Solo mode for heroics...my thoughts

[LordArtemis]

Obviously heroics were designed to be a group effort, and I am sure many folks have seen what it is like when you try to run 4 man heroics with 2 or three players and companions to fill the empty seats...especially if you are not a few levels above the mobs.

 

Bioware has the metrics, so they know for sure, but my guess would be that many folks skip the heroics, and do so because it is tough to get groups going for them. Folks seem to rarely use groupfinder. This ends up causing players like myself to perhaps skip a good portion of content.

 

I naturally return later so I can solo them sometimes, but the real issue here, if there is one, is the idea that players may be skipping whole blocks of content, and I think something should be done about it if that is the case.

 

So what if we could run a heroic using three comps...a solo mode?

 

Here is how I think it could work.

 

First, it would be treated like an open world area with respect to loot, so rewards would be equal to a regular mission reward at the proper level. Next, it would obviously offer quite a challenge....comps are no replacement for players, so if the difficulty remains the same, it would make for some challenging play.

 

Might be nice for some folks that are looking for some challenging gameplay during the course of the game. You would still want to group up if you can, because the rewards would be substantially higher for less effort.

 

What do you guys think? Do you think this would make getting groups for Heroics even worse?

 

As an edit, I would suggest that an alternative would be to give us an LFG tool similar to the one used on the fleet that could matchmake while we are out leveling on a planet. That would serve the same purpose IMO, and there would be no need to have a solo mode. The intent is to increase content for casual players and the completion of that content.

 

Thanks for reading.

Edited November 9, 2013 by LordArtemis

[Bravotwentynine]

nope give an inch and people will want a mile. Open heroics to 3 man comp group and people will want HM's that way also.

[Tachenko_Yuri]

Obviously heroics were designed to be a group effort

 

You replied to yourself.

 

God forbid that in an mmo, people group up to do stuff.

 

Heroics are there for the social challenge imo, and should remain a social feature.

 

Giving folks a soloable option for those would murder the purpose.

[LordArtemis]

You replied to yourself.

 

God forbid that in an mmo, people group up to do stuff.

 

Heroics are there for the social challenge imo, and should remain a social feature.

 

Giving folks a soloable option for those would murder the purpose.

 

IMO plenty of purpose driven design features have already given way to convenience.

[LordArtemis]

nope give an inch and people will want a mile. Open heroics to 3 man comp group and people will want HM's that way also.

 

I agree that this should NOT be something for Flashpoints, Ops, etc. Only for Heroics.

[VitalityPrime]

You replied to yourself.

 

God forbid that in an mmo, people group up to do stuff.

 

Heroics are there for the social challenge imo, and should remain a social feature.

 

Giving folks a soloable option for those would murder the purpose.

 

This makes no sense.

 

The OP is not upset that people group up for this...nor is the OP against the idea of grouping up for said content.

 

I think they are against the idea that you're basically "forced" to group up with people in order to complete some of the said content.

[LordArtemis]

This makes no sense.

 

The OP is not upset that people group up for this...nor is the OP against the idea of grouping up for said content.

 

I think they are against the idea that you're basically "forced" to group up with people in order to complete said content.

 

Yes...to be more specific, the idea is to find a way to provide the ability to enjoy the content without gaining the full reward if you can't form a group....but still have bigger rewards for group play to keep it desirable.

 

Look at it like social points...more points if you remain a group when you turn it in, but you still get credit if you leave the group and turn it in solo. So remaining a group has a benefit.

 

Even with full servers it seems extraordinarily difficult to convince folks to run heroics. They just don't want to be bothered I would guess, and I can't blame them. I certainly can't force folks to group.

 

I just hate the thought of all the content I skipped. I literally have dozens of heroics I have not done because there was no group to be had at level.

[Clarian]

I think that would be awesome. The reason I don't use group finder for heroics is that I'm always over-leveled for them for the planet I'm on, so it's greyed out. So no, it wouldn't make finding a group any worse...because it can't get any worse.

