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Solo players: What elements do you enjoy in your MMO
Vigiliance
Member UncommonPosts: 213
DISCLAIMER:
This is not a solo vs group play MMO Thread. The purpose of this thread is to find out what elements of an MMO, a player who chooses not to group wants out of an MMO. ,
Plainly and without bias we are asking here what keeps these players from playing games like Skyrim, Oblivion, morrowind, Fallout, Borderlands, etc. Other single player games with RPG elements in them.
No answer is too dumb or too simple, or on the other hand: too complex.
Take some to think about what elements make you keep playing the MMO(s) you subscribe to.
I'll list some of the common universal elements that you often find in the majority of MMO's to get a starting point boiling.
PVP
Auction Houses
Level/RPG Elements
Crafting
Exploration
Guilds and the social elements
Customization (Talents, item modifications, choice of gear
Individual Progression
Comments
Socializing
Roleplaying
Growing and construction content (farming, player owned structures, gear stockpiling for the guild, etc)
Gambling
Character customization
There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
"Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre
Gameplay beats community unless its the community that chooses my game.
I play Skyrim because its fun. The storyline and world interaction are fun. The ambience is interesting (getting a quest/map marker by being close to a conversation or listening to a guard comment about my adventures is fun)
But its hard to capture that in the MMO world.
So to better say what I like about single-player experiences in the MMO worlds are slightly different.
I want to be my own person. If I have classes, let me wiggle a little. Give some uniqueness. Maybe it wont be on par with a min/max build/style/preference but it will give flavor or situational advantages.
Solo goals are also good. From unique appearance to rare possesions (of vanity or practical value) to player housing (bigger, better and cooler houses).
Exploration is a good thing. Finding new parts of the world or non-quest critical parts that just exist and have interesting things to them that only an explorer would find.
There is also crafting. Crafting must be engaging and purposeful. Most MMO crafting today is an afterthought. There are very few games which allow for someone to be a crafter and not a combatant. Though a crafting class isn't something I see as a requirement, some serious investment in it is.
Just my two cents about the single-player greatness out of MMOs.
I consider myself a solo player. Does not mean up I do not team up or even join a guild. In general I play solo and only play with other when I need to, unless I play the game with someone I already know or if the game is really build around teamwork (Face of Mankind and WWIIOnline) but if a game allows you to play without anyone else I asualy do that my first run, untill I am bored (Wurms Online, ATITD and most of the sandbox MMO)
Still I play for the social aspect of the game. It's fun to just join a random group of people in a instant and play it trough. It more fun to me then orginising that stuff into the detail. One of my fundimental believe is that losing can and should be fun as well. You still do the same you would have done, your simply did not get to the end of the instance.
Story is also vital to me. I also usually enjoy casual roleplay with SWOTOR I picked my answer the way I believe my caracter would answer them and ligtly stay in my role, but do not shy away from simply talking OOC.
Crafting is also an importand aspect. Played and loved SWG as a smart thinking crafter could play alone and find a hole in the market that needed to be filled (when I played that where bateries or something) meaning even from a early level you can start earning back some of the money you spend.
Bouncy bewbies, cute bum, smexy armor.
Crafting, resource gathering
Global chat with easy right click block feature
---
I don't always want to rule the world, just be in it, be productive in character advancement and have something to look at.
Others have stated my ideas well, thus far.
I like getting into my character. Not RPing, but customizing my looks, trying out different skills to see what suits me best, advancing through the ranks if there are ranks, exploring the world to find new and different things, being creative with crafting skills, and generally interacting with others in many ways, not JUST grouping.
I am one of those players that go through a city, or other hub area, run-by buffing others. In combat areas, I may stop and watch another player battle MOBs and heal if I can or need to. I may see a question in chat that I feel I can answer adequately and do so. And yes, I will group from time to time.
In single player RPGs, there is NO interaction of any kind with any other players. In these games, I enjoy the story, the world that I can change, and eventually getting to the "end of the game."
If I were solely interested in getting to the "end game" in a MMO, I would group ALL the time. The game flies by so fast when I do group. But there is no "end game" in a MMO for me. A MMO is never supposed to end and doing the same things (raids, dailies, dungeons) repeatedly is not my idea of fun and thus usually ends my playtime for that character until new content arrives.
- Al
Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse.- FARGIN_WAR
I like watching the ebb and flow of the world - even if I'm not grouping, I like to be *aware* of the drama of the living world. A single-player game, no matter how well coded, just doesn't feel alive like a multiplayer world does.
MMOs tend to be deeper than single-player RPGs - over time, the patches add more layers of complexity, a certain weathered polish that comes of the rich feedback of an MMO's demanding playerbase.
Single-player RPGs rarely let you play a stable of alts coexisting in the same world (I tend to play solo guilds rather than just solo characters)
Single-player RPGs tend to have weak endgames - once you finish the main story arc, there's rarely anything to do with the character that feels meaningful while MMOs are trying to hold the player's attention indefinitely.
Well i play both at times:) But i do not usually "Finish" single player games. IE: i get powerful to where the content gets easy and get bored with them.
Crafting , gathering, exploring, guild chat ( not so much world chat) usually turn off world if i can. Gaining as many powerful/rare items as i can solo. If it needs raids i usually do not bother. Some achievements or deeds in games can be fun for me. Guess the one thing is that i can make or set my own goals to do with my game time and work on them as i want.
