No SOLO game is the problem.

[theUndead]

I play for the story and for being able to solo, because grouping up to do content ruins the experience for me, because I have to play at another players' pace, lets just say, I have been playing since release, hell early access and I have never, EVER fully seen black talon or Esseles story.

 

I just get pressured into skipping all the fun stuff, which is why I think bioware should make a separate solo versions of EVERYTHING with just toned down rewards and difficulty, so anything that requires 2 or more players will then be solo'able, but if you want any of that top-notch stuff, do the group version.

 

Overall, grouping tends to ruin the experience, I play for story, if it was for grouping only, I wouldn't have left wow, I came to this game because it was starwars, lightsabers, blasters and everything, them boasting about heroic combat, which turned into a 'be the healer or use the healer' type gameplay and the fact that bioware made the game, kotor ruled, I could spec however I liked, used whoever I liked and I had no issues, same thing with Mass Effect series.

 

When this game come out, I had nothing but trouble until I just used the healer companion, despite the healer being outright annoying to the point of wishing I could kill the ***** off, but I can't do that, so I have to live with an annoying companion because bioware ****ed up and made the levelling process with the companion as a mini-trinity system, its like endgame grouping without the steroids. lol.

 

Regardless if you play for the story or not. The game is made for groups and I'm sorry but I don't know the joke your referring to when say your play style is like a mini trinity with no steroids. Really really not funny. Anyway the point is you simply can not have your cake and eat it. This game is story driven but it is still a MMO and MMO means lots of people playing a role that is required for certain content.

 

Saying that I do understand that you have had bad experiences. But the not everyone is a dick or out to get you. See for me I have been in one guild since I started and I have truly made life long friends with people and because of that I NEVER have difficulty in finding a group for anything. Also I might add the fact that the game is very solo friendly at least for leveling and if you choose to just enjoy that aspect then that is fine. But do not expect the more richer content to made available to soloist like yourself who do not want to group. That is not how it works and makes you seem more entitled than anyone else.

 

So while I respect the fact you want to play the game for the story you won't have a solo version for the elder game as that as I have said defeats the purpose of a MMO.

[Phyltr]

As others have pointed out, this is a massively multi-player online game. There is a staggering amount of content you can do solo on Makeb and tons of dailies not to mention the new achievement system. So, there is, in fact, plenty to do which then boils this argument down to two potential issues:

 

1. You don't get to experience the story of the flashpoints of operations

2. You don't get the gear from flashpoints or operations

 

Ultimately the answer to both of these is "find a group". You make a choice what parts of the game you have the time for and what parts you don't. I'm ardently opposed to you being able to solo the content I do as a group because it diminishes my effort in the game. "Oh, I spent a lot of time with seven other people to schedule time together and learn a fight but Joe Blow here just went in and got it himself? Eff me, right?" This game, and life, have rewards for how much time you put into things. If you don't want to, or can't, put the time into this game to get the things you want you either have to make more time or learn to live with it. Its really just that simple.

[PhaseSpace]

So, a seperate line of instances would be a better solution. Solo-exclusive content, where you might be allowed to bring 1 or 2 additional companions, but not any other players. This content would then also have it's own gear progression with different tiers and everything. How to seperate that gear from the usual PvE gear or PvP gear? Simple: we have this nifty stat called presence. So assign some of the item budget to that, and balance the content around this adjusted item budget. Maybe include some hardmode versions or something as well, to compensate for the tons of presence some people got from having a lot of alts, or add some diminishing returns mechanic to it. I'm sure the developers can come up with something to sort out the 400+ bonus presence some people have.

 

This is actually really sensible.

 

MMORPG = Massively MULTIPLIER Online Rolplaying Game

 

'Multiplayer' doesn't mean 'you have to group'. The game stays multiplayer even if you never join a group ever. You can still speak to people, trade, fight, all kinds of things. On top of that, some people play SWTOR only for the story or for other reasons that you probably can't imagine. "MMO kthnxbai" is simply not a valid argument.

