Question for Solo Players

thadjarvis · June 21

ESO is a good solo game for the population that likes Skyrim or other adventure RPG's on lowest difficulty. Makes sense to market to them. The absence of a difficulty setting narrows the population but there's a lot of people it fits.

It's not unique to ESO; I've heard it very common for people to play say SW mmo just to run through questlines and never do any MP.

Nestor · June 21

Play on PC. I like grouping up for things, but Coms is a pain in the butt.

I like playing most content single, and the other players running around doing their thing makes the world feel alive.

I like that there is group content that I may never ever do like most Trials and vet dlc Dungeons. Mostly because it attracts more players to the game.

ghastley · June 21

There is not just one way to play solo. There are quite a few players who solo while in a group, such as the speed runners in dungeons who race ahead of the others.

FelisCatus · June 21

ToRelax wrote: »

FelisCatus wrote: »

[...]discord where you will only hear cringe, unfunny Germans (not all Germans are this way it just happens to be the ones I've met) who feel the need to fill the silence with bad puns and icebreaker jokes.
[...]
animation cancelling - it's a feature not a bug
[...]
ESO's community know little of patience or perseverance. Expect the same generic excuses of "Oh I have another raid" or "I have dinner" what psycho does raids back to back on the same day.
[...]

Or, here's a radical thought, it may just be you.

I only experience these issues in ESO, so maybe it's just the demographic that play ESO.

Desiato · June 21

ToRelax wrote: »

FelisCatus wrote: »

[...]discord where you will only hear cringe, unfunny Germans (not all Germans are this way it just happens to be the ones I've met) who feel the need to fill the silence with bad puns and icebreaker jokes.
[...]
animation cancelling - it's a feature not a bug
[...]
ESO's community know little of patience or perseverance. Expect the same generic excuses of "Oh I have another raid" or "I have dinner" what psycho does raids back to back on the same day.
[...]

Or, here's a radical thought, it may just be you.

They have a point about voice chat etiquette. Back in the TS days, I seem to recall etiquette was more tightly enforced.

These days, I'm routinely exposed to hot mics with:
- background tv/movies/music/in-game sounds
- heavy breathing
- slurping of beverages
- players talking to themselves as they make ability changes "do I want this or... hmmm.. maybe I'll... wait, no.."
- background spouses

And then there's the small talkers. Sometimes there will be a pair who think the other 10 people are there to listen to them chat or the tank who thinks their comm privileges extend to constant commentary and jokes.

I'm so thankful when I have a RL who will say something about these things.

shadyjane62 · June 21

Desiato wrote: »

ToRelax wrote: »

FelisCatus wrote: »

[...]discord where you will only hear cringe, unfunny Germans (not all Germans are this way it just happens to be the ones I've met) who feel the need to fill the silence with bad puns and icebreaker jokes.
[...]
animation cancelling - it's a feature not a bug
[...]
ESO's community know little of patience or perseverance. Expect the same generic excuses of "Oh I have another raid" or "I have dinner" what psycho does raids back to back on the same day.
[...]

Or, here's a radical thought, it may just be you.

They have a point about voice chat etiquette. Back in the TS days, I seem to recall etiquette was more tightly enforced.

These days, I'm routinely exposed to hot mics with:
- background tv/movies/music/in-game sounds
- heavy breathing
- slurping of beverages
- players talking to themselves as they make ability changes "do I want this or... hmmm.. maybe I'll... wait, no.."
- background spouses

And then there's the small talkers. Sometimes there will be a pair who think the other 10 people are there to listen to them chat or the tank who thinks their comm privileges extends to constant commentary and jokes.

I'm so thankful when I have a RL who will say something about these things.

I will not use discord even if it limits me in PvP. Some groups won't take you if you don't use it. I just follow them around rather than hear anything they have to say.

SeaGtGruff · June 21

SilverBride wrote: »

Danikat wrote: »

FYI no one in this topic has critised solo players or said anyone shouldn't play solo.The OP asked the question...

The question asked was "My main question is to solo players , why do you play solo only in an Mmorpg?"

This indicates an expectation that if anyone plays a multiplayer game they should be grouping up and actively playing with others, and if they aren't then an explanation is needed.

