Modes The Solo vs Open vs Groups Thread [See new thread]

[Red Cypher]

Trying to correct spelling on the internet, when there are more languages than just English is always awesome, i'm sure you're proud of yourself, makes your e-peen feel big doesn't it?

Trying to use the excuse that english isn't your first language while backpedaling from an obtuse insult - yeah, don't try to turn this around on me buddy, you're the one calling people *losers.

Irony is accusing someone of 'e-peen' while having no shame themselves.

 

[Yaffle]

Reserved for future use

 

[snotface]

Do not understand the issues between Solo and Open play?????

Please stay on the topic before you give me abuse...

I play on both solo and open and I thought I would just say how easy they both are.

I have spend 20 minutes on open play doing one kill mission, and I did a kill mission on solo as well just before.

These were the clear differences.

Solo highest bounty 15 k lowest 1.5 k. Ships killed 7. Money made, about 100 k

Open highest bounty 45 k lowest 2.5 k. Ships killed 15. Money made about 350 k

Now I will point out that both of these missions were in the same system, and I was at the same place for both, which was sitting at the jump point at which I entered they system.

With the clear difference in cash, and that I only saw 4 human players all day, I think this whole thing about which is the best place to be whilst playing is clear.

In my honest opinion if you want death and glory, play open. But if you want slow and hard work play Solo. There is a clear difference in money values and the rate USS appear. In open they seemed to be there all the time, sometimes 2 or 3 at a time, where as in Solo I had to wait up to 2 minutes for one to appear.

I wouldn't knock anybody playing Solo because you have to work for your cash, where as in open you have to work at not being killed by other human players.

This is just what I think, and playing open makes me richer.

 

[[VR] Mad Mike]

IMO Its great!

It allows everyone to play the game how they want, and is the mechanism advertised from day 1.

It puts the onus on the players playing in ALL to try to make the populated game a place where everyone wants to be. Even then it wont be for everyone but that is fine.

I personally do not feel the game as we have it now is fully balanced, and maybe when it is, some of this will fix itsself, with the perceived "easy mode" dissapearing. I have played the last solo tutorial mission and some of the ships there are a challenge which could make a CMDR in solo sweat!.

Also hopefully in ALL the police will grow some teeth and tweaks to the bounty system may make players think twice before psyopath rampages, which seems to be right now a way for a player to risk very little cause MAJOR damage to another player.

 

[DoneWithFD]

I like how Frontier doesn't try to "incentivize" players to play open multiplayer by giving that mode other benefits than the multiplayer itself, which is all the carrot this mode needs. Those who want multiplayer gets to play multiplayer, that's the "reward" for playing that mode. It baffles me that some people think that additional rewards are needed to somehow coerce people who have absolutely no interest in multiplayer to start playing in open. People who prefer solo won't suddenly start to like multiplayer if some additional % was added to trading income etc.

 

[Lanatir]

Yaffle, maybe you should make clear that the term 'carebear' when used towards pve players is, according to several moderators, an insult. Otherwise it will rain infractions in this thread.

 

[Dabba]

For curiosity's sake, is the Solo/Open/Group dynamic in this game something that is subject to change? Are the developers actually watching this and seriously considering altering how the matchmaking and shared galaxy work? Or is this really just a tidy corner to keep all the deceased mammal abuse and unproductive circular debate on this issue from clogging the forums?

I just wonder because if it is subject to change and the devs are actively considering that then I feel I have a duty to continue banging my head against this wall. If its certainly not going to change Id like to know that now so I can just forget about this topic forever.

 

[{SAS}Stalker]

This thread is going to be the merge target for all other threads on the topic, no matter how 'unique' the thread creator may think their thread is. Creating a poll is not unique.

And there was much rejoicing!!!

 

[CMDR Bansidhe]

I like how Frontier doesn't try to "incentivize" players to play open multiplayer by giving that mode other benefits than the multiplayer itself, which is all the carrot this mode needs. Those who want multiplayer gets to play multiplayer, that's the "reward" for playing that mode. It baffles me that some people think that additional rewards are needed to somehow coerce people who have absolutely no interest in multiplayer to start playing in open. People who prefer solo won't suddenly start to like multiplayer if some additional % was added to trading income etc.

Some people want additional rewards just to compensate them for the additional risks and not to encourage people to change modes at all.

Would people who prefer solo suddenly hate solo if some additional %age were added to the rewards in open, though?

I have still yet to see anyone state how they would be adversely affected by buffs to open mode. I have seen some make the easily refutable mistake of confusing a buff to open with a punishment to solo but nobody has ever said how they would be negatively affected by something happening in an area of the game that they have no interest in and would not ever wish to partake in.

 

[Yaffle]

Yaffle, maybe you should make clear that the term 'carebear' when used towards pve players is, according to several moderators, an insult. Otherwise it will rain infractions in this thread.

Indeed, so it's best to avoid it. Likewise the term "griefer" is pejorative and should be avoided.

 

[Cody]

And there was much rejoicing!!!

<nods> Indeed!

 

[Korvinus]

I've changed my mind completely on adding an extra incentive for Open play (such as an increased monetary reward).

I think we should instead:

• Have much higher fines for murdering CLEAN players
  • Pirate murders trader. > Pirate get's 5k fine. > Trader loses potentially MILLIONS. > Trader grudgingly goes to solo.
• Have trade insurance for traders (this is rumored already I think..?)

