You havent gotten past savage coast then, i rarely see a person alone in blue mountain or egypt, most people roll in pairs or groups.
Yeah theres solo instances, but in no way is it like SWTOR where your solo the whole game.
Did you even play TSW? Or did you just hop in for one of the beta weekends that was limited to kingsmouth...the starter two maps are pretty easy and you really dont need to group, which might explain your opinion on the whole game if its based off kingsmouth only.
edit: oh didnt realize who i was responding to...which explains the opinion i guess...
Nonsense. I'm in Besieged Farmlands right now and I had to group up twice through out all of the zones.
Edit: one of those two times was for "Scavengers" which was not balanced properly for solo players.
Outside the dungeons it is essentially solo oriented. There do seem to be a lot completing missions in groups. A surprising amount actually but the quests are designed to be finished solo. Least through the first portion of Egypt anyways.
1. For god's sake mmo gamers, enough with the analogies. They're unnecessary and your comparisons are terrible, dissimilar, and illogical.
2. To posters feeling the need to state how f2p really isn't f2p: Players understand the concept. You aren't privy to some secret the rest are missing. You're embarrassing yourself.
3. Yes, Cpt. Obvious, we're not industry experts. Now run along and let the big people use the forums for their purpose.
You havent gotten past savage coast then, i rarely see a person alone in blue mountain or egypt, most people roll in pairs or groups.
Yeah theres solo instances, but in no way is it like SWTOR where your solo the whole game.
Did you even play TSW? Or did you just hop in for one of the beta weekends that was limited to kingsmouth...the starter two maps are pretty easy and you really dont need to group, which might explain your opinion on the whole game if its based off kingsmouth only.
edit: oh didnt realize who i was responding to...which explains the opinion i guess...
Nonsense. I'm in Besieged Farmlands right now and I had to group up twice through out all of the zones.
Nonsense. Im in egypt and have had to group may times..mostly after savage coast. Also i dont see people soloing nearly as much as i did in kingsmouth.
the zones are very much like SWG planets, free to go pretty much anywhere with the invisible walls at the edge of the map, for instance you can only swim so far off blue mountain beach before you hit an invisible wall.
You havent gotten past savage coast then, i rarely see a person alone in blue mountain or egypt, most people roll in pairs or groups.
Yeah theres solo instances, but in no way is it like SWTOR where your solo the whole game.
Did you even play TSW? Or did you just hop in for one of the beta weekends that was limited to kingsmouth...the starter two maps are pretty easy and you really dont need to group, which might explain your opinion on the whole game if its based off kingsmouth only.
edit: oh didnt realize who i was responding to...which explains the opinion i guess...
Nonsense. I'm in Besieged Farmlands right now and I had to group up twice through out all of the zones.
Edit: one of those two times was for "Scavengers" which was not balanced properly for solo players.
Was that the sasquatch king quest in the third zone? I had an issue on that one, the rest where pretty well balanced for one player.
Only thing stopping me buying this game is the fact that I've seen serveral posts claiming that the game is much like SWTOR when it comes to the storyline.
I'd really like to avoid being solo 24/7. Are a lot of the zones intanced? I don't want to buy another singleplayer RPG with Co op options that costs monthly.
You are as solo as often as you where in SWTOR, both games have instances you can do while leveling, SWTOR had +2 and +4 areas and TSW doesn't have as many. SWTOR had instances you would go in to change your story but you could bring in other players. TSW has single player instances to finish parts of a story, I'm not sure if can co op those.
Pretty much the same game when it comes to grouping up. Most players in both just play the game like a single player and co op a few times to get group instance gear.
You havent gotten past savage coast then, i rarely see a person alone in blue mountain or egypt, most people roll in pairs or groups.
Yeah theres solo instances, but in no way is it like SWTOR where your solo the whole game.
Did you even play TSW? Or did you just hop in for one of the beta weekends that was limited to kingsmouth...the starter two maps are pretty easy and you really dont need to group, which might explain your opinion on the whole game if its based off kingsmouth only.
edit: oh didnt realize who i was responding to...which explains the opinion i guess...
I soloed 90% of the game just fine 71/2 of zones in closed beta before the wipe, every once in a while there would be another person on the same quest tier following me a round and killing my mobs but isn't like I couldn't have soloed it. That is probably why you see so many duos, because people are just doing the same main quests at the same time. I would expect most people to be in zones 6,7,and 8 by now so it would be hard to break away from players.
Everytime I got a ranbdom invite it turned out we where on different main quests.
Wow.... looking through your post, it seems like all you do is bash this game constantly and try to keep people from playing it. Will you continue this when gw2 comes out? or can we expect a break in the post? Just wondering.
