Why do people play MULTIPLAYER games if all they want to do is solo?!

[mrcaptainpants]

It's more of a state of mind.

 

You can't possibly be objecting to what you think another player's state of mind is and claiming that it has a negative affect on your gaming experience.

 

What do these players actually DO that is bothersome to you? What actions do they take that interfere with your enjoyment of the game?

[JeremyDale]

This personal tired and redundant argument reminds me of the statement:

 

"Don't confuse me with the facts, I've already made up my mind."

 

Apparently his mind is made up.

 

 

Force, the facts are the MMORPG market has transformed itself to accomdate players who simply want to solo quickly and easily through the entire game so they can reach endgame and become "awesome".

 

That are the facts. This has nothing to do with my mind or how it's made up.

 

And if you find my argument "tired and redundant" stop reading it. It's not my fault people keep asking me to repeat it lol

[VanorDM]

Most of the people who want to be able to solo everything quick and easily are exactly the same people who care only about getting to endgame as quickly as possible so they can start feeling awesome.

 

Yes I understand what you're trying to say.

 

But the issue the OP had, is people who want to solo though the whole game, including End Game content.

[JeremyDale]

Which can I say is NOT the attitude of a 'true' soloer. True soloers would be happy to have massive ( long ) quest lines or grind to get the same 'end game' content as raiders get - just so that we don't -have- to raid to get the higher stated gear. Giving us equal opportunity to everyone else's style of game play without the need for it to be fast or easy.

 

Well w/e you want to argue the "true" soloer is... that's a semantic argument I'm not going to have.

 

What I will say is this is the attitude of the typical soloer who complains if things are not easy enough for him or he has to be bothered with actually having to "group" together with other players on his way to the only part of the game that matters, the so called "endgame".

[Katarine]

It is sad that so many players feel they have to Justify their playstyle, yet playing Solo hurts no one. But it is okay to judge, to chide or even grief other players & not feel you have to justify that.

 

Let me ask OP why he feels it is perfectly okay to be 100% reliant on other players for his 'Fun'. Do you phone your friends to ask if they are on before you even log in, or do you log in to check if your friends/Guild is on before being able to play?

 

A huge majority of an mmo's playerbase is made up of 'Solo' players. Players who simply may not be able to commit 2 hours uninterupted playtime per night. Perhaps their partners wishes them to nip to the shop, or their parents are telling them to get off the computer. Perhaps your newborn baby is crying & your partner has had to go out.

 

The days of mmo's being a niché market ended when World of Warcraft (as one example) started being 'solo-friendly'. BOOM! The MMO went from 250K average playerbase to Millions ...

 

Others followed suit. Those that required primarily grouping & discouraged solo play either fell to the wayside & hit Internet Heaven or became a shadow of their old selves ... maybe even going Free-to-Play - but still never really managing more than a few thousand players ... if that.

 

Only 25% of WoW players raid.

70% of all guilds consist of 1 person.

 

I can't speak to the motivations of WHY these things are but the base data speaks for itself.

 

For a 'Raid-Centric' mmo, less than a quarter ever Raid ... if there was nothing else for the Solo Player you really think World of Warcraft would have hit 11 Million players?

 

Some players scream on the forums for the Dev's to make mmo's Harder & this in turn makes solo much harder ... & the playerbase starts to Hemorrhage numbers.

 

... when without those solo players' subs, there's a good chance the MMO wouldn't be able to sustain itself?

 

Solo players are the major audience, now, for MMO's ... they make up such a huge chunk of the playerbase that if you removed them - if you had to rely on other players to help you through the game ... what happens when, for example, you started late & by the time you hit Tatooine you were the only player there ... & yet all the content required a full group?

Answer: You can no longer progress, so you either (A) reroll & hope there are some other new players at the starter Island, (B) Contact your Guild & hope there are some players willing to help you out - although you'll not get as much xp as they will be higher level, or (C) you quit & go play another game.

In essence, in the above scenario, Tatooine becomes your Bottleneck.

