Thoughts on Mixing FMO and MMO OverWorld?

Maybe because there are so few people playing...?

 

The game was not made to be only MMO. People have all sorts of reasons to play offline or singleplayer. The main reason why the game looks empty is because there is not enough players. What is really needed is game that will attract more players. Plenty of people actually do play in multiplayer. Multiplayer needs to be attractive to players. Some players will switch to it if devs address some inherent issues - lags, limited resources..., some players will stay away from multiplayer, because they just do not want to deal with kill stealing or players with weird names...

The point is, forcing players into mode they do not like is unlikely to work, it will just make them play less. What is needed is to make the game (and specifically multiplayer mode) more attractive so there is more people willingly, because they actually enjoy playing there.

 

Exactly. Why would anyone who bought or pledged for the game because of Selective Multiplayer want to play in multiplayer only? That would not be the game I gave my money for.

 

Most people I know (and I realize the plural of datum is not statistic) are normally in MPO, but flip to SPO/FPO often to deal with the scenes being over-farmed. At some point most of them forget to flip back or just get tired of mucking about with it. Because of this "modal inconvenience effect," The game will always appear far less populated than it actually is. While I completely agree that forcing players who don't want to be in MPO ever to being in it isn't good, I think having an option to avoid the issue of switching back and forth for those who only want to be in SPO/FPO to give an opportunity against those who might as well be using a punt gun to hunt IS good.

 

SPO and FPO is about the player choosing who is in their game. No math changes that until this idea of overworld map being MPO only.

Not hard to see SPO/FPO modes don't need this.

 

I agree, I think that option to switch game mode when switching scenes to avoid extra waiting times would be handy.
Overall I think what the game really needs is better multiplayer experience, people should not feel like they have to switch game mode to friends/solo in order to e competitive at getting xp or resources.

 

While I'd love to have that, I don't have a specific suggestion to accomplish it

 

The idea is to modify the modes so that they're more distinct from one another and simultaneously (potentially) allow one or two to cross-pollinate (SPO <-> FPO and FPO <-> MPO), not force people into a specific one.

The game wasn't made to be only single-player either. Everybody who's arguing against the idea is preaching this "selective-multiplayer" idea but refuses to actually improve on it... or think of alternative ways to improve on it. It's like it's set in stone and the mere thought changing it is bad because particular suggestions involves multi-player! THE HORROR!

"Oh noes! The multiplayer people are coming! The multiplayer people are coming! Hide your wife! Hide your kids! We can't let them ruin our single-player game!"

 

Where's this idea that the modes need to be improved come from? There is nothing wrong with the modes the way they are and the idea being thrown around here does very little for 1 mode at the expense of another.

Being able to choose the people that are in your game is the definition of FPO. It's a core feature of SotA.

I bet if the part of MPO you do not enjoy was stated clearly, and the goal was to find a solution, there would be plenty of ideas floated that do not require FPO changes.

 

I am pretty shure, the only players who are happy with the mode system right now, are thouse who prefere SP offline, SP online or FM Online...

every player i know, who wants to fokus on the MPO part, is unhappy with the influences the other modes have on MPO.

(Damn... 3/4 of the Community is happ.. thats not good for my point )

 

Well, SP offline maybe, as for online single/friends, there are those Shardfalls and ruins that force you not only into multiplayer but to PvP as well.

And it is not that surprising that multiplayer oriented people want to see more players, just as it is not surprising that singleplayer oriented people do not want to see others

 

@Net
The Problem is, what Gix sayed 2 Posts above mine.

Whenever someone whos mainly fokus is on the MPO mode starts a diskussion about something that would encourage Players to play MPO, or that would solve some problems the actual system is causing for the MPO, we hear the same thing: This game is not all about MPO.

But as an MPO player its quite confusing! Because from my point of vew the 2 selective online modes PURELY have negative influence on the MPO mode, there is nothing we MPO players get from the SPO of FMO mode. All we get is markbalance issues, because players dont compete against each other when it comes to ressources and monster spawns.. We have people who could farm bossmobs really fast because of the switch exploid.. and so on.. Even when it comes to leveling: The most effective way is to level with friends in friendmode.. So all in all, in every situation: When you play purely MPO, you slow down in everything. Less ressources, slower progression, less monsters to kill.. All you get is: See some random people.

I dont see any negative influences for people who play in the selective modes.