Like I said.. if you choose to play the game alone... or have no friends in which to play with... then yeah, I'm sure you can roll through most mmo's alone. I have grouped the majority of the time I've been playing this game. It's funny how different our experiences have been. I am very social and have lots of people to play with though.....
It seems like some of you guys want a game that absolutely forces you to group up. Then I bet you'd complain about that and say that you wish you could do some things solo. Just goes to show.. you can't make people happy...lol. Final Fantasy 11 was kinda like that. You needed to group to do most things, yet there wasn't enough people around in the lower levels, so you were just stuck. People complained a lot. Then you make some solo content and people bitch they don't need a group. No wonder MMO's are failing left and right.
The pve zones are instanced when there is high population, but its nothing like swtor (or Aoc) in that regard.
The zones and the game engine are much better at handling large groups of players than those 2 games. It's more like coh,you will be running around with 100s of other players before the engine spawns another shard not 10s
You havent gotten past savage coast then, i rarely see a person alone in blue mountain or egypt, most people roll in pairs or groups.
Yeah theres solo instances, but in no way is it like SWTOR where your solo the whole game.
Did you even play TSW? Or did you just hop in for one of the beta weekends that was limited to kingsmouth...the starter two maps are pretty easy and you really dont need to group, which might explain your opinion on the whole game if its based off kingsmouth only.
edit: oh didnt realize who i was responding to...which explains the opinion i guess...
Nonsense. I'm in Besieged Farmlands right now and I had to group up twice through out all of the zones.
Nonsense. Im in egypt and have had to group may times..mostly after savage coast. Also i dont see people soloing nearly as much as i did in kingsmouth.
Only two times I had to group was for Off The Menu and Scavengers. Both of which were revamped in this last patch because they were obviously scaled wrong for the intended solo play.
1. For god's sake mmo gamers, enough with the analogies. They're unnecessary and your comparisons are terrible, dissimilar, and illogical.
2. To posters feeling the need to state how f2p really isn't f2p: Players understand the concept. You aren't privy to some secret the rest are missing. You're embarrassing yourself.
3. Yes, Cpt. Obvious, we're not industry experts. Now run along and let the big people use the forums for their purpose.
Garvon3, like i said, i myself don't like how mmorpg are turning too much to the solo/instanced/etc mode, but that's another topic and my opinion. However, TSW is just as much of an mmo as every single other themepark. Hell, Diablo 3 is put in the same genre by many.
Also, again, you're wrong. The zones, like Kingsmouth aren't instanced at all.
There aren't different instances (dimensions) of Kingsmouth? Press F9 to find out.
You don't have to go through a loading screen to get to Kingsmouth?
What? Those are dimensions, the same thing as servers in other mmos, just that way because it's a single server.
Also, loading screens mean instanced now? I already said that TSW is zoned which means there's loading screens between areas. An instance means a copy created for only 1 players or his group. By your definition, every mmo is instanced. You mean seamless, which TSW isn't, and can't be.
You havent gotten past savage coast then, i rarely see a person alone in blue mountain or egypt, most people roll in pairs or groups.
Yeah theres solo instances, but in no way is it like SWTOR where your solo the whole game.
Did you even play TSW? Or did you just hop in for one of the beta weekends that was limited to kingsmouth...the starter two maps are pretty easy and you really dont need to group, which might explain your opinion on the whole game if its based off kingsmouth only.
edit: oh didnt realize who i was responding to...which explains the opinion i guess...
Nonsense. I'm in Besieged Farmlands right now and I had to group up twice through out all of the zones.
Edit: one of those two times was for "Scavengers" which was not balanced properly for solo players.
Was that the sasquatch king quest in the third zone? I had an issue on that one, the rest where pretty well balanced for one player.
Yea. The quest where you had to play the drum and call the sasquach to collect scrap metal, while he's being attacked by waves of zombies. According to the devs it was not balanced properly for a single player, too many tough mobs spawned. That quest was basically the only time I felt compelled to group up, because I would get completely obliterated by the second wave.
Garvon3, like i said, i myself don't like how mmorpg are turning too much to the solo/instanced/etc mode, but that's another topic and my opinion. However, TSW is just as much of an mmo as every single other themepark. Hell, Diablo 3 is put in the same genre by many.
Also, again, you're wrong. The zones, like Kingsmouth aren't instanced at all.
There aren't different instances (dimensions) of Kingsmouth? Press F9 to find out.
You don't have to go through a loading screen to get to Kingsmouth?
What? Those are dimensions, the same thing as servers in other mmos, just that way because it's a single server.