 

Offering Option (D) - you solo the content & catch up with your Friends, means that the company (BioWare in this case) get to keep you as a customer.

 

I also find most solo players know the game back to front - know their mobs, which ones, for example, are harder than others so they can avoid them. Whereas players who have their hand held throughout rush to EndGame & as soon as their friends leave, they, too, leave ... you generally never get to know the game too well, as you are always with friends & never really discover everything the game has to offer.

 

So, TL-DR - more options = More Customers. It works for Blizzard. Those who take that onboard generally prosper, those that don't fall.

Edited February 3, 2012 by Katarine

[daemian]

What I will say is this is the attitude of the typical soloer who complains if things are not easy enough for him or he has to be bothered with actually having to "group" together with other players on his way to the only part of the game that matters, the so called "endgame".

 

That's not the attitude of the typical soloer, and I don't think you (or the OP) really believe that either.

Edited February 3, 2012 by daemian

[sjmc]

Well w/e you want to argue the "true" soloer is... that's a semantic argument I'm not going to have.

 

What I will say is this is the attitude of the typical soloer who complains if things are not easy enough for him or he has to be bothered with actually having to "group" together with other players on his way to the only part of the game that matters, the so called "endgame".

I suspect that the people that solo in order to get to the endgame as fast as possible, solo because it is a quick way to accomplish their goal. If it happened that group content could get you there significantly faster, they would probably do that. They aren't soloing in order to enjoy solo content, they are trying to get to level 50. In fact, many people play warzones to level to 50, which while they may queue solo, isn't exactly a solo endeavour.

[JeremyDale]

Yes I understand what you're trying to say.

 

But the issue the OP had, is people who want to solo though the whole game, including End Game content.

 

Well I believe most of these people would be happy to be able to solo the endgame content as well if they could... and it's just a matter of time probably before MMORPGs give in and allow them to lol

 

The point being Vanor is they dont' play the game to group up and have fun with friends. They play the game to satisfy their ego trips, and that is typical of the average player who wants to be able to solo through the game at a rapid pace. The two tend to go hand in hand.

[Kabjat]

Well telling me to crawl out from under my rock sounded rather personal to me...

 

I have nothing against players who enjoy soloing. And I pointed out specifically you may or may not be the type of player I am talking about. I don't know you.

 

And I stand by what I said. Any player who wants to be able to quickly and easily solo the entire game up until the so called "endgame" has to be on some ego trip - and most of these players like to justify their position by claiming they are 'casuals" "married" "have kids". Those are the typical excuses they like to make to cover up the fact they are really just on ego trips and want to reach the end of the game as quickly as possible so they can feel superior.

 

I'm not saying this is you. But that is the type of player I am talking about. And they are usually the ones who want to be able to solo as quickly and easily to the "endgame" as possible.

 

My apologies if I sounded rude before. >.<

 

I think then what the issue seems to be is, if indeed this type of player IS more prevalent than I think it is, what does it really matter?

 

I mean no disrespect, but like others have stated earlier, I really don't think there are as many as you say. This is a rare breed of MMO player indeed.

 

With that said, even if they are trippin on their peacock feathers and prancing around the Fleet, parking on mailboxes with their diamond encrusted speeders....who cares?

 

O.o

 

There are far more guilded, actively raiding pvpers out there that do the whole walking the catwalk thing with showing off. Though to be fair, we don't have blood elves here. THANK GOD.

[JeremyDale]

That's not the attitude of the typical soloer, and I don't think you (or the OP) really believe that either.

 

Oh I believe it, trust me lol

 

I believe it is the mentality of the typical MMORPG player period these days, which is why you see the sorry state of MMORPGs these days. They are simply reflecting what the majority wants.

[supertouch]

mmo content shouldn't be easy enough to solo. if you wanna solo, stay away from mmos.

[JeremyDale]

I suspect that the people that solo in order to get to the endgame as fast as possible, solo because it is a quick way to accomplish their goal. If it happened that group content could get you there significantly faster, they would probably do that. They aren't soloing in order to enjoy solo content, they are trying to get to level 50. In fact, many people play warzones to level to 50, which while they may queue solo, isn't exactly a solo endeavour.

