Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Weekly 'Interesting' Post: Solo MMO Players


Do you enjoy going off on your own in MMO games?

Lately I've been sort of dull, I think anyhow, with my writing. I have a lot of ideas but sometimes just can't bother to compile them into a post. It's really numerous reasons I suppose, while I am still getting a decent amount of traffic the input from readers has really halted and I don't know if it is because I'm just that boring lately or maybe nobody wants to read about EQ, EQ2 and Vanguard (what I've been playing). So, I'm going to try to get, at least, one interesting post out a week, I use to be better about that. Later on in the month will make two years for this blog and I suppose I'll decide where to go from there.

Anyhow, today's post! I thought I'd talk about why some people would rather play an MMO solo instead of an RPG. I've heard people complain about others, who just like to solo, wondering why play an MMO and not an RPG. Solo MMO(RPG) players- this week's 'interesting topic'.

I'm a social butterfly in my games, I like to chatter, love making new friends and I enjoy grouping but I can see from a solo player's point of view. Plus soloing is fun, I solo plenty, just not all the time. I  love to group but only when it is convenient to me. I think that is true with most people. We live busy lives, have children, busy work schedules, things to do people to see and so on. When we log in we want to get things done. Sometimes getting a group up and running can just be cutting it too close for someone who has limited amounts of time, or even someone who has to afk often. Just because you don't have tons of time to spend on an MMO doesn't mean you shouldn't play. It's your time, you decide how to enjoy it.

Sometimes it is relaxing just to go off by yourself and explore or quest. Some people will use an MMO to unwind and soloing just helps them relax. No drama, no fussing, just peaceful playtime. If you're social enough to join a guild you still have access to chit-chat with people but not actually having to group with them.

I group with my guild whenever given the chance in EQ2, however I find myself soloing a lot in EQ. I play EQ   to relax and reminiscent, explore and unwind. As I get older I find I have less interest in the busy fast paced MMO scene. I cringe from meters, gearscores and the like, which has pushed me away from certain things and games. Some people just like to stay away from it all, it ruins the immersion. If they are soling anyhow, why would they care about those things or want to group with people who do?

I would say one of the biggest reasons to play an MMO over an RPG, as a solo player, would be because it keeps on going. Each day you can set new goals and do different things. It isn't like you're going to actually beat the game and it's done for good, so to speak. It's a persistent world that keeps going and changes with time.

On top of being persistent, MMO games get frequent updates, well most of them do. More stuff for us to do, more interesting things to check out. Add in alts to the equation and there is even more to do, you can twink them or just take a new direction with a totally different class and race.

Plus, there is always the chance that the solo player may decide soloing is fun but maybe reaching out and making new friends to play with is another avenue of play they'd like to try. Also it just feels less lonely knowing there are other players out there, even if you don't always see them or maybe you pass them by on your adventures, you know they are there. I know I always feel sort of lonely playing an RPG game over an MMO, weird eh?

All in all I think there are more options in an MMO for long term enjoyment. Each of us pay our monthly fees and each can play as we choose.  Some games even seem to be phasing the offline RPG element out e.g., D3, leaving very little choice for the soloist, perhaps.

-kaozz 

6 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  2. I am one of those who tends to play solo in a MMO. I do like to group with friends and guild mates is possible, but I generally enjoy being out on my own. I guess I fear ass clownery of people I don't know.

    BTW, I think the reason that there are less comments is because they read the awesomeness of the whichever game you are talking about and they feel the need to drop everything and go play said game!

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  3. A lot of solo players say they like to or tend to play by themselves in MMOs, but even so I doubt many of them are solo players 100% of the time. I sometimes like to solo as well, especially when time is a factor and I just want to get right into a game and do my thing before I have to log out. Still, there are many moments where I just go, "Hey, I feel like some company!" and to be able to find others to play with just like that in an MMO is the key. That's not really possible in a single player game.

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  4. @Jaydub- Yeah I tend to not even want to group in WoW anymore, with people I don't know, because of all the clowns.

    And ty, I was just wondering if I was getting a bit stale lately, haha!

    @MMOGC- Recently I saw someone complaining about people soloing in MMO games and I thought it was an interesting topic. I enjoy soloing, like you, with the chance to group with people when I want to. It gets lonely sometimes soloing!

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  5. I tend to solo about 90% of my time in MMOs, as a preference. It's not just because of clowns and such, it's often a matter of playstyle. For example, if I don't have 4+ hours of uninterrupted time with which to play, I won't log in. I find that when I group, my groupmates always want to go to the most challenging zones for the level and then a few of them proceed to go afk several times (halting the group's progress). Plus, I may have goals that a group would hinder (like farming for gold/items).

    I tend to make friends ingame quickly and easily and never have an issue inviting them to my groups (I also tend to multibox in some older games). While ideally groups tend to produce better xp than soloing, that's not always the case with AFKs and "looking for more" (while not actually pulling anything in the interim) and so on. So if I have a particular goal for a play session, I find it best to solo to accomplish that goal. Oftentimes, my fellow players just slow me down. :P

    I still play RPGs (Elder Scrolls, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, etc) but MMOs tend to offer wider opportunities for interaction. I like having people AROUND, even if I don't want them in my face or want to deal with their idiosyncrasies/issues.

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  6. @Remianen- I'm a lot like that too, these days. I really love the persistent world where I can solo or group IF I choose.

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