Modes The Solo vs Open vs Groups Thread - Part the Second [Now With Added Platforms].

[W0OCQCK]

There you go about open play again. The game was designed to be primary open play, the other modes are hurting open play, we need to make solo more difficult as to not hurt open play. Open play is the know all be all of all things, heaven save open play.

You do know the game is doing just fine, RIGHT? Many Many people really enjoying them selves here, in the various modes, NOT JUST OPEN PLAY! IT"S ONE OF THREE MODES OF PLAY! THE PEOPLE THAT CHOOSE TO PLAY THAT MODE ARE NOT ANY MORE SPECIAL THAN ANYONE ELSE. OPEN PLAY IS NOT A SPECIAL MODE OF PLAY FOR THE CHOSEN ONES! it's just another mode of play.

 

[Robert Maynard]

I think fundamentally speaking looking at it from a Development Point Of View, they would simply have to make it just tougher to do things by yourself. Reinforce the value of wings, make the values of teaming up, joining a crew, anything involving social aspects to be great. HOWEVER, it cannot exclude the Solo aspect to it. Its important to not to Alienate anyone.

Increasing the difficulty of the game to suit players who group up would seem to be favouring a subset of the player base rather than a particular game mode.

As the game still requires to be played enjoyably in Solo, that would probably be an unpopular development, if it were ever to be seriously considered by Frontier.

 

[fademist]

I updated that post by the way, I'm not trying to avoid the question, its just really really hard to answer, and it needs some sort of compromise. Also, I'm just trying to answer this statement that you said :



Which is literally, what Frontier Developments is trying to officially answer. That statement you made indicates a compromise of some sort that needs to be formally addressed.

Again, the purpose is to just reward players for their accomplishments in their respective modes and in turn, show viewers what they brought to the table. Be it Solo, Private or Open. That's how I would tackle it anyways, there just needs to be a compromise of some sort. That's all.

i think they will fix it at someday and the few ppl that do the harm for open will take what they desrves.... other that no comprise is needed imo

 

[DarkWalker]

So for example, if a player is notorious for helping/attacking/whatever they should be rewarded for their actions and taking severe risks to them and their ship for their efforts. Likewise, this is also to go to Solo, but they don't get the exclusive things that can be earned in Open or Private. There needs to be incentives that scale as you go up the chain.

Which would all be determined as to how you play and which mode you chose for whatever event. It needs to reward them from Open being the most 'coveted', Private being the second best and Solo being third. HOWEVER it is simply cosmetic and a testament to the player.

I completely disagree. Solo should be able to obtain anything that exists in Open/Private. ED was never advertised as a kind of "raid or die" game, and shouldn't turn into one by creating this kind of exclusive rewards.

Also, Open doesn't need to, and should not be made to, be the most coveted; doing so, specially if through extra rewards or game tunings, only servers to bring into open players that would have actually enjoyed the game better on other modes, and thus harms the game as a whole, increasing churn rate and creating player retention issues.

The game has a "single player" label on Steam, for what's worth; it needs to be playable by solo players without any disadvantages when compared with the multiplayer modes.

 

[W0OCQCK]

@TheSpaceTexan

So since the Goon's cant do mass greifing in open, "because we aren't playing there" FD has to build NPC's to Grief us in solo and groups, make the game much harder in solo, thus trying to force us back to open, just to make the Goon's happy.

 

[fademist]

Increasing the difficulty of the game to suit players who group up would seem to be favouring a subset of the player base rather than a particular game mode.

As the game still requires to be played enjoyably in Solo, that would probably be an unpopular development, if it were ever to be seriously considered by Frontier.

The fun part none of solo players wants for that to happen ...

- - - Updated - - -

I completely disagree. Solo should be able to obtain anything that exists in Open/Private. ED was never advertised as a kind of "raid or die" game, and shouldn't turn into one by creating this kind of exclusive rewards.