 

I disagree. I think they do it for several reasons, among them the speed. But I also think they don't want to be bothered with having to group either. Having to rely on other people is typically not something an ego-driven person likes having to deal with.

[otterscrubber]

Ya, i've heard some complaints that with companions this makes this game too solo able and that is bad thing for some reason. I'm not sure if that can exist. The ability to solo a game merely means I can if I want to. I need no encouragement to group with people I like, but being able to solo means I will never be forced to group with people I don't like or have to put up with to get through certain tasks. Being able to solo does not mean you are forced to solo.

 

This is a GOOD THING.

[Flowerslayer]

I find enjoyment in self reliance knowing that I am the sole weak-point in all that I do. This carries over to online persistent worlds. I'm a Bounty Hunter I rely on nobody but myself.

 

Can I borrow this for my signature? It was very well put and I completely agree.

[daemian]

Oh I believe it, trust me lol

 

I believe it is the mentality of the typical MMORPG player period these days, which is why you see the sorry state of MMORPGs these days. They are simply reflecting what the majority wants.

 

If I were to base my opinion on what I see on forums, I'd agree with you. But, in my experience, most people I encounter in the game are pretty easy going, and just there to have fun.

[JeremyDale]

My apologies if I sounded rude before. >.<

 

I think then what the issue seems to be is, if indeed this type of player IS more prevalent than I think it is, what does it really matter?

 

I mean no disrespect, but like others have stated earlier, I really don't think there are as many as you say. This is a rare breed of MMO player indeed.

 

With that said, even if they are trippin on their peacock feathers and prancing around the Fleet, parking on mailboxes with their diamond encrusted speeders....who cares?

 

O.o

 

There are far more guilded, actively raiding pvpers out there that do the whole walking the catwalk thing with showing off. Though to be fair, we don't have blood elves here. THANK GOD.

 

It matters because they are cleary the majority and are shaping MMORPGs to reflect what they want.

 

This should be obvious to you considering how mostl MMORPGs have turned into simple solo grinds to reach the all important "endgame".

[Aaluria]

Oh I believe it, trust me lol

 

I believe it is the mentality of the typical MMORPG player period these days, which is why you see the sorry state of MMORPGs these days. They are simply reflecting what the majority wants.

 

I disagree with your view, I don't think MMORPG's are in a sorry state, I think they are only getting better and better. But you view as is mine is only a matter of opinion and neither one is correct or incorrect. It's just an opinion.

[VanorDM]

They play the game to satisfy their ego trips, and that is typical of the average player who wants to be able to solo through the game at a rapid pace. The two tend to go hand in hand.

 

Yes there is no doubt a lot of people like that out there.

 

But they are not the type of person that would be typically considered a soloer. They are called Powergamers typically.

 

Again I understand what you're trying to say. It's just something completely different then what the OP was trying to say, but you seemed to agree with him, which caused some confusion.

[JeremyDale]

mmo content shouldn't be easy enough to solo. if you wanna solo, stay away from mmos.

 

I agree with you Supertouch.

 

I do think players should be able to have fun soloing, but deffinitely do not think they should be able to easily solo 90% of the game without ever having to group or rely on anyone.

[daemian]

if you wanna solo, stay away from mmos.

 

I feel the same way about power levelers. But they can play however they want as long as it doesn't interfere with me.

Edited February 3, 2012 by daemian

[crica]

I agree with you Supertouch.

 

I do think players should be able to have fun soloing, but deffinitely do not think they should be able to easily solo 90% of the game without ever having to group or rely on anyone.

 

Why?

 

Because you say so?

 

"Hey, you want to play with THAT ball? Then you gonna have to play with everyone in order to play with it, buddy! Don't you ask me WHY, mister! Cuz I said so! Now get, and don't come back till you are ready to do so!"

 

Control issues?