Also, loading screens mean instanced now? I already said that TSW is zoned which means there's loading screens between areas. An instance means a copy created for only 1 players or his group. By your definition, every mmo is instanced. You mean seamless, which TSW isn't, and can't be.
Dimensions are not separate servers, they are instances of the same zone. Each server (Arcadia, Grim, etc.) has a number of dimensions for each zone. That's why when you press F9, it says "dim: 3" instead of "dim: Arcadia."
Only thing stopping me buying this game is the fact that I've seen serveral posts claiming that the game is much like SWTOR when it comes to the storyline.
I'd really like to avoid being solo 24/7. Are a lot of the zones intanced? I don't want to buy another singleplayer RPG with Co op options that costs monthly.
You are as solo as often as you where in SWTOR, both games have instances you can do while leveling, SWTOR had +2 and +4 areas and TSW doesn't have as many. SWTOR had instances you would go in to change your story but you could bring in other players. TSW has single player instances to finish parts of a story, I'm not sure if can co op those.
Pretty much the same game when it comes to grouping up. Most players in both just play the game like a single player and co op a few times to get group instance gear.
You havent gotten past savage coast then, i rarely see a person alone in blue mountain or egypt, most people roll in pairs or groups.
Yeah theres solo instances, but in no way is it like SWTOR where your solo the whole game.
Did you even play TSW? Or did you just hop in for one of the beta weekends that was limited to kingsmouth...the starter two maps are pretty easy and you really dont need to group, which might explain your opinion on the whole game if its based off kingsmouth only.
edit: oh didnt realize who i was responding to...which explains the opinion i guess...
I soloed 90% of the game just fine 71/2 of zones in closed beta before the wipe, every once in a while there would be another person on the same quest tier following me a round and killing my mobs but isn't like I couldn't have soloed it. That is probably why you see so many duos, because people are just doing the same main quests at the same time. I would expect most people to be in zones 6,7,and 8 by now so it would be hard to break away from players.
Everytime I got a ranbdom invite it turned out we where on different main quests.
Wow.... looking through your post, it seems like all you do is bash this game constantly and try to keep people from playing it. Will you continue this when gw2 comes out? or can we expect a break in the post? Just wondering.
Like I said.. if you choose to play the game alone... or have no friends in which to play with... then yeah, I'm sure you can roll through most mmo's alone. I have grouped the majority of the time I've been playing this game. It's funny how different our experiences have been. I am very social and have lots of people to play with though.....
It seems like some of you guys want a game that absolutely forces you to group up. Then I bet you'd complain about that and say that you wish you could do some things solo. Just goes to show.. you can't make people happy...lol. Final Fantasy 11 was kinda like that. You needed to group to do most things, yet there wasn't enough people around in the lower levels, so you were just stuck. People complained a lot. Then you make some solo content and people bitch they don't need a group. No wonder MMO's are failing left and right.
IMO its just more fun to group with people, yes soloing the content might be to some peoples taste, certainly makes the game more difficult. I think the fun in grouping is why you see so many people traveling in packs and working together in game. I solo a lot, not always, and when i get to a mission in an area jam packed with mobs or have a mission tier that keeps getting me killed,...ill either get a partner or group and go at it...or switch builds
And no...when GW2 is launched im sure the same people will be here, Funcom+ EA shipping boxes...your going to have a lot of long term haters here just like with AoC.
Im actually planning to play GW2 but im starting to think i should wait a month on that so a certain community moves on and starts to overhype elder scrolls...dont want to go through the anti-game community trolling itself.. like what happend in SWTOR. At least the in game attitude is very positive in TSW..its got a good community thus far.
Garvon3, like i said, i myself don't like how mmorpg are turning too much to the solo/instanced/etc mode, but that's another topic and my opinion. However, TSW is just as much of an mmo as every single other themepark. Hell, Diablo 3 is put in the same genre by many.
Also, again, you're wrong. The zones, like Kingsmouth aren't instanced at all.
There aren't different instances (dimensions) of Kingsmouth? Press F9 to find out.
You don't have to go through a loading screen to get to Kingsmouth?
What? Those are dimensions, the same thing as servers in other mmos, just that way because it's a single server.
Also, loading screens mean instanced now? I already said that TSW is zoned which means there's loading screens between areas. An instance means a copy created for only 1 players or his group. By your definition, every mmo is instanced. You mean seamless, which TSW isn't, and can't be.
Dimensions are not separate servers, they are instances of the same zone. Each server (Arcadia, Grim, etc.) has a number of dimensions for each zone. That's why when you press F9, it says "dim: 3" instead of "dim: Arcadia."
You mean channels. So, by your definition again, every mmo beyond EVE is instanced. If i transfar my character toa different server or, even better, if i switch server in GW2 with the guest option, that means the games are instanced.
