Request: I don't want to solo the main scenario

[Majidah]

I cannot believe anyone would call Eve Online or L2 casual... that is just LOLZIES.



While often considered two of the hardest video games of the new generation, they don't even begin to get hard until your 3rd~4th playthrough on the same character. That's what makes the ~Souls franchise stick out: they start out easy and get harder with each playthrough (RE: actual replay, not a new character), because they definitely are not difficult in either NG or +NG for any avg. player.

You try playing halfway through the first game on dark souls as wanderer using nothing but the starter weapon (I refused to use a non katana weapon and couldn't find one till way into the game) >_>

[Elexia]

People need to stop thinking how much time you play = how hardcore/casual you are.=.

I'm sorry, but it's common sense that casual gamers are those who play for less than 5-9 hours a week and demand a full MMO experience. This is what ruined the genre. There's nothing wrong with casual gamers but...it is exactly why the genre is pretty boring now, they have to design a game that you can beat by dedicating almost no time to it.

[Dragon]

You try playing halfway through the first game on dark souls as wanderer using nothing but the starter weapon (I refused to use a non katana weapon and couldn't find one till way into the game) >_>

You can make plenty of games "hard" by artificial self-impositions... if a game isn't hard within the limitations set by the developer, then it plainly is not hard.

[Majidah]

I'm sorry, but it's common sense that casual gamers are those who play for less than 5-9 hours a week and demand a full MMO experience. This is what ruined the genre. There's nothing wrong with casual gamers but...it is exactly why the genre is pretty boring now, they have to design a game that you can beat by dedicating almost no time to it.

IMO they don't have to, its just lousy design. Like, yoshi seems to be focusing all resources on endgame content and fixed the exp curve so you can get there in less than a week.

What he should have done is kept the launch exp curve and pave the road to 50 with content.

Still, having to work on 2.0 while doing this seemed a bit impossible...

But either way, I'm strongly against this easy mode game model which makes only endgame matter. 1-49 seems a waste of time, might as well get rid of levels all together since no one likes grinding, there's pretty much nothing worthwhile to do before 50 and getting there takes no time.

People who feel this rush or pressure to get to 50 really piss me off. Sit back, relax, enjoy the game. Someone needs to tell them not to hyperventilate just because they aren't able to kill gods in their first month of the game.

[Ulric]

Well. All 20+ pages of this thread and I see the same arguement going through over and over.

My personal opinion, is that the original story should not be locked down by HAVING to find a group. But on that same note, it should not be forced solo. Any other story/questlines beyond that can go either way, both ways, whatever.

New players should be given time to be able to learn the game, and the original, main story gives that opportunity. But if it's all party play, how can you expect them to be able to find people to do it years down the line, when everyone is on whatever new expansion is out, with new raids and story etc.

I saw an idea earlier on in this thread, for difficulty to be adjusted depending on how many people were in your party. I also saw other suggestions for making it solo friendly, aside from certain large events, or events that would unlock certain areas, such as a raid or other such things that do require a party.

I think a combination of both of these would work as well. For the people who don't have time to find parties, they could solo it, though probably need to get to a bit of a higher level (Or towards the end of the storyline, get better equipment and a good strategy) while still allowing the people who want to go with a party for challenge, or to do the story with people, or whatever, to play as they would like to.

I also don't believe that completing one of these quests in a certain way (At least not solo vs. party) should earn you a certain item, or equipment. Doing that would pressure either side to do the quests in a way that they might not want to do it.

And please, as you read this, please keep in mind, this suggestion is ONLY concerning the main, original story and NOT future expansions or current raids and endgame content. Regardless, I'm fairly certain the devs already know what direction they are taking the story.

Also, for the arguement that the content finder fixes all... Unfortunately, I highly doubt it. Just because they have a means to find people doing these things, doesn't mean that you'll always be able to find people for it. As an example... Let's say it's six years down the road, the level cap is 85, and we have three expansions that give us a whole new continent, and loads more endgame stuff that drops equipment infinitely better than what we have available right now. I'm new, I hit the level cap, but because everyone was pushing for party exclusive content the minimum requirement for people to do any of my story is 8 people. I haven't done any of the original story as I wanted to because everyone is now doing all the new content, and there are very few people who are willing to come back to help even just provide the bodies for entry.

That's the only problem with party only content, especially with something that early in the game, where you could (And in my opinion, should) be learning everything you need to be able to get into other things. This game isn't being made for just one person, it is being made for everyone who is paying the monthly subscription fee. Plus, look at it from a business standpoint. Servers cost money. The people creating more content for the game have to get paid. More people means more profit. If you get stuck not being able to do all of the content the game has to offer because it's outdated and no one wants to do it, how will that draw more people?