[Tslok]

"aggro wife"-- that made my day

I have to agree with that too.Another solution would be mercenaries,let's say you can hire amercenary while on fleet, you need a healer you pay for it ,you need a dps or a tank you pay for it.You could hire them only for a specific fp and at a cost and ofc you could hire only the max amount of them needed to run that specific fp.no need to rescale anything,no need to change companion codings etc and as for the players ,think a bit, you could watch all the cutscenes you want and they won't yell at you to press that spacebar.On the other side the ones who want to group or wait for the group finder --really precious time (your time)-- to find you a group then they can still do it.so then all would be happy.Do you want a clasic group?You have it--be happy.Do you want a mercenary?You could have it.-be happy.So lots of happy ppl out there Have fun guys !!!

btw gotta go. Guess why?

 

I agree with the Wife aggro issue.

 

"babe take out the trash" "babe spend some time with us" "babe let me show you the thing that blah blah blah" "babe I'm ovulating" "babe your son wants to know where we keep the fire extinguisher" "babe can i throw out some of these old comic books? they are so dusty." "babe I'm going to organize your car trunk"

 

Sometimes you don't have as much time to do a long flash point as you thought you did.

 

I would like to see this as a possibility. But only for flash points and ops. If you allow a max of 3 companions to be summoned per player at flash points you could keep the party at max 4 for flash and 16 for Ops.

 

I mean you can already do a flash point with 2 players and two companions. Would it be so hard to Increase that number?

 

This way you could have Solo experience on flash points with 3 companions but for ops you would still need to group up with at least 4 other players to make up a 16 character party. The xp is already on a scale depending on level right? And really the companions are never as good as real players. Corso just the other day jumped down an elevator shaft to get to the bottom. Probably to avoid wife aggro.

 

All other game play including class quest line adventures id keep the max group at 4 and allow only one companion.

 

Gotta go. Guess why?

[AsheraII]

Ahem, i'm going to draw your attention to the game type

 

MMORPG = Massively MULTIPLIER Online Rolplaying Game

 

Good day

Thank you for putting that in caps yourself, since the BIG spelling mistake emphasizes that you don't seem to graps the full meaning of that word in the first place. Grouping and forming guilds are only some of many aspects of the multipLAYer component of an MMORPG. Not only that, we could close half the servers for lack of RPG if things were as rigid as people like you like them to be.

[Slurmez]

This "mmo" is virtually a solo game anyway, certainly doesnt need more of it.

[andyjd]

What if I don't want a guild, what if I hate grouping. But I still want to do the flashpoints when ever I want!... Here is the solution.. After aquiring crew companions, players should be able to call on some or all depending on level of character and flashpoint level. So flashpoint vs Malgus, for example, could be played alone with your own 4-5 companions, having a true Old School Republic Experience.

Cartel could even get in on the action, by selling more lvl 1 companions that you have to level, making it more interesting, .

But only on the flashpoints will that option be available, and there shouldn't be any extra lag, because flashpoints are an instance.

 

Thoughts or suggestions anyone?.., I think if the players want it bad enough, it should happen.

 

I completely understand you. I started a Sith marauder and hardly every did groups or flashpoints. Recently I started a tank ( powertech) and I started enjoying groups more then on my dps class. My advice to you to get over the solo style is create a tank or a healer class because players will talk with you more to get in their group. It kinda makes you feel better about joining a group.

[Phyltr]

'Multiplayer' doesn't mean 'you have to group'. The game stays multiplayer even if you never join a group ever. You can still speak to people, trade, fight, all kinds of things. On top of that, some people play SWTOR only for the story or for other reasons that you probably can't imagine. "MMO kthnxbai" is simply not a valid argument.

No one is saying you "have to group", there is a plethora of content for people who don't want to group. You have a ton of stuff you can do solo, stop trying to dilute our group content.

[fresnosmokey]

This is an MMORPG. It's too bad that some people only want to concentrate on half of that acronym. A lot of people play this game because it's an MMO, but a lot of people play this game because it's an RPG as well. A lot of people play (or played) this game because of KOTOR. They were waiting for KOTOR III for years and this is what they got. Some people just don't like to deal with other people. THIS is the Star Wars game we have, so saying this is an MMO go play a SP game doesn't cut it. I don't see a problem with allowing more solo content. It won't hurt any of you whining about this being an MMO, as if MMO was the only part of the game that mattered.