It's mostly solo play in the same way that SWTOR is mostly solo play. While you are "leveling" (or gearing up and gaining skill points), you have options to enter group instances with people. Just like SWTOR, they also have the option to enter battlegrounds.
Just like in SWTOR, you can choose to accomplish the world PvE with other group members. But I think this game tends to make it a little more unwieldy because of the way many of the quests are designed. Because many of the quests are puzzle type quests, a type of quest that is almost specifically designed for a solo player, there are times when you will actively avoid grouping.
It is on equal footing with the systems that are designed to SWTOR. They ARE very similar in a lot of ways. For whatever reason, people are refusing to see that for right now.
I think the quality of the quests is better in this game by far. But the social systems and the need to group are fairly similar.
Garvon3, like i said, i myself don't like how mmorpg are turning too much to the solo/instanced/etc mode, but that's another topic and my opinion. However, TSW is just as much of an mmo as every single other themepark. Hell, Diablo 3 is put in the same genre by many.
Also, again, you're wrong. The zones, like Kingsmouth aren't instanced at all.
There aren't different instances (dimensions) of Kingsmouth? Press F9 to find out.
You don't have to go through a loading screen to get to Kingsmouth?
What? Those are dimensions, the same thing as servers in other mmos, just that way because it's a single server.
Also, loading screens mean instanced now? I already said that TSW is zoned which means there's loading screens between areas. An instance means a copy created for only 1 players or his group. By your definition, every mmo is instanced. You mean seamless, which TSW isn't, and can't be.
Dimensions are not separate servers, they are instances of the same zone. Each server (Arcadia, Grim, etc.) has a number of dimensions for each zone. That's why when you press F9, it says "dim: 3" instead of "dim: Arcadia."
You mean channels. So, by your definition again, every mmo beyond EVE is instanced. If i transfar my character toa different server or, even better, if i switch server in GW2 with the guest option, that means the games are instanced.
Whatever you want to call them. Channels or dimensions. They are instances.
Changing an instance is not the same as changing a server. A server is a separete entity. An instance is an exact copy of zone on a particular server.
Only thing stopping me buying this game is the fact that I've seen serveral posts claiming that the game is much like SWTOR when it comes to the storyline.
IMO its just more fun to group with people, yes soloing the content might be to some peoples taste, certainly makes the game more difficult. I think the fun in grouping is why you see so many people traveling in packs and working together in game. I solo a lot, not always, and when i get to a mission in an area jam packed with mobs or have a mission tier that keeps getting me killed,...ill either get a partner or group and go at it...or switch builds
And no...when GW2 is launched im sure the same people will be here, Funcom+ EA shipping boxes...your going to have a lot of long term haters here just like with AoC.
Im actually planning to play GW2 but im starting to think i should wait a month on that so a certain community moves on and starts to overhype elder scrolls...dont want to go through the anti-game community trolling itself.. like what happend in SWTOR. At least the in game attitude is very positive in TSW..its got a good community thus far.
I'm gonna try Guild Wars 2 also. I just don't understand the mentality of some MMO players. They feel the need to bash any game other then the one they're currently playing.. it's like some subconcious need for the game they're playing to be the "BEST" and better then any other game. I see people defend companies like they're related. I will defend a game I'm playing if people are spouting bullshit and attempting to get others not to try it, but that's as far as I'll go. I really don't care who makes the game.
I just don't give a flying shit about these companies. They are whores. I use them to play and enjoy their games the same way they use me to buy and play them..lol. I don't aleign myself with them or form any sort of packs with them, cause as the next game comes out... if I enjoy it more, I'm jumping to it no matter who the hell makes it.
I like TSW right now. I'll try Gw2.. if I like it more, I'll switch. If I don't, I won't . No need to constant attack games you didn't enjoy. Just post once that you didn't enjoy it and move on with your life. Some of these folks posting here.. if you look at their previous post, it's bash after bash after shot after shot like the game raped their grandmother or something.
You mean channels. So, by your definition again, every mmo beyond EVE is instanced. If i transfar my character toa different server or, even better, if i switch server in GW2 with the guest option, that means the games are instanced.
It's time that you took a step back and realized that channels are the very definition of instances.
Only thing stopping me buying this game is the fact that I've seen serveral posts claiming that the game is much like SWTOR when it comes to the storyline.
I'd really like to avoid being solo 24/7. Are a lot of the zones intanced? I don't want to buy another singleplayer RPG with Co op options that costs monthly.
It's a story based game so it relies a lot on solo playing.
Once the story is done there is little left to do in this game.
Like SWTOR, TSW is another Online RPG rather than a MMORPG.
