Is it weird to play an MMO solo?

Darkenarlol

it is yur money spended on the game

it is your time spended playing it

looks like it is up to you and only you

to decide how to play and what is

definition of *fun* for you

SeaGtGruff

I look at it as an alternate world.

In the real world, just because you live in a universe where other people also exist doesn't mean that you're obliged to interact with them all the time and engage in group activities all the time.

I don't know about you, but I very much enjoy my me time-- although, yes, sometimes I enjoy spending time with other people.

To a large extent, this depends on how much other people's interests and needs coincide with mine. If we have something in common-- a shared interest or goal-- I'm going to be more inclined to interact with them.

But if I've got something else I'm doing-- whether it's for myself or for someone else-- I'm going to be more inclined to just do whatever I need or want to do, and ignore everyone else for a while.

The thing that makes The Elder Scrolls games great is that they're virtual sandboxes where you can choose what you want to do-- just like in the real world-- and there's an attempt to make the NPCs seem like real people you can interact with. But they are behaving in accordance with a fixed script, so it isn't the same as being able to interact with real people. And that's what makes The Elder Scrolls Online so great-- you actually can interact with real people.

Of course, that can also be a curse, since-- let's face it-- some (a lot of?) people are jerks or worse, or maybe they're just very boring to you, and you probably wouldn't want to interact with them in real life, either. So just as in real life, you make friends with some people while trying to ignore or avoid other people. Maybe you join a few clubs (guilds). Or maybe you try to keep to yourself as much as possible.

And just as in the real world, there are a lot of activities that you can do on your own, including some things that at first are difficult to do alone because you aren't knowledgeable or competent enough yet, but after a while you get more experienced and skilled and can tackle them by yourself. But maybe you like to do them with a friend or two anyway.

And there are other activities which are basically impossible for one person to do alone.

You can decide which sorts of activities you want to do-- the solo activities or the group activities. There's nothing that says you must do both types.

Ollowaiin2

U beater

TheShadowScout

ozm8ey wrote: »

Is it weird to play an MMO solo?

Yes.
...
But not uncommon.

(Yeah, Solo Play is -still- exactly how I am in ESO and most other MMOs I ever played...)

SirAndy wrote: »

I play mostly solo, and yes, i'm most certainly weird ...

Likewise.

But hey, its not so bad...

mann9753b16_ESO

Honestly, I dont see ESO as an MMORPG whenever I log in.

I see it as the best Elder Scrolls game with tons of content, the best Lockpicking mechanic and with the option of Multiplayer.

Seeing other people running around makes the world feel alive, but honestly, I see most of them as NPCs on a normal day.

I group for Dungeons, but thats it for most parts.

sudaki_eso

Depends on the mmo, in eso you can play almost everything solo, except for trials and some vet dungeons there is no need for a group. So there is nothing wrong in enjoying the content alone if 99% of the game can be done solo.

BlueViolet

I play solo too. I prefer it like that.
On occasion I'll group with some guildies, for WB's runs or something, but I like my solo play. I read everything ,explore everything, and look at everything, and I don't like to feel that I'm possibly holding someone back while playing, so it's best to play alone.
Unless it's with one of my kids, and then I do all that just to annoy them

BRogueNZ

It's a close thing, but collectively you are better to be around than NPC's

pvp wise zone chat and questionable decisions are more entertaining than a replay of yesterday's map movement or constant (vulgar) displays of power or lack of at resources

If I group I can expect to add nearly a minute (or to get disconnected) in load screens when it matters.
if discord was battle 'coms only I could tolerate using it
I sometimes just prefer to watch, dead or alive.
normally dead. it's regular live entertainment with no need to hit [follow].

wishlist14

It's your game so you choose how you want to play. I spend a lot of time soloing but at those times I'll read zone chat and sometimes participate, sometimes i join a guild for a while and it gets chatty but then it's completely quiet so I leave cause I usually think it's because of something I said...cause of my anxiety 😆 i in another guild now ( fingers crossed)

If im questing I like to relax and go at my pace...look at what i want without feeling like I'm making the other person wait for me.Dungeons are fun with guildies. Im both social and chatty and then I can very quickly become quiet and need my own space.

