Ray Of Light
05-16-2006, 07:00 AM
[ This is just my musings and not an attack on the game ; I am interested to hear what other people think of the idea. :D ]
The cogs in my head have been turning since my recently posted elite henchperson suggestion, and now I have come up with some sound ( IMO ) reasoning why : playing the entire PvE content of Guild Wars solo should be a sound alternative to Pick Up Groups.
Currently ~ Solo Not-a-go-go
It is a fact that playing solo is discouraged by the set-up of Guild Wars, as part of the core ethos ( quite reasonably for an online game ). Of course ; huge props to Anet for including solo play capability at all, and it was certainly the biggest factor in selling GW to myself and my brother.
* Stated that henchpersons are toned down to make PUGs more appealing.
* Henchperson AI is kept primitive compared even to monsters ( e.g. AoE, ressing ).
* Henchperson skill sets are often weak, in particular with Elites that are entirely unsuitable for general PvE ( e.g. Charge ) or indiscriminate use ( e.g. Lingering Curse ).
* Henchpersons will not provide mission interaction ( e.g carrying burdens, targetting mission critical foes such as crystal runners ).
All with a good reason - GW is an online game and keeping people playing together is what ' makes ' an online game. But does it have to be...
Consideration ~ Bang For Your Buck
Thanks to a revolutionary sales model, Guild Wars is not an online game that has to keep selling itself month after month : you pay your money > the game is yours > you have fun > next campaign releases and the intent is that you want to buy that too.
So with that in mind, perhaps rather than encouraging a particular playstyle ( PUG, or other player groups ) it would be even more commercially successful to also make solo play as viable/fun as possible. The freedom to choose is a good thing. :D
Consideration ~ Where'd All The Good People Go ?
It is a fact that people playing Factions = less people playing Prophecies, and that when subsequent campaigns release each preceding campaign becomes emptier.
When there are not other people around, players must face quests & missions solo.
It is a fact that some quests & missions either are, or verge on, impossible for certain professions ( no matter the build ) to solo. Specific examples being Aurora Glade and Boreas Seabed ( for some professions ).
Even certain bosses can be impossible for a player to overcome with available hanechpersons, such as taking down a level 28 Mursaat Monk ( or even the dreaded Mursaat Monk boss + Mursaat Monk combo :shock: ). Few professions have access to the necessary interrupting/disabling powers necessary.
So at some point in the future, it seems inevitable that some challenges will have to be reworked or henchpersons upgraded. :?
Consideration ~ Dude, Where's My Charr ?
People start out as rookies. They play with veterans. They gain skill. They become veterans. They play with rookies. That is why PUGs are the best system.
Right ? Wrong ( possibly ).
People in Thunderhead Keep that have never heard of infusion. People in Maguuma with starter armour. Level 12s in Naphui Quarters. AoE pyromancers in Hell's Precipice.
These players did not get there with henchpersons. They were carried along with veteran parties, and along the way they did not pick up a clue.
It would help rookie players, and those who currently team with them, if :
* Rookies were able to face difficult challenges solo and get at least far enough to learn valuable lessons.
* Rookies had to stand on their own two feet sometimes because more experienced players felt that they could be successful solo.
Consideration ~ Boy Meets World, Hates It
There are three negatives that online gaming must face : subscription fees, stagnation and jerks.
Guild Wars conquered subscription fees ( hurrah ! :D ).
Anet combat stagnation with quite some gusto.
But jerks...
Almost everyone meets jerks in online games at some point, and with enough jerk incidents either quits their game or feels like doing so.
While gritting their teeth and sticking the mission out with jerks ' for the team ' might achieve the objective, they will still leave their gaming session with the knowledge that their play experience was quantifiably less fun.
It is not the responsiblity of online gaming companies to factor in that sometimes players want to game without other people, but it is an opportunity for Anet to broaden the market ( and draw in unhappy online gamers ) by saying that " hey, if you do not want to socialise you don't have to ! ".