As an RPG is decent, as an online game is less brilliant.
Garvon3, like i said, i myself don't like how mmorpg are turning too much to the solo/instanced/etc mode, but that's another topic and my opinion. However, TSW is just as much of an mmo as every single other themepark. Hell, Diablo 3 is put in the same genre by many.
Also, again, you're wrong. The zones, like Kingsmouth aren't instanced at all.
There aren't different instances (dimensions) of Kingsmouth? Press F9 to find out.
You don't have to go through a loading screen to get to Kingsmouth?
What? Those are dimensions, the same thing as servers in other mmos, just that way because it's a single server.
Also, loading screens mean instanced now? I already said that TSW is zoned which means there's loading screens between areas. An instance means a copy created for only 1 players or his group. By your definition, every mmo is instanced. You mean seamless, which TSW isn't, and can't be.
Dimensions are not separate servers, they are instances of the same zone. Each server (Arcadia, Grim, etc.) has a number of dimensions for each zone. That's why when you press F9, it says "dim: 3" instead of "dim: Arcadia."
You mean channels. So, by your definition again, every mmo beyond EVE is instanced. If i transfar my character toa different server or, even better, if i switch server in GW2 with the guest option, that means the games are instanced.
Whatever you want to call them. Channels or dimensions. They are instances.
Changing an instance is not the same as changing a server. A server is a separete entity. An instance is an exact copy of zone on a particular server.
A server is a copy of the same game world as well. a channel is also a sepearte entity. So, if i change to a different server for pve in GW2, how is that different at all? An instance is an area copy made for 1 player or a specific group.
Only thing stopping me buying this game is the fact that I've seen serveral posts claiming that the game is much like SWTOR when it comes to the storyline.
I'd really like to avoid being solo 24/7. Are a lot of the zones intanced? I don't want to buy another singleplayer RPG with Co op options that costs monthly.
Having played both SWTOR (all through the End game) and TSW I feel like i might be able to answer your question.
In SWTOR You had class based story where you could make multiple choices but a kinda illusion of choice with questing (all paths led to Rome kinda thing). Each world had it's own story in addition to your class story, but, the end game story telling as was the individual quest stories not very interesting. You also had a lot of group based quests which had tougher mobs which were not fun, but merely delayed your progress. They gave good rewards, however after completing a planet there was very little reason to return to it. This meant that those good geared quests (boring as they were) could be quite difficult to complete and thus if your like me (someone who likes to do everything) found it very frustrating to leave them.
in TSW you have a faction related quest which is like the class quest in SWTOR, you have a main story quest which was also like SWTOR however, every quest in the game aside from story/faction and investigations are repeatable. Because the story telling and NPC's in the game are very engaging and interesting and the quests are quite fun a lot of people repeat content. Thus you will often find that no matter when you step into the game you will find a group to do content. Yes, you can solo a lot of content, you could in SWTOR, WOW, RIFT etc but you are not 'forced' to do so as the zones get a lot of visitors.
Because the zones split into instances all on a singular server you have a large population to be able to draw upon, just by asking in general. Myself, I never had an issue, I found that people I saw doing the same quest as myself never turned down an invite when near by and visa versa. Same as General and Looking for Group I have never had to wait too long, unless it was a silly time.. like 4am in the morning to which I should take the hint and go to bed.
To answer your question in full, YES there is at present always someone to play with. Without a hitch and the community seem to really enjoy the game. I myself have a friend I play with who has kids, so I progress further than him, but because I can repeat the same quests I found that going back to help him out or quest with him also benefits me, its not a bore or a chour. Further more, YES the game has a story to it, one that will keep you interested and you will even remember NPC's by name! Unlike SWTOR who I can't remember a single one of them that were outside the KOTOR series.
I will however warn, the game as an MMO isnt like WoW or SWTOR in regards to a mad rush to end game, or to be in a world where you can just kill kill kill. Its a bit more adult themed and rewards the patient. There is plenty of action to be had but a lot of investigation quests and sabotage quests will exercise your brain more than your fingers. Its a good world to be a part off but dont come into it thinking its all action like TERA or GW's.
Garvon3, like i said, i myself don't like how mmorpg are turning too much to the solo/instanced/etc mode, but that's another topic and my opinion. However, TSW is just as much of an mmo as every single other themepark. Hell, Diablo 3 is put in the same genre by many.
Also, again, you're wrong. The zones, like Kingsmouth aren't instanced at all.
There aren't different instances (dimensions) of Kingsmouth? Press F9 to find out.
You don't have to go through a loading screen to get to Kingsmouth?
What? Those are dimensions, the same thing as servers in other mmos, just that way because it's a single server.
