Matchmaking Mode = Party, Towns and Overworld = Open. Good?

Not sure what I'm missing here, but isn't optional what we have right now? Isn't it optional to play in open? If there's an option to play by myself on the MMO server, isn't that party mode? So if it's optional, nothing changes.

 

Seeing more people is good!

 

I'm not sure how I feel about this change yet.

On one hand, I think it will definitely help with making the game feel more populated, and that is certainly a good thing.

On the other hand, I loved the ability to travel around in single/party mode and not let everyone know where I was going or what scene I am entering. It was really great when you gave us the ability to hide our location on friends list, but if we are now forced into multiplayer mode on overworld map, then people can follow/track you when you go wherever you want to go.

Also, when I play on a laptop or my crappy work computer, I almost always play in single player to reduce the lag created by other players in the scene. They can't function well when I'm in multiplayer due to the lag and unless the performance is greatly improved I fear my play time will be greatly reduced.

So yes, seeing more people might be a good thing... unless you can't play yourself due to the performance issues.

 

So in order to make the world seem fuller, you destroyed one of the last remaining unique things about this game? We were sold on Selective Multiplayer, which allows us to choose who we play with. I purchased several accounts as gifts, and got even more friends to purchase their own, just so we could jump into Friends Only gameplay. We have played MMOs for far too many years, and don't want to put up with the trolls anymore. We have a core group of friends whom we enjoy spending time, and that is what we do.

I have accounts for two teenagers, one of whom is my son, who have social anxiety disorder. With FPO, we can make sure they are playing with us in a controlled environment. We already have to prevent them from entering a Shardfall or Ruins, which was hard because of how cool those scenes look. Now, we can't even let them play the game because the fricking Overworld is going to be multiplayer.

These are CORE designs of the game that are being changed. With no notice. No community interaction. Just some patch notes. Its not opt-in; you can't even opt-out; its simply a change you made that renders the game unplayable for several people. That makes this a game that others won't want to play. All because some whiny trolls say your game looks empty.

I've logged over 1200 hours on this game. I have four personal accounts, with well over a thousand dollars invested. I've helped other players go through the core questlines, do side quests, grind experience, craft items. I've answered questions as a Hospitaler. I've made almost 32,000 edits to SotAwiki, to help other players have a reference. I've read every newsletter, watched damn near every livestream. I've done streaming of the game, played this game for Extra Life, given out Steam codes to bring more players in. I support every community event that I can, whether its financially, in-game, or by word of mouth. I've done everything I can to make this game better. But this is the wall I die on.

I WILL NOT PLAY IN FORCED MULTIPLAYER. EVER.

So if this goes live, I'm gone. I doubt I'll be the only one. The game will look just as empty when there are no players in it.

 

I think this change is one I have been waiting for, I want to be in Multiplayer mode on the world map and in towns, they are places where I can end up meeting people and get to talk to them, but then I want to go hunt in zones, and some people who are clearly still stronger than me are already there, so I need to swap to Private to have my farming spot to myself, but once I do that, I have to re-swap modes to go back to multiplayer to see people on the OW map and towns... not worth the loading times, so I either forget or decide not to do it. I am also sure that I am not the only one.

 

I have to agree that this feature was one of the things that sold me on this game. I've played MMO's for years, and it was refreshing not being forced to have to see and/or interact with others. What I see in this thread is lots of people thinking that other people should play the way *they* want those other people to play, not the way those people actually want to play. In fact, I think the devs should be paying a lot of attention to the fact that the solo/party modes are so popular even when not in adventuring scenes.

The last time I went into Multiplayer mode, I got to have the lovely experience of having to watch some god-awful conversation of two players near me where one was apparently the other's BDSM sex slave. I could really do without that. I'm sure that meets other people's kicks, but not mine. And I can do without the "thee"s and "thou"s of people who want to role-play, etc. Right now, people can live in the microcosms they wish to pursue. Forcing everyone into multiplayer online outside of adventuring scenes is removing a really wonderful and unique aspect of this game.

