questions about solo players for the devs

ArchivedUser

Im a solo player when it comes to most new games. (mates still play other MMO's). But i was wondering what this game will bring for a solo player like myself that finds story more then group PVP more enjoyable. i see alot of info here talking about "groups of people". will a solo player be able to feel like they are contributing. alot of games that like groups of people to play i leave due to feeling like my solo contributions do nothing for the game.

ArchivedUser

I'd say it depends on what you want to accomplish as a solo player. The node system basically guarantees that if you're doing anything, you're contributing to the growth of the world. So go out and murder some mobs, do some fishing, gather ore, chop down trees (hope they don't fight back), pick up some herbs (make sure there's no monster at the roots), craft, trade, explore, travel, whatever. Also, there's a large emphasis on keeping content in the open world. Hopefully as little instancing as possible. Meaning even as a solo player you can join activities being done by groups of players...be it world bosses or sieges or whatever is going on.

ArchivedUser

I guess it will be hard for you to progress in late content. But it depends on how much stuff is locked/instanced. MMO games are really focusing on people playing together and solo things are not for that kind of games if you ask me. Of course, you can do stuff alone but you will never reach the top with that. I think developers will try to make AoC enjoyable for solo and group players but at the end, it is online game and interaction with other is essential. But at the end it really does not matter if you enjoy the game playing solo, just play solo.

ArchivedUser

i see your point but even with the node system my 1% means nothing in the whole. loved games like WoW even solo due to story and personal progression was so rewarding. (its now feels like it was made for kids to play). i just wishing for the little a solo player can bring to a game that is so world based, will still feel exciting. im ok to team up with randoms for content but i want that feeling that even when im not group (most of the time ill be solo) im adding something and i can see that i am. The node still looks like it MIGHT bring self progression that helps all. but we shall see

ArchivedUser

Well there has been others discussing about the same subject. Why not join them?
<a href="https://www.ashesofcreation.com/forums/topic/solo-experience-character-creation-and-progressionwhat-about-goldsellers/" target="_blank">Discussion: Solo experience</a>
<a href="https://www.ashesofcreation.com/forums/topic/mercanary-system-for-solo-players-small-guilds/" target="_blank">Discussion: Mercenary system for solo players</a>

I also request reading the <a href="https://www.ashesofcreation.com/forums/topic/faqs-about-ashes-of-creation/" target="_blank">FAQ</a> thread by Steven.

While nothing specific has been said about solo but quoting Steven: "<em>We want solo players, small groups and large groups to all have a home within our system.</em>"

So solo players will have to wait for more info among the rest of us :)

ArchivedUser

[quote quote=6482]i see your point but even with the node system my 1% means nothing in the whole. loved games like WoW even solo due to story and personal progression was so rewarding. (its now feels like it was made for kids to play). i just wishing for the little a solo player can bring to a game that is so world based, will still feel exciting. im ok to team up with randoms for content but i want that feeling that even when im not group (most of the time ill be solo) im adding something and i can see that i am. The node still looks like it MIGHT bring self progression that helps all. but we shall see

[/quote]

I think the node system will have a lot of content for solo players. That does not mean all content will be available to players who will not group up with others or the way grouping will be done is exactly like WOW. There are people like myself that are trying to keep Group content for people that will join a group via a more traditional method not WOW's Click a button wait for the queue to pop. People like myself are tired of that style of game play and if people want that style of game play like my wife who I told her to just stay in WOW Then. I want to make friends yes they need a party browser tool but groups need to be organic like they were before LFD/LFR/Duty Finder BS. The group minded player who will socialize and make friends and so on will be fine.