This way, solo is not at a disadvantage, and Open play is more appealing for all types of players.

 

[Sammey]

I think Frontier did their research and planning properly. They created a game for all interests and personality types.
The only issue is each personality type defending or wanting others to be like them. This is perfectly normal behavior.
Personally, i like the game the way it is.

 

[daan2002]

maybe a poll so we can stop the "do you prefer solo or open" threads but add group also ??

 

[DoneWithFD]

Some people want additional rewards just to compensate them for the additional risks and not to encourage people to change modes at all.

Would people who prefer solo suddenly hate solo if some additional %age were added to the rewards in open, though?

I have still yet to see anyone state how they would be adversely affected by buffs to open mode. I have seen some make the easily refutable mistake of confusing a buff to open with a punishment to solo but nobody has ever said how they would be negatively affected by something happening in an area of the game that they have no interest in and would not ever wish to partake in.

Why not buff solo play then, I could use a little less mindless grind when playing by myself. Why not allow me a little faster progression?

Spoiler

It would unbalance the game modes as they coexist.

I still haven't seen a single well considered argument for why open mode needs additional incentives. This game has a core game design which is the same for all modes. This is exactly what makes all modes able to coexist and why it should not be changed.

I don't understand why some open players feel they need to lure/coerce people to play a mode of no interest to them - through "incentives". If multiplayer isn't fun enough for you guys, you need Frontier to make more exciting mp content, not to unbalance the economy between game modes.

 

[Dabba]

maybe a poll so we can stop the "do you prefer solo or open" threads but add group also ??

That is really not necessary nor would it be particularly accurate Im sure. Its fairly well known that the pvp community is far more likely to be active forum warriors, while those that prefer to play alone are also much less likely to engage with others on forums. You can be sure that Frontier has exact data on who is playing in which group and how much, and thats all that really matters.

 

[StarTux]

If we didn't have instancing, regional match making and a much smaller play area I would say mode switching would be potentially bad, but Elite is instanced, has regional P2P matchmaking and even just inhabited space is massive, so the solo or group play (I would say group even more of an advantage) is negligble to nil.The PVP folk want mroe targets, but they'll have to rely n those who don't mind encountering the occasional hostile player and will revel in it.

Some games offer specific PVP gear which isn't relevant here, and buffing open is based on the perception that solo is indeed much easier, but again with the size of the galaxy it isn't going to be too hard to find a place where commanders rarely go. So why not be open at all times? Some may not want other human interaction at all, or limited to when they feel like doing so.

Overall I think the system is fine the way it is now.

- - - - - Additional Content Posted / Auto Merge - - - - -

That is really not necessary nor would it be particularly accurate Im sure. Its fairly well known that the pvp community is far more likely to be active forum warriors, while those that prefer to play alone are also much less likely to engage with others on forums. You can be sure that Frontier has exact data on who is playing in which group and how much, and thats all that really matters.

There were polls upon polls in the past and you'd be surprised how small the PVP community is, in other words it did not turn out this way and indeed went the other way quite substantially.

Now if it was run again today I don't know if the result would have changed as new people are on the forums and maybe the older folk have moved on or visit much less frequently.

 

[Driver]

FDev made a brilliant design decision when they gave us the ability to switch between Open, Group, and Solo modes. Players can enjoy the game without being forced into PVP. Those who enjoy PVP are free to play as they will.

 

[Matnik]

I play almost exclusively open play. The only time I switch to Solo is at busy outposts, and it's less about avoiding other players, and more about saving time. (Not much fun to be had hitting Request Docking for ten minutes). I'm looking forward to the option to group with friends in open play, as I really enjoy the dynamic that open play offers.

I was thinking about the PvE groups though; whilst they are, in effect, a good idea, one potential scenario that could arise is that Open Play becomes known as the 'combat' mode, and alienates most other types of play out. Traders and miners will stay in Group play (because PvE is what they want), leaving only mercs and pirates fighting it out in Open Play. Whilst it does split up the playerbase well in terms of what they're looking for in the game, it doesn't leave any middle ground to which Open Play currently has.

With this point above, I really hope that Wings, and the ability to group and work together, tempts traders back into the open game. If you're transporting millions, and you have a friend or two protecting you, there's still an element of risk but it creates far more interesting scenarios than simply being interdicted by a player Pirate who's only goal is to blow you out of the sky. Inversely, pirates who operate together will have to share the rewards actually lose out working together, so the balance may change.

My final point is regarding fines; they're not much of a deterrent. I hide in Anarchy systems, building up my funds for a better ship, and attack in Federation space. My ultimate goal is to take those prizes and merc for the Empire, so those fines will never be paid. It does add a dynamic that I have a harder time in Fed space, but that's part of the character I've created. Worst case scenario, I can just save up the insurance, and go out in a blaze of glory against a bounty hunter (thus giving another player some fun, and a ton of money, in return) and respawn clean.

 

[DoneWithFD]

The PVP folk want more targets

This is what I feel it all boils down to. But solo players do not exist to fulfil some PvP fantasy for others and suggestions of incentivizing mode switching is quite frankly insulting to solo players. We are not your unwilling PvP cattle to be incentivized/coerced into joining your PvP dream.