Modes The Solo vs Open vs Groups Thread - Mk III

[PiLhEaD]

I love this thread, and 'both sides' of the 'argument', so I just wanted to say...

Spoiler

[video=youtube;SmHeP9Sve48]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmHeP9Sve48[/video]

On topic: I think what we need is feeling better together with a closeness yet apartness where we can all meet and yet still avoid each other, so in summary, we need to be on our toes, and avoiding the sand traps - as when the Thargoids arrive each together will be a part of more than we are as less in each others own terms.

 

[relayer]

Just repped you

Cheers, Phos.

LOL! and rep'd

 

[relayer]

A couple posters have articulated something for me - I don't care if NPCs are blowing smoke ("Die, wretch!") or trying to crush me because they do not exhibit some of the nasty characteristics some players show.

They don't gloat; they don't wave their pole in your face; they don't spew obscenities suited for a first form playground; they don't bully and rag at you incessantly. They don't use scripts and shield hacks. They don't try to wiggle around playing word games. In fact, most NPCs act much better behaved than some human opponents.

If I choose a Group session, it is because I want to play a fun game with other people. I don't want to be bored with adolescent scatology and crotch-grabbing displays of "potency" or whatever. The few times I go into Open are because I want to help a CG, like dropping several hundred pieces of cargo on the smaller ships to get them involved. But as a staple mode? No thanks.

I'm not here to play 'Lord Of The Flies;' I'm here to have fun.

 

[Tuub t Tute]

Also NPCs do not then come onto forums when you post to vent about an unhappy interaction and gloat and attempt to assassinate your character...

 

[DarkWalker]

That's... disturbing.

It's what you should call someone with the physical build of a bodyguard and a short fuse, alright

In the past I've been... problematic. I've gotten better, very few things can light my fuse now. In-game stealing and robbery done by players is one of those, though, which is why the chances of ever seeing me trading in Open are somehow less than slim.

(Incidentally, I don't mind nearly as much if I lose things due to the other player's actions. In other words, I wouldn't mind much if my ship and cargo was blown up and completely destroyed by a player, even though I would mind it a lot if the other player made out with anything from my cargo hold.)

A couple posters have articulated something for me - I don't care if NPCs are blowing smoke ("Die, wretch!") or trying to crush me because they do not exhibit some of the nasty characteristics some players show.

They don't gloat; they don't wave their pole in your face; they don't spew obscenities suited for a first form playground; they don't bully and rag at you incessantly. They don't use scripts and shield hacks. They don't try to wiggle around playing word games. In fact, most NPCs act much better behaved than some human opponents.

If I choose a Group session, it is because I want to play a fun game with other people. I don't want to be bored with adolescent scatology and crotch-grabbing displays of "potency" or whatever. The few times I go into Open are because I want to help a CG, like dropping several hundred pieces of cargo on the smaller ships to get them involved. But as a staple mode? No thanks.

I'm not here to play 'Lord Of The Flies;' I'm here to have fun.

NPCs are programmed to behave in the way that will make the game the most enjoyable possible for as much of its player base as feasible. Well, at least if the devs are smart and competent. The same can't be expected from players.

It's one of many reasons players might prefer to play against NPCs. And also a reason the suggestions for balancing the modes by making NPCs griefers, or even just too hard for a fight against them to be enjoyable by the average player, are very unlikely to ever be heeded.

 

[Marra Morgan]

It's what you should call someone with the physical build of a bodyguard and a short fuse, alright

And "disturbed" is what you should call a 9st woman who enjoys roleplaying a criminal and reads about another player implying real-life violence against in-game criminals.

Still, I'm somewhat relieved that you keep yourself to Solo mode. Another good reason to have different game modes for all types of players!

 

[Mouse]

And "disturbed" is what you should call a 9st woman who enjoys roleplaying a criminal and reads about another player implying real-life violence against in-game criminals.

