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Offline mode discussion.

Nihili
Nihili
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Why is there no offline mode? I assume this is something relevant to all MMO's, but I can't possibly understand why? I'd love to see an offline mode, it would allow me to finally play this game more than a handful times a month, as I have to visit my family/friends for sustainable internet. Is there a way to play offline?
  • dharbert
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    If you want offline mode, play Skyrim.
  • Greatfellow
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    Nihili wrote: »
    Why is there no offline mode? I assume this is something relevant to all MMO's, but I can't possibly understand why? I'd love to see an offline mode, it would allow me to finally play this game more than a handful times a month, as I have to visit my family/friends for sustainable internet. Is there a way to play offline?

    You know, with this particular game they probably could create an offline single-player version. the content is so huge it would be a great deal at $60.00. U.S.
  • Nihili
    Nihili
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    Nihili wrote: »
    Why is there no offline mode? I assume this is something relevant to all MMO's, but I can't possibly understand why? I'd love to see an offline mode, it would allow me to finally play this game more than a handful times a month, as I have to visit my family/friends for sustainable internet. Is there a way to play offline?

    You know, with this particular game they probably could create an offline single-player version. the content is so huge it would be a great deal at $60.00. U.S.

    The exchange rate is difficult for me to convert off my head, but personally I prefer the online mode; it's out of necessity that I'm asking about an offline mode :smile: I'm thinking along the lines of a "switch" where if you don't have internet you just switch on offline mode and play them game without other people

    Edited by Nihili on September 14, 2014 10:10PM
  • Greatfellow
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    Nihili wrote: »
    Nihili wrote: »
    Why is there no offline mode? I assume this is something relevant to all MMO's, but I can't possibly understand why? I'd love to see an offline mode, it would allow me to finally play this game more than a handful times a month, as I have to visit my family/friends for sustainable internet. Is there a way to play offline?

    You know, with this particular game they probably could create an offline single-player version. the content is so huge it would be a great deal at $60.00. U.S.

    The exchange rate is difficult for me to convert off my head, but personally I prefer the online mode; it's out of necessity that I'm asking about an offline mode :smile: I'm thinking along the lines of a "switch" where if you don't have internet you just switch on offline mode and play them game without other people

    Oh, I see what you want now, sorry. Yeah, maybe they could do that with this game, just leave some play options unavailable for you of course, maybe even do like Steam does and update your Community scores and such whenever you actually do get online.

    That said, there'd still be probably a huge amount of developer work to add that functionality to this game. In fact, it might be much easier for them to actually just take the existing MMO and make a strictly offline version of it.
  • raglau
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    The point of an MMO - and the bulk of the customer demand - is to play in a world populated with others, so there is little reward for a developer to invest heavily in designing an offline mode.

    It can be done in some cases, Elite Dangerous shall have an offline mode for example.
    Edited by raglau on September 14, 2014 10:32PM
  • Rosveen
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    Massive Multiplayer Online. It's right there in the name of the genre.

    As for actual reasons, I don't know the real ones since I'm not a developer, but I can think of a few. First off, the resources to make an offline version. Everything that happens server-side must be moved to the client. Multiplayer functions need to be disabled or removed. It's a lot of work. Then think about general design of the game. A lot of the content is impossible or difficult to do solo, so you'd either have useless zones or NPC companions to help you (but we all know how reliable their AI is), or everything tweaked to a solo player (again, lots of work).
    Moreover, an offline character could never play online again or it would be unfair to other players - because of one, no competition for nodes etc., and two, possibility of hacks/mods/whatever that are illegal in online mode.
    And then there's the most important one: revenue. People won't pay monthly for an offline game. So if your online version is alive and kicking, then who in their right mind would give up the sub?
    Nihili wrote: »
    Why is there no offline mode? I assume this is something relevant to all MMO's, but I can't possibly understand why? I'd love to see an offline mode, it would allow me to finally play this game more than a handful times a month, as I have to visit my family/friends for sustainable internet. Is there a way to play offline?

