Comments on: Balancing solo play in Star Wars: The Old Republic

By: Kemuel

Kemuel — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 03:17:03 +0000

i really hope there is no monthly fee

By: Sam

Sam — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 16:34:47 +0000

These are interesting factors, but I prefer solo play since I dont need to rely on others but myself which make the monthly fee more effective since its worth paying for your solo play that you can quit and start at any time. But maybe they will make it more balanced, like between every storyline-quest you are in general areas with other players and u need to group with them or grind by yourself to reach a certain level before you go on to your other storyline-quest. That sounds balanced but I still prefer solo play it makes really excited if the story is good, and that it will be even better in a mmo.

By: manuel

manuel — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 16:12:30 +0000

I’m relly hoping for solo play and not just quests solo play relly deep raid solo play i’m tired of boosting idiots and noobs in heroics and raids doing their pathetic 2k dps or dieing from aoe area that either to slow or to lag or whatever to move away from them, ruining outher ppls gaiming experience; 25 man raids i dare you to get more tham 6 or 7 players you relly like playing whith all the rest just fillers for spots that wine wen don’t get the loot they wanted or just get carried behind. i relly relly hope for solo mmorpg were you just play whith whoever you want and not be forced to play whith who you don’t want to just to fill spots

By: Rob

Rob — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 11:41:13 +0000

*Blink* I didn’t realise I was shouting that the end is nigh for SW:TOR. I just gave two sides of the equation and asked people which is more likely to occur.

By: Melf_Himself

Melf_Himself — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 07:13:32 +0000

The issue is how they’re going to allow characters to advance their story. This is usually accompanied by a pretty epic change in the game world in most single player RPG’s. Obviously you can’t replicate the same in an MMO because your story would dramatically alter everyone else’s world.

But I think it might be a little early to run around shouting that the end is nigh for SW:TOR given that they just released it. Wait until more info comes out about the story-driven part, they’re selling at as their major feature so I’m sure there’s some level of secret tech they’ve devised.

By: Qix

Qix — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 18:04:38 +0000

These things will encourage groups a lot. Even with a game that has a lot of solo potential. Just because solo is “very, very possible” does not mean it is the fastest most profitable path. And THAT is the path most people will take. You don;t have to force people, just make it faster, and they will do it, with the option to play solo as well.
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What a game needs to do is make solo’ing easy, just like WoW did. BUT they need to make it more profitable to group. haveing 5 people in your group does not mean you get 1/5th the exp. Maybe all 5 get 1/3. This way people will WANT to group because you level faster, etc. Most MMO’s are so scared that you’ll level too fast (and not keep playing?) that the exp grind kills off my interest before I reach the end game.
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Also items need to drop like the current crop of action RPG’s: you only see what drops for you. On paper it does not sound like it matters, but this has a great effect on groups. No bothering with rolls, no body worries about getting shafted, etc (One side effect though, there has to be little to no ‘Bind on Pickup”).
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Another thing I’d love to see: A slightly different exp system. When you gain exp, it goes into a bucket, not to your charcahter, yet. The bucket can only hold a certian amount in it, lets say 20 mintues. That bucket slowly drains into your char at a defined rate. This way you can fill up the bucket and for the next 20 mintutes (or however big the bucket is) your still gaining exp. The games I’ve seen this in all had very lively towns and common areas. This is because your never “wasting your time not exp’ing.” More people craft (put the forge, etc in town so people become social). Maybe instead of “rested exp”, the bucket drain faster for a while…
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Other things encourage more social play as well, if not grouping. Long lasting powerful and unique buffs that work on people only in your group/raid, but stay even if they leave the group. Buffs that have to be specialized in, so that not everybody of the same class has them. Again, this will pull people to a common area to get buffs every hour while the exp bucket is draining.

Sorry for the wall of text, but it seems like I am missing something, because I can’t figure out why NO game can make it profitable but yet not required to group.