Also, loading screens mean instanced now? I already said that TSW is zoned which means there's loading screens between areas. An instance means a copy created for only 1 players or his group. By your definition, every mmo is instanced. You mean seamless, which TSW isn't, and can't be.
Dimensions are not separate servers, they are instances of the same zone. Each server (Arcadia, Grim, etc.) has a number of dimensions for each zone. That's why when you press F9, it says "dim: 3" instead of "dim: Arcadia."
You mean channels. So, by your definition again, every mmo beyond EVE is instanced. If i transfar my character toa different server or, even better, if i switch server in GW2 with the guest option, that means the games are instanced.
Whatever you want to call them. Channels or dimensions. They are instances.
Changing an instance is not the same as changing a server. A server is a separete entity. An instance is an exact copy of zone on a particular server.
A server is a copy of the same game world as well. a channel is also a sepearte entity. So, if i change to a different server for pve in GW2, how is that different at all? An instance is an area copy made for 1 player or a specific group.
One is a server, the other is an instance of a zone on that server. I'm not going to spend any more time trying to explain it to you. Google it, if you're really interested in learning the differences between the two.
The dimensions are the server shards. Arcadia, Grim etc are dimensions. They use a single physical server to host all of the server shards or as they call them dimensions. You can create a character on Arcadia and ask someone to group with you on Grim so you can switch to the Grim dimension temporarily. The areas are mostly open and big with a few instances in them but it is not a heavily instanced game per zone. Each zone does have a loading screen but it is not constant loading screens like in LoTRO for example.
Wow... this thread is just ignorance galore, isn't it.
First, to answer the OP: Yes, the game is mostly a singleplayer / solo MMO. Just like SWTOR. There are many examples in their design, from solo instances, to the investigation quests, to solo Queing. However, the story in TSW I'd say is done significantly better. As is the questing, for the most part.
- To those of you arguing over what is an instance, and what is a server. Some of you may want to do a quick trip over to google and look up what that actually means. TSW has instances, AND servers.
If you think the game doesn't have instances, then you clearly had someone else play the intro for you, and have barely done any of the missions in kingsmouth.
If you think the game is running in a basement somewhere on one computer, then you either have no grasp of server technology, or you honestly think TSW has a max playerbase of around 5000 people.
The difference is, TSW does a lot to hide the fact that it's running on multiple servers, by basically designating the game differently amongst the boxes than most other MMOs do (hence the 'single server' technology they talk about). It's not that it doesn't have servers, it's that it integrates them together to allow for enough cross-overs as to appear 'seamless'. Mostly, they allow ques, invites, and chat between servers. However, if you've ever gotten that window that says 'So and so exists on another dimension. Would you like to cross over?' and clicked 'yes' you have just temporarily switched servers.
As for instances. The game has instances all over. I'ts extremely instanced. There's solo instances, dungeons, battlegrounds, mission instances, etc. And it's easy enough to see. There's even a big obtrusive pop-up that tells you this.
Comments
Nonsense. I'm in Besieged Farmlands right now and I had to group up twice through out all of the zones.
Edit: one of those two times was for "Scavengers" which was not balanced properly for solo players.
It has instancing but its not like 75% instancing like swtor.
It's more on a par with gw2 instancing wise, well in fact slightly less.
Outside the dungeons it is essentially solo oriented. There do seem to be a lot completing missions in groups. A surprising amount actually but the quests are designed to be finished solo. Least through the first portion of Egypt anyways.
1. For god's sake mmo gamers, enough with the analogies. They're unnecessary and your comparisons are terrible, dissimilar, and illogical.
2. To posters feeling the need to state how f2p really isn't f2p: Players understand the concept. You aren't privy to some secret the rest are missing. You're embarrassing yourself.
3. Yes, Cpt. Obvious, we're not industry experts. Now run along and let the big people use the forums for their purpose.
Nonsense. Im in egypt and have had to group may times..mostly after savage coast. Also i dont see people soloing nearly as much as i did in kingsmouth.
the zones are very much like SWG planets, free to go pretty much anywhere with the invisible walls at the edge of the map, for instance you can only swim so far off blue mountain beach before you hit an invisible wall.
Was that the sasquatch king quest in the third zone? I had an issue on that one, the rest where pretty well balanced for one player.
Wow.... looking through your post, it seems like all you do is bash this game constantly and try to keep people from playing it. Will you continue this when gw2 comes out? or can we expect a break in the post? Just wondering.
Like I said.. if you choose to play the game alone... or have no friends in which to play with... then yeah, I'm sure you can roll through most mmo's alone. I have grouped the majority of the time I've been playing this game. It's funny how different our experiences have been. I am very social and have lots of people to play with though.....