Also, Open doesn't need to, and should not be made to, be the most coveted; doing so, specially if through extra rewards or game tunings, only servers to bring into open players that would have actually enjoyed the game better on other modes, and thus harms the game as a whole, increasing churn rate and creating player retention issues.

The game has a "single player" label on Steam, for what's worth; it needs to be playable by solo players without any disadvantages when compared with the multiplayer modes.

that is wrong label ...multiplayer/solo maybe would be more accurate

 

[Robert Maynard]

Which would all be determined as to how you play and which mode you chose for whatever event. It needs to reward them from Open being the most 'coveted', Private being the second best and Solo being third. HOWEVER it is simply cosmetic and a testament to the player.

You should read Michael's quoted posts in the OP again regarding the modes....

 

[TheSpaceTexan]

Increasing the difficulty of the game to suit players who group up would seem to be favouring a subset of the player base rather than a particular game mode.

As the game still requires to be played enjoyably in Solo, that would probably be an unpopular development, if it were ever to be seriously considered by Frontier.

Well, the learning curve isn't that difficult to grasp, it suites Mouse and keyboard, HOTAS and I presume even Xbox Controllers. By the time a player reaches a well suited and armored ship, they should in turn be able to protect themselves.

It shouldn't be anywhere damn near difficult to fend off NPCs, but it should just be challenging to warrant: "I should probably fight with a wing or work towards a better ship". At the same time, its gotta to be incredibly fun to play in solo as you state, and I entirely agree.

Regarding the modes, I know is a tad bit rudimentary, but there should be some sort of incentive for choosing a different mode.

 

[Robert Maynard]

Well, the learning curve isn't that difficult to grasp, it suites Mouse and keyboard, HOTAS and I presume even Xbox Controllers. By the time a player reaches a well suited and armored ship, they should in turn be able to protect themselves.

It shouldn't be anywhere damn near difficult to fend off NPCs, but it should just be challenging to warrant: "I should probably fight with a wing or work towards a better ship". At the same time, its gotta to be incredibly fun to play in solo as you state, and I entirely agree.

Why should the challenge to an individual player, who has bought a game that is advertised as being able to be played Solo, be increased to a level that effectively forces them out of Solo?

 

[TheSpaceTexan]

Why should the challenge to an individual player, who has bought a game that is advertised as being able to be played Solo, be increased to a level that effectively forces them out of Solo?

No no no, it shouldn't impact solo players like that as you think, the way the Strong Signal Sources has it right now is perfect, more things like that would be cool. You can take on those traps, but you need a strong ship to basically take them on. OR like in the Gold Traps, you have time to steal their cargo and run off with it before they appear.

 

[Robert Maynard]

No no no, it shouldn't impact solo players like that as you think, the way the Strong Signal Sources has it right now is perfect, more things like that would be cool. You can take on those traps, but you need a strong ship to basically take them on. OR like in the Gold Traps, you have time to steal their cargo and run off with it before they appear.

Basically no need to change anything then - if SSSs already fulfil that particular requirement?

 

[TheSpaceTexan]

Basically no need to change anything then - if SSSs already fulfil that particular requirement?

We'd need more mechanics like that. Also, we'd run into the problems of Community Goals and the Background Simulator share too unfortunately.

 

[Robert Maynard]

We'd need more mechanics like that. Also, we'd run into the problems of Community Goals and the Background Simulator share too unfortunately.

The shared single galactic background simulation may be a "problem" to some - it's a welcome advertised feature of the game to others. Being able to contribute to CGs and Power Play from any mode are similarly welcome features / problems to different players.

 

[Roybe]

Basically no need to change anything then - if SSSs already fulfil that particular requirement?

Basically, FDev can only develop to the lowest common denominator. A single player of 'average skill'. And yet they created this as a multiplayer game, with options for players to avoid their personal definition of 'attery'...or, again, the advertisements are all wrong and this is a solo player game.....