 

Of course, grouping with people can be pretty fun. If you manage to make friends and maybe join a guild, then you won't have to deal with idiots and jerks. I would give it a shot before demanding more solo content. Of course, I don't know whether you players who are more into the RPG than the MMO did or did not do this first. I'm just saying that grouping can be fun and to give it a shot.

[Laerian]

'Multiplayer' doesn't mean 'you have to group'. The game stays multiplayer even if you never join a group ever. You can still speak to people, trade, fight, all kinds of things. On top of that, some people play SWTOR only for the story or for other reasons that you probably can't imagine. "MMO kthnxbai" is simply not a valid argument.

 

After reading several "this is a mmo" answers. Finally someone with good sense.

 

On Topic, either way that makes all players enjoy all the content independent of their solo/group playstyle has my approval. The OP has a very good idea, even includes the CM.

 

100% agreed

[Bomyne]

I'm going to have to disagree with you and say no. Now most people already know my opinion on this but I will explain it in a general way. You see what makes an mmo is the fact that it requires groups for certain content and in this case it is flashpoints and ops.

 

What your proposing would require a huge amount of work for the developers because they would have to completely rescale all the current flashpoints and the new ones to be soloable. Also in my opinion this would completely trivialize endgame content because why would you go do a 16man if you can just use your companions?

 

Overall flashpoints and Ops are content that should always require groups no matter what. And yes I did read your post indicating that you do not like guilds or grouping but you would be surprised at how enjoyable it can be. In the end the grind to 50 and 55 is the most solo friendly experience I have seen in any mmo I have played to me flashpoints and ops should still remain exclusively for groups.

 

Finally you mentioned that enough people want it should happen, see the problem is that if such a thing were to be implemented now it would setback the expansion and thus upset a very large amount of people.

 

TOR is only a MMO to some people. To others, it is KOTOR 3, a single player PC RPG with always on DRM.

 

Best part is, this suggestion would require no additional work by the devs. All they'd have to do is up the number of companions you can take to a flashpoint. After that, the player takes the risk that the flashpoint may be too hard to complete single player style. They also run the risk that they may not have 3 companions.

 

Why should the single player crowd miss out on the amazing story?

[Bomyne]

No one is saying you "have to group", there is a plethora of content for people who don't want to group. You have a ton of stuff you can do solo, stop trying to dilute our group content.

Why can't TOR cater to the single player crowd AND the multiplayer crowd? Flashpoints are a story element. They should be completable by anyone, not just those that treat TOR as a MMO.

[FuryoftheStars]

My reasons (thoughts) against:

 

1) It's an MMO. The design concept around an MMO is for group play and interaction. If BW/EA does as suggested, you would be turning this game into a SP game with a MP chat channel. Does this not defeat the purpose of its being designed as an MMO in the first place? If you do not like the play style of an MMO, then you probably should not be playing an MMO, yes?

 

2) It would kill grouping for end content. As it is, getting together a group for end content can quite often be hard. If BW/EA was to do as suggested, practically the only way a group would be able to get together for these would be via Guilds, and even then many of these would be gimped depending on their members.

 

Of course, I think BW's design concept for this game was wacked to begin with. What it feels to me they have done, is designed a SP game with 8 different playable story arcs, then bound them together in MMO fashion by including "common" areas for each person playing the game to run through and interact with other players, and then mixed in other MMO content: Heroics, Flashpoints, and Operations. It really leaves one with a confused concept on how the game should be played....

[Amyas]

MMO Massively multiplayer online

[TYBERzan]

TOR is only a MMO to some people. To others, it is KOTOR 3, a single player PC RPG with always on DRM.

 

Best part is, this suggestion would require no additional work by the devs. All they'd have to do is up the number of companions you can take to a flashpoint. After that, the player takes the risk that the flashpoint may be too hard to complete single player style. They also run the risk that they may not have 3 companions.

 

Why should the single player crowd miss out on the amazing story?

 

I agree with you completly, since day one I advocated at least SOME solo-raid type content (with companions filling in unique roles), as a sort of Uber-scary instance (no one can hear you scream ). I still want it and would gladly pay an x-pac to get it.