Edited February 3, 2012 by crica

[JumperPenn]

I'm not talking about people who like to solo ON OCCASION, or people who would rather play with people they know or a reliable guild. I mean people who want to play THE ENTIRE GAME without ever grouping with another person, the people who want SOLO OPS in which they use their companions as a raiding team.

 

I mean, isn't laughing with guildies fun? Isn't screwing around in general chat fun?

 

If not, WHY play an MMO, then? What do these people get out of this game that a superior single player game (like Skyrim, for example) wouldn't offer them and even MORE?

 

Is it because, as PA once said, "You can ride that **** through Ironforge!"?

 

Because they didn't want an mmo, they wanted a single player game of this type, ie kotor3.

 

Or perhaps they've had their fill of other people messing up their game time, being a PIA, etc.

 

Maybe they have something going on at home, like kids, and can't stay with a group in the event they have to check in on their kids.

 

Maybe it is just more fun to do things on your own, harder, takes longer, etc than to do it with other people.

 

For some people laughing at this or that might not be fun when you don't share the same sense of humour. Nor would 'screwing around' be entertaining for them either, couldn't people like that get their fun out of one of the many many chat services/programs in the world? Why get into a game to have chat lolz?

[Dria]

I'm not talking about people who like to solo ON OCCASION, or people who would rather play with people they know or a reliable guild. I mean people who want to play THE ENTIRE GAME without ever grouping with another person, the people who want SOLO OPS in which they use their companions as a raiding team.

 

I mean, isn't laughing with guildies fun? Isn't screwing around in general chat fun?

If not, WHY play an MMO, then? What do these people get out of this game that a superior single player game (like Skyrim, for example) wouldn't offer them and even MORE?

Is it because, as PA once said, "You can ride that **** through Ironforge!"?

 

I don't understand what is your problem with those people.

but I think that the answer is - they loved Knights of the Old Republic I & II so they wanted to play Old Republic and who knows maybe they also do Flashpoints and Operations some day with people but they will know those people in RL.

[JeremyDale]

Why?

 

Because you say so?

 

"Hey, you want to play with THAT ball? Then you gonna have to play with everyone in order to play with it, buddy! Now get, and don't come back till you are ready to do so!"

 

Control issues?

 

Just because I think MMORPGs should have a nessasary multi-player element to it doesn't mean I have control issues. It just means I have a different vision of what an MMORPG should be than you.

 

I got no issues with a vibrant and fun solo play experience on an MMORPG. But I think it goes too far to make all of the content or nearly all of it soloable. I think it's the wrong direction for the genere.

 

But I woudn't worry about my opinions Crica, as i'm cleary in the minority and MMORPGs are obviously turning into single-player games online. So I woudn't worry too much about what I think

[otterscrubber]

It matters because they are cleary the majority and are shaping MMORPGs to reflect what they want.

 

This should be obvious to you considering how mostl MMORPGs have turned into simple solo grinds to reach the all important "endgame".

 

I'm not sure why you seem to think that because you are able to solo in a game, it is a solo game. Being able to solo does not remove the ability to group up and play as team or a guild. Why this insistence that being able to solo is somehow excluding the ability to do team oriented things?

 

I have a busy job and family life. When I get to log on the 2 times a week I am able to do so, I don't want to spend an hour getting a group together, then going to a mission, then finding out the person I grouped with is dbag and before you know it I have done nothing and can't enjoy this game until a few days from now.

 

I also don't want to have to make 30 new friends online before I can enjoy a game. I do like that they are there though, and being able to buy and sell things appeals to me in a market of other players. And I do enjoy occasionally meeting people and making new friends. But I'm glad that I don't HAVE to do that to play. I think it is wildly egotistical to state or imply that an MMO should not cater to solo players as well as those who like to form uber guilds for 50+ hours of playtime a week. Clearly this is not your style, but why denigrate others who do not share your exact style of play or imply that they are messing things up for everyone else.

 

If you really want to play a game that does not cater to solo players, there is a game called EVE Online. It sounds right up your alley. If you want to grind and be forced to join a large group of other people to grind for long periods of time to get even basic things done, that is your game. But please don't say every MMO has to be that way.