Still under this circumstances there are still palyers who refuse to go in the selective mode. Maybe give them some love, and dont crush every diskussion with "this game is not MPO only"

 

I have to draw the conclusion that anyone is thinking this way came here looking for an MMO and are finding out that SotA is a selective multiplayer instead. Much like the people that came here looking for a UO remake.

 

Any of these issues can be addressed without punishing the other modes. More often then not, the motivation of an idea is purely intent on making one mode more valuable than the other modes. That will always spark resistance.

 

I find this behavior rude, and its just not true. But it happens all the time, when someone talks about features that are typcal for an MMO or UO.
You cannot "silence" people by pull out the "dont listen to him, he is here for the wrong reasons!" hammer.

I decide that i want to play sota when it was in kickstarter! Back then i was 100% aware of, that there will be 4 playstyles.
I thought i could play whatever style i want, without any encouragement or punishment for playing one of them.

What i did NOT know, is that we will end up with a system the clearly encourages players to leave the MPO mode, and punishs players who dont.
I gave examples.

That may be the case! But it is impossible to do, when all ideas and diskussions about the MPO mode get "you came here for the wrong reason" or "this is not just a mmorpg" silenced.
Dont get me wrong... I understand why a shared overworld map is a problem. NOW. AFTER diskussing it. But the "this is not an mmorpg!" postings did not enlighten me. Other postings did.

 

Im actually still blurry on the general reasoning against my original post?
SPO is un effected. Friends mode is still 90% solo play ( its not like friends list ACTUALLY effects fmo, only partying.. but thats also how single player works anyway)
Why did all aspects of fmo get shoved into the single player spectrum and not closer to mmo?
I find it just as reasonable that fmo overworld could be Shared with MMO mode then not.

After people discussed.. it occurs to me you can do single player.. do partying in spo mode and it does exactly what fmo does. In fact im struggling to see the reason for fmo at all in reality.. as it doesnt do the intended idea of it.

If it was removed..

People woild play single player who used to play fmo. They would have 0 difference in their play, and 0 more difficulty partying as it adjusts anyway.

...

So far the only valid argument here is * i was promised fmo selective *.. and not taking into account how its not even functioning with what the intended purpose was of the mode.

Essentially we have 2 single player modes. And 1 mmo mode.
Thought it would be an easy way to make fmo feel more as a middle and actually maybe justify it a bit.
Now aftee reading tje back and forth.. im pretty sold on the fact its useless mode and does nothing you cant do in spo. Lol

 

I did not use the proverbial "this is not an MMO", and I most certainly have not tried to silence anyone. Knowing the perspective of the person I am communicating with is of importance. If someone came here expecting an MMO and is seeing now that SotA is more than that. Then there might be a need to point on the difference.

Since we are talking about what we find as rude. I am most likely going to get involved in a thread that attempts to insert dominion over other people's choice. That's a form of rude I don't walk away from. (Most commonly exhibited in the PvP topic)

This idea of tapping into SPO/FPO population to make MPO "feel" more populated directly cuts into those modes freedom from the population.

If MPO feels underpopulated it's either because there is a low population or by design. - has anyone ever asked if the overworld map has a player cap?

 

FPO, even if it's currently working exactly as intended, is the active choice to play with only the people on your friends list.

This suggestion breaks that.

Now you have a valid argument to add to the list.

 

So your saying when im on friends mode i see only my friends list in the world right now?

No its only party members. Oh okay.
So how is that dif then being on single player mode and partying with someone, if they then now share zone with you?

Friends mode would make sense if anywhete i went it SHOWED friends... grouped or not. But as explained by others, this isnt realistic.. friends of friends etc.

So..
Whats the valid reason to keep fmo, if i get the same identical grouping / solo play style in spo?

Now i admit. I rarely use spo. So maybe im missing something key here.
But if we removed fmo from game right now. Today.
What would be the in game partying/solo implications? Wouldnt fmo players just use spo and group, identical to current fmo? Making 0 change in the outcome other then 1 less login option?

(This isnt intended as sassy. I dont use spo often, but im failing to see what fmo does that spo doesnt ? Since you can party in spo and share zones? Or is that not a true statement?) Essentially. Why is fmo unique in reality to spo ?

And if im wrong in hiw it works.. why not allow partying in spo, like how fmo currently works, and scrap fmo?

 

LOL!