Monday, June 12, 2006
DDO Flies Solo - Kinda
So there's a small hoopla about Dungeons & Dragons Online (DDO) becoming more "solo-friendly." There's a new difficulty level getting added to quests in the harbor area (the "lowbie" quest area) for "solo" difficulty.
I'm sure a lot of this is to combat the (correct) perception that DDO is "solo unfriendly." The group dynamic is what makes many MMORPGs fun. But nobody likes to go to a world feeling he's going to be forced together with complete strangers upon whom his success is dependent. The chance to meet new people is rarely a motivator for me to start up an MMO. If there's no existing friends online (whom you may have met being forced to group with complete strangers at some point), folks often just log in to hang out and solo.Sorta like playing a single-player game like Oblivion. Or Cute Knight. Or Aveyond. (Plug plug).
So why bother playing a "Massively Multiplayer" online game if you are just going after what is effectively a single-player experience? I had a tough time getting my brain around this in my early EverQuest days, but the simple fact that other people are there sharing the same imaginary world with you makes it far more real (and enjoyable). Plus, most soloists I know want the OPTION to play with other people when the mood strikes them. And they enjoy the social opportunities a Massively Multiplayer world offers in the form of chatting, trading, and so forth.
My friends and I have been playing DDO since the "head start" days. Our guild is one of the "founding guilds" on our server (Khyber). We've even got our name and original membership on the founding stone in the harbor. Go us. But we play DDO very differently from most people. We play it a lot like we play Neverwinter Nights. We get together once a week at a pre-arranged time once a week, hit a few quests, and then call it a night. Sometimes we have a stranger join the group if we have less than six people. DDO is GREAT for playing this way. The quest areas are very close together so there's no half-hour traveling that has to be done in order for us to play together (our bane in our EverQuest days). We pop in, and within five minutes of everyone arriving, we are kicking hobgoblin butt.
While the way that we play the game sounds like the 'optimal' way to play DDO, does it really foster longevity in a subscription-based game? We've already had people drop out of active play from our early days the first couple of weeks. I don't know if they've cancelled their subscriptions yet or are still on the fence. But we're down to the point where we only have 5-7 people show up a night. Having 7 is frustrating because DDO only supports 6 players in a group, and tends to be a de-motivator as we split up into two parties.
The way we play, we're really not part of the larger server community (if there is one... judging by the forums I believe there is one, but I rarely see it in-game). So if more of our gang drop out, there's no motivation for anyone else to stay.
I really do like the fact that DDO plays "differently" from the other MMOs out there (many of which might as well be called "WoWWs" or "World of Warcraft Wannabes," though many began life as EverQuest wannabes). But there's some Darwinistic principles at work with subscription-based MMOs that can't be ignored. People come for the content, but stay for the community. Right now it seems (from my very uninformed perspective) that DDO is having a little bit of trouble with both.
I'm still rooting for it.
Labels: Mainstream Games, Roleplaying Games
- posted by The Rampant Coyote @ 10:10 AM (Permalink)
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This is one of the reasons I enjoy playing City of Heroes/City of Villains. It's possible to solo your way from level 1 to level 50 but it shines when you get a large group together. Perhaps it's because the mission difficulty scales based on how many players are on a team. Either way, it's a very welcome change to the "you must group" attitude that several games (like World of Warcraft) take.
Also, on a completely unrelated note, I saw X-Men: The Last Stand last weekend and completely agree with your "mini-review".
I came away impressed at most of the effects (especially those involving Dark Phoenix) but just couldn't get involved otherwise. It seemed like they wanted to use as many characters as possible and somehow weave a storyline around each of them but there just wasn't enough time to do it.
I would've been more than happy had they used half the characters and focused more on the Dark Phoenix storyline.
Also, on a completely unrelated note, I saw X-Men: The Last Stand last weekend and completely agree with your "mini-review".
I came away impressed at most of the effects (especially those involving Dark Phoenix) but just couldn't get involved otherwise. It seemed like they wanted to use as many characters as possible and somehow weave a storyline around each of them but there just wasn't enough time to do it.
I would've been more than happy had they used half the characters and focused more on the Dark Phoenix storyline.
I must add my kudos to City of Heroes/City of Villains for superb solo-ability, with enough tangible benefits to grouping that it makes grouping a nice plus, a more challenging experience, and more fun. Almost makes me want to play it again :)
I'm one of those who were in the early group with DDO, but I've cancelled my subscription. The basic problem boiled down to this: I like keeping that "one character" who plays with the group, and whom I only play regularly once a week. That character can stick with the group, levelling up with everybody else.
My problem was all my OTHER characters. I log on at weird times (daytime, because I work nights), and the place is a GHOST TOWN. I mean, there are people running around, but in mid-morning they are all Koreans that I can't communicate with, and in mid-afternoon they're all Europeans. The Europeans aren't so bad, but the fact that there were hardly any people on, and I had to have a group in order to have any hope of progressing, made the experience very frustrating for me.
As Jay knows, I'm a bit of a "power gamer". I like to see everything and do everything there is in the game, and I like to have at least one character that can grind through levels with wild abandon. Alas, a combination of springtime (I fly model airplanes, and a windless day is not to be squandered!), boredom with the game, and financial pressures caused me to give it up.
I'll probably sign on to the next one again. But I've tried Dark Age of Camelot, Planetside, Everquest, Everquest II, World of Warcraft, CoH/CoV, DDO, and a handful of other games. The only ones that ever grabbed me and wouldn't let me go were Everquest, CoH/CoV, and first-person shooters.
