“About half our player base is more interested in playing through the story than playing online!”

Where is Mitch [MGT]?
https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/forum/index.php?threads/week-of-october-17th-dev-q-a-thread.15472/

 

yes I agree to some organization in the questions that are getting asked. To have FireLotus have to hunt for questions during the hangout takes time in itself. We all have questions we'd like to know. One of mine is a little hint of what fishing will be like, but perhaps that system is not yet fleshed out. That makes it a question that has no answer yet, which could just be said like we don't have details yet on fishing, and as we get closer to working on it we will be able to advise. As a community we could organize our own Q&A thread. That would be very cool. So each release some selected individual or individual could do that. It would take the chore off the Dev team and also the questions asked will be fleshed out from this thread to be 'what the community wants to know'. Is that a can of worms? Well hopefully not.

 

As do I..... I am a single player that prefers online gaming with other people .... I love the story and quests of games, and I pretty much enjoy interacting now and then with real players, others wise, I get bored and leave a game that doesn't have a community of real people for me to enjoy, ( it's like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get) that adds excitement and variety....

 

Personally, I can't play a game that doesn't have immense depth and attractive lore to give me a sense of purpose with my role in the world. Does that mean I play single player games? No, I play multiplayer games with immense depth and lore. Indeed, they are extremely rare. I pray to see SOTA deliver something unique to the industry.

 

I've always felt for this game to be a true success, it has to be a successor to both the single player Ultima games and UO in time inside of dividing the camps and only appeasing one group.

I think if they have the budget and capability to execute on what they've discussed, it will do that. Only time will tell. I'm remaining optimistic and trying not to be partisan. I come from a deep love of the single player games, but I think an online game can be quite rewarding if done well.

 

Was there one single player question asked/answered in the last hangout?

 

I'm looking forward to both aspects of the game. I think it'll be interesting to be able to move through the story when you want and be able to treat the game as a MMO when you're not doing the main storyline or you've completed it.

I guess it's not very far from a traditional MMO in that aspect but it seems different due to the different modes available.

 

I am only interested in the multiplayer part.
Just saying.

 

Maybe half our player base just found out it's easier to grind in single player online. That's my guess.

When you're grinding you're not really socialising.

 

i believe BDF above me is totally right lol!

 

I don't think that's the case and I think you know that. This is a very inflaming statement.

Some actually like a single player game...no need to make it feel otherwise.

Sure.

 

I think some have no problem with the multi-player side of things, but only if it doesn't come at the expense of the richness that they normally associate with single-player games.

And I'm sure some are the opposite that they don't have a problem with the single-player side, as long as it doesn't come at the expense of features they associate with multi-player games.

So its up to the devs to find that balance.

 

IF I'm playing a story driven RPG I prefer single player.
But I am also a big MMO player but I prefer a sub based one to keep out all the ambience breaking additions ( that SotA seems to now have in abundance).
I can accept a shop if what it sells could be found in the World, Costume's Hats and they are obtainable by everyone that would want one.
But it's my experience over 19 yrs of MMO gaming, that once a shop takes hold the gameplay takes the hit and becomes easier and more casual just to keep the shoppers playing, and to hell with gamers.

 

Agreed Wagram - if it stays cosmetic thats one thing... after that...

 

Yes "some" actually do like a single player game. But that doesn't mean that half of our audience is "some" people. There's nothing inflammatory about my statement. There's no need to be extra sensitive to the idea that maybe "some" people, even a large percentage of people "may" be using single player online to enhance their multiplayer experience. It certainly makes "sense."

 

My sensitivity to the situation is because of your many remarks on how you hate the single player side. How would you expect people to take your comments?

I will be using it to enhance my gaming experience so that sometimes I don't have to deal with people that irritate me and can play a well thought out single player story and then when I feel like stepping into what appears to be a chaotic no rules online world I can.

It isn't so I can exploit the system...there are enough ways to exploit the system without using single player as you well know.

Don't discredit the amount that actually want to play this as a single player game, they may not be as vocal as some but they are out there. Many most likely have given this up as a singleplayer game at all if what I have read in some of the rpg sites I visit is any indication.

 

I am most interested in playing friends only as a party based 'single' player. I love this concept and can't wait to see it take shape.

 

agreed! This is what was promised to us in the kickstarter.

 

And the crux of the matter is that the single player and MMO elements of this game won't be clearly separated. Each side has to enrich and complement each other for the whole game to feel seamless. I've yet to see a game that tried to be 50/50 really succeed. SOTA has to be 70/70 in such a way that the MMO elements complement single player and vice versa. It's a VERY tall order , even ESO (from all accounts) has failed in this aspect.

 

I think that mutual respect for both parties must be achieved for success. I know I rail hard on the RP aspect because I know it is more work and many people do not understand us. I come across brash most of the time but its because of being told that I have to just deal with it. I can respect all modes of play, if respect is returned, and I do not feel like an outcast. People need to understand that we have many different age groups, many different upbringings, and different values on how we perceive things. I sometimes forget that myself and get lost in a rant to try to "change someones views". The times have changed so drastically in the last 30 yrs that some people do not understand how some of us where brought up, and those of us older people do not understand how the younger generation feels. Its going to take some effort to bridge the gap.