I thought soloing was a viable way to play

[Lt_Latency]

This game has more solo content then any other MMO. The made those 8 class arc stories for you guys you know.

[Soluss]

And it is to some degree up to level cap. But those who for what ever reason only like to solo basically end their journey at level cap with each character.

 

I have always felt the solo style is good if you enjoy it. I know some really don't understand it, but everyone has their own reasons. Time constraints maybe, social phobias, shyness, bad guild experiences..etc. I like to solo while having a tea or coffee, read the quest notes, take my time to look around , and talk in general chat. I will always stop and help others if they look like they need it. But I don't like groups in general because without exception they all become a race to see how fast you can complete the quest. Most groups no one talks, and if you play tank or healer you better have thick skin.

Some of you would really be surprised at how many soloist players are out there. Once we've had enough of playing alts we start looking for the next game to start.

 

I think developers should start thinking of ways for solo players to continue having a reason to play past level cap.

Again, don't expect soloists to start grouping just because the level cap is reached. We end up leaving for other games.

 

I'm not so much crying in my beer over this as I think game developers are missing the mark with solo play lovers at end game. Please don't try to tell me my play style is wrong. Why do developers go to great lengths to make leveling easy for soloists if playing solo is wrong. And then give us a brick wall at end game with a sign saying "we made it easy for you to solo the game, now you HAVE to group if you want to feel like you're still progressing.

 

Sure I know, we can run dailies, get credits and comms to buy gear to...do dailies to get credits and comms to buy gear.....

We don't get to see any new content because we're playing the way that was perfectly viable for 50 levels but not any longer.

 

They can please players of both styles, they just need to see the money sense it is to do this

 

Again save you breath if you feel the need to say solo play style is wrong. Again take time to think it through on why they make the game easy to solo, yet change their minds 50 levels later.

 

Not going to flame you for soloing but... there really is not much to do for groupers at level cap either. Sure there are a couple raids but they get old after a couple weeks of doing them. In reality... the groupers do not have that much more content then you do.

 

Also, this is pretty much how MMOs work. They are a social game and developers intend for people to play with others (not just around others). Community is what keeps games going and the prime communities are the ones that play with each other....and no I dont mean a chat box.

[Moromillas]

Not going to flame you for soloing but... there really is not much to do for groupers at level cap either. Sure there are a couple raids but they get old after a couple weeks of doing them. In reality... the groupers do not have that much more content then you do.

 

This is your personal experience with raiding and has very little relevance. I don't like dealing with hypotheticals or situationals, the reality is, end-game PvE has 4 tiers of gear on it, 3 raids, and a handful of 4mans.

[Droidist]

I agree with the OP and I would love to see scalable flashpoints. That way solo or group players could enjoy more of the content how they perferred to enjoy it. Sorta like a menu in a succesful cafe or fashions at a store. Something for everyone.

[LadyNightArrow]

I am also a solo player, for the most part. I like the fact this game not only allows for solo play, but allows people to group as they so choose. I don't solo 100% of the time. In fact, my husband and I have one team in each faction. So, there are days when we group together to do quests and there are days when I solo. I don't have a level 50 as of yet, but I do have two characters that are close. I already have several things in mind I am going to do once I reach level 50 (craft, do heroics I didn't do, run any flashpoints I haven't done, gear my crew...).

 

In my opinion, 'end game' is non existent until BW/EA puts out the very last content patch/expansion pack this game will ever see. Until then, content will continue to come. If it happens that I get bored, I won't unsub, I'll just go find something else to do and come back to the game a couple of weeks later. Yes, I am a casual and I have other activities I do besides play SWTOR (write, read, play Sims 3, watch Anime, exercise...). There really is nothing wrong with being a solo and/or casual player, just as there is nothing wrong with being a hardcore player who likes to group a lot. (In the end, it's really the attitude that either of these 'types' of players exhibit that matters most, but that's a different topic for another day.)

[Soluss]

This is your personal experience with raiding and has very little relevance. I don't like dealing with hypotheticals or situationals, the reality is, end-game PvE has 4 tiers of gear on it, 3 raids, and a handful of 4mans.

