In one word: enough :)
...not easy to answer as certain classes are better in solo as others from design. Same classes may solo better then the same due to how they spend their mastery-points, how's the gear and stats and ofc skills!
Roughly i'd say about 10%-20% overlands. Solo in dungeons? No.
But at least, every class should be able to survive running along solo.
If it was me I would think that most of the overworld and the areas along the travel paths would be safe to solo around if your the correct level.
Leave the dungeons and mob cities to the groups. Adrenicus also makes a good point that the area outside of the dungeons should have safer mobs to kill while LFG.
All the way to maximum level. Zones in every level range should have areas that can be done solo. Several key points - I know I am repeating what I have said in other threads recently which I try to avoid but this is an *official* thread.
1. There need not be a solo quest line. NPCs in any area up to maximum level can have quests doable at-level that send us to the solo part of the region to kill 10 wolves or find a lost item or find a lost child or kill a bandit etc. etc.
2. Solo play should not be tied to these quests. There should be areas with enemies that can be dealt with solo at-level. Areas not in the path groups would normally go through for group content so we won't have groups randomly running through and clearing the area every few minutes just because it is on their way.
3. Presumably group content can be done solo once a character outlevels it sufficiently or has class abilities allowing such. This is NOT what I am talking about. There should be solo content doable at-level in *addition* to the ability of some classes to solo group content.
4. What I have in mind is purely landscape with dungeons being 100% group content. Though it may be easy for you to take a dungeon and replicate it with all mobs being e.g. 1/5 the strength they were in the original version and loot and xp being reduced appropriately. Taking very little developer time. This might expand the appeal of the game to players that want solo as well as group content.
5. Why is solo content good for Pantheon? Because people that are more comfortable playing solo while taking advantage of the other MMO features of the game (chatting, crafting, participating in guilds, buying and selling things) will be subscribers whose money is as good as the money of a true "groupie" and will help support the game. Because people that cannot group much of the time even though that is their *primary* focus will be more likely to remain paying subscribers if there is something for them to do even on the days they cannot group. Even if it is less rewarding than group content.
Why is solo content good for Pantheon? Because even people that focus mostly on grouping cannot group every time they log in. They may not have time for a group to form - go to the adventure area - and do the content they want to do. They may expect frequent interruptions and some may be on very short notice. As in having to run off to answer the phone or the door or take care of a child or elderly parent where waiting even 30 seconds is *not* an option.
6. How can solo content be fitted into a group-focused game without cannibalizing the group content and encouraging players to go solo reven when they do have time to group? Significantly lower experience per minute when one goes solo. Significantly lower rewards. Solo play should not be separate but equal. It should be separate and distinctly not equal.
IMO:
As much as the player wants, provided the rate of XP gain is 10% (max) when compared to being in a full group, consuming the same group-required content and same TTK.
Yes, this means if a particular class can manage to consume group-required content, they get 10% of the XP they would get when compared to being in a full group, consuming that exact same content, immediately and over time.
Also, no group resources or rewards should be provided to a single player consuming at-level group-required content. This should be enforced with very immersion breaking mechanics, if required/desired.
If there is actual solo-intended content? It should provide punitively small amounts of XP and never provide the same rewards (of any kind) or access to the same resources as group-required content.
It would also be nice to know what Visionary Realms public design goals are with respect to solo-intended and group-required content consumption, for Pantheon, today, in context of a few relevant tenets:
3. No single player should be able do everything on their own
..
5. Combat is immersive with engaging group mechanics
6. A truly challenging game is truly rewarding
7. Greater risk earns greater rewards
8. Player involvement is required for progression
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10. Positive actions should be rewarded
11. Apathy or lack of action should not be rewarded with bonuses
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13. Ensure players have time to form important social bonds
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16. Focus on cooperative play that will attract those seeking a challenge
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17. The greatest sense of accomplishment comes when it is shared – and earned
Solo amount: small
Single word to sum up my feelings of solo: Cautionary
For the players, any solo content should come with noticeable risks and not nearly as much benefit as a group would provide. I actually enjoy challenging solo content or duo content to see how far I can push my skills. As long as those skills don't involve quad kiting on a 56k again. The risk reward should be nowhere near equitable though compared to grouping.