    You know, with this particular game they probably could create an offline single-player version. the content is so huge it would be a great deal at $60.00. U.S.
    IMO it's an enjoyable MMO, but it would suck as a single player TES game. It lacks so many features it's not even funny. Though I have no doubt people would buy it...
  • Two-Dogs
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    There *could* be an offline mode - but really, it's not something that's going to make them as much money as, say, you and I paying our subs.

  • raglau
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    Two-Dogs wrote: »
    There *could* be an offline mode - but really, it's not something that's going to make them as much money as, say, you and I paying our subs.

    And crucially it would end up competing with the next single player TES game, which would be strategically a bad business move.
  • Khami
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    Nihili wrote: »
    Why is there no offline mode? I assume this is something relevant to all MMO's, but I can't possibly understand why? I'd love to see an offline mode, it would allow me to finally play this game more than a handful times a month, as I have to visit my family/friends for sustainable internet. Is there a way to play offline?

    No, there's a reason it's a MMO, hence the online being part of the genre, doesn't have an offline mode. Sounds like this isn't the genre for you.

    MMOs are designed to be online, playing with others. While the game is on your PC, you are required to log into to the game servers to play it. This isn't a single player game with multi-player added for your convenience.
  • DuelWieldingCheesyPoofs
    I pref online but why not an option to play offline indeed, i dnt see the big deal
  • Karnus
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    Diablo and Diablo 2 had an offline mode if I remember right, seperate modes with seperate characters. It wasn't a MMO but it was a RPG, I imagine a similar thing could work with MMOs.
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  • Sleep
    Sleep
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    This is not a single player game with a multiplayer mode.
  • UrQuan
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    First off, ignoring what a massive undertaking it would be to so fundamentally change the architecture of the game so that everything can be done client-side (and ignoring the massive download that would be required to get everything client-side, including all the data), putting all of that client-side would indeed allow everything to be hacked. So the only way that an offline and online version could both work is if you can't use any of your online characters offline (because that way you don't have access to their data). Otherwise game balance goes out the window and you've got people running around with invincible characters.

    So yeah, I don't know what the big deal is, except that it would effectively be the same thing as creating an entirely separate game, and would require more developer resources than every single update we've had since launch combined, and it still wouldn't satisfy people who want to play their online characters offline.
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  • Khami
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    Karnus wrote: »
    Diablo and Diablo 2 had an offline mode if I remember right, seperate modes with seperate characters. It wasn't a MMO but it was a RPG, I imagine a similar thing could work with MMOs.

    I don't pay a sub to play offline, by myself. I'll stick to single player game to do that.

  • ExiledKhallisi
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    Offline = Hacked to sh**
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  • ThePonzzz
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    The game is balanced for online play. Plain and simple. Games that do let you play offline aren't MMORPGs. They are akin to Diablo 2 as a co-op experience.
  • heyguyslol
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    Nihili wrote: »
    Why is there no offline mode? I assume this is something relevant to all MMO's, but I can't possibly understand why? I'd love to see an offline mode, it would allow me to finally play this game more than a handful times a month, as I have to visit my family/friends for sustainable internet. Is there a way to play offline?

    There is no offline mode because eso would loose a lot of subs if there were since most players play pve. Imo if u are mainly into pve just cancel your sub and go buy skyrim and save your self $15 a month.
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  • Greatfellow
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    Rosveen wrote: »
    Massive Multiplayer Online. It's right there in the name of the genre...
    Nihili wrote: »
    Why is there no offline mode? I assume this is something relevant to all MMO's, but I can't possibly understand why? I'd love to see an offline mode, it would allow me to finally play this game more than a handful times a month, as I have to visit my family/friends for sustainable internet. Is there a way to play offline?

