOE trash, linear dungeon that takes 15 minutes to do. Even the "group" based content doesn't require communication anymore. Utility isn't really needed. Assigning CC? Well, that isn't needed because AOE is far more reliable and more efficient.
My friends and I tested group vs solo content out over the last month with some new alts. We leveled from 100 - 110 in WOW Legion solo. Finished all quests & all story. Finished up WQs to get to iLVL ~850. That took a good two to three weeks to do. Then we jumped into dungeons together with these alts. We were able to see all 10 dungeons, all raid content, and did Kara in 1 weekend. So, solo content lasted a good 3 weeks. Group content was a Saturday.
I was happy solo content was available when 2nd generation MMOs released. Though, I regret ever wanting it. Darksouls, Bloodborne, and Witcher 3 all have better solo experiences. MMOs are starting to offer the same level of immersion as a phone app, 20 mins of enjoyment while on the toilet.
As of late, I am unable to find a game that I thoroughly enjoy. As of right now, I feel it is because MMOs are catering to the solo play style more and more. Every game has the same template for game design. Solo content makes up the majority of the game. All group content can be done in a weekend and is really only accessible at the end of the game (IE end level). The game's play style essentially does a 180. Solo all the way to max level, because it is the most efficient, then group for max iLvL because it is the most efficient.
This genre doesn't offer a challenge outside of an increase dungeon "mode"; which, honestly makes the game feel more like an arcade and less a persistent world. Additionally, it isn't new content it is just recycled content with higher mob stats. I hate that the first month of game play, feels like the combination of a tutorial & real money store advertising. NPCs are unable to put a dent in your health, even when I just stand there for a good 30 seconds. While there is "technically" a more efficient way to kill mobs, spamming your first spell is sufficient enough. I might kill a mob in 0.8 seconds instead of 1.0 second if I did a proper combo. Though, spamming my first ability while watching TV is more enjoyable. Use of potions, utility spells, heals and such are next to pointless until dungeon mobs; not only making every class feel the same, but the need to craft countless items that won't be used / are not wanted.
The outdoor world experience has become so catered to solo play, that playing with friends actually hinders your ability to play the game. This annoys more me than everything else. A mob will die in 1.5 - 3.0 seconds if I play solo. GCD is typically 1.5 seconds in games. Play with my wife, and we're either able to get one ability off between the two of us or we each get an ability off. Add a 3rd player and someone is literally doing nothing.
Play a DOT class? HAH, mob will be dead before your dots have done any significant amount of damage. Use a long cast ability? I hope you like seeing your spell fly towards a dead mob. As you've now done literally nothing as your two friends just burst the enemies down. Play a healer? Soak up XP from your friends thinking about how someday you'll get to heal.
The dungeon experience has been simplified so much that every game, every dungeon, has the same template. 3 boss dances, AOE trash, linear dungeon that takes 15 minutes to do. Even the "group" based content doesn't require communication anymore. Utility isn't really needed. Assigning CC? Well, that isn't needed because AOE is far more reliable and more efficient.
My friends and I tested group vs solo content out over the last month with some new alts. We leveled from 100 - 110 in WOW Legion solo. Finished all quests & all story. Finished up WQs to get to iLVL ~850. That took a good two to three weeks to do. Then we jumped into dungeons together with these alts. We were able to see all 10 dungeons, all raid content, and did Kara in 1 weekend. So, solo content lasted a good 3 weeks. Group content was a Saturday.
I was happy solo content was available when 2nd generation MMOs released. Though, I regret ever wanting it. Darksouls, Bloodborne, and Witcher 3 all have better solo experiences. MMOs are starting to offer the same level of immersion as a phone app, 20 mins of enjoyment while on the toilet.
Basically the MMO part in RPGs no longer exists since the massive online population need not apply in dealing with solo content; The RPG part is stripped from MMO since almost every game comes down to winning through brute-force, which is the polar opposite of what RPGs are supposed to be about.
I guess the genre has become as generic as ever, while hiding in a sea of spectacular graphics.
