MMO: Why do people not play together?

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Lord_Darkmoon, Aug 11, 2016.

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  1. Enziet

    Enziet Avatar

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    At the moment I think in SotA the main reason is just that there is not enough group content. Currently if you group you loose out on half the resources you would normally get if you were solo. Plus none of the content is really ridiculously difficult that required two people.

    I'm sure in time we will get more content that requires more people to accomplish a common goal.
     
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  2. Tahru

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    The #1 reason I play almost exclusively in multiplayer mode is so people can see me and know they are not alone. Thinking to myself that I hope others do the same. Eventually just having lots of people around will attract more players.
     
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  3. Ravicus Domdred

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    Well in multiplayer yes. But if one wants to play the game in single player why should he be forced into multiplayer to play the content. Its single player/friends online/ or MO. The game never says you have to be in multiplayer to achieve all content. In fact this game was started as a single player game that you could play online with your friends if you chose to. Granted that has been lost over the last three years but that is what was told us at the kickstarter.
     
  4. Baalice

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    Exactly, you would have to keep at least Single Player Offline for those that backed the game for it. Getting rid of everything but MMO would basically be lying to your original backers. I've been playing in MMO mode to get a better sense of how the game will play out. I can see the draw of SPO at times if I'm going to be doing something that it's just easier to get done myself. I can get caught up in chat and get less done with the limited time I have. Either way, it sounds mostly like some people have shut this game down before it even gets to beta. I mean, there's a lot of content that needs to be fleshed out. I would have to see the game when it's officially released to make such calls for or against certain things it does right or not. I agree a lot of things feel rough and clunky. I play mainly to test out the systems in place after getting my lot nailed down. Really gotta reserve judgment for a later time in my opinion. Too early.
     
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  5. Ravicus Domdred

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    Well I was referring to single player online, but yes offline also. Lord Darkmoon, the person who posted this thread is a Single Player Offline advocate and he probably would appreciate the nod for offline :)
     
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  6. Retro

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    So nice I quote it twice...@Ravicus this comment really got me thinking, I am now going to Actively interject even more RP into these new "Friend" encounters...not to say that I wasn't before, but I'm going to put a little more effort.

    And yes I agree, most of these people I encounter online are just acquaintances (if that), but slowly and since persistence, I'm been meeting the people in my town, surrounding towns, areas I like and adventuring in, building a network...almost none of us are in a guild. Our story will grow.

    Put some work in OP.... I'm actually shocked I'm having so much fun on the social side. I didn't expect to.

    @Portalarium make the friends list more powerful, tie it into the chat system, add voice maybe? (groups)
     
    Last edited: Aug 11, 2016
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  7. Baalice

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    True, I should have just said 'single player' in general. Either way, there is supposed to be a way to play solo and it makes no sense to make them come into multiplayer to get certain content done. What's the point of having it then?
     
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  8. Enziet

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    That's their screw up. If they make they make the current game completely playable offline and online great, but if they hope to make any kind of serious money, after the main story is complete for the single player aspect of the game, they will continue to develop the games multiplayer feature and advance the game beyond the original main story for multiplayer characters.

    If the single player characters don't want to move to online to experience more of the story / content, that is their prerogative. But again only AFTER they complete the original plan . This way the original backers get their offline story still.
     
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  9. Enziet

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    What would also be cool is if they took what they have learned from SotA and rather then continuing to to develop the multiplayer side of things, instead made a SotA 2 but fully single player and just said F it to the multiplayer aspect.

    Ultima 1 / 2 / 3 like the old days of gaming. Solo RPG games :D
     
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  10. redfish

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    There will be companions in offline and hirelings in the game, so I don't even think designing group content really needs to be controversial.
     
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  11. Ravicus Domdred

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    I mainly was talking about single player online. I do agree its there mess up. here is Chris talking about the online modes on a kickstart video. Start about 3:55 He specifies that its not an mmo but is MO, and gives the reasons why. This will be important as many players will not be coming back until launch, and this is what they will be expecting. Many people opt out of the game creation.
     