Additionally, the fact is, this game was designed with these play modes in mind. You can easily see that in how trivial it was to find a serious flaw (PvP monitoring) with the announcement of this change. One of the great ills of the modern world is this idea that everyone must be connected and "social" all of the time. Sorry, but I play this game to get *away* from the world, not to be forced into being connected into it.

 

I love the change.

 

Thats a pretty harsh statement and TBH it is trolling the members that have long asked for this game change as it will improve the game. I suggested long ago that this would be a good change to party gamemode and I don't consider myself a whiny troll!

I may not agree with every change that has been implemented within this game, but if it is for the betterment of the game overall then I will concede that it should be done. You are basically giving a very fringe case where it is impacting you due to a medical disorder, however, for the longterm health of the game this could be a great change.

I haven't checked out the changes on QA yet, but I assume solo is still solo in all areas? So while the change may impact you, it can be managed with some modechanging between party (when in scenes with your kids) and solo (when they visit towns)

 

I don't like this change. I like in this game that we can play alone in multi-mode, to go in multi only when we want. That is a feature we don't see in others and I like it.

Note:
- I like to have possibility to have this "new mode", but don't like to be forced because this mode will not feet what I will setup most of time.

 

Just to be clear, your ability to play the game solo or selected group in multiplayer is not being taken away. I apologise if this clarification isn't necessary.

 

It's a great change and one which was very much needed. The game desperately needs to grow and hopefully this is one of the things that will help with that.

 

So, then all new players are whiny trolls?
All new players ask us the same questions: Are there no other palyers? Where are the other players? Is this game always so empty? I want to play with other Players. ...

 

Yes, it is. Even when in Private/Solo mode, you will see other players in the overwirld and in towns, and they can interact with you unless you block them. That, by definition, is taking away our choice if modes.

It directly impacts my son and his friend, who will no longer be able to play. It undermines my choice of opting out of multiplayer. And no, solo is only Solo in adventure areas; you still get forced into multiplayer elsewhere.

Then investigate WHY noone is playing multiplayer, rather than force us to. But, essentially, yes. Everyone's proposed solution is to force us to play in their world rather than incentivizing us. And that is not their decision to make.

 

Going hand in hand with this change I see:

Joaquin: Knowledge work, universal chat orb, Rewards UI, and Buff Icon tray work

 

At least if that's an orb it's opt-in...

 

I appreciate that @Browncoat Jayson , I just wasn't convinced that the OP understood what was actually changing after reading all of the speculative guff that has ensued following the Dev update. I'm not debating your point, just clarifying that solo/party was still to be in the game, but with changes.

By the way - your play mode is hugely valid. If I had enough friends of family I might try it too. Having a trad RPG party option but with party members being real people, sounds amazing.

It has occurred to me that in a way I am missing out. I would love to have my MMO multi-player character AND a Party mode RPG toon AND a trad Solo mode RPG toon. I would pay for each of these,

Would it work I wonder if they lifted Party Mode RPG out of the multi-player option and put it in as an additional option alongside single player? This way they could mess with the MMO social options any way they saw fit without upsetting other originally promised modes and preventing some folks with their own valid reasons opting for the non MMO version. It may also make them some cash and enable them to boast of a pretty unique range of play options.. In effect, you get 'three games for the price of one'.

 

So basically make the single player game LAN-able?

 

I've not fully thought it through, but subject to coding limitations etc, along the lines of..

1. MMO mode - open world, all players visible in public spaces such as towns and overworld. This can still have solo and party mode.
2. Traditional RPG solo mode - as now. Tends to be called Offline.
3. Social Traditional RPG Mode - similar to 2, as in the world is populated with 'in character' NPCs including in towns and on overworld but also has your selected player Party.

Broadly speaking, 3 already exists, it is the current online selected party mode (about to be lost). If it were segregated as its own play mode, then Port could play with the MMO mode to their hearts content pretty much without breaking any promises and it would take the shackles off them for the evolution of the MMO side.

 

I'd be ok with that. At least it would still allow us to play.

 

I love the change.

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