All this in mind, I submit another suggestion. Take out the requirement of X amount of people on entry. If you're able to solo something, why not be allowed to? On that same note, if you want to play with people, it's as simple as using the content finder to find people who want to do whatever it is. This leaves older things still able to be done solo later down the line, and also satisfies the people who don't have time to look for people, or who just plain like to solo, while still allowing party play.

I apologize if any of this has been said or suggested already, but I didn't feel like reading through 10+ more pages of "I WANT THIS AND IF YOU WANT THAT THEN TOO BAD BECAUSE THIS GAME IS THIS AND IT SHOULD BE THIS SO IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT THEN GTFO!!!!"

Please, don't be selfish. It ruins things.

P.S.
Sorry for the wall of text.

[Elexia]

if you want to play with people, it's as simple as using the content finder to find people who want to do whatever it is.

Funny, people hate being forced to party, yet I'll be forced to use a content finder (that'll be cross server) if I want to do party content?

People seriously has something against social play if being forced to solo and solo content is perfectly ok, but party content and forced partying isn't ok. I just really don't get it.

[LillithaFenimore]

This is what I think of when I see this thread.

[Hyrist]

Given the attitudes of two particular forum members. I find it difficult to even reply in a moderate tone, honestly.

The argument is simple and dosen't need to be mucked up.

1. You don't force difficulty on players to progress in the story - period. That's a way of dejecting players out of the game.

2. You can increase the feel of difficulty and excitement in a game without actually ramping up the game's factual difficulty. Most people who are arguing for more 'difficult' fights are likely arguing for more dynamic fights - fights that make you think instead of just Zerg Harder.

3. ACTUAL difficulty can, and should, be optional. They are already talking about adjustable content in instances. If they add story-line content into that umbrella (most story-line content is instanced.)

The focal point of all of this is choice. You do not take choice away form your players if you want them to stay. Some of you seem to not care if you force one another off the game, but that's absolutely unacceptable and a failing as a responsible community member. (And would be a failure as a developer to appease such a view.)

The root goal is to get as many people here as possible for as long as possible, while keeping them entertained and engaged. NOT to force your individual ideas as right or wrong above one another.

Any conversation or statement detracting from said goal should be flatly ignored.

[LillithaFenimore]

Given the attitudes of two particular forum members. I find it difficult to even reply in a moderate tone, honestly.

The argument is simple and dosen't need to be mucked up.

1. You don't force difficulty on players to progress in the story - period. That's a way of dejecting players out of the game.

2. You can increase the feel of difficulty and excitement in a game without actually ramping up the game's factual difficulty. Most people who are arguing for more 'difficult' fights are likely arguing for more dynamic fights - fights that make you think instead of just Zerg Harder.

3. ACTUAL difficulty can, and should, be optional. They are already talking about adjustable content in instances. If they add story-line content into that umbrella (most story-line content is instanced.)

The focal point of all of this is choice. You do not take choice away form your players if you want them to stay. Some of you seem to not care if you force one another off the game, but that's absolutely unacceptable and a failing as a responsible community member. (And would be a failure as a developer to appease such a view.)

The root goal is to get as many people here as possible for as long as possible, while keeping them entertained and engaged. NOT to force your individual ideas as right or wrong above one another.

Any conversation or statement detracting from said goal should be flatly ignored.

Can we just sit around a campfire eating granola and humanely treated meats prease?
<<<<----Hippie...I iz eet.

But back to your post. {Yes,please!} I was talking to my LS on FB last night, and it's actually volitileness that I think keeps most of them away from the Lodestone community...err from well posting on it. A few read it, but when I mentioned some of the topics a few of them responded by saying that they only come here for a chuckle. That is sad in a way, that some of these discussions would only be viewed as a chuckle. :/ I think the tones could be taken down a few notches...phrased better and actually prove the point that one is trying to prove without destracting from the topic.

TLDR: I approve this post.

[Elexia]

The root goal is to get as many people here as possible for as long as possible, while keeping them entertained and engaged. NOT to force your individual ideas as right or wrong above one another.

Any conversation or statement detracting from said goal should be flatly ignored.

And yet when you ignore it they'll still tell you you're wrong in your view, or tell you "this is how MMOs of today are, get with the times."

Ironically, I see more forcing from the solo end of the spectrum and seeing people being told "you should agree with this" than I do from the ones who like and want to actually party. Even you are basically stating soloing should be the way to go with that post.