    You know, with this particular game they probably could create an offline single-player version. the content is so huge it would be a great deal at $60.00. U.S.
    IMO it's an enjoyable MMO, but it would suck as a single player TES game. It lacks so many features it's not even funny. Though I have no doubt people would buy it...

    i was thinking if they did an offline single-player version, they'd just add an end-story to it. For me, that would be enough. it wouldn't necessarily be a great game story-wise, but it would be a great world to explore.
  • AngryNord
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    Sleep wrote: »
    This is not a single player game with a multiplayer mode.

    That's debatable, given all the forced solo stuff.
  • PBpsy
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    Nihili wrote: »
    Why is there no offline mode? I assume this is something relevant to all MMO's, but I can't possibly understand why? I'd love to see an offline mode, it would allow me to finally play this game more than a handful times a month, as I have to visit my family/friends for sustainable internet. Is there a way to play offline?

    Reason no.1 -An online game of this magnitude is very different to program and run than a single player game. Trying to make it work both ways would almost require to program 2 completely new games. Since making games unfortunately requires money this does not make sense.

    Reason no.2 -This is a huge MMO and requires a constant inflow of money to run.They have no reason to reduce the number of subs. Also this game has a quite a few Skyrims worth of content. Would you be willing to pay a few times $60 for an offline mode?
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  • timidobserver
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    Eh, their plate is already full enough without trying to rebuild the game from scratch as a singleplayer game.
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  • Audigy
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    With an offline mode you wouldn't be able to play at all. With whom are you going to trade, do dungeons, talk or socialize?

    Wouldn't it be boring to run around in such a huge world without ever meeting anyone?
    You need to keep in mind that ESO relies heavy on human interaction, this isn't Skyrim where every NPC has in depth stories to tell and you can manually adjust them to your liking by mods.
  • Attorneyatlawl
    Attorneyatlawl
    Community Ambassador
    AngryNord wrote: »
    Sleep wrote: »
    This is not a single player game with a multiplayer mode.

    That's debatable, given all the forced solo stuff.

    The tiny amount of "forced solo" stuff (i.e. the main story quest and a tiny handful of other ones) is all set to a very low difficulty and comprises less than 1% of the game's content, handily.
    dharbert wrote: »
    Nihili wrote: »
    Why is there no offline mode? I assume this is something relevant to all MMO's, but I can't possibly understand why? I'd love to see an offline mode, it would allow me to finally play this game more than a handful times a month, as I have to visit my family/friends for sustainable internet. Is there a way to play offline?

    Sorry, but you are the one who purchased an online-only game knowing full well that you don't have a reliable internet connection.

    There is a very good reason that this MMO, among others, do not have an offline mode. You would have a huge advantage over everyone who plays online. If this game had an offline mode, you could farm every resource type and chests, without any competition. You could go to Cryodiil and farm AP and complete every dungeon and collect every skyshard without fear of being killed in PvP because there would be no one else there to stop you. These are only a couple of reasons why.

    Quoted for emphasis, additionally, look at diablo 2 and its online multiplayer that allowed offline mode... character edits and hacks everywhere ;).
    'Nuff said. You can't maintain the integrity of the game allowing off-server play, and it's an online-only game that was purchased fully knowing such.
    Edited by Attorneyatlawl on September 15, 2014 7:50AM

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  • Stranglehands
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    Offline = Hacked to sh**

    This
    And also this is why so many things are synced to the server when you think they shouldn't need to be, because the more game logic is client side, the more people can hack it. Really just about everything that sucks about MMOs comes down to stopping people from breaking the game
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  • guybrushtb16_ESO
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    1. the big money they make with the game is the subscriptions.
    2. Nobody in their right mind you pay 15$ a month for a single player game.
    3. Forced online mode is the only working form of copy protection on pc.
    4. An offline version would be direct, strong competition for the online game.

    No matter how much you want it, it would be an incredibly stupid business decision for them to implement.
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