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solo play or group play?
damian7
Member Posts: 4,449
i keep reading that mmo's are FOR group play or raid play.
i've been in a few guilds where the folks pretty much did their own thing and would join up to help beat down big bads that you couldn't solo/duo/trio.
so i guess i'll make this one a poll.
i've been in a few guilds where the folks pretty much did their own thing and would join up to help beat down big bads that you couldn't solo/duo/trio.
so i guess i'll make this one a poll.
could we please get correspondent writers and moderators, on the eve forum at mmorpg.com, who are well-versed on eve-online and aren't just passersby pushing buttons? pretty please?
Comments
could we please get correspondent writers and moderators, on the eve forum at mmorpg.com, who are well-versed on eve-online and aren't just passersby pushing buttons? pretty please?
I couldn't vote in the poll because you didn't have my option.
After playing 2 MMORPG's, It is better for me to only group with my close knit guild of RL friends. Pickup groups are a dime a dozen but in my experience are nothing more than a huge time crunch in the game. To much time is wasted loosing a group member and trying to find a replacement.
If my guildies aren't on, then I'm soloing.
http://www.loeclan.com/sigs/LG/LGsig2.jpg
There was no option I could pick that would be accurate for me. I've played UO when it was the only mmorpg, but I often grouped with many different players, sometimes friends, sometimes strangers that I met. Sometimes I solo'd. It all depends.
My general outlook when I play mmorpgs is to be social and group when I can. If I cannot find a group, I would like to be able to solo, but it usually isn't as much fun, and I don't usually play for very long when I am by myself.
Personally I think a successful MMO needs to be well rounded. We have a recent example of a total group based MMO, D&DO and it is a trainwreck. We can also see what happens when an MMO is far to strong in Soloing. The "new" SWG and WoW levels 1-60. You get a very weak community.
Like any product, if you focus to much on any one group, you will only appeal to that one group. The next successful MMO will have "something for everyone". WoW comes pretty darn close mechanically. Its just at the end there you really do get stuck choosing between 2 activities (raid or PvP) or nothing.
WoW is a damn good game but fails to be an RPG. The opposite could be argued for SWG. It has everything to be a damn good RPG but it stinks as a game. (mainly due to is constantly changing core mechanics. It use to be group focused, now its solo, soon to be more group again. It use to be traditional MMO style combat, now its a weird FPS style hybrid with it gradually being eased back to MMO style)
I don't think everyone exclusively solo's or groups. Its a matter of having the option. There are days when the average player either doesn't have time or just doesn't feel like grouping and vice versa.
My option wasn't on the poll. I've been playing online games since the early 90's (MUDs at that time), and I almost always prefer to solo while working on my character. That said, I'm also very socially active within whatever guild I happen to be a member of, whether helping with quests or just filling the guild channel with chatter. I like to do the "work" in MMOs independently, but I still like to interact with people.
well, i played few mmorpgs so far, and i have been soloing since you get fast exp and all the loot for your selfe, but in group hunt (2,3,4,5) ppl is much more fun and you aint bored after hour and so, only disatvantage is less exp and maybe sharing loot, which i dont have so much problem whit it,...
R.I.P my dear MOTHER (1965-2004)
As stated before, I think the next great MMO game will have something for everyone.
I enjoy grouping with people, but I don't do it as often as I can because I tend to be a lousy player and most of the time I feel like a liabilty to the group. It's nice if the opportunity to roup is available, but I don't want to be forced into it.
I think everquest 2 style of gameplay is what i like the most. that game offered both group and solo play of all types. if people wanted to group they will group same thing if people want to solo.
only problem is if there is a mmo that offer both group and solo play like eq2 did. i would like to see it improve so its more friendier to solo players, as in way less grind in exp. also providing the same quests and dungeons to soloers as you could group with.
i dont mind grouping in a mmo at all. what i do mind is how the developers of that game made it friendly enough for players could get into a groups. dungeons and dragons online have one of the best player search UI ive seen. it will list all the groups are looking for players at a particular class at a minimum lvl. other games ive seen dont offer a good searching tool to look for people who are LFG, if a game is open pvp then you wont see this kind of feature in a mmo. kind of dissappointing i think.
Have played: CoH, DDO EQ2, FFXI, L2, HZ, SoR, and WW2 online
Have played: CoH, DDO EQ2, FFXI, L2, HZ, SoR, and WW2 online
OR?
Group play is of course my first and foremost concern. However, solo is the second most important aspect of the game, as it is what I will do when I have no group for ANY reason.
Best soloers deserve to be soloers.
Best groupers deserve to be groupers.
Can't care less about PvP/Raiding/Tradeskill, as long as they don't affect grouping and solo in PvE, they are welcome but really, I don't mind or plan on playing them. If you have to PvP/Raid/Tradeskill in order to advance or gain a significant edge in group/solo, unacceptable.
Figuring the dual heading end-game about solo/group is one of the TOP concern a MMO dev should have IMO.
- "If I understand you well, you are telling me until next time. " - Ren
I have yet to meet such a 'evil' soloer and I play MMOs since 1999 or 1998...
One day, a soloer may decline any group offer. A soloer may decline any group offer from a particuliar person, class or type of person.
But like wild animals, to 'domesticated' them, you simply have to let them make the first moves. Solo nearby or in the same zones when you have no group, don't harass them. Talk a little, nicely, not overexageretedly in the general/ooc channel, give advices, help, ask for help. I have to see 1 soloer to stick to soloing as you say. If they prefer to solo than to group me, fine, don't go crying...thank them for the group, and later, not even the same day, ASK them their advice on some soloing technique. Not only will you most likely learn either to solo or some social notion, but you may eventually turn him into a grouper.
