Anyone else hate single player games?

[Threeofseven]

I was under the impression that the majority of players preferred multiplayer games, but I saw a poll where something like 60% of respondents said they prefer single player. I was quite shocked by that. To me single player is extremely boring and shallow. There are a lot of good space games out there, but most are single player and therefore I have no interest in them. No man's sky is one example but I hear they are adding more multiplayer activities, and even PVP, so I will probably give it a second look.

It appears that I am in the minority, but is there anyone else here that just cannot force themselves to play, even a good, game if it's single player only?

 

[Raino]

It appears that I am in the minority, but is there anyone else here that just cannot force themselves to play, even a good, game if it's single player only?

we are enough, pretty sure not the minority, dont listen to those solo playing just because they are the majority in their instance

 

[Zak Gordon]

Nope

I am very heavily swung the other way. Computer games have never been about competition for me, more a means of escape into a different 'reality' or situation (a bit like reading a book).

I have played plenty of MP games down the ages (like talking since computer games existed) but as expressions for my own personal competitive satisfaction they have always felt lacking. The playing field is uneven (ping/hardware/bugs in the machine bad luck etc) so victory is never 100% rewarding (for me).

And then the kind of 'community' that often builds around MP games can be anything from immersion breaking to toxic and everything in between, and that all detracts from the experience. I may just have been unlucky with my MP experiences, but i gave it a good go and they are just not what i look for in a computer game.

Computer games are kind of 'me' time but i do enjoy a social version of MP like hot-seat with friends or some kind of LAN hook up where beers and face to face banter are part of the experience.

If ED had that fully off line SP game mode (you know the one Frontier 'pulled' at the last moment) i probably would have started playing the game already. That is how much i don't like MP these days

 

[ethelred]

I like both, but SP games have to have good writing to keep me engaged - this is the immersion I guess.

I like MP in real life too and play board games regularly, it’s a different aspect of play.

I’m competitive too, but not at the the expense of ruining my game - I still play chess a lot online although I am barely mediocre

 

[cpbtrading]

Single player is the best for me. [yesnod]

 

[Backer42]

I was under the impression that the majority of players preferred multiplayer games,

That might be your PC glasses. There are more gamers than you expect.

but I saw a poll where something like 60% of respondents said they prefer single player. I was quite shocked by that. To me single player is extremely boring and shallow. There are a lot of good space games out there, but most are single player and therefore I have no interest in them.

Maybe you have no interest in (narrated) video games. That's fine.

It appears that I am in the minority, but is there anyone else here that just cannot force themselves to play, even a good, game if it's single player only?

When I was younger, I was into multiplayer simulation. However the whole thing had nothing to do with playing (narrated) video games. The software was just the stage for something entirely different (competition sport). Once I was done with it, I abandoned multiplayer altogether.

Nowadays I don't touch multiplayer games anymore, including multplayer games with single player elements. They are usually shallow and boring. Meeting other people inside a fictional video game world turns it into a 3D chat/forum and breaks my immersion.

 

[Stinja]

I like games of all sorts, so it depends, and definitely do not hate single player games.

Take Oblivion or Skyrim, excellent SP games, and a MP version like Elder Scrolls Online felt like a much worse game.
XCOM? again much better SP then MP in my opinion (and we are talking subjectively on all this).
Operation Flashpoint, great. Similar MP version like ARMA just different, and not totally comparable.

we are enough, pretty sure not the minority

For Elite PvP is a minority: "we're well aware that the majority of players don't get involved in PvP"

Of course Elite involves non-PvP multiplayer too: trucking together; Fuel Ratting; exploration events. So it does depend on the OP's context, but given their avatar and specific mention, they may be querying about PvP, in which they are the minority.

 

[Old Duck]

I used to prefer multiplayer games over single-player games, but an influx of proverbial 12 year olds into the mulitplayer gaming space and the advent of really good single-player games like Portal and Skyrim and Mass Effect trilogy and Horizon Zero Dawn (so forth and etc); well, let's just say these days many of my once-favorite multiplayer games like Overwatch are collecting dust...

But I do play in Open in Elite Dangerous!

 

[Raino]

Of course Elite involves non-PvP multiplayer too: trucking together; Fuel Ratting; exploration events. So it does depend on the OP's context, but given their avatar and specific mention, they may be querying about PvP, in which they are the minority.

and yes, thats always been misinterpreted, PvP can only be played in OPEN, but, this does not mean all playing OPEN are playing PvP, therefore any statistic not taking this in count is just wrong to me, black and white painting so to say

 

[Gédéon_Lecanard]

Multiplayer is a nice gadget and a bit of fun every now and then, but to me, it's the multi crowd that is extremely boring and shallow. Everything is about confrontation and pewpewing, this gets dull after one minute, old after two.

I engage in games pretty much the same way as I do in a book or a movie: it's a personal affair, a narrative one. Multi is not going to fill that need, not by a long stretch, and I'd rather not develop that statement, because I'll be a jerk.

I have fond memories of many old narrative single player games, I can't say I'll remember the chicken we made in PUBG saturday on the next monday.