Still, I'm somewhat relieved that you keep yourself to Solo mode. Another good reason to have different game modes for all types of players!

what would you call those who purposely go after those who play in other modes in order to destroy or harass them?

 

[Marra Morgan]

what would you call those who purposely go after those who play in other modes in order to destroy or harass them?

What, like people who go in the Mobius private group to shoot the PVE folks up?
I don't think it's a very nice thing to do and I'd imagine Mr Mobius would have them booted pretty sharpish (in-game booting, ofc).

 

[Jockey79]

what would you call those who purposely go after those who play in other modes in order to destroy or harass them?

Emergent game play?

 

[DarkWalker]

Still, I'm somewhat relieved that you keep yourself to Solo mode. Another good reason to have different game modes for all types of players!

Yeah, without a way to guarantee that my "trigger" would never happen I would not play. And, while the triggers might be different, I expect other players to have similar issues with some PvP interactions.

I doubt most of the players with this kind of issue would risk playing when (or where) the issue might come up, though; as a side-effect, I expect any contact with the "trigger" to ruin the game for them, which makes playing the game when the trigger can happen not really worth it. That surely is my case, and why I'm unyielding in defending Solo.

Emergent game play?

Some people surely have a very narrow view of what is emergent gameplay. Heck, some people in this thread defended that emergent gameplay can only happen in multiplayer, and more specifically PvP, when there have been computer games since, at least, the 80s that were single-player affairs and actively promoted emergent gameplay. The original Elite was one such bastion.

(And, BTW, emergent gameplay is not universally good nor enjoyable. Devs nowadays often attempt to extirpate from their games all forms of griefing-heavy emergent gameplay because it can decimate the player base and ultimately kill the game.)

 

[Jockey79]

Some people surely have a very narrow view of what is emergent gameplay. Heck, some people in this thread defended that emergent gameplay can only happen in multiplayer, and more specifically PvP, when there have been computer games since, at least, the 80s that were single-player affairs and actively promoted emergent gameplay. The original Elite was one such bastion.

(And, BTW, emergent gameplay is not universally good nor enjoyable. Devs nowadays often attempt to extirpate from their games all forms of griefing-heavy emergent gameplay because it can decimate the player base and ultimately kill the game.)

Oh I agree, I was being facetious - I happened to be in Skype with Mouse at the time I posed that so he knew not to take me seriously.

A prime example of emergent game play is the G.I.M.P.P. challenge brought about by the Hutton Truckers.
Nineteen stops to drop off a single rare Hutton Mug at each location from Hutton Orbital (which is why Mouse and I were in Skype, we are both taking part).
One stop is 16,000Ly from Sol and another is Sag A* - where as part of the challenge is to leave a single Mug floating in space.

You can do this challenge in any mode, you just need screenshots of yourself doing the drops - something we do not need multiplay or open mode. So anyone who says you "need" multi or open for "emergent game play" is talking nonsense. This is the 2nd thing the Hutton Truckers have done that can be completed in Solo Mode. I won a real Hutton Mug in their first challenge and just put 2 screenshots in for the next one.

As type this, I've completed my G.I.M.P.P. challenge (video on my YT channel - Jockey79) and am leaving Hutton Orbital right now with spare mugs for anyone who has problems getting out to Greae Nebula or Sagittarius A* with theirs, as some folks have had cargo hatch problems. So to save them turning back I'm taking out spare mugs so they can complete their challenge - cannot really get more emergent in my opinion (and it does not involve shooting either )

 

[Riktar]

You can do this challenge in any mode, you just need screenshots of yourself doing the drops - something we do not need multiplay or open mode. So anyone who says you "need" multi or open for "emergent game play" is talking nonsense.

In the sense of thinking broadly +1 to you.

Then again, if a person has a narrow view of the game, it's not nonsense. That's all they are capable of seeing.

 

[Mouse]

In the sense of thinking broadly +1 to you.