 

The handful of 4 mans are nothing but the same 4 mans that people have done all throughout the level process. They simply have more hitpoints and do more damage. Outside of that they are exactly the same. 3 raids that take roughly an hour once you get the mechanics down. Once you get the mechanics down you are bored of them as much as you are bored of dailies.

 

So, I see from your post that this is about gear... I believe the OP was about content. I figured it wouldnt take long for gear to become the real factor....

 

In reality the gear is crappily itemized. In reality you could get the gear very easily. In reality you could cue yourself up solo and do some warzones and get pretty much the same gear....all solo. In reality all you care about is gear and not the content. You can obtain black hole gear solo no? In alot of casis black hole gear has some better mods then campaign gear (currently the top set). Also in alot of casis the best mods are dropped and also tradable. So you could buy them. Also in reality... they cannot possibly tune a raid down to an individual player and make the mechanics the same... therefor you would not be doing the same thing as the raid... nor should you earn the same gear as the raider. If you think your teammates do not make a difference in a raid situation, that you cannot account for by soloing, your are lying. I cannot tell you how many times that I wish I could push my teammated buttons for him/her because they just dont get it and cause us to wipe over and over again.

 

I dont care what your arguement is... you do not deserve the same gear as a raider because you do not put in the same effort as the raid..... however as I said before.... if its gear you are concerened with then grind some black hole gear and or warzones... same ****

Edited June 26, 2012 by Soluss

[Rivenwind]

I say the same, frequently.

 

I enjoy grouping. I really do... But most groups don't want to wait when the dog has to potty, or work calls, or the better half calls (and you better darn well answer). So I end up soloing, more often than not. It's a lack of ENGAGING solo play that's frustrating.

[Folky]

I too love soloing but I have done it in several past MMO's for different reasons. Lately I have been soloing in this game because it the most efficient. I can gain much more exp just going solo than having to wait for people to do a Heroic with me, the only time's I do Heroics are when I decide to take a break because soloing can be pretty darn exhausting.

[Elkirin]

MMORPG, not MMO, not Grouponline, not 8/24man online, MMORPG. SWTOR is not just an MMO, it is advertised as a MMORPG, and players are in fact allowed to rp in an MMORPG......

 

Games like UO and DAOC extended their play time by the sheer length of time it took to have a max level character of every type, nowadays it requires a more subtle approach.

 

I think the secret is to encourage group play rather than deny solo play.

 

Easy to join open world events similar to "Rift", cross server solo join PvP matches, adding more dual switches to obtain datacrons, all easy encouragments that do not hurt group only focussed players..

Edited June 26, 2012 by Elkirin

[JimG]

We don't get to see any new content because we're playing the way that was perfectly viable for 50 levels but not any longer.

Actually, that's not correct. They've already talked about adding more content for the class stories, more companion quests, a new planet with new quests and a level cap increase. Adding solo content is not as much of a priority as adding group end-game content but there will be more added eventually.

[NoxiousAlby]

And it is to some degree up to level cap. But those who for what ever reason only like to solo basically end their journey at level cap with each character.

 

I have always felt the solo style is good if you enjoy it. I know some really don't understand it, but everyone has their own reasons. Time constraints maybe, social phobias, shyness, bad guild experiences..etc. I like to solo while having a tea or coffee, read the quest notes, take my time to look around , and talk in general chat. I will always stop and help others if they look like they need it. But I don't like groups in general because without exception they all become a race to see how fast you can complete the quest. Most groups no one talks, and if you play tank or healer you better have thick skin.

Some of you would really be surprised at how many soloist players are out there. Once we've had enough of playing alts we start looking for the next game to start.

 

I think developers should start thinking of ways for solo players to continue having a reason to play past level cap.

Again, don't expect soloists to start grouping just because the level cap is reached. We end up leaving for other games.

 

I'm not so much crying in my beer over this as I think game developers are missing the mark with solo play lovers at end game. Please don't try to tell me my play style is wrong. Why do developers go to great lengths to make leveling easy for soloists if playing solo is wrong. And then give us a brick wall at end game with a sign saying "we made it easy for you to solo the game, now you HAVE to group if you want to feel like you're still progressing.