 

I agree that this should NOT be something for Flashpoints, Ops, etc. Only for Heroics.

 

I don't agree with with that, I'd like this for FPs and Ops also.

[willfarlow]

Personally I solo a lot, and even when not I only group with one other player (my girlfriend, as it happens). We do Heroic 2 missions all the time, but always skip the Heroic 4 ones. While I understand that part of the difference between an mmo and, say, a solo console game is the idea of grouping, I personally would like another option for the Heroic 4 stuff. But even if that didn't happen due to lack of demand, I find it REALLY annoying that certain quests can be done solo for a while and then throw a Heroic 4 at you towards the end. Macrobinoculars, Seeker Droid, HK-51, ALL of these can be soloed ALMOST the entire way through...and then, BAM, Heroic 4, better group up or abandon. That's just really aggravating...I seriously do not mind group exclusive content...I don't do Operations or Flashpoints, and I don't do the Daily Heroics in places like The Black Hole, and I'm FINE with that, but the "mix it up" missions are just crappy.

[LordArtemis]

I really don't think this would be a good idea for FP or Ops, and I'll tell you why.

 

The problem is that there is a pretty good mechanism in place already for creating groups for flashpoints and operations, and it seems to work reasonably well. Although I wait in ques sometimes for a while, generally speaking if I want to run a flashpoint there are folks on the station that do as well.

 

AND i can que up and go do something else, and still get transported to that Flashpoint with similar leveled folks.

 

We don't have that for heroics...it's strike while it's hot, or leave it behind....or just wait until you have leveled so high you can solo it grey....but then you have to track down the missions again since you probably dropped them due to a 25 mission limit.

 

I also think the outcry would be fairly strong against it. I don't think hardcore folks would mind if it was done for Heroics, as most hardcores do not seem to care one way or another in my experience. But if you touch flashpoints and operations...well, that is another story.

[Devrius]

I mostly play solo while leveling, simply do what I do if the heroic seemed interesting or the gear looked nice come back after you have finished the planet.

 

You won't get any xp but you won't miss on any content, heck 1st character I farmed low lvl heroics for commendations before I had any credits.

[J-Sheridan]

I would like a solo mode either by allowing players to fill more slots with companions or scaling the heroics to the amount of players actually in the instance.

 

As it stands, I still have not completed heroics across lots of planets because not enough people are available to group with. Waiting for days just to run a single heroic is beyond stupid and ultimately ends up with the player skipping entire planets worth of heroic content.

 

Oh... but heroic content is not mandatory... except when the events of those heroics and flashpoints are mentioned elsewhere and the player has no idea what is going on because they had to miss that content.

Even with the change to allow companions to fill empty slots will screw new characters since the heroic 4s will require you to have 4 companions which most wont get at least until 20s - 30s.

[Tachenko_Yuri]

Also if we want to be honest about, with a bit knowleadge of your own moves, some companion micro-managing and correct employment of cc, most heroic 2s , or even 2+ can be already soloed.

 

Of course, this has best chances with a combo of being heal and tank, and companion being the other 1 of the 2.

[willfarlow]

I would like a solo mode either by allowing players to fill more slots with companions or scaling the heroics to the amount of players actually in the instance.

 

As it stands, I still have not completed heroics across lots of planets because not enough people are available to group with. Waiting for days just to run a single heroic is beyond stupid and ultimately ends up with the player skipping entire planets worth of heroic content.

 

Oh... but heroic content is not mandatory... except when the events of those heroics and flashpoints are mentioned elsewhere and the player has no idea what is going on because they had to miss that content.

Even with the change to allow companions to fill empty slots will screw new characters since the heroic 4s will require you to have 4 companions which most wont get at least until 20s - 30s.

I agree with the idea of scaled Heroics...if some "boss fights" can have "combat difficulty scales with group size", then why can't more of the group oriented stuff in the class run-through?

[VitalityPrime]

Also if we want to be honest about, with a bit knowleadge of your own moves, some companion micro-managing and correct employment of cc, most heroic 2s , or even 2+ can be already soloed.