ArchivedUser

I think there is nothing wrong with it to offer a queue for people that like it, as long they offer the same entrance to aprtys that are already formed by 1 leader to farm something

ArchivedUser

[quote quote=6519]I think there is nothing wrong with it to offer a queue for people that like it, as long they offer the same entrance to aprtys that are already formed by 1 leader to farm something

[/quote]

Ashes will not cater to everyone. They already said that not everyone will like Ashes. There is a huge problem with queueing for one it makes the game no better than WOW and FFXIV. If you want that then why not play the dozens of other games that offer that same setup? I am here to get the hell away from queueing and Fast Food Restaurant game play. It serves No one and is why MMORPGS are in the shitter. People no longer make friends and no longer have social connections to games so why sub to a game you might play content for 2 weeks in solo and leave. This is what games like Ashes, Pantheon, Legends of Aria and many other MMORPGs that are being built today are trying to do. Yea Solo game play to an extent is a way to play. But the minute you Copy and paste WOW the rest of today's MMORPGS into any of these new MMORPGs there is no point in playing the new game.

All these games have to be different and the one core piece is getting away from the Treadmills and Anti Social game play that Queues cause.

ArchivedUser

O and the Minute you make a Automated Group Finder tool any other game play becomes Obsolete. FFXIV has a Party Finder, you might see just a few people posting using the party finder to create groups. Guess what the Party Finder had to go cross realm because it was so unused. Now that it is cross realm with like 8 to 10 servers in a pool you have what 50 parties looking for people. The Problem still stands its 4 or 5 per server and does nothing for community building.

Sorry that style of game play has no room in future MMORPGs

ArchivedUser

IMO I think your opinion on queues "ruining" MMOs is unwarranted because its helps you fins parties but you still have to work together to complete the more rewarding raids as they will be more difficult. Also I dont want a queue but a sort of notice board in a node near the dungeon that you can post party infos onto for people to know who to look for and it automotically gets taken down once you enter the raid maybe.

ArchivedUser

[quote quote=6525]IMO I think your opinion on queues “ruining” MMOs is unwarranted because its helps you fins parties but you still have to work together to complete the more rewarding raids as they will be more difficult. Also I dont want a queue but a sort of notice board in a node near the dungeon that you can post party infos onto for people to know who to look for and it automotically gets taken down once you enter the raid maybe.

[/quote]

I dont feel so Vin because I was there before Queues happened. I had well over 100 friends on my friends list, I kept in contact with many of the guild leaders on my server and what not. But after Queues people stopped communicating and communities went to the toilet. It did Ruin MMORPGS because while MOBAs Queues work perfectly MMORPGS were always social based games. WOW didnt get 12 Million Subs because 12 Million solo players played and queues worked. It was because people like me who brought 10 friends into WOW, they brought their friends and so on. This was before WOW had a commercial on TV.

I seen MMORPGS at the height of the time when communities were very active. Queues change that all and caused a lot of Toxic problems. To me there is no reason to go from game to game that is exactly the same anymore. I guess that is why I am buying more non-mmos anymore because instead of building communities games are worried about the bottom line like Blizzard is today.

ArchivedUser

On the topic of queues and 'dungeon finders' I see positives and negatives. To use WoW as an example, I think we all know that game's community was FAR better earlier on. I'd say the lack of a dungeon finder played a role in that. You had to get to know players. You had to put actual time and effort into forming groups. That kind of investment means players a lot less likely to simply abandon a dungeon or raid because of some petty reason. Also, you couldn't really be a total dick to people. Reputation meant something when players actually know and recognize one another. I made so many friends through these kind of interactions. Later on...you queue up, get teleported, do the dungeon/raid, move on with your life. Usually people don't talk. When they do it's usually insulting or rude, because no one cares when you'll most likely never hear or see from these people again. Might as well be playing with bots. So convenience is definitely a double-edged sword.

As far as the positives...well, I guess that kind of time-saving convenience is expected in an mmo these days. So they kinda have to implement this feature (about as good as I can do listing the positives =c). I don't anticipate an auto-teleport to location though, so at least players will still have to go out in the world. That idea for some kind of in-game 'notice board' sounds interesting. At least that adds some immersion and reality to the process. Keeping it server-specific would help too in that you're more likely to join with the same people and thus build friendships and relationships.

I think community is just a huge part of an mmo, and Steven and the team understand that so with any feature such as a queue system I trust they'll implement it in such a way as to promote a healthy and stable community.