Not only that, but I find the original question to be inherently flawed, as it is directed "to solo players" and then asks why they "play solo only." Solo and grouped are two playing modes, and very few players play just one of those modes exclusively. If they primarily play solo, they probably play grouped from time to time, or at least alongside other players. And if they primarily play grouped, they probably play solo from time to time, because guess what, there are solo instances in certain questlines! So asking someone who identifies as a "solo" player why they play "solo only" implies that anyone who prefers solo play does not ever play grouped, which is a very unlikely scenario in my opinion.

liliub17_ESO · June 21

Most of the time I quest solo ... because, like me, my guildmates and friends also have work and families and other things which means our times to group may not mesh well. When we do manage to get together, it's fun. Sometimes I just log in for a daily and off again because I'm tired from work or busy with another project.

Plus I do not enjoy zerging from place to place or endless combat. I prefer exploring a map and peeking into nooks and niches - which often mean I find goodies overlooked by others (or a fight

).

SteveCampsOut · June 22

People make my head hurt!

GuuMoonRyoung · June 22

Syldras wrote: »

ThoraxtheDark wrote: »

My main question is to solo players , why do you play solo only in an Mmorpg?

The only reason I started playing ESO was that it's a TES game and I enjoy the lore. With no new story content since Skyrim in 2011, this seemed like a reasonable way to bridge the time until the next singleplayer TES game.

ThoraxtheDark wrote: »

Also I want to genuinely ask if you think a live service single player game is the type of game you would enjoy in the future? Do you want cosmetics and a store in every game you play?

No.

Agree with both answers, just want to add something to the first question, for many solo players, defeating something solo that only a group can defeat, is a huge sense of accomplishment.

Then there are times when you just don't want to be bothered by people and want to just do some daily stuff on your own and log out as you have something very important to do irl.

ZOS_Icy · June 22

Greetings,

We have recently removed some unnecessary off-topic back and forth from this thread. This is a reminder to keep the discussion civil and constructive. Please keep our Community Rules in mind moving forward.

Thank you for your understanding.

Eldartar · June 22

Nathrai wrote: »

To be true, I find the question borderline offensive, and it sounds kind of baity. Like a "you're doing it wrong - why?", especially with the paragraph about live services.

But here's a few personal reasons:

1) Elder Scrolls, of course.

Most single player games have this shallow, utilitarian background world, whereas many a plant had to be smoked in order to bring us the vast and lively world of the Aurbis.

2) Being alone together.

It's hard to imagine since nowadays the internet has been turned into this phrenetic extrovert fest, but in the beginning it was a safe haven for introverted people to be "alone together". Doing stuff our way at our pace, but never lonely. Existing parallel to each other, helping each other out when need be, sometimes writing with each other, sometimes just quietly enjoying life side by side.

3) Helping out or getting help.

Few people are exclusively playing solo. I know no-one, and so far I can only spot one in this thread so far (and they have every right to do so!). Most of us actually do band together (formally in groups and guilds or informally during overworld content) from time to time, helping each other out or simply enjoying the benefit of being stronger together.

As has been mentioned above, even the simple act of selling an item can help another player to get something they are not able/willing to gain on their own.

4) Socializing while playing.

Guilds are a great way to casually socialize while playing, without the need to do the same stuff at the same time. Instead of playing a single player game and having to switch between Discord and the game, you can just read and write right there - or you can ignore the chat while being "in the zone" or doing more demanding stuff.

5) A lively world.

While I would gladly take a pass on exploding particle effect monstrosities galloping through the cities, other players make the world feel alive. I love cities bustling with activity, seing actual people on the streets, marveling at other people's outfits or proudly displaying my own.

And sometime I even revel in fighting hiding from other people, enemies with an actual brain that don't just stand in my AEOs to be slaughtered. Sneaking through IC just wouldn't be the same kind of enjoyable stress with just a bunch of mindless NPC enemies around.

6) Roleplay - the real deal, not cRPG.

I've fallen out of love with roleplaying a while ago thanks to the toxic RP community, but ESO just simply is the PERFECT MMO for that kind of stuff. For a couple of years, soloing more advanced stuff was mainly a way to earn outfits, pets, housing (items) and so on to use in RP.