It seems like some of you guys want a game that absolutely forces you to group up. Then I bet you'd complain about that and say that you wish you could do some things solo. Just goes to show.. you can't make people happy...lol. Final Fantasy 11 was kinda like that. You needed to group to do most things, yet there wasn't enough people around in the lower levels, so you were just stuck. People complained a lot. Then you make some solo content and people bitch they don't need a group. No wonder MMO's are failing left and right.
The zones and the game engine are much better at handling large groups of players than those 2 games. It's more like coh,you will be running around with 100s of other players before the engine spawns another shard not 10s
Only two times I had to group was for Off The Menu and Scavengers. Both of which were revamped in this last patch because they were obviously scaled wrong for the intended solo play.
1. For god's sake mmo gamers, enough with the analogies. They're unnecessary and your comparisons are terrible, dissimilar, and illogical.
2. To posters feeling the need to state how f2p really isn't f2p: Players understand the concept. You aren't privy to some secret the rest are missing. You're embarrassing yourself.
3. Yes, Cpt. Obvious, we're not industry experts. Now run along and let the big people use the forums for their purpose.
What? Those are dimensions, the same thing as servers in other mmos, just that way because it's a single server.
Also, loading screens mean instanced now? I already said that TSW is zoned which means there's loading screens between areas. An instance means a copy created for only 1 players or his group. By your definition, every mmo is instanced. You mean seamless, which TSW isn't, and can't be.
Yea. The quest where you had to play the drum and call the sasquach to collect scrap metal, while he's being attacked by waves of zombies. According to the devs it was not balanced properly for a single player, too many tough mobs spawned. That quest was basically the only time I felt compelled to group up, because I would get completely obliterated by the second wave.
Dimensions are not separate servers, they are instances of the same zone. Each server (Arcadia, Grim, etc.) has a number of dimensions for each zone. That's why when you press F9, it says "dim: 3" instead of "dim: Arcadia."
IMO its just more fun to group with people, yes soloing the content might be to some peoples taste, certainly makes the game more difficult. I think the fun in grouping is why you see so many people traveling in packs and working together in game. I solo a lot, not always, and when i get to a mission in an area jam packed with mobs or have a mission tier that keeps getting me killed,...ill either get a partner or group and go at it...or switch builds
And no...when GW2 is launched im sure the same people will be here, Funcom+ EA shipping boxes...your going to have a lot of long term haters here just like with AoC.
Im actually planning to play GW2 but im starting to think i should wait a month on that so a certain community moves on and starts to overhype elder scrolls...dont want to go through the anti-game community trolling itself.. like what happend in SWTOR. At least the in game attitude is very positive in TSW..its got a good community thus far.
You mean channels. So, by your definition again, every mmo beyond EVE is instanced. If i transfar my character toa different server or, even better, if i switch server in GW2 with the guest option, that means the games are instanced.
What is going on in this thread?
Is this game mostly singleplayer/solo like SWTOR, or does it focus on the social side quite a lot?
It's mostly solo play in the same way that SWTOR is mostly solo play. While you are "leveling" (or gearing up and gaining skill points), you have options to enter group instances with people. Just like SWTOR, they also have the option to enter battlegrounds.
Just like in SWTOR, you can choose to accomplish the world PvE with other group members. But I think this game tends to make it a little more unwieldy because of the way many of the quests are designed. Because many of the quests are puzzle type quests, a type of quest that is almost specifically designed for a solo player, there are times when you will actively avoid grouping.
It is on equal footing with the systems that are designed to SWTOR. They ARE very similar in a lot of ways. For whatever reason, people are refusing to see that for right now.
I think the quality of the quests is better in this game by far. But the social systems and the need to group are fairly similar.
Whatever you want to call them. Channels or dimensions. They are instances.
Changing an instance is not the same as changing a server. A server is a separete entity. An instance is an exact copy of zone on a particular server.
I'm gonna try Guild Wars 2 also. I just don't understand the mentality of some MMO players. They feel the need to bash any game other then the one they're currently playing.. it's like some subconcious need for the game they're playing to be the "BEST" and better then any other game. I see people defend companies like they're related. I will defend a game I'm playing if people are spouting bullshit and attempting to get others not to try it, but that's as far as I'll go. I really don't care who makes the game.
I just don't give a flying shit about these companies. They are whores. I use them to play and enjoy their games the same way they use me to buy and play them..lol. I don't aleign myself with them or form any sort of packs with them, cause as the next game comes out... if I enjoy it more, I'm jumping to it no matter who the hell makes it.