 

[fademist]

Basically, FDev can only develop to the lowest common denominator. A single player of 'average skill'. And yet they created this as a multiplayer game, with options for players to avoid their personal definition of 'attery'...or, again, the advertisements are all wrong and this is a solo player game.....

is all the above perhaps?

 

[Robert Maynard]

Basically, FDev can only develop to the lowest common denominator. A single player of 'average skill'. And yet they created this as a multiplayer game, with options for players to avoid their personal definition of 'attery'...or, again, the advertisements are all wrong and this is a solo player game.....

Of course they do - half of players are of average skill or below. They also told us all to "play the game how you want to" and not "open is reserved for players of superior skill".

 

[W0OCQCK]

We'd need more mechanics like that. Also, we'd run into the problems of Community Goals and the Background Simulator share too unfortunately.

Back here again, lol. Look you have to come to grips with the simple fact that FD cares more about there player base enjoying the game how they like, than they do about stuff like CG's, and PP. David Braben is very animate that no single play style dominates the game in any way. As a matter of fact this game is primarily about the individual's adventure, the individual's struggle, and experience. Player based organizations have no more a right to what they want, than I do. The game is founded on these sort of things.

 

[TheSpaceTexan]

The shared single galactic background simulation may be a "problem" to some - it's a welcome advertised feature of the game to others. Being able to contribute to CGs and Power Play from any mode are similarly welcome features / problems to different players.

Central point of it all, is that Community Goals and Power Play can be enjoyed and experienced by all. Though one side shouldn't have clear advantages than the other. That's all, pretty sure a compromise could and should be made for that, so it fits everyone's Play style preferences and doesn't sway towards one side or the others.

Of course they do - half of players are of average skill or below. They also told us all to "play the game how you want to" and not "open is reserved for players of superior skill".

Now that isn't the fault of any of the Three modes, that is the fault of the tutorial and I suppose how user-friendly and how steep the learning curve of this game is. They give you a short tutorial and it gives you no real starting point and says "Go". Which is really fine and great! That's how great this game is, its a journey, an adventure. But the learning curve, is steep, but not that steep.

Playing the game how you want however, is something that preserved. Likewise, open is out for everyone and not the elite.



Edit: I also see a problem with Open CGs that involve trading and Wars (Lugh, Banki, etc.) because of how the instancing works and how players choose sides. There seems to be a recurring theme of "Not enough to shoot" or "players joined this side and others were forced to switch sides".
Likewise for most trading ones it seems to be "Lots of pirates be a flying here" "Blockades" and the latter.
Its cool they can escape that entirely, but the ones putting up with it in Open could potentially corrode or desensitize playing in Open. Then you get players doing the exact same things with 100% of the same contributions, but without that extra risk. Adding incentive to taking those risks is what I view is the best solution to that.

Which for some, is the problem for some and for others, enhances the game for them. I don't think Exploration ones and the unique case of Operation: Dullahan ever really had this problem.

(Well Actually, Dullahan had no counter to it aside from either killing players or finishing the other Community goals faster, which was totally cool.)

 

[Robert Maynard]

Now that isn't the fault of any of the Three modes, that is the fault of the tutorial and I suppose how user-friendly and how steep the learning curve of this game is. They give you a short tutorial and it gives you no real starting point and says "Go". Which is really fine and great! That's how great this game is, its a journey, an adventure. But the learning curve, is steep, but not that steep.

I was not referring to "initial" skill immediately after completing (or ignoring) the tutorial missions, rather the skill plateau that I expect players to tend towards after playing for some time.

The game has to continue to offer players of mixed abilities an enjoyable experience.

 

[nedeaalex]

The shared single galactic background simulation may be a "problem" to some - it's a welcome advertised feature of the game to others. Being able to contribute to CGs and Power Play from any mode are similarly welcome features / problems to different players.

I totally get that. But why does it say : "Help stop traders from trading there !" When all I can see are NPC's. Every trader will be in Solo because losing your ship is one thing, losing your ship and another 10 mil worth of cargo... So just remove those damn things and make this Witcher 3. It's almost singleplayer anyway...