For VR, solo content should be metered in its application since it could quickly and greatly affect group content. There will always be people wanting solo content, but this content should be sparse. There's no community in solo content even though it can be fun for the individual. I also think part of the difficulty in solo content should be in discovering where that content is. Avoid the themepark.
Very little.
Outside of the first few levels in a starting zone, I think most things should require at least one other person to engage with. I also think the minimum number of people required to kill things should increase as the level increases. What a duo can do fairly easily up to the 10 range they should start struggling with by the level 15+ range. I don't think you should ever have to have a full group to do everything but I do think at level 50 at least 3-4 people should be required to safely engage most mobs camps.
As for situations where a player drastically over levels a mob, I think the number of solo opportunities should increase within reason. However, depending on the hypothetical level range, you may need to duo with someone to farm these areas. At level 50, I think players should be able to solo some level 30 mob camps. However, when dealing with level 35+ mobs, things should get a bit harder if multiple mobs are aggroed.
Very little
There should be some to keep people busy while waiting for a group or for those days they are just not interested in grouping. In no way should the rewards or exp gains be even close to what you would get in a group. I would go so far as to say it should be near imposible to level while soloing.
starblight said:Very little
There should be some to keep people busy while waiting for a group or for those days they are just not interested in grouping. In no way should the rewards or exp gains be even close to what you would get in a group. I would go so far as to say it should be near imposible to level while soloing.
This will not work. Although group play needs to be distinctly more rewarding, solo play needs to allow players to gain levels - all the way to maximum level, And get money and gear - just not as quickly.
If they make solo play so punishing that no one will do it they might as well not have it at all and write off a significant percentage of their possible player base. Soloers that really like the game and "groupies" that don't want to pay for a game where they can only make noticable progress once a week or even less often.
dorotea said:starblight said:Very little
There should be some to keep people busy while waiting for a group or for those days they are just not interested in grouping. In no way should the rewards or exp gains be even close to what you would get in a group. I would go so far as to say it should be near imposible to level while soloing.
This will not work. Although group play needs to be distinctly more rewarding, solo play needs to allow players to gain levels - all the way to maximum level, And get money and gear - just not as quickly.
If they make solo play so punishing that no one will do it they might as well not have it at all and write off a significant percentage of their possible player base. Soloers that really like the game and "groupies" that don't want to pay for a game where they can only make noticable progress once a week or even less often.
I see what you are saying and I think I could have taken more time to explain my position. I still think we will not fully agree but I believe we are closer than it appears.
My position is solo should be an option to level but to limit its appeal to make sure grouping is always a better option. The reason for this is to get players like me to break out of my comfort zone more and look for pickup groups. If a player really only wants to solo I am fine with them being able to solo to max level and get gear. But it should take a very long time and the gear should be rare or from lower-level mobs once you out level them. A solo player should never be able to defeat named mob designed for a group unless they have out leveled the encounter.
In EQ I played a wizard and a paladin. I soloed most of the way to max level before I joined a guild. It was by far not an optimal way to level or get gear. I made it work though. The paladin experience soloing is about perfect, I think. A druid in EQ is a good example of what I would not like. Depending on the group a Druid might be better off soloing.
15% and not much more, end game should feel like end game, beginning out can have a lot to solo so they can get intergrated into the game but after like level 10 most should be group orientated with a touch of solo areas, and once you get to like 35 all the soloing areas should basically be gone for the most part.
Everquest 1.
Make the soloing ability/experience roughly the same ratio, that game did it right. Some classes are better, some are worse. Some players are more skilled/intelligent and can do what other players can't. The entire point of soloing is to maximize loot, not xp, and to just give a player the opportunity to play the game when they don't have a lot of time or are feeling anti-social for whatever reason. Soloing is important, it needs to be available, especially very early in the game, but I definitely wouldn't design the game around it.
Gintoki88 said:If it was me I would think that most of the overworld and the areas along the travel paths would be safe to solo around if your the correct level.
Leave the dungeons and mob cities to the groups. Adrenicus also makes a good point that the area outside of the dungeons should have safer mobs to kill while LFG.