 

Sure I know, we can run dailies, get credits and comms to buy gear to...do dailies to get credits and comms to buy gear.....

We don't get to see any new content because we're playing the way that was perfectly viable for 50 levels but not any longer.

 

They can please players of both styles, they just need to see the money sense it is to do this

 

Again save you breath if you feel the need to say solo play style is wrong. Again take time to think it through on why they make the game easy to solo, yet change their minds 50 levels later.

Solo players were duped with the marketing hype, currently your expected to reroll again and again to experience every class in the game. Even some of the dailies requires groups to complete, (heroic 4) EOT can be done 2 man instead of 4, but basicly the leveling story quests are all there is for solo players unless you like the space combat and some dailies. BW should have taken a leaf out of LOTRO book, where raids and flashpoints can be done solo,2,4,8,16 players with loot greater loot dropping with greater numbers.

[NotSWbutOK]

Hi all,

Just my 2 cents here. I think the OP is just looking for "something else to do" when you hit 50. Not trying to find an easy way to get Uber Gear, or other perks. After reading through the whole thread, I have a cool idea (in my mind anyways). How about, once you hit 50, you unlock repeatable solo missions to actually play out some of the crew missions. Diplomacy, Slicing, Archeaology...The mission descriptions sound cool themselves. Imagine trying to negotiate with npc's to get Diplomacy points, or doing a short gathering mission to get more power crystals. Maybe a player mission or two per tier? Of course the devs would have to create the content ...

[LadyNightArrow]

Hi all,

Just my 2 cents here. I think the OP is just looking for "something else to do" when you hit 50. Not trying to find an easy way to get Uber Gear, or other perks. After reading through the whole thread, I have a cool idea (in my mind anyways). How about, once you hit 50, you unlock repeatable solo missions to actually play out some of the crew missions. Diplomacy, Slicing, Archeaology...The mission descriptions sound cool themselves. Imagine trying to negotiate with npc's to get Diplomacy points, or doing a short gathering mission to get more power crystals. Maybe a player mission or two per tier? Of course the devs would have to create the content ...

 

+1

In my humble opinion, that is a cool idea.

Edited June 26, 2012 by LadyNightArrow

[Droidist]

Solo players were duped with the marketing hype, currently your expected to reroll again and again to experience every class in the game. Even some of the dailies requires groups to complete, (heroic 4) EOT can be done 2 man instead of 4, but basicly the leveling story quests are all there is for solo players unless you like the space combat and some dailies. BW should have taken a leaf out of LOTRO book, where raids and flashpoints can be done solo,2,4,8,16 players with loot greater loot dropping with greater numbers.

 

I agree with this! I didn't know LOTR did this, too bad the characters look so stupid or I'd give it a try.

[Eranos]

This argument is just to make this Skyrim in space. You cry about not being able to do anything beyond dailies, but running ops is basically just another weekly. You want to see the ops? FPs? Suck it up and group up. How can you be so resistant to doing this /general lfg false emperor? Or better yet ask around for a good casual guild that does some mild end game raiding?

 

This game has made massive leaps in the single player experience in an mmo with the best story campaign to date, and you are gonna honestly sit there and complain? You didn't buy a single player RPG, you bought an MMORPG as a result you knew going in there might possibly be something in it you had to group up to see.

 

You say there is a large community that only plays solo, I believe it, but you all came in knowing what would happen. Why would they make content that requires coordination and a team effort nothing more than a waste of time cake walk for anti-social bums? I work full time and I have plenty of time to have seen everything and done everything many times over. Stop feeling sorry for your entitled 15 a month and find a decent guild and actually get stuff done.

[NotSWbutOK]

@LadyNightArrow, Thanks for the support.

I am also a "mostly" solo player. Loving the stories of all my peeps so far. I do try to help other players when they ask for help in general chat, and going impromptu co-op in cross faction areas (Pub helping Imp in common quest areas). Smuggler+Agent=Murder!! I do group with my brother and niece for FP's and Heroics, but still like to "play my own game on my own time" . I have wondered myself what to do once I reach 50, as I am not interrested in PvP for rank or Uber Gear.