Then again, if a person has a narrow view of the game, it's not nonsense. That's all they are capable of seeing.

Then the fault lies with the person, not with the game or with others on how they play it.

 

[Riktar]

Then the fault lies with the person, not with the game or with others on how they play it.

I was not trying to "promote" or find "fault" with someone whose only focus is on PvP.

And I most certainly am not doing that with the game. It is what it is.

It was simply an observation. And relaying props to Jockey79.

 

[Mouse]

I was not trying to "promote" or find "fault" with someone whose only focus is on PvP.

And I most certainly am not doing that with the game. It is what it is.

It was simply an observation. And relaying props to Jockey79.

I was not suggesting you were saying they were at fault, my apology. The discussion was that if you have someone who has that narrow a view, and you and Jockey disagree on if they were talking nonsense.

I was trying to point out that if they have that narrow a view and find faults in the game or other players then the fault is actually having such a restrictive view.

 

[Riktar]

I was not suggesting you were saying they were at fault, my apology. The discussion was that if you have someone who has that narrow a view, and you and Jockey disagree on if they were talking nonsense.

I was trying to point out that if they have that narrow a view and find faults in the game or other players then the fault is actually having such a restrictive view.

Ahh. Then you have my apology for mistaking your post as a rebuttal.

And I totally agree with your view.

The primary reason I play in Mobius is that I can do what I want INCLUDING PvP. It is a simple matter of finding a conflict zone and choosing a side.

Funny how some of the PvP/Open crowd keep forgetting that,,,,,,

 

[DarkWalker]

The primary reason I play in Mobius is that I can do what I want INCLUDING PvP. It is a simple matter of finding a conflict zone and choosing a side.

Funny how some of the PvP/Open crowd keep forgetting that,,,,,,

There are players that see the ability to deny from other players pieces of content or rewards as a desirable feature, sometimes even as the main motivation for playing. In their minds it also serves to push unwilling players in a "either you play along or you are left without much of your game" way.

In other words, those players want to use others as their content. And modes, plus free mode switching, disenfranchises that kind of player, as it allows others to simply ignore those players.

Of course, at the same time there are many players that won't accept being forced into the role of someone else's content. And ED's features and advertisement, specially early on, seems made to attract and cater to this group. When it comes to design ED seems more like a mainly Solo game with optional Co-op and MMO elements than a MMO with optional Solo, which in turn shaped the kind of player base it attracted.

 

[Nitek [pl]]

Wait. I have another really needed fix.
Community goals locked to open play only - so we can have balance beetween earnings. Now solo players diligently work their way up to the top of the boards taking no risk and opposition.
Also Open Play should have at least 20% more cash income. Reason? Solo taking no risk and getting the same reward.
Devs are nerfing stuff - nerf solo "trainer" mode.

 

[CMDR Zadian Lichtfrost]

…
Community goals locked to open play only - so we can have balance beetween earnings.

Community goals aren't competitions.
Everybody wins if players in Solo Mode or a private group help completing the goal. Every player in Solo increases your reward.
Even players who don't participate in the CG get the global rewards.
It's about the community - and that includes every player of Elite Dangerous. The players in Solo Mode, Group Mode, Open Mode and the Xbox1 players.

Also Open Play should have at least 20% more cash income. Reason? Solo taking no risk and getting the same reward.
…

LOL. You know that this is simply not true.

 

[Marra Morgan]

Wait. I have another really needed fix.
Community goals locked to open play only - so we can have balance beetween earnings. Now solo players diligently work their way up to the top of the boards taking no risk and opposition.
Also Open Play should have at least 20% more cash income. Reason? Solo taking no risk and getting the same reward.
Devs are nerfing stuff - nerf solo "trainer" mode.

Did you know that with a little bit of jiggery pokery with your router, you can play in Open and not see any other players?
That's what the current Solo players would do if FDEV totally lost their marbles and implemented what you suggest.
So much for your "fix"