I'm one of those who were in the early group with DDO, but I've cancelled my subscription. The basic problem boiled down to this: I like keeping that "one character" who plays with the group, and whom I only play regularly once a week. That character can stick with the group, levelling up with everybody else.
My problem was all my OTHER characters. I log on at weird times (daytime, because I work nights), and the place is a GHOST TOWN. I mean, there are people running around, but in mid-morning they are all Koreans that I can't communicate with, and in mid-afternoon they're all Europeans. The Europeans aren't so bad, but the fact that there were hardly any people on, and I had to have a group in order to have any hope of progressing, made the experience very frustrating for me.
As Jay knows, I'm a bit of a "power gamer". I like to see everything and do everything there is in the game, and I like to have at least one character that can grind through levels with wild abandon. Alas, a combination of springtime (I fly model airplanes, and a windless day is not to be squandered!), boredom with the game, and financial pressures caused me to give it up.
I'll probably sign on to the next one again. But I've tried Dark Age of Camelot, Planetside, Everquest, Everquest II, World of Warcraft, CoH/CoV, DDO, and a handful of other games. The only ones that ever grabbed me and wouldn't let me go were Everquest, CoH/CoV, and first-person shooters.
I *LOVED* City of Heroes - still love it, but I can only really handle one MMO at a time. I pretty much gravitate where the friends are.
If everyone left DDO next week, though, I'd probably renew my City of Heroes account. Well, maybe. That sorta thing REALLY sucks the time out of development.
What we need is MORE MMOs that can be played and enjoyed in quick 20-30 minute increments. DDO *ALMOST* accomplishes this, but you need to have a group together in order to do that. And it's closer to 30-50 minute increments. Still a lot better for us less hardcore players than EQ's 3-6 hour time requirements (at higher levels).
If everyone left DDO next week, though, I'd probably renew my City of Heroes account. Well, maybe. That sorta thing REALLY sucks the time out of development.
What we need is MORE MMOs that can be played and enjoyed in quick 20-30 minute increments. DDO *ALMOST* accomplishes this, but you need to have a group together in order to do that. And it's closer to 30-50 minute increments. Still a lot better for us less hardcore players than EQ's 3-6 hour time requirements (at higher levels).
I loved CoH. It's the first MMOG I got to end-game on. I left mostly because of community issues--my standard guild of friends didn't play it and weren't going to any time soon.
I have to confess that I dropped DDO and went back to World of Warcraft. I don't understand the people who say WoW is solo-unfriendly. It's the second MMOG I got to end-game on and I had no trouble soloing at any level--including end-game (though the best items require large raid parties). The main draw, though, is flexible grouping. And by flexible, I mean that groups of any size are viable. Besides solo play, I enjoy playing with my wife on more-or-less random evenings and being forced to invite other people of random quality was simply off-putting enough that we abandoned DDO. Also, rogues are easier/better to play in WoW than DDO and that's my wife's preferred class.
Should I be worried when I hear my soul-mate cackling with glee that her new ability is called "Eviserate"?
I have to confess that I dropped DDO and went back to World of Warcraft. I don't understand the people who say WoW is solo-unfriendly. It's the second MMOG I got to end-game on and I had no trouble soloing at any level--including end-game (though the best items require large raid parties). The main draw, though, is flexible grouping. And by flexible, I mean that groups of any size are viable. Besides solo play, I enjoy playing with my wife on more-or-less random evenings and being forced to invite other people of random quality was simply off-putting enough that we abandoned DDO. Also, rogues are easier/better to play in WoW than DDO and that's my wife's preferred class.
Should I be worried when I hear my soul-mate cackling with glee that her new ability is called "Eviserate"?
I don't think the "massively multiplayer" aspect of an online game should be solely reflected in whether or not players can adventure together. The point of having a large online community is human interaction--which can be about fighting monsters, but also includes meeting people and being part of a player-driven economy. That last part is what I look for in an MMORPG. Grouping with friends in DDO is great, but if they're not around (and you don't like grouping with strangers) there's nothing else to do.
In WoW I spend a lot of time working on my Engineering skills, making some really cool stuff, selling it off to other people or using it myself. I can go out on solo adventures and complete quests on my own if I want--and believe me, if I'm playing during the day, the last thing I want is to have to interact with other people online. I'm probably online to get away from interacting with my kids for a while. For the kind of gamer I am, WoW is a perfect match and DDO just doesn't do it. I like it as a setting to adventure with friends, but in a sense that's just another form of Saturday night tabletop gaming.
And I just don't see why Jacob is so nervous about my passion for Eviscerate. It could have been Poisons....
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In WoW I spend a lot of time working on my Engineering skills, making some really cool stuff, selling it off to other people or using it myself. I can go out on solo adventures and complete quests on my own if I want--and believe me, if I'm playing during the day, the last thing I want is to have to interact with other people online. I'm probably online to get away from interacting with my kids for a while. For the kind of gamer I am, WoW is a perfect match and DDO just doesn't do it. I like it as a setting to adventure with friends, but in a sense that's just another form of Saturday night tabletop gaming.
And I just don't see why Jacob is so nervous about my passion for Eviscerate. It could have been Poisons....
# posted by 
: June 15, 2006 9:05 AM
: June 15, 2006 9:05 AMLinks to this post:
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