My short anwer is : all gamers are a bunch of weirdos so who among us has the right to judge? 😛🙃🤓

efster

No, it's not weird.

It's only weird if you play solo and expect to be able to get all the in-game achievements like you could in a single-player game.

Elwendryll

I only play with people when I absolutely have to. If I have to farm purple jewelry on a vet dungeon and I can solo it... I will solo it.

Gatviper

It's totally fine to mostly go solo in a MMORPG, I did it in Everquest II before the game went almost entirely to the drain, and do it here most of the time as well. While at the same time I have complete swap gear sets for PvP, dps and healing and not shy doing PuGs / PvP either as DD or Healer, where I can certainly hold high profile in both roles.
But yeah going solo is more relaxing most of the time, either PvE or PvP, when there's no mood sticking with the group but to roam free where you want, how fast / slow you want.

Auros

@OP : start watching twitch streams of ESO and you will discover the power of community.

I used to play solo many MMOs in the past and ESO till one day.... yes! I tried to group .... and never came back

ESO's main strength is - it is so social friendly.

mague

ozm8ey wrote: »

Anyway is it weird to solo in an MMO? Like doesn't it sorta defeat its purpose?

Short answer: No. Its cool the way you like it.

mistermacintosh

It's not a traditional MMO (few are these days because they want single player money as well). MMO is more a of a brand they use to pull in multiplayers with now. If the game features, and continues to feature solo content, then you shouldn't feel bad for soloing it.

maboleth

No.

ErMurazor

Yes its wierd, this aint a solo game, most endgame content are for groups. Ofc you can play it solo but its still wierd

Nightowl_74

I don't think it's strange not to have people you regularly socialize with and/or not to do group content, in this game. The second option is what I think of as a solo player and I've also played MMOs where I think it would be odd never to participate in group activities, although it's none of my business. It just depends on how much a particular game allows you to accomplish alone.

I can see how it might defeat the purpose for some but maybe others are looking to get something different out of the experience. Personally, I like that the world is less static and I spend a lot of time doing my own thing but I'm more inclined to search for a regular group than either go completely solo or join a random one.

Sylosi

Not really any "weirder" than the way most people who don't play solo play. I mean quite a lot play as a duo, that isn't very 'massively multiplayer' either. Also most people who play in some sort of group, also play solo at least some of the time, there are very few people who only ever play as a group in these games.

Same for 4 man instanced dungeons, this is supposed to be 'massively multiplayer' and supposed to be part of a persistent world, not a little 4 man co-op side game outside that.

The only things that have some reasonable claim to be 'massively multiplayer' in this game are the economy, zone chat, Cyrodil, etc.

Most MMORPGs threw the 'massively multiplayer' bit under the bus years ago to cater to people who wanted to play solo, duo or with a small group of players.

Banana

Welcome. Theres plenty of us solo people.

Neoealth

Nothing odd about it at all OP. I think most of us play solo for a large amount of our play session (When we are not doing trials or PVP ofc)

RedTalon

Not really I have been doing it for a number of years

AcadianPaladin

90% of my play in ESO is solo and most of my limited group play is only duo. I enjoy how the game plays solo and I'm there to spend time with my elf - not other players. My 'end game' as a soloist is most of the alliance zone WBs and a fair number of alliance zone normal group dungeons. It took me a couple years to get there, but I'm glad the game provides a wide spectrum of challenges for all skill levels and interests.

What I want is a massive open world solo rpg set in a medieval fantasy world. Oblivion and Skyrim are good but, after 4000 hours playing each, they are not massive. ESO is good and, the fact that it is multiplayer is a drawback I live with for now.

For me, the biggest downside of multiplayer is not so much other players as this multiplayer obsession with 'nerfbalance' that infects everyone's game and cannot be overcome with mods like it can with single player games. I always feel like I'm building my character on a foundation of shifting sand.

redlink1979

You can do the majority of things on your own. With others it just gets easier