7) Continuity.

I'm right with whoever wrote that they don't like games ending. With me that's going so far as to me abandoning a game right before the end just so I don't get to the dreaded credits screen.

ESO doesn't simply end, there's always something to do, always a new chapter or DLC to look forward to. And, other than single player live service games, it's not terribly overpriced and almost non-existant new content we get, but whole new storylines, new systems, great dialog with fleshed out characters.

If (according to your post) you don't really enjoy the quests and systems, maybe you're actually the one playing it wrong instead? Because ESO has a LOT of interesting content.

So, no. I don't want single player games with live services, because in single player games they are just worthless predatory gimmicks instead of actual content to look forward to. And I don't want to pay extra for cosmetics (I'll never understand the concept when nobody but myself will ever see it).

The crown store is a totally different beast. Is it silly to pay 100 bucks for a stupid virtual house? Yes, it is. But to me it's a way to pay for servers and continuous development. I get something nice for my "donation", and I know during times when money is tight, I can play for free with others paying instead. To me it's not a hopelessly overpriced transaction, but rather an investment, one that has brought me thousands of enjoyable hours in this game.

This says it all for me. nothing more to add.

MorganaBlue · June 22

ESO was my first MMO- When I started playing ESO I played solo at the beginning, started doing group play so I could experience group content, then people happened and I went full circle back to playing solo - not only in ESO but in all of the MMO's I've played since. People ruined MMOs for me.

edit to add: I continue to play MMOs because they're more "dynamic" than single player games in terms of updates and additions to the game. Single player games are more static, thus less interesting to me.

Inyhel · June 22

For story, lore, and the questing life of course. Not going to miss out on all that Elder Scrolls goodness just because they have multiplayer features.

To be honest, I'm not sure why people who focus on multiplayer choose RPG based online games when there are other genres that are much more suited to multiplayer, like shooters, battle royal, and arenas.

It might come as a surprise to youngsters, but when I was a kid, all RPGs were single player. The level of escapism and roleplaying is much more satisfying when you're the only hero and not having to tolerate other random idiots breaking your immersion.

The great thing about multiplayer enabled games though is that they attract the the type of people who pay ridiculous money for various forms of social validation, so it keeps the game afloat, bringing more updates and content for solo players, so it all works out in the end.

Syldras · June 22

Inyhel wrote: »

To be honest, I'm not sure why people who focus on multiplayer choose RPG based online games when there are other genres that are much more suited to multiplayer, like shooters, battle royal, and arenas.

And still there have always been people who wished to be able to play together since TES3 Morrowind (or maybe even since Daggerfall, but Morrowind was the first TES game I know of where people were working on a multiplayer mod).

Nathrai · June 22

A short anecdote of how other players can be inadvertendly exhausting sometimes: I was just running a WB that I can usually easily solo - but I died twice this time, because the other player kept spreading the enemies all over the place and out of my AOEs, so I couldn't deal enough damage to heal.

They did NOTHING wrong (they wouldn't know my built depends on dealing damage to heal) and they were perfectly curteous, so no blame goes to them.

But it was stil exhausting, and after the second death I kinda wished I could switch to another instance ... sometimes, the game can actually be EASIER when you solo ...

Inyhel wrote: »

The great thing about multiplayer enabled games though is that they attract the the type of people who pay ridiculous money for various forms of social validation, so it keeps the game afloat, bringing more updates and content for solo players, so it all works out in the end.

Hey, to be fair, some of us pay ridiculous money for keeping the game afloat, without the middle man of social validation!

TaSheen · June 22

Nathrai wrote: »

<snip>

Inyhel wrote: »

The great thing about multiplayer enabled games though is that they attract the the type of people who pay ridiculous money for various forms of social validation, so it keeps the game afloat, bringing more updates and content for solo players, so it all works out in the end.

Hey, to be fair, some of us pay ridiculous money for keeping the game afloat, without the middle man of social validation!

Absolutely! I don't do social at all in any context, but I certainly do my share to keep ESO afloat - 4 annual subs....

