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Solo play?
Obviously this is an MMO, and the point is to play together but there are always times where you might not have anyone to group with, or just dont want to. Sometimes I want to just game solo, even in an MMO, so I guess my question is will there be enough fun and interactive things to do when I dont want to interact with other players?
Side question(slightly related): Will most dungeons/quests scale down their difficulties based on the amount of people entering them or will they require a certain number of people to complete?
Side question(slightly related): Will most dungeons/quests scale down their difficulties based on the amount of people entering them or will they require a certain number of people to complete?
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As far as I am aware content will not scale based on the quantity of people, so, unless you are extremely skilled or much higher level, you will not be able to run dungeons meant for groups by yourself..
On the PvE side there is your usual gathering, crafting etc but also Mount Breeding or Taming. You can have your own Tavern in your freehold (player housing) and earn money running a business.
Intrepid want players to have a magnitude of different choices, be it solo or with a small/large group.
For the dungeon question, its possible they might be scaled by group size, since that is technically doable, I just haven't heard anything concrete on it from the devs.
PAX Q&A 2 mark 1:16:37
STEVEN: There will be ultra rare drop chances items in zones that are solo centric.
Solo means that you haven't formally joined a group - not that you are playing alone.
I often solo alongside formal groups because I want to be able to leave whenever I want to, rather than be pressured to stay with the group.
If I'm a Shadow Disciple, I might want to just sneak past all the combat, cleanse all the toxins I can find in the dungeon and leave... rather than wait for the group to kill all the mobs.
There should be plenty of quests and tasks that can be accomplished by one player - and those should come with appropriate rewards.
And and players who are participating in sieges and caravan attacks alongside groups without officially joining a group should still get decent rewards (although we should expect formal groups to get some boosts as a reward as an incentive to group).
But, one player should not be able to achieve the same thing that's designed for 8 players to achieve or for 40 players to achieve.
Solo players should be welcome and in some cases required game play.
Just as varying group sizes should be welcome and in some cases required game play.
And to reach its natural conclusion, mixing and matching various group sizes in parallel should also be required game play to achieve some objectives.
But that doesnt mean large groups should be able to do solo content any more than solo players should be able to do 40 man content.
As for difficulty of solo vs group.
The idea of MMOs is for groups to collaborate...something abandoned and forgotten in many newer titles.
The more people involved in coordinating activity, the harder that problem becomes.
So much so that team work and group size requires a progression system of its own.
You need 'individual' progression and 'group size' progression systems.
As this reflects the primary objective of 'community play' taken to an extreme by the node concept.
Solo activity is at the very bottom of this community progression system if not the personal progression system.
This is a concept that would be fairly new to a lot of MMO players.
Ashes is trying to be different. Players should be trying equally hard to be different to maximize their potential in the game and the value they get out of the game.
Solo quest/drops should be up to par, but not all content should have Solo options. Even outside of Sieges, Caravans, Castles, etc., being an MMO where community and meaningful quest are a focus there should be some content that would require group play.
*EDIT: too early, grammar mistakes
Soloing in an MMORPG is real MMORPG experience.
It's not "real" group experience.
So yea if Ashes can actually make the group experience feel like it isnt forced and just straight enjoyable I am definitely down, they have the vision, just need to see the execution.
People coming from particularly WoW would never have felt the need to look around for other players, and to make connections with people, because the game never gave them reason to do so.
If Ashes gives people a reason to do so, that is half the battle. The other half of the battle is making sure people know how to actually make that happen. I mean, I'd wager that half the newer MMO population would have trouble forming a group up without assistance from a dungeon finder.
Part of the fun can be visiting with friends to see how their towns and homes and pets and crops have grown while you were off doing your own thing.
Being social in an MMORPG isn't just about grouping for combat.
It's quite a commitment to involve yourself in guilds and parties and the likes, but it can be very worthwhile and rewarding. From what I've seen, Intrepid seems to be particularly good at fostering a community. If ever there were a game to give multiplayer a go, this is it.
- Sikuba
It does not mean that you don't socialize or cooperate with or fight alongside groups.
Soloers typically do a wide variety of multiplayer activities in MMORPGs without formally joining a group to kill stuff.
The real issue about grouping which is rarely addressed is how to easily find other players with your playstyle.
Noaani and I would not enjoy being in a group together. Our playstyles and expectations are too dissimilar.
My Bartle score has me as an Explorer/Socializer/Achiever/Killer with, Killer at 0%.
For me to formally join a group, I have to easily be able to find other ESs or SEs.
If I'm in a group lead by KAs or AKs, we're going to clash and I'm going to either leave the group or be kicked from the group.
But, there's a wide variety of activities for me to participate in without formally joining a group. I can fight alongside groups during caravan attacks and sieges, for example.
Your mileage may vary.