[OndulJarduth]

Mass Effect is a RPG SWTOR is an mmo. Two completely different games two completely different types of leveling. You simply can't have the single player leveling experience one gets from an RPG in an MMO. The reason? It is an mmo which requires other players and grouping.

 

I think you are very much confusing concepts here

MMO just denotes a Massive Multiplayer online experience, it can't be played offline but there is no mandate which says group content only.

 

RPG is simply Role Playing Game traditionally played without a computer in a group.

Mass Effect is a single player offline CRPG.

SWTOR is a MMORPG, and while I agree, regarding your comments about the levelling experience, I would argue that the space missions and story quests are not designed for co-op group play , in fact space missions are single player only and four of the same class doing a story mission together will need to enter the zone four different times to complete . Conversely the operations and the ops and flashpoints are not designed for solo game and in fact ops and flashpoints cannot be done solo, some heroics cannot be done solo as well.

 

I'm primarily a solo player primarily, been around since founder status, active subscriber. Never done an OP, only done some quick Flash points and heroics because like the original poster, I am unable to spend large non interruptable blocks of time at keyboard and those experiences require that.

 

That btw doesn't mean I don't interract with the multiplayer community but my real life committments and responsibilities are mutually exclusive with much of the end game content.

 

I feel EA/BIOWARE have done an excellent job in creating an MMO which has content for both solo gamers and Co-OP as well as PVP multiplayer gamers.

Edited April 14, 2013 by OndulJarduth
Sentence incomplete

[Jossajus]

I play for the story and for being able to solo, because grouping up to do content ruins the experience for me, because I have to play at another players' pace, lets just say, I have been playing since release, hell early access and I have never, EVER fully seen black talon or Esseles story.

 

This content is soloable, as long as your companion is geared and you are on the higher end of the level range.

 

I just get pressured into skipping all the fun stuff, which is why I think bioware should make a separate solo versions of EVERYTHING with just toned down rewards and difficulty, so anything that requires 2 or more players will then be solo'able, but if you want any of that top-notch stuff, do the group version.

 

Any content that says 2+ is soloable, as long as your companion is geared.

 

...which turned into a 'be the healer or use the healer' type gameplay and the fact that bioware made the game, kotor ruled, I could spec however I liked, used whoever I liked and I had no issues, same thing with Mass Effect series.

 

I just finished leveling a Marauder (DPS) and used Jaesa (DPS) from the moment I got her til the end of the game. Until I got her I used Vette (Another DPS). My Guardian (Tank) used Kira (DPS) for levelling. You end up spending more on med packs, and have slightly more down time between fights, but mobs die faster so it works out. If you are smart, use your CCs, and are profficient enough with your chosen class you can use whatever companion you want. Look at it this way: Using a healer companion is like playing Mass Effect on Easy/Normal. You'll only die if you really mess up. NOT using the healer companion is like playing on Hard Difficulty+. You have to be smart, use your ammo powers / abilities / biotic combos and a modicum of strategy and positioning to survive.

 

EDIT: I find that by NOT using the healer companion, I end up being BETTER at playing my class when I do group up. I'm almost always the top DPS in the group for my marauder and I used to think my tanking was bad ( because I had trouble holding on to every mob with groups of mobs that had more than about 5 members ), then I levelled a DPS and realized that I was actually quite a good tank compared to most of the ones I run into while doing PuGs.

Edited April 14, 2013 by Jossajus

[TheLordMagnus]

why do people ask group content to be solo so they can do something never intended for a singe player

you have 80% of the game and want the last 20% this mmo has to offer so you can do it alone

 

just no you have the seeker droid and a whole heap of other crap in the pipe for solo game play leave the only multi player pve content we have the hell alone and go feel self entitled somewhere else

[DmdShiva]

I don't think adding endgame solo content is going to break anything. Group stuff for people who like to group, solo stuff for people who like to solo. Group content should have priority, but it's not a sin to run content alone.