[Urael]

It is an OPINION board. It would seem a given that anything posted on it would be OPINION. Stating that a post is opinion would seem both obvious and redundant.

 

You continue to post as if your voice is "authorative" in manner and form. Regardless if it is your "opinion" as I have pointed out. You continue to be terse and give no "thought" behind your "accusations" and hence it is worth pointing out to others that you are thus far posting in "your opinion" and have no "data" to back "your opinion" because you give no rational to why you "feel" as you do.

[Urael]

This is a common misconception.

 

Disagree. Other MMORPGS have offered this "similar" option in completing "group" content and are still viable.

 

Edit: Mistook Icon for another responder.

Edited June 26, 2012 by Urael

[FearghalC]

Personally I agree with the OP. I would definitely be in favor of more solo endgame content.

[Urael]

This argument is just to make this Skyrim in space. <snip> Nothing else relavent but this.

 

You obviously didn't read the thread. Go read the links I posted in post #3 in this thread and you will see what is means to solo in an MMORPG and why we like to do so.

 

Then come back and discuss. I will be waiting.

Edited June 26, 2012 by Urael

[PaulusAlone]

Erm, as a complete n3wb myself to both mmo's and ST:KOTOR - I was playing my first toon (or whatever) on my starting planet Tython. I was invited to join a group and later a Heroic quest. I tried my best both times, but obviously I had a steep learning curve ~ didn't exactly cover myself in glory etc.. End result: I was summarily booted from group and ignored on chat afterwards. It was quite the negative experience to my nooblet ego, I found.

Since then I've been soloing with companion and 'buffing-up' my Jedi Shadow skills quite nicely (mid level 30's on Alderaan atm). I now ignore all friend/group requests, LFG's etc. and /general chat most of the time.

It has made my gaming experience a lot more enjoyable and pleasant for me.

Don't get me wrong, I will casually buff/revive or help other players out in battles when in passing~ and other players have returned the favour. But I really don't fancy been judged by some random on my lack of 'uber l33t skillz' when I payed my sub as well. MMO or not. You can be lonely in a crowd/group as well y'know? lol.

So anyways, that is my reason why I prefer to solo at the moment.

Maybe when I've reached max level I might try Groups or Flashpoints - But people in groups can be such...meh!

Just like real life eh?

[Ozymandous]

Thanks Ureal for those links. I think those that don't "get" the solo players aren't really trying to understand how we can play a MMO solo and still prefer it over a single player only game. From my perspective its not hard to understand, but of course that's because its my preferred way of playing. And I did say I don't avoid "all" contact with others. Its just that end game is "ALL" grouping when for the whole leveling process its mainly soloing. If its not a solo game, why make the leveling process so easy to solo? If you want, you can see the oxymoron-type of answer that is. Its a MMO you are meant to group........except for the major part of the game and story. Well, is it a group only game or not?

 

Again, trust me when I say the developers of MMO's are missing a huge chance to increase the longevity of their cash flow by making the end game so hugely of limits for soloists.

There is a lot of us out there. We tend to be not very vocal is all. But if we spoke up like the hard core PvP'ers do, you would get a feeling for what I'm saying.

Open your mind, think for yourself, and see things from our perspective for a few minutes.

 

I solo a lot in the game. It is, as has been said, great for solo players. However, I have to draw the question at what, exactly, solo players expect for end game content once they hit cap and finish their class quests?

 

- Are they expecting more solo hard modes and FP's? Operations?

- Maybe a FFA type PvP where there are no teams and it's everyone for themselves?

 

Basically, once you hit cap, what else is there to do?

 

1. Complete the quests you didn't do before in order to 'complete' everything, these can be solo'ed.

2. Try to get better gear, but this can be done via dailies I believe.

3. Go back and complete every planet, find every item, etc.

4. Work on crafting if not already maxed.

5. Complete the various FP's in HM. Also work on Operations, etc.

 

So out of the 5 things listed, a dedicated solo player can really only not do one of them. And some of the larger group things can really only be done by decent sized guilds anyway.