 

Of course, this has best chances with a combo of being heal and tank, and companion being the other 1 of the 2.

 

Yeah, I run all Heroic-2's solo on my Guardian when I'm a couple levels higher...but I never tried to solo any Heroic-4's.

[Andryah]

nope give an inch and people will want a mile. Open heroics to 3 man comp group and people will want HM's that way also.

 

/Agree. This is exactly what would it would evolve into.

 

Besides.. a lot of Heroics (not all) can be done these days with a well equipped player and companion. Some people actually find challenge in doing so.

 

And another thing... this represents a "dumbing down" of content. Rift did it.. and I personally did not like their solo content dumb down of group content. They also dumbed down the rewards and made them a joke.

 

People do group and do run heroics in this game. They do it with friends and guild mates most often. It's only the random folks on a planet that are having an issue.. and frankly... the heroics waste more time then then any return in reward from my experience.

[Clarian]

I really don't think this would be a good idea for FP or Ops, and I'll tell you why.

 

The problem is that there is a pretty good mechanism in place already for creating groups for flashpoints and operations, and it seems to work reasonably well.

 

I don't see any problem there. It would be cool to be able to run any content you like at will, and to have more than one of the companions you've recruited with you at a time. If it would be fun, it would be fun. And it would be fun.

 

I also think the outcry would be fairly strong against it.

 

That doesn't bother me any.

[LordArtemis]

I appreciate all the comments pro and con...I actually liked the changes Rift made when they did the scale down for solo play...and I think the rewards were appropriate....less effort, less reward. But that is just me naturally.

 

Please keep the comments coming. Interesting read.

[LordArtemis]

I don't see any problem there. It would be cool to be able to run any content you like at will, and to have more than one of the companions you've recruited with you at a time. If it would be fun, it would be fun. And it would be fun.

 

I agree it would be fun.

 

That doesn't bother me any.

 

To be fair the outcry might bother Bioware though.

[willfarlow]

Heck, I think ANY content that let one run with multiple companions would be fun...how cool would it be to see all of the Trooper's "Havoc Squad" go into battle? Especially if they're all in matching "uniform" armor like mine...

[Drudenfusz]

I think the heroics should stay as they are. There is enough solo content and it is nice that some content is there to encourage grouping. If one want to do them solo return a few levels later and do them, and plenty on the heroic 2 missions are pretty easy just for one.

 

I would prefer BioWare working on new content and not wasting time to work on old content that doesn't need any work.

[LordArtemis]

Heck, I think ANY content that let one run with multiple companions would be fun...how cool would it be to see all of the Trooper's "Havoc Squad" go into battle? Especially if they're all in matching "uniform" armor like mine...

 

hehe no doubt.

 

I for one had hoped to see an ability added that allowed us to summon one extra companion to help out for a fixed period of time during our heroic moment....

 

The companion would have to be at max affection to unlock, and you would naturally have to be using your heroic moment...and it would not work in Ops or PVP.

 

Perhaps it would spawn for 20 seconds. Would be a nice sub perk......

[DarthTHC]

I skip heroics because there are too many unprepared, unskilled, unintelligent players doing heroics for my taste.

 

The problem isn't with the tech or the group size. The problem is with players who want to play parts of the game without first preparing themselves to do those parts of the game.

[ImpactHound]

Wow slipped in a lot of solo scenarios recently. They've been nice additions though, because they've been appropriately hard(for the legendary questline) when called for, and fluff when it's... fluff(the Diner Dash noodle restaurant). Meaningful solo content is possible, but probably not in BioWare's current design philosophies.

[calypsissmexy]

I almost suggested that what they really needed to do was incentivise grouping, then I remembered that they do that 6 different ways.

 

Hm...apparently not wanting to deal with unskilled wipers trumps many people's desire to play the more challenging content. Maybe they should make some missions that familiarize players with how roles work, how CC works, the vocabulary, etc, so the community doesn't have to teach every newb from square 1. Perhaps then grouping would be less intimidating for newbs and less dangerous for others.