I played MMO for group play in the past with friends whether virtual/real Later, i enjoy playing solo in MMO as it is more easy and freedom to play in my own way. However, group play brings more benefits in game such as leveling and farming. Now many MMO even set certain stages or dungeons which only can be entered with parties...made solo player cannot access. Well, both wayss are preferred just depends on which gives you most hapiness in playing the game.
I'm sure this has been said many times before, but based on some of the posts I've read, it looks like it needs to be said again.
The MMO part of MMORPG has NOTHING to do with PCs forming groups. It has to do with the number of people able to connect to game simultaneously. Back in the days of MUDs, you typically had 50-100 people connected to a MUD at once. The early "graphical" MUDs were able to handle much more than that, and by the time you hit EQ and the like, they could handle thousands of players concurrently. THAT is what the Massively Multiplayer Online part is about. Not Grouping.
If an MMO wants to appeal to group-based mechanics, that's fine. I probably wouldn't play it, but that'd be my own choice. If it wants to appeal to soloists, that's fine, too. If it wants to appeal to both, again, that's fine. People should play what they like and skip what they don't like.
Playing or interested in playing SWTOR? Use my referral link here and we will both get rewards! Including a week of game time for you, if you are a preferred status player! Click here for more info!
@KnightFalz you are right at some point but i think in long term solo players quit the game earlier. The developers mostly having hard time balancing the game for solo and group players.
Yes, but the main reason most long term players stay is because friends still play, be that IRL friends or people they met in the game. That certainly is not the only reason but it is more or less almost used when you ask someone why they still play Wow (or any other MMO they played a long time) even if they usually mentions other reasons as well.
The only advantage MMOs have against the other genres is that there always is a lot of people around. If you make a game for soloplayers you will earn more money by making a single player game, they are easier and cheaper to make and people pay upfront for them. A regular multiplayer game like Neverwinter nights is the second best.
MMOs are far more expensive to make, you need to worry about balance, exploits and making the game varied for all kinds of players. Storywise not even the most outrageous use of phasing and instances can tell the story as good as a singleplayer game.
Part of the expense is that no MMO I seen only focus on soloers so I guess a MMO just for them would be far cheaper and give them better gameplay. I still want group focused games myself but maybe the games need to split and focus on one or the other group, we would get better games if some were just for soloers and some just for groupers.
He did make a very accurate assessment. "Tough for a developer to balance a game for both solo and grouping"
That would be i don't like nor do i consider LAZY cop outs like the Wowish type clones.Instead of trying to balance it or just doing it properly,they separated the game into two parts,ALL soloing then end game grouping. I would HOPE that even the most naive person in the world can see the problem with such a design. I will spell it out anyhow.....
Ok so you design a game to have players solo 100% of the time,then all of a sudden after NEVER learning to group or play their character in a grouped situation,you just THROW end game grouping at them...lmao...sigh.. developers that do this have no clue what they are doing.
This is like training someone to use a hammer,then all of a sudden hand them a bowling ball and say ok now your ready to bowl.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
He did make a very accurate assessment. "Tough for a developer to balance a game for both solo and grouping"
That would be i don't like nor do i consider LAZY cop outs like the Wowish type clones.Instead of trying to balance it or just doing it properly,they separated the game into two parts,ALL soloing then end game grouping. I would HOPE that even the most naive person in the world can see the problem with such a design. I will spell it out anyhow.....
Ok so you design a game to have players solo 100% of the time,then all of a sudden after NEVER learning to group or play their character in a grouped situation,you just THROW end game grouping at them...lmao...sigh.. developers that do this have no clue what they are doing.
This is like training someone to use a hammer,then all of a sudden hand them a bowling ball and say ok now your ready to bowl.
Agreed, that leveling up is mostly soloing annoy the groupers and the soloers have nothing to do once maxed out.
Nothing annoys someone more then being forced to grind 80 or so levels before getting to the good part, besides possible playing those 80s levels having fun but having zero content you enjoy afteer that.
That is why I say: Give the soloers a few games with just soloing including for endgame and give us groupers a few games that are group focused instead.
