As the MMORPG genre shifts more and more toward soloability, one of the decisions Visionary Realms has made in an attempt to stand out is to put an emphasis on cooperative gameplay. But for many people, that sounds like more of a time commitment than they’re able to make. Others prefer to solo exclusively. So it begs the question, can a game really satisfy these different playstyles without stretching itself too thin? Let's explore that important question in this video: https://youtu.be/DQhLlW4n6bY
First of all, thank you for providing us with very informative and vastly explained video about the state of soloing and grouping and how we can accommodate that to our every day gameplay.
I personally agree to what you said on your video and I can agree with you to an extent and I understand the part of the essentiality of soloing and time commitments, when it takes to get things done in an MMORPG. I personally think there's no known balance when it comes to soloing and grouping as playing in an MMO, as it takes time and commitment to get things done and as we all know, it's not well done in any MMORPG that I've played so far.
I think if players can't commit to a time frame to be substantial in an MMORPG video game despite their play styles and time commitments then there's an option of making the game play that's fit for soloing with different rewards and experience for example, as to not make it so straining for people that like to group and are playing a second character for example, or have little time to get things done, because, let's be real here... which known big MMORPG in todays genre has the ability to obtain exactly what people that are more active in a game and to acheive things the same way? How much do people really want to get done in a video game? And how much does the average MMO player really feels like getting done? These are a few of the many questions we have to ask ourselves when it comes to playing in an MMORPG where we know these games are playable 24/7 365. Personally I have tons of time and most of the time I'm soloing because of the state of MMO's now a days. Realistically when it comes to the existance of MMORPG's in todays world.. how much time and how many people can really commit to an MMO and achieve things to be substantial to todays game play style? What's the difference of having the time of playing an MMO instead of playing a solo video game or a game that's a multiplayer that's fast paced? Have we given thought of how much will RMT or "Carriers" have impacted todays MMO communities by selling boosted services? I can go on about why I think we need to find that balance and I strongly believe that what Mr. Joppa was trying to point out when it comes to making and designing the game to be group based, so that the game gives everyone the ability to engage and get things done in a healthy way, and so that the game stays healthy and running. I think this video game and topic needs to be taken a closer look at.
I've played World of Warcraft since the end of Legion up until recently and I can say my playstyle and progression as a player has devaluated because I've soloed a lot and because every Guild wants to just advance and get things done faster. I have always been a very top player when it comes to competing in EverQuest and World of Warcraft as I've seen and noticed play style differences ever since, and as World of Warcraft is known to have its difficulties and play styles it has been detrimental to our communities and to myself as well as it has put me in a place where I have no friends to group with and run things. It has had an effect on the community and I see that every day as people tend to have lost the sense of actually sharing and having a great time in an MMO... and that's because everyone wants to advance....so anyway.. the point I'm trying to make is... if the team at Visionary Realms continues to go with what I think they're going for as wanting to cater to all of their community so that everyone is happy and having fun.. then they'll implement a system where it's fast paced(?) / engaging / and lets everyone have their fun while advancing in a game and acheive satisfaction.
So it begs the question, can a game really satisfy these different playstyles without stretching itself too thin
I think the question should be, "Why does a game NEED to satisfy both?"
There are dozens of choices out there for that type of gameply experience. Not every game MUST satisfy EVERY play style. Trying to cater to everyone was the downfall of the entire genre. That's why everything out there feels homogenized.
kellindil said:So it begs the question, can a game really satisfy these different playstyles without stretching itself too thin
I think the question should be, "Why does a game NEED to satisfy both?"
There are dozens of choices out there for that type of gameply experience. Not every game MUST satisfy EVERY play style. Trying to cater to everyone was the downfall of the entire genre. That's why everything out there feels homogenized.
kellindil said:
Because forcing an either-or solo versus group dialectic would be foolish for the game's launch and longevity. You're right that a game doesn't need to cater to EVERY style, but do you realize how traditional it is to have the ability to solo in an mmorpg? It would be like me asking if we really need to have guilds in-game, couldn't we just put in on a spreadsheet or use a discord server for it? Lol!
Undertanker said:
You guys do realize that the game is still predominantly group-play. Many times Joppa and VR have enforced that solo will be possible, but not easy. The ability to solo doesn't automatically mean EZ mode theme park stroll.