[Um, that's a bit disingenuous though - this forum is a sort of social media after all....]

LaintalAy · June 22

ThoraxtheDark wrote: »

As someone who has played mmorpgs for over 15 years of my life. The main draw to it for me, and to many others over the years is the community, the cooperative play, silly and random interactions, meeting new people etc.

Everyone knows the quests, the grind, the loot is all pretty basic but it's the replayability of the group content that really drives people to keep doing the same quests over and over.

This game has been heavily marketed to the "Solo" player the last few years and the game has definitely reflected that both with the content , and the community. My main question is to solo players , why do you play solo only in an Mmorpg?

Also I want to genuinely ask if you think a live service single player game is the type of game you would enjoy in the future? Do you want cosmetics and a store in every game you play? ( I promise I don't work for EA or Blizzard)

Co-operative play is a rarity. People just do what they want in dungeons, regardless of the other players. Trials are different in that they are gate-kept by the convener.

I rarely do quests. I farm mats and chest. Game play outside of those activities is centered around skill point gathering.
I'm not in the army; I follow along behind it with supplies.

I have no idea what you mean by 'live service single player' MSPO? I'm open to optional extras, as long as they are value-for-money and not placed behind a gamble - a guaranteed result for my spend; not a chance result.
What do EA or Blizzard have to do with this? I thought ZOS were owned by MS.

Nathrai · June 22

LaintalAy wrote: »

I have no idea what you mean by 'live service single player' MSPO? I'm open to optional extras, as long as they are value-for-money and not placed behind a gamble - a guaranteed result for my spend; not a chance result.
What do EA or Blizzard have to do with this? I thought ZOS were owned by MS.

It was most problably meant as a "Got you!" moment. Comparing a solo gamer spending money on Crown Store Items to the predatory [put some choice words here that would make a breton harbour seamstress blush] that EA and Blizzard are putting in their "single player" games.

(Though, to be fair, Bethesda started the whole micro transaction trend with the legendary Horse Armour :P )

The sad thing is, live service COULD have worked for single player games, if implemented in an ethical way. It never was and never will be.

FelisCatus · June 23

Desiato wrote: »

ToRelax wrote: »

FelisCatus wrote: »

[...]discord where you will only hear cringe, unfunny Germans (not all Germans are this way it just happens to be the ones I've met) who feel the need to fill the silence with bad puns and icebreaker jokes.
[...]
animation cancelling - it's a feature not a bug
[...]
ESO's community know little of patience or perseverance. Expect the same generic excuses of "Oh I have another raid" or "I have dinner" what psycho does raids back to back on the same day.
[...]

Or, here's a radical thought, it may just be you.

They have a point about voice chat etiquette. Back in the TS days, I seem to recall etiquette was more tightly enforced.

These days, I'm routinely exposed to hot mics with:
- background tv/movies/music/in-game sounds
- heavy breathing
- slurping of beverages
- players talking to themselves as they make ability changes "do I want this or... hmmm.. maybe I'll... wait, no.."
- background spouses

And then there's the small talkers. Sometimes there will be a pair who think the other 10 people are there to listen to them chat or the tank who thinks their comm privileges extend to constant commentary and jokes.

I'm so thankful when I have a RL who will say something about these things.

Yeah it's why I avoid guilds and other players as much as I can.

vsrs_au · June 23

Inyhel wrote: »

For story, lore, and the questing life of course. Not going to miss out on all that Elder Scrolls goodness just because they have multiplayer features.

To be honest, I'm not sure why people who focus on multiplayer choose RPG based online games when there are other genres that are much more suited to multiplayer, like shooters, battle royal, and arenas.

It might come as a surprise to youngsters, but when I was a kid, all RPGs were single player. The level of escapism and roleplaying is much more satisfying when you're the only hero and not having to tolerate other random idiots breaking your immersion.

The great thing about multiplayer enabled games though is that they attract the the type of people who pay ridiculous money for various forms of social validation, so it keeps the game afloat, bringing more updates and content for solo players, so it all works out in the end.

"random idiots"
"people who pay ridiculous money"

If you dislike other players that much, why do you still play the game?