 

[Rojo Habe]

I was under the impression that the majority of players preferred multiplayer games, but I saw a poll where something like 60% of respondents said they prefer single player. I was quite shocked by that. To me single player is extremely boring and shallow. There are a lot of good space games out there, but most are single player and therefore I have no interest in them. No man's sky is one example but I hear they are adding more multiplayer activities, and even PVP, so I will probably give it a second look.

It appears that I am in the minority, but is there anyone else here that just cannot force themselves to play, even a good, game if it's single player only?

I've never been a competitive person and grew up not liking games in general, particularly if they involved other people. It was my most hated subject at school and the source of many miserable memories. To this day I still loathe football.

What games I did play were things like Patience (Solitaire, to the rest of you), and when computers were finally invented, games were single-player by their very nature. The idea of meeting other players in games always intrigued me but I've never had a desire to fight or compete with them. I find it frustrating even attempting to compete with people who are far more dedicated than I, and as I have no desire to study the intricacies to that level I prefer to bow out gracefully (and have my little tantrum in private).

I'm sure you meant no offence with your post and I hope you'll forgive me when I say I find it narrow-minded. There are as many different types of people in the world as there are people: many of us just don't have that competitive streak. What some people find boring and shallow can be exactly what others are after, and vice versa.

 

[krylite]

Much of the ED playerbase slants older or at least a generation of gamers before today's mmo & multiplayer culture, back when most games were solo or a few had limited multiplayer at best. Probably not a majority in ED , but still a significant rare remnant of the non-mmo gaming generations.

 

[verminstar]

I was under the impression that the majority of players preferred multiplayer games, but I saw a poll where something like 60% of respondents said they prefer single player. I was quite shocked by that. To me single player is extremely boring and shallow. There are a lot of good space games out there, but most are single player and therefore I have no interest in them. No man's sky is one example but I hear they are adding more multiplayer activities, and even PVP, so I will probably give it a second look.

It appears that I am in the minority, but is there anyone else here that just cannot force themselves to play, even a good, game if it's single player only?

Used to love multiplayer games...nowadays not so much...so much salt and bitterness and way too much of the competitive nature, too many end up taking it far too seriously. So I gravitate more to single player games nowadays.

This game is no different...in fact the failure of this game from a multiplayer point of view merely reinforce this trend...cos as a multiplayer game, elite fails...badly...always has and unless the server architecture is changed, always will. To me, this is a great single player game in a multiplayer universe...or a very good single player game with a very badly implemented multiplayer.

Most the games I have on my HD are primarily single player only games...including this one ^

 

[Screemonster]

I love couch-co-op. I used to love playing the original counterstrike and team fortress. Memories of growing up with LAN parties. The thing about all of these is that ultimately.. you're playing with friends. Don't like the crowd on the dedicated TF2 server you're playing on? Switch to another one.

Unfortunately, there's a trend in more recent multiplayer games to just throw all players in the same pot and just expect them to deal with it regardless of whether they want wildly different things out of the game. Even private groups in ED, if you and a few friends set up a little faction to play with in some quiet out of the way corner, you still have to contend with people kicking over your sandcastle via the BGS just to mess with you if they feel like it - on a dedicated server, you could punt them out and tell them to go play literally anywhere else, just not with you. Everyone-in-the-same-pot multiplayer? Not a chance. And yes, there are certain spiteful individuals out there that take gleeful advantage of this.

 

[Codger]

I just like good games. That said, I generally prefer single player games. I have little interest in PvP these days - I think that’s run its course for me. Same old, same old. A bit of co-op is about all the multiplayer I would do now.

 

[Asp Explorer]

I like multiplayer games and PVP.

But only if they have a connection at least as fast as mine, a computer that is at least as fast as mine, and a multiplayer mindset that is at least compatible with mine.

Everything else is scrubbage and discarded as such

 

[cosmo-genesis]

I was a Arcade gamer before the first pong machines came out, i have played both sp and mp, but i find the mp games now to be full of toxic Wannabees......... players that have no interest in actually improving their skills or game-play, they just want the biggest, baddest guns and equipment so they can have it all easy. Then they run around being jackasses and telling everyone how big and clever they are........its kinda depressing imho

I much prefer single play as i prefer to pit my ( limited ) wits against whatever environment I am in...

 

[Jacques d'Orleans]

I was under the impression that the majority of players preferred multiplayer games, but I saw a poll where something like 60% of respondents said they prefer single player. I was quite shocked by that. To me single player is extremely boring and shallow. There are a lot of good space games out there, but most are single player and therefore I have no interest in them. No man's sky is one example but I hear they are adding more multiplayer activities, and even PVP, so I will probably give it a second look.

It appears that I am in the minority, but is there anyone else here that just cannot force themselves to play, even a good, game if it's single player only?

I like good games with good story/content, I really couldn't care less if they're multiplayer or Single Player.

 

[Navigare Necesse Est]

No.

 

[askavir]

I'll take single player games any day of the week.

Single player always have much more potential, they can be much more complex, have much more moving things at the same time, have much deeper mechanics, are much more immersive, players can make a far larger impact on the game world, have much better stories, have much more personalization, etc etc etc.

As for ED, while I do enjoy flying among other people and play open at all times, you can bet your nuts this game is severely crippled in potential due to having to support multiplayer.