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  12. Tiki Pirate

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    Personally I play only in multiplayer mode. The first days while everyone was at East Perennial Trail fighting over nodes I went fishing. Caught a lot of fish, butchered them, and made some cash. Now I log into EPT and there are one or two people. Resources are easier to find, crafted an epic set of armor, moved on to tougher zones, no problem.

    One way to fix resource availability would be to have stagnant nodes always spawned - but have an individual timer for each player. This way people would be more inclined to play together, in fact many crafters could piggyback into an area that is being farmed, or a guild could clear/maintain mobs while crafters harvested an area. This could actually spur co-operation, especially if mobs were formed so fast you would need a party to protect you while you harvested. This rapid mob spawn could solve the leather issue. Make special zones with nodes in these special areas only available for multiplayer.
     
  13. SmokerKGB

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    So say you... I disagree completely, the sandbox elements don't drive the industry, at least not anymore and surely not for me... We can debate the exact numbers all day long, but until you have "Produced" a game and seen where the numbers lay, no one really knows for sure. This team has gone through it starting with UO, they seen the numbers, they also watched the reality of WoW when it was launched... It's a dumbed down game which takes you by the hand and guides you... Even group play, looking for group, waiting for group, watch 4 guys take on the Boss while everyone else stands there waiting for the end to claim their reward, WoW how interesting, boring...

    I'm so glad this team is doing something different, you may not agree, but I think it's great having multi-play... If I chose to be social I can, but I now have an option, I can't tell you how wrong you are, nothing is broken, unless you think this is the finished product, which it's not, there is a lot of work to do still, but I'm enjoying it at this stage, it can only get better...
     
  14. redfish

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    @Tiki Pirate,

    Yea, but isn't East Perenial Trail just better suited to no more than one or two people?

    The devs can control instancing to make that happen.

    And I think sometimes in E. Perennial, nobody else in the scene would be fine, even if there are other players playing that scene.
     
  15. Krimzon

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    Your right Sandbox elements don't that's why this game is trying to bring them back and failing at it. That's why there are 3 games right now trying to bring back the old school EQ/SWG game play of sand box and forced grping. Vanilla WoW was argueably anything but dumbed down was not among them. Coming from a History of being a member of the.. guild in EQ Fires of Heaven that also came from UO. We were pulled to test WoW, it wasn't until later that WoW became dumbed down and the genre has spiraled to the mess its currently in. As to nothing being broken you couldn't be more wrong all you have to do is read these forums to see the sad state the games currently in when it comes to melee/healing. Broken or Unfinished if you want to semantics this I don't care but it is exactly what it is. When your first moments in the game, are met with you should really play ranged... after all your choices. That should speak for itself if they can't get the most basic part of the game to function properly.

    Any other game I've tested and played has had the basics of combat down long before Alpha hits, even the few that I've tested pre alpha weren't in this bad of shape. Choosing to be social in a game that's billing itself as bringing the genre back to its roots should be a requirement if your going to build a community. Sitting off to the side in a off line single player part of the game is really no different then running through questing in 'insert' Wow clone game. Because all games have turned into now is soloing to lvl cap instant queing for dungeons. You talk down about how that game play isn't for you, but then turn right around and say you want basically the same thing by being able to avoid the community here. Your right it can only get better which is why my opinion is valid as a long time gamer well over 20+ years involved in playing and helping other dev teams develop content. If people like yourself just give them the shiny side of the coin all the time then they are less likely to understand just how far off the mark the game currently is. To this date the ultimate sand box game for me will always be SWG, until they get even close to besting that game I'll be here to point it out. I mean come on man this is 2016 the stuff they are doing was done 20 years ago and they haven't been able to do it better that's a problem.