I am always in guilds as well when i play MMO's. But, i play the vast majority of my time solo.
But i usually have several crafting proffessions that i do and keep my guildies outfitted, and do some group runs if they really need the help.
But i just do not like grouping much. I get bored easily maybe? Or even just do not have the patience to sit around waiting.
Always seems to be a lot of that sitting around waiting and lots of talking waiting on groups to get going. Something that could take 30 minutes often turns into 1-2 hours in groups it seems.
I always prefer gathering type professions in most MMO's that is almost always my first proffession when i start a new game. Then branch out into the other proffessions with alts. I am a HUGE pack rat. I save any and everything that i might need some day.
I often help other guildies to master ( by providing the materials) their proffessions, then turn around and make one of my own too. I prefer to be self sufficient, i rarely ask guildies for anything, even when i have helped them quite a bit with materials or whatever.
Heh my wife, quite often tells me i am the most anti social player she knows in MMO's. Not that i am unfriendly or anything, but they will make groups for things and ask me to go and i just do not like groups. Unless they need me or the group cant go i would rather play solo, doing my own thing.
Just like to be part of guild chat and help where i can but be solo:P
1) Exploration
2) Accomplishment.
3) Story
4) Social Aspects
5) Crafting
In that order for me.
https://www.therepopulation.com - Sci Fi Sandbox.
I like the "busy" feel of the world, the other characters running by in towns or in the outside world. It helps my immersion, the illusion that the world is "real".
I like the fact that I can chat to people (sadly, very seldom, most just rush by) and sometimes (rarely) get some RP going.
I like the fact that there are always people to group with (for major quests and instances, anyways. Nobody seems to group for open world play anymore, and if they do, everything is done at lightspeed. Ok, I'm slow, so sue me).
I love the economic warfare ! In games that have decent crafting systems and/or player-driven economies, economic competition can keep me entertained for a very long time.
Skyrim NPC's are a great improvement on what went before, but they are very much still bots. I'm sure it will be a very long time before NPC's in any game behave in a convincingly human way. Until then, playing with real humans is the only way to have a diverse experience.
Until an NPC tells me:
"I got jumped by this group of fudgers who didn't know I was a high level Sorcerer so I dropped Shivers of Dread and then Soul Sliver on them and then I pissed on their corpses."
I am not going to believe they are human. Honestly the fact that NPCs never break immersion is the most telling sign that you are not with other people. I am not sure if that is a problem with the humans or the bots.
I like when npcs do not breakimmersion since most mmo experiences are ruined by other players breaking immersion.
1) The thousands of hard-working players who mine, craft and sell things on the Auction House/Market/Bazaar I can't be arsed to mine or craft. It's almost like employing thousands of little ants to work for me.
2) The seasonal or otherwise special events.
3) The antics in Chat that sometimes amuse or otherwise briefly entertain me.
4) Exploration.
5) Killing of mobs and/or completion of Quests/Missions that would otherwise need a group.
6) Individual progression.
This, plus the constant content updates.
I see what you're driving at, but even solo games get new content so I didn't mention that aspect.
I also didn't mention Socialising, because for all the social interaction there is in MMOs these days the rest of the population may as well be NPCs or even bots.
All of these ^^
Yea I agree thats why I have a system in mind that can replace LFD with something that requires you to speak to other people while keeping up a level of high convenience.
Works something like this, you choose what content you want to do, and you are posted on a list while party member or individuals can review the person's community rating, their overall character, etc. In there is a quick link to chat or just invite, and when you invite there is a little button that you must type the description of what the invite is for.
For example
Hit invite, a ilttle popup box says reasons or just pretyped say "dungeon 1"
The responding players get an audio que with a pop box up saying Dwarf10101 has invited you for "dungeon 1".
Now this doesn't force people to speak but say your a lower prority class like a dps role you would look for the searchers or the existing group in que and whisper to them, thus communicating. Yea if you don't want to talk to people then you have to do something, form the group.
Granted this idea is fairly rough and needs some polish but thats the overall jist of it.
What I enjoy:
Logging in, instantly having fun. I don't want to have to wait an hour for a group to get together, I just want to play the game immediately.
Now with 57.3% more flames!
Yes, I also can't be arsed having to find someone at the same stage of the quest/mission I'm at, at the time I plan to do it, with the time available to stick around until completion as well as knowing what they're doing.
I like to start as a solo player and later, when I've got more familar with the game and my char, joining a group/guild/corp whatsoever. The game has to provide this kind of play style of course. The solo part is mainly because I enjoy my very own timing (sloooow paced!) while still learning.
For me, too.
Also, if the community is fun and cooperative, then I love to group up. Like now, in SWTOR, I'm quite often in groups. I had a similar experience in Rift.
Sometimes, however, after a game's community degrades in quality, I just play solo to avoid interacting with random undesireables. It's probably a sign that my days are numbered in that game. I remember one game in particular (no naming names) when the community started to get ever worse with each passing expansion until you had to play entirely within a guild to avoid unpleasant multi-player experiences. Eventually the guild itself began to be torn apart by drama, etc. It was game over for me.
I think other "solo" players are in that position, too.
A man is his own easiest dupe, for what he wishes to be true he generally believes to be true...