 

Unless you made the missions repeatable, you'd just wind up burning through them and being left with nothing but group content again. City of Heroes did this across the game beginning around level 5 (when you first went to Kings Row and talked to the police contact you got there, or Port Oakes and your fixer villainside), but it would be much harder to do in SWTOR, because of how heavily instanced the game was -- the devs didn't have to work the mission goals into the mobs that were already out on the map, because when you entered the mission door you were automatically in your own instance for that mission. And even though the missions were repeatable, you'd go through the whole list and wind up doing the same radio/newspaper mission again and again and again if you didn't like the missions your other contacts wanted to give you.

[Glorthox]

FP's, OPTS, and Heroics need grouping for. What is missing is more soloable content. Daily missions have become so long a difficult you are forced to team up with someone to finish. Black Hole dailies should have been mirrored for other dailies. Section X and now Makeb are going to take forever to finish everyday and then you are forced to team up with someone to minimize time it takes. I did black hole everyday because how quick it was to finish, so I was able to move on to other things. Section X however took absolutely too long to finish. Makeb is now worse. I just tried the weekly and its a nightmare. The only way I could see doing those is being forced to team with someone. I'm sorry but MMO doesn't mean teaming up all the time.

[SithKoriandr]

What if I don't want a guild, what if I hate grouping. But I still want to do the flashpoints when ever I want!... Here is the solution.. After aquiring crew companions, players should be able to call on some or all depending on level of character and flashpoint level. So flashpoint vs Malgus, for example, could be played alone with your own 4-5 companions, having a true Old School Republic Experience.

Cartel could even get in on the action, by selling more lvl 1 companions that you have to level, making it more interesting, .

But only on the flashpoints will that option be available, and there shouldn't be any extra lag, because flashpoints are an instance.

 

Thoughts or suggestions anyone?.., I think if the players want it bad enough, it should happen.

 

If all you're looking to do is solo, you have no real need for the higher gear. And yes, that means missing out on some group content, but that's exactly what it is, group content.

 

If you have no desire for group content, it's not like you need better gear to do the other regular content.

[Plicitous]

This will never happen, nor should it. It's obvious the Developers don't agree or they wouldn't have given a 5% XP bonus to guild members. Solo players don't stick with a game -- they arrive, they plow through the content and then they get bored and move on because they have no relationship with others. Are there exceptions? Sure. Are there enough to matter? Nope. Sorry. People stay with an MMO because of their guild, their raiding partners and the friends they make in-game. The sense of community and the emotional attachment that comes with it is how a game like this survives. The Devs have the numbers. They can see who quits and who stays and I'm sure it's obvious: People who group with others regularly have a far lower churn rate. Period.

 

The Devs know this which is why they're going to continue to "encourage" players to group. It's also why the biggest single mistake they ever made was to not have the GF in the game at launch.

 

If you want solo play look for another game. What this game needs now are better Guild tools that improve the quality of the guild experience. Calendar, guild ship, increased cap on members etc.

Edited April 15, 2013 by Plicitous

[FuryoftheStars]

If all you're looking to do is solo, you have no real need for the higher gear. And yes, that means missing out on some group content, but that's exactly what it is, group content.

 

If you have no desire for group content, it's not like you need better gear to do the other regular content.

 

^ This.

 

I can get behind the idea of adding more high level solo content with its own unique gear, but current group content and gear should be left alone. Also, by nature, group content is harder and therefore have the better gear. That is, of course, assuming that this high end gear <> PvP gear. (Me do no PvP in game.)

[Royox]

What if I don't want a guild, what if I hate grouping. But I still want to do the flashpoints when ever I want!... Here is the solution.. After aquiring crew companions, players should be able to call on some or all depending on level of character and flashpoint level. So flashpoint vs Malgus, for example, could be played alone with your own 4-5 companions, having a true Old School Republic Experience.

Cartel could even get in on the action, by selling more lvl 1 companions that you have to level, making it more interesting, .

But only on the flashpoints will that option be available, and there shouldn't be any extra lag, because flashpoints are an instance.

 

Thoughts or suggestions anyone?.., I think if the players want it bad enough, it should happen.

 

SWTOR is an MMO not a Single Player Game. Most of the content has to be Multiplayer content. If you don't like it don't play MMO's