HalfDragoness · June 23

ThoraxtheDark wrote: »

This game has been heavily marketed to the "Solo" player the last few years and the game has definitely reflected that both with the content , and the community. My main question is to solo players , why do you play solo only in an Mmorpg?
quote]

I don't play exclusively solo, I have joined Vet Trial guilds for short periods of time with the goal of completing a trial on veteran, same for dungeon content. However the main reason I mostly play solo is to be able to go at my own pace, whether that pace is fast or slow. I have to adjust to other people's paces so much in my day to day life that having a game where I can do stuff without either feeling rushed or feeling like I'm the one rushing is the primary reason for solo play.

Don't get me wrong I do enjoy playing with friends or guildies sometimes but I generally play alone to avoid matching other peoples pace.

Nathrai · June 23

vsrs_au wrote: »

"random idiots"
"people who pay ridiculous money"

If you dislike other players that much, why do you still play the game?

This ... has been answered multiple times? 5 pages of replies, most of which hold true for players wo "dislike other players" ...

Inyhel · June 23

vsrs_au wrote: »

"random idiots"
"people who pay ridiculous money"

If you dislike other players that much, why do you still play the game?

Read the first line of my previous post. Pause. And attempt comprehension before posting a reply.

It seems to me that many people who are perplexed by solo players are personally offended that their presence is not wanted in an online game. Don't take it personally.

Elsonso · June 23

Inyhel wrote: »

It might come as a surprise to youngsters, but when I was a kid, all RPGs were single player. The level of escapism and roleplaying is much more satisfying when you're the only hero and not having to tolerate other [people] breaking your immersion.

Actually... RPGs are historically multi-player. It is only a subset of computer RPGs, which are themselves a subset of all RPGs, that are single player.

Nathrai wrote: »

The sad thing is, live service COULD have worked for single player games, if implemented in an ethical way. It never was and never will be.

It is possible that when laws catch up with live services technology, and if they are so structured that they enforce popular ethical thinking, that there can be ethical single player live service games.

It will take laws, though. Businesses are rather fickle when it comes to "ethics" where legality is not in question.

ADarklore · June 24

I play an MMO solo because... I'm not a 'game hopper' in that I don't like switching games often. I like to invest in a single game long-term, and only MMO's offer that. Most single player games might get a year of updates, but then it's done. I love the dynamic of seeing other random players in the world, sometimes helping each other, it just makes the world seem more REAL- which is important if you play a single game long-term.

I also like the constant updates (most of the time) and additions to the game. Also being able to play at my own pace, do what "I" want when I want, and not have to worry about the drama usually associated with playing with groups.

What's interesting, is that MOST MMO's these days are changing to allow soloing much easier. They're realizing that the number of players who actually want to group/socialize is not as vast as they believed, and considering the sheer number of MMO's out there, those players are too spread out to financially support a game solely focused on group content. What they are also finding is that there is a very large number of solo players who want to invest long-term into a single game.

alpha_synuclein · June 24

FelisCatus wrote: »

what psycho does raids back to back on the same day.

Hello

Inyhel · June 28

Elsonso wrote: »

Actually... RPGs are historically multi-player. It is only a subset of computer RPGs, which are themselves a subset of all RPGs, that are single player.

[/quote]

Single player RPGs outnumbered multiplayer RPGs by hundreds if not thousands. This is pretty much common knowledge and true for a vast majority of the gaming public. Most kids will have owned games consoles rather than computers before 2000, and couch co-op would have been with friends and family in action, puzzle, or shooter games.

Syldras · June 28

Inyhel wrote: »

Single player RPGs outnumbered multiplayer RPGs by hundreds if not thousands. This is pretty much common knowledge and true for a vast majority of the gaming public. Most kids will have owned games consoles rather than computers before 2000, and couch co-op would have been with friends and family in action, puzzle, or shooter games.

Elsonso was talking about roleplaying games of the traditional kind. Tabletop/pen&paper.

SydneyGrey · June 28

I play mostly solo because MMOs are constantly updating, so there is always new content to play. With single-player games you need to wait months or years for DLC, if any ever come, and sometimes you never even get DLC or expansions.

Also, I like interacting with other players sometimes, just not constantly.