     
  16. Earl Atogrim von Draken

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    @Krimzon beside your General statement about mmos today and your wow Vanilla praise (I recommend swgemu, they are pretty far) I have to disagree.
    I have played far worse Alphas in my life.
    Don't Mix up Betas or some of todays Alphas which are pretty much ready games in EA for the different kind of founders.
    A real Alpha is a pain in the backside. I agree you seldomly see them anymore. Last I can remember that aren't ages ago are MWO and eternal Crusade.
    MWO was in a MUCH worse state than Sota has ever been.
    If you take a look at it now it turned out to be a pretty awsome game.
    People just aren't used to the pain anymore because most Alphas and Betas are just no real Alphas and Betas.
     
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  17. Tahru

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    I may just be a coincidence, but I was running into people all over the place yesterday. It was great.
     
  18. mass

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    One of the things that attracted me to pledge from Kickstarter was the SPO mode. I think this idea of 'incentivising' grouping (which usually ends up translating as instituting 'compulsory grouping') is an antiquated idea. Grouping has it's own incentive for the benefits of social interaction and teamwork benefits (like farming harder areas sooner).

    Personally, I like a dynamic living world with real people and occasionally getting together to take down a major bad guy. But most of the time, I prefer to be independent. One of my major immersion gripes with most MMOs is that when you quest, you go to a quest giver with 12 other people standing around to get the same quest. Then you go to the quest area and wait while 12 other people do the quest. Doesn't feel all that heroic (or more fundamentally, makes the story less engaging). I hate feeling that I have to find some other person to ask a favor of or do face to face business with to advance my own character. SPO allows me to do all those things, and then still have the option to come to MPO when there's a good reason (and sometimes there are). I don't know how many people fall into my demographic, but I can say that a lack of SPO and the opportunity for independent character advancement would make me lose interest.
     
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  19. Flight

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    SWG was great but you're kind of undermining the points you are making about stuff being bugged and broken.

    SWG was THE most bugged MMO ever even months after release. When you logged in you didn't know if your house was going to be in the world or not and if it wasn't you had to wait for the next server reboot/patch to bring it back - and of course if you were a crafter all your crafting stuff was inside the house. The armour system was flat out broken - the guy who designed it was/is a mathematical genius but it was a perfect example of why designing by spreadsheet and theory doesn't necessarily mean it's going to work in practise. So yeah there are things that need fixing, but we're still in beta and there's lots of good stuff in SotA.



    On playing solo multiple surveys in the past have shown that over 70% of MMO players have solo play as their preferred play style. A sandbox game especially won't die for lack of multiplayer content but it sure better have mass solo play appeal.

    Personally I have to play solo and I miss teaming up but c'est la vie.
     
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  20. Baalice

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    I'm right there with you. If I have a half hour or hour to play, I want to get some fun in. If I have to ask people for help on a quest for 30 miutes+ because the game has 'forced grouping' *shudder*, I'm burning my free time. I could just go farm or craft but I'm going to have to get that quest done at some point.

    Also, thanks for bringing this back on topic. I'm not sure why we're discussing how SotA isn't the greatest MMO like SWG and here are all 'my' reasons why it's broken and needs to be fixed. Oh, yea, and get rid of any single player content people backed for and make everyone have to group too while you're at it. All the while telling us that the game is going to fail anyway. o_O

    I've been playing 35+ years, have been involved with development before, been through the wringer of the many MMOs that came before. A lot of us here have the same type of game resume, yet we all have different interpretations of our experiences. We all have games that will always be our favorites and wish we could see their like again. It's kind of the reason you're seeing a game like this get developed. It's different because that was the intent. Trying new things out to see what works, what might break the mold of every other game out there. Some things work, some things don't. The developers are letting us see the game from the ground up. There aren't many teams that would open it up this early for critique. It's a work in progress and hasn't even reached beta. I'm reserving judgment until such time as things settle in and the game gets close to launch.
     
    Last edited: Aug 12, 2016
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