Oil and water don't mix, and trying in this case just make a mediocre game for both groups.
I would click you an insightful but calling "stating the obvious" for insightful is a bit much so I give you an agree instead.
I prefer group difficult content that can be manipulated and used as very challenging solo play. What ruins a game is when they make all the mobs utterly impossible to beat solo or have a breaking point where it's impossible to solo, then dies instantly providing no loot/xp 5 levels later.
I prefer group difficult content that can be manipulated and used as very challenging solo play. What ruins a game is when they make all the mobs utterly impossible to beat solo or have a breaking point where it's impossible to solo, then dies instantly providing no loot/xp 5 levels later.
The problem is that making a mob challenging in group content and still possible to solo isn't easy, or it works if you play 5 levels below you but that wont work near the levelcap.
Making the group content incredible easy so people can solo it is rather meaningless, the effect will be the same as just making solocontent but allow grouping for faster xp.
It is certainly possible to make it difficult enough so that the best players can solo the still challenging group content but that balance is hard to get and only the best players could complete the content solo then.
I think it would be better to use a scaling difficulty if you want good group content that can be soloed at the same level.
The huge amount of solo content that isn't in the least bit challenging (or lacks risk/reward) is what bugs me the most in many MMOs.
Yes, thank you.
Grouping should involve going into areas that involve high risks that can not be handled by only one person of a specific class (of the players' level - My favourite type of group content is where killing high level enemies is majorly rewarded, even if players ten levels higher can easily solo-farm them). Tanks having to make sure their squishies never take aggro, because they would immediately die. Everyone having to do everything right in order to get past each encounter. Not just for efficiency's sake, but in order to survive, and get any reward at all.
It is perfectly fine for solo content to exist next to that. And efficient solo grinding takes effort that should be rewarded as well. It should just be obvious and prominently observable that the high-risk group endeavours should yield a better reward. Not just a bit more experience to make up for the time lost grouping.
If you manage to fulfil an objective that's several levels above you because you found a good group and coordinated your assets well for seveal hours, that is easily worth two days worth of solo progress for each party member.
You just risked not getting that objective at all, and wasting everyone's time, after all. Or dying five times having to run back to the grinding spot over and over again. Possibly losing experience for the death. Or losing one of your group members and having to abandon the mission, an hour after grouping and walking to the target location together.
Besides the balance between risk and reward that doesn't exist anymore, the other thing others have mentioned above me is also important. Soloplay to grind combined into one game with endgame group-play makes no sense. It makes the game a bore for groupers, and the endgame useless to the soloists who actually get there.
But combining them in one game both for early-game and endgame is possible. Just make sure they are both worth their effort for the player, otherwise they basically don't exist.
Comments
I always look for MMO's that have a concrete cooperative aspect of them as their core gameplay. Instead of using the cooperative gameplay as something secondary, optional or end-game related mechanics.
Sadly though, I haven't found any MMOs lately that give me that experience. Most of them are solo-grind fests to a point where group play becomes more feasible.
Edit: Anyone have any suggestions for MMOs that have group content quite persistent and present? Aka, not only endgame which can still be achieved mostly 'solo' with LFG tools where you can still join and complete a dungeon with once talking to the people you are with.
I enjoy a game that offers multiple forms of both group and solo play. Especially if that game offers idle social features, ie. (now offline) Ultima Online sitting at the bank, (still online) Puzzle Pirates sitting at the inn, (ugh) WoW sitting anywhere while in a large guild.
Playing in a group should definitely be an option, with special items that aren't necessary being typically all that requires group play (elite mobs, group dungeons etc.), and there should be multiple forms of group play as well. Like mob farming, generic quests, dungeons, elite mobs, group exercises like events or travel (sailing etc.).
While playing solo should also definitely be an option, with more solo-centric portions of the game requiring playing solo but specifically as a not-required-to-play-the-game option to the player. Farming mobs, completing quests, doing non-loading or non-elite dungeons, events designed to have the option to solo, travel (sailing with NPC helpers etc.)