I like TSW right now. I'll try Gw2.. if I like it more, I'll switch. If I don't, I won't . No need to constant attack games you didn't enjoy. Just post once that you didn't enjoy it and move on with your life. Some of these folks posting here.. if you look at their previous post, it's bash after bash after shot after shot like the game raped their grandmother or something.
It's time that you took a step back and realized that channels are the very definition of instances.
It's a story based game so it relies a lot on solo playing.
Once the story is done there is little left to do in this game.
Like SWTOR, TSW is another Online RPG rather than a MMORPG.
As an RPG is decent, as an online game is less brilliant.
A server is a copy of the same game world as well. a channel is also a sepearte entity. So, if i change to a different server for pve in GW2, how is that different at all? An instance is an area copy made for 1 player or a specific group.
Having played both SWTOR (all through the End game) and TSW I feel like i might be able to answer your question.
In SWTOR You had class based story where you could make multiple choices but a kinda illusion of choice with questing (all paths led to Rome kinda thing). Each world had it's own story in addition to your class story, but, the end game story telling as was the individual quest stories not very interesting. You also had a lot of group based quests which had tougher mobs which were not fun, but merely delayed your progress. They gave good rewards, however after completing a planet there was very little reason to return to it. This meant that those good geared quests (boring as they were) could be quite difficult to complete and thus if your like me (someone who likes to do everything) found it very frustrating to leave them.
in TSW you have a faction related quest which is like the class quest in SWTOR, you have a main story quest which was also like SWTOR however, every quest in the game aside from story/faction and investigations are repeatable. Because the story telling and NPC's in the game are very engaging and interesting and the quests are quite fun a lot of people repeat content. Thus you will often find that no matter when you step into the game you will find a group to do content. Yes, you can solo a lot of content, you could in SWTOR, WOW, RIFT etc but you are not 'forced' to do so as the zones get a lot of visitors.
Because the zones split into instances all on a singular server you have a large population to be able to draw upon, just by asking in general. Myself, I never had an issue, I found that people I saw doing the same quest as myself never turned down an invite when near by and visa versa. Same as General and Looking for Group I have never had to wait too long, unless it was a silly time.. like 4am in the morning to which I should take the hint and go to bed.
To answer your question in full, YES there is at present always someone to play with. Without a hitch and the community seem to really enjoy the game. I myself have a friend I play with who has kids, so I progress further than him, but because I can repeat the same quests I found that going back to help him out or quest with him also benefits me, its not a bore or a chour. Further more, YES the game has a story to it, one that will keep you interested and you will even remember NPC's by name! Unlike SWTOR who I can't remember a single one of them that were outside the KOTOR series.
I will however warn, the game as an MMO isnt like WoW or SWTOR in regards to a mad rush to end game, or to be in a world where you can just kill kill kill. Its a bit more adult themed and rewards the patient. There is plenty of action to be had but a lot of investigation quests and sabotage quests will exercise your brain more than your fingers. Its a good world to be a part off but dont come into it thinking its all action like TERA or GW's.
Tsu
One is a server, the other is an instance of a zone on that server. I'm not going to spend any more time trying to explain it to you. Google it, if you're really interested in learning the differences between the two.
Wow... this thread is just ignorance galore, isn't it.
First, to answer the OP: Yes, the game is mostly a singleplayer / solo MMO. Just like SWTOR. There are many examples in their design, from solo instances, to the investigation quests, to solo Queing. However, the story in TSW I'd say is done significantly better. As is the questing, for the most part.
- To those of you arguing over what is an instance, and what is a server. Some of you may want to do a quick trip over to google and look up what that actually means. TSW has instances, AND servers.
If you think the game doesn't have instances, then you clearly had someone else play the intro for you, and have barely done any of the missions in kingsmouth.
If you think the game is running in a basement somewhere on one computer, then you either have no grasp of server technology, or you honestly think TSW has a max playerbase of around 5000 people.
The difference is, TSW does a lot to hide the fact that it's running on multiple servers, by basically designating the game differently amongst the boxes than most other MMOs do (hence the 'single server' technology they talk about). It's not that it doesn't have servers, it's that it integrates them together to allow for enough cross-overs as to appear 'seamless'. Mostly, they allow ques, invites, and chat between servers. However, if you've ever gotten that window that says 'So and so exists on another dimension. Would you like to cross over?' and clicked 'yes' you have just temporarily switched servers.
As for instances. The game has instances all over. I'ts extremely instanced. There's solo instances, dungeons, battlegrounds, mission instances, etc. And it's easy enough to see. There's even a big obtrusive pop-up that tells you this.
It's mostly singleplayer/solo like SW:TOR, Rift, WoW, Aion, Warhammer Online, Lord of the Rings Online, EverQuest II, and Age of Conan.