 

So how should BW spend their money in content development? Build entire zones, areas, and other items for a single player/customer to do once, twice, maybe three times and then get bored? Or use the development time making items and areas that 4, 8, 12+ players can all do multiple times before they move on? It's an economic decision. If you can spend the same development dollars to work on something that keeps just 4 players busy you'll always do that over keeping 1 player busy for that same time frame.

 

It's economy of scale, and when you have finite resources to add content, unless it's a whole new planet, boosted level cap and more class story quests, it's always more efficient to put your efforts to keeping more people happy at any given time.

 

Do solo players leave due to what they perceive as lack of content? Sure. But again, one person leaves, while 4+ others stay because they have stuff to do beyond. It's a numbers game, and 4+ will usually always beat 1 every time. Especially when even solo players can team up with others to do some items. And I have seen people who solo almost exclusively, still join a guild. Why? So when or if they ever do decide to team up they have people they know. Those people, even the solo'ers are usually much more likely to stick around than the solo player who never communicates with anyone else, seldom groups, and just burns through content and usually leaves.

[DPCummerbund]

So how should BW spend their money in content development? Build entire zones, areas, and other items for a single player/customer to do once, twice, maybe three times and then get bored? Or use the development time making items and areas that 4, 8, 12+ players can all do multiple times before they move on? It's an economic decision. If you can spend the same development dollars to work on something that keeps just 4 players busy you'll always do that over keeping 1 player busy for that same time frame.

 

It's economy of scale, and when you have finite resources to add content, unless it's a whole new planet, boosted level cap and more class story quests, it's always more efficient to put your efforts to keeping more people happy at any given time.

 

I really don't know which is easier - making more solo-friendly content, or more PVP content. I would think, based on how the whole video game industry is going, that having a larger, casual, solo-friendly player base - even in a micro-transaction environment - is more profitable in the long run than a hardcore, everything-is-optimized, PVP realm. I didn't start playing until about 2 months ago, but I figure it will take me about 6 months to a year to play all the solo content. That's plenty of time to add more stories, planets, and other content to keep me subbed. On the other hand, it sounds like it's the PVPers who are & have been leaving in droves over the lack of PVP content, and NOT solo players who have finished everything and moved on.

 

I'm hoping that the reason the devs have been apparently catering to PVPers lately is that it's the perceived hole in the game right now, rather than a long-term strategy to cater to PVPers.

[Faerieheart]

Erm, as a complete n3wb myself to both mmo's and ST:KOTOR - I was playing my first toon (or whatever) on my starting planet Tython. I was invited to join a group and later a Heroic quest. I tried my best both times, but obviously I had a steep learning curve ~ didn't exactly cover myself in glory etc.. End result: I was summarily booted from group and ignored on chat afterwards. It was quite the negative experience to my nooblet ego, I found.

Since then I've been soloing with companion and 'buffing-up' my Jedi Shadow skills quite nicely (mid level 30's on Alderaan atm). I now ignore all friend/group requests, LFG's etc. and /general chat most of the time.

It has made my gaming experience a lot more enjoyable and pleasant for me.

Don't get me wrong, I will casually buff/revive or help other players out in battles when in passing~ and other players have returned the favour. But I really don't fancy been judged by some random on my lack of 'uber l33t skillz' when I payed my sub as well. MMO or not. You can be lonely in a crowd/group as well y'know? lol.

So anyways, that is my reason why I prefer to solo at the moment.

Maybe when I've reached max level I might try Groups or Flashpoints - But people in groups can be such...meh!

Just like real life eh?

 

Yeah I don't want to have to deal with that kind of crap myself. Can happen with even more experience because people are just jerks. Even if it only happens once out of every ten groups that's too much for me. Is why I rarely group.

[Taomist]

I know I wasn't alone when we bought the game thinking "Awesome, I can solo 16 different characters to 50 if I want!" And it's true, sort of. It's at the very least 8 different stories rolled into one, and I'm glad for that.

 

I don't feel I'm missing any end-game content at this point. People run through the FPs so fast there's no storyline, just space-bar and move on to the next point. And the gear doesn't matter, really. It's just...gear. At the end, it's not a means to any other end, so...no biggie.

 

I was hoping for, but not expecting, a DAoC-style open-world continual PvP environment, but that was never in the cards. I'd be a happy camper if that occurred, though