It all depends, but having more options to the player for either group or solo and more ways to do both, are definitely what makes an MMO rise above the rest.
Currently Playing:
Fallout 4 (Xbox One)
Puzzle Pirates (PC)
Dreadtooth on Emerald Ocean
"Dying's the easy way out. You won't catch me dying. They'll have to kill me before I die!"
Nothing wrong with that. Snowflakes will get upset.
Epic Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAigCvelkhQ&list=PLo9FRw1AkDuQLEz7Gvvaz3ideB2NpFtT1
https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_msdos?&sort=-downloads&page=1
Kyleran: "Now there's the real trick, learning to accept and enjoy a game for what it offers rather than pass on what might be a great playing experience because it lacks a few features you prefer."
John Henry Newman: "A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault."
FreddyNoNose: "A good game needs no defense; a bad game has no defense." "Easily digested content is just as easily forgotten."
LacedOpium: "So the question that begs to be asked is, if you are not interested in the game mechanics that define the MMORPG genre, then why are you playing an MMORPG?"
That a game is intended to be played along with others matters little to me at a time when MMOs are designed to be easily soloed by all characters regardless of role and abilities.
This genre doesn't offer a challenge outside of an increase dungeon "mode"; which, honestly makes the game feel more like an arcade and less a persistent world. Additionally, it isn't new content it is just recycled content with higher mob stats. I hate that the first month of game play, feels like the combination of a tutorial & real money store advertising. NPCs are unable to put a dent in your health, even when I just stand there for a good 30 seconds. While there is "technically" a more efficient way to kill mobs, spamming your first spell is sufficient enough. I might kill a mob in 0.8 seconds instead of 1.0 second if I did a proper combo. Though, spamming my first ability while watching TV is more enjoyable. Use of potions, utility spells, heals and such are next to pointless until dungeon mobs; not only making every class feel the same, but the need to craft countless items that won't be used / are not wanted.
The outdoor world experience has become so catered to solo play, that playing with friends actually hinders your ability to play the game. This annoys more me than everything else. A mob will die in 1.5 - 3.0 seconds if I play solo. GCD is typically 1.5 seconds in games. Play with my wife, and we're either able to get one ability off between the two of us or we each get an ability off. Add a 3rd player and someone is literally doing nothing.
Play a DOT class? HAH, mob will be dead before your dots have done any significant amount of damage.
Use a long cast ability? I hope you like seeing your spell fly towards a dead mob. As you've now done literally nothing as your two friends just burst the enemies down.
Play a healer? Soak up XP from your friends thinking about how someday you'll get to heal.
The dungeon experience has been simplified so much that every game, every dungeon, has the same template. 3 boss dances, AOE trash, linear dungeon that takes 15 minutes to do. Even the "group" based content doesn't require communication anymore. Utility isn't really needed. Assigning CC? Well, that isn't needed because AOE is far more reliable and more efficient.
My friends and I tested group vs solo content out over the last month with some new alts. We leveled from 100 - 110 in WOW Legion solo. Finished all quests & all story. Finished up WQs to get to iLVL ~850. That took a good two to three weeks to do. Then we jumped into dungeons together with these alts. We were able to see all 10 dungeons, all raid content, and did Kara in 1 weekend. So, solo content lasted a good 3 weeks. Group content was a Saturday.
I was happy solo content was available when 2nd generation MMOs released. Though, I regret ever wanting it. Darksouls, Bloodborne, and Witcher 3 all have better solo experiences. MMOs are starting to offer the same level of immersion as a phone app, 20 mins of enjoyment while on the toilet.
I guess the genre has become as generic as ever, while hiding in a sea of spectacular graphics.
solo play to grind alone in a leveled area
Later, i enjoy playing solo in MMO as it is more easy and freedom to play in my own way.
However, group play brings more benefits in game such as leveling and farming. Now many MMO even set certain stages or dungeons which only can be entered with parties...made solo player cannot access.
Well, both wayss are preferred just depends on which gives you most hapiness in playing the game.