If all this fail for you, then maybe this soloer HATE you with a passion, don't ask, be nice and let's him meet some other folks, he will eventually meet the right peoples to learn to looooove grouping. Group-loving can't be enforced, it is shared.
Soloers who play a MMO are socials. Often they were bruised, hurted or disillusionned by some social jerks. Just be nice and patient, they are asking to be 'catched', they are playing a MMO after all!
Like me for example, don't try to make me group with Afterlife, FoH, LoS folks and expect it would work great, I can tell you that about 50% of their crew are nice to group with, the other 50%, let's just say I would make us wipe on purpose, seeing them dying is enjoyable for my evil side (especially if they are guild hoopers, lootwhores, defending raiding in argumentation with me, that all bode extremely bad).
Another example, I am Canadian-French, I actually enjoy grouping with anyone and everyone. Most of my RL friends, they rather solo than group anyone who doesn't speak in french. I can't blame them, I don't agree with them, but I understand their choices and when I group with them, I may be able to convince them to allow strangers in group, if not oh well, I will stick with them! I assume the same is true for most other communities. I didn't remember grouping that many Japanese or German folks, FAR less than I should. However when I do, I usually group other relatively open-minded folks and it usually is positive.
- "If I understand you well, you are telling me until next time. " - Ren
could we please get correspondent writers and moderators, on the eve forum at mmorpg.com, who are well-versed on eve-online and aren't just passersby pushing buttons? pretty please?
Here is my best axample why.............raiding isn't that much fun
Its a funny video HOWEVER imagine being on this raid and having to listen to this guy. Totally robs the "gameplay" expereince. Its all just a big math problem for the loot to these guys.
A few things need to happen with "raiding"
1) non repeatable. Once you kill the main bad guy thats it for you
2) need to be more dynamic in nature (meaning there needs to be more randomness to the spawns and tactics) Once there is a predictable pattern it can be overcome easily.
3) Honestly I dont see the point of such huge "raids" (40 person???) It doesn't fit the fantasy genre at all.
Changes to MMO's in general that might help
Remove the ability to view the numeric stats of any sort. This is more or less what takes the RPG out of MMORPG's the focus on the math of the game and not the game itself.
With that MMO's need to have this entire "grind" mechanic removed. MMOs need to be more dynamic in nature and more emersive.
Littering random monsters around a field with NPC's asking you to kill 10 of them is not an RPG its a fancy "hunter" video game with a chat box.
You don't see any "kill task" in actual RPG's do ya? Find me one in Obivion or Neverwinter Nights ( I mean the "go kill 10 of these for a nice pair of ripped gloves type). You won't because they are dynamic AND story driven.
Here is my best axample why.............raiding isn't that much fun
Its a funny video HOWEVER imagine being on this raid and having to listen to this guy. Totally robs the "gameplay" expereince. Its all just a big math problem for the loot to these guys.
A few things need to happen with "raiding"
1) non repeatable. Once you kill the main bad guy thats it for you
2) need to be more dynamic in nature (meaning there needs to be more randomness to the spawns and tactics) Once there is a predictable pattern it can be overcome easily.
3) Honestly I dont see the point of such huge "raids" (40 person???) It doesn't fit the fantasy genre at all.
Changes to MMO's in general that might help
Remove the ability to view the numeric stats of any sort. This is more or less what takes the RPG out of MMORPG's the focus on the math of the game and not the game itself.
With that MMO's need to have this entire "grind" mechanic removed. MMOs need to be more dynamic in nature and more emersive.
Littering random monsters around a field with NPC's asking you to kill 10 of them is not an RPG its a fancy "hunter" video game with a chat box.
You don't see any "kill task" in actual RPG's do ya? Find me one in Obivion or Neverwinter Nights ( I mean the "go kill 10 of these for a nice pair of ripped gloves type). You won't because they are dynamic AND story driven.
wow, you just said a lot of things i've said/thought and a few that i hadn't really thought about. great points.
i made this poll, originally, because of all the posts i read about how MMORPG's are mainly raider-driven, they're for the raiders, et cetera. i don't see that many different people making THOSE posts, but they seem to make a lot of them.
and the more i think about it, the more i think i'm giving UO another go. there's just so much that i wish these new games would offer, and UO has them!
could we please get correspondent writers and moderators, on the eve forum at mmorpg.com, who are well-versed on eve-online and aren't just passersby pushing buttons? pretty please?
Raiders don't generally acknowledge this, but people just plain don't socialize in groups of 40 or 70 or whatever. Throw a RL party with 40 or more peopl, and you won't see 40 get in one big group and talk together, they'll split up into 'non-raid' groups generally of 5-7, with an occasional double-sized group. Half a dozen people can easily have a conversation where they're all involved, but 40-70 people ends up with a couple of people talking and the rest forced to shut up and listen or just ignore the conversation. It's probably hard for raiders to get this since seeing 40-70 people in an actual social setting is not something they usually manage.
Also, that animation has me forevermore thinking of vanish as a drunk guy standing behind a tree with a beer.
Given the limited nature of the interface any sort of socializing is impossible during a raid.
There is no way to keep a group that large organized unless everyone shuts up and listens to the few (or 1) leader. To do it otherwise ensures a "wipe" as the group would degenerate into a chaotic mob.
EDIT
Raids are actually very limited in gameplay most people just dont like to admit it. The vast majority of players end up just following the leaders instructions. Sort of like a bot. I guess if people like being someone else "tool" in the hopes of getting a piece of loot more power to them. I've raided many many times and I find it pretty boring.
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Originally posted by Jerek_
I wonder if you honestly even believe what you type, or if you live in a made up world of facts.
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