The MMO part of MMORPG has NOTHING to do with PCs forming groups. It has to do with the number of people able to connect to game simultaneously. Back in the days of MUDs, you typically had 50-100 people connected to a MUD at once. The early "graphical" MUDs were able to handle much more than that, and by the time you hit EQ and the like, they could handle thousands of players concurrently. THAT is what the Massively Multiplayer Online part is about. Not Grouping.
If an MMO wants to appeal to group-based mechanics, that's fine. I probably wouldn't play it, but that'd be my own choice. If it wants to appeal to soloists, that's fine, too. If it wants to appeal to both, again, that's fine. People should play what they like and skip what they don't like.
The only advantage MMOs have against the other genres is that there always is a lot of people around. If you make a game for soloplayers you will earn more money by making a single player game, they are easier and cheaper to make and people pay upfront for them. A regular multiplayer game like Neverwinter nights is the second best.
MMOs are far more expensive to make, you need to worry about balance, exploits and making the game varied for all kinds of players. Storywise not even the most outrageous use of phasing and instances can tell the story as good as a singleplayer game.
Part of the expense is that no MMO I seen only focus on soloers so I guess a MMO just for them would be far cheaper and give them better gameplay. I still want group focused games myself but maybe the games need to split and focus on one or the other group, we would get better games if some were just for soloers and some just for groupers.
That would be i don't like nor do i consider LAZY cop outs like the Wowish type clones.Instead of trying to balance it or just doing it properly,they separated the game into two parts,ALL soloing then end game grouping.
I would HOPE that even the most naive person in the world can see the problem with such a design.
I will spell it out anyhow.....
Ok so you design a game to have players solo 100% of the time,then all of a sudden after NEVER learning to group or play their character in a grouped situation,you just THROW end game grouping at them...lmao...sigh.. developers that do this have no clue what they are doing.
This is like training someone to use a hammer,then all of a sudden hand them a bowling ball and say ok now your ready to bowl.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
Nothing annoys someone more then being forced to grind 80 or so levels before getting to the good part, besides possible playing those 80s levels having fun but having zero content you enjoy afteer that.
That is why I say: Give the soloers a few games with just soloing including for endgame and give us groupers a few games that are group focused instead.
Oil and water don't mix, and trying in this case just make a mediocre game for both groups.
I would click you an insightful but calling "stating the obvious" for insightful is a bit much so I give you an agree instead.
Making the group content incredible easy so people can solo it is rather meaningless, the effect will be the same as just making solocontent but allow grouping for faster xp.
It is certainly possible to make it difficult enough so that the best players can solo the still challenging group content but that balance is hard to get and only the best players could complete the content solo then.
I think it would be better to use a scaling difficulty if you want good group content that can be soloed at the same level.
Grouping should involve going into areas that involve high risks that can not be handled by only one person of a specific class (of the players' level - My favourite type of group content is where killing high level enemies is majorly rewarded, even if players ten levels higher can easily solo-farm them). Tanks having to make sure their squishies never take aggro, because they would immediately die. Everyone having to do everything right in order to get past each encounter. Not just for efficiency's sake, but in order to survive, and get any reward at all.
It is perfectly fine for solo content to exist next to that. And efficient solo grinding takes effort that should be rewarded as well.
It should just be obvious and prominently observable that the high-risk group endeavours should yield a better reward. Not just a bit more experience to make up for the time lost grouping.
If you manage to fulfil an objective that's several levels above you because you found a good group and coordinated your assets well for seveal hours, that is easily worth two days worth of solo progress for each party member.
You just risked not getting that objective at all, and wasting everyone's time, after all. Or dying five times having to run back to the grinding spot over and over again. Possibly losing experience for the death. Or losing one of your group members and having to abandon the mission, an hour after grouping and walking to the target location together.
Besides the balance between risk and reward that doesn't exist anymore, the other thing others have mentioned above me is also important. Soloplay to grind combined into one game with endgame group-play makes no sense. It makes the game a bore for groupers, and the endgame useless to the soloists who actually get there.
But combining them in one game both for early-game and endgame is possible. Just make sure they are both worth their effort for the player, otherwise they basically don't exist.