Consideration ~ Brotherhood Of Man
Co-operative PvE can be a good thing. It adds an extra-dimension and enjoyable interaction can make a good gaming session great.
Co-operative PvE deserves it's special place, and it is quite possible to uphold that with strong solo capabilities. High level challenges such as the Underworld, Fissure Of Woe and Titan Quests would always be the realm of co-operative PvE.
Quite possibly such co-op would be enhanced by a stronger solo game, as experienced solo players have a greater understanding of the complexities of GW and their own role within a team ( solo as a Monk and you know the exact impact of each of your healing spells, co-op as a Monk and you never know if it is your Orison Of Healing or their Vampiric Gaze that is keeping a player alive ).
Consideration ~ Diablo In A Blue Dress
My final consideration, and one that I really believe Anet should contemplate as it could be very lucrative indeed.
Offline RPGs are not what they used to be. Diablo, Planscape Torment and Baldur's Gate were giants that strode the PC landscape and made the RPG genre something to behold. But they are gone now, and the offline RPG field consists of :
* The Elder Scrolls series, which divides RPGers in to those that love it and those that absolutely loathe it.
* Neverwinter Nights, which performs well but has yet to fulfill its potential ( particularly with packaged content ).
* The Dungeon Siege series, almost universally lightweight.
* Knights Of The Old Republic ( still ? ), which has gone from hmm to iffy.
* The upcoming Titan Quest, that might be a big hit.
* Diablo clones that tend to look dated compared to Diablo itself, somehow.
There has never been a better time for an online RPG to put a Godzilla like foot on to offline RPG territory and stake a claim - and as the only big commerical subscriptionless RPG, Guild Wars is just the game to do so.
Compared to the current generation of offline RPGs, GW is :
* Bigger and growing ( shame on you, Neverwinter ).
* Prettier by far ( system requirements of a super computer is cheating, Oblivion ).
* More tactical, without wandering in to micromanagement ( shame on you, Dungeon Siege ).
* More balanced, which is necessary in the longterm ( shame on you, Oblivion ).
* Capable of letting your beloved characters move from one game to the next - no need to wave goodbye.
* Just more fun ( /glaresatOblivion ).
In terms of play style, GW is a spiritual successor to the Diablo series ( very welcome ) - though Factions has shown Anet dipping a toe into the deep deep pools of Baldur's Gate ( Kurzick or Luxon, Am Fah alliance, drink from the cup ? ). With a few more steps in the right direction, I can foresee even Torment falling within the shadow of Guild Wars. 8)
With widespread untimed broadband access and a conventional buy-game-got-game sales model, GW just needs a stronger solo experience and the appropriate marketing to absorb the offline RPG market.
Fin
Solo Guild Wars FTW ! :D
The cogs in my head have been turning since my recently posted elite henchperson suggestion, and now I have come up with some sound ( IMO ) reasoning why : playing the entire PvE content of Guild Wars solo should be a sound alternative to Pick Up Groups.
Currently ~ Solo Not-a-go-go
It is a fact that playing solo is discouraged by the set-up of Guild Wars, as part of the core ethos ( quite reasonably for an online game ). Of course ; huge props to Anet for including solo play capability at all, and it was certainly the biggest factor in selling GW to myself and my brother.
* Stated that henchpersons are toned down to make PUGs more appealing.
* Henchperson AI is kept primitive compared even to monsters ( e.g. AoE, ressing ).
* Henchperson skill sets are often weak, in particular with Elites that are entirely unsuitable for general PvE ( e.g. Charge ) or indiscriminate use ( e.g. Lingering Curse ).
* Henchpersons will not provide mission interaction ( e.g carrying burdens, targetting mission critical foes such as crystal runners ).
All with a good reason - GW is an online game and keeping people playing together is what ' makes ' an online game. But does it have to be...
Consideration ~ Bang For Your Buck
Thanks to a revolutionary sales model, Guild Wars is not an online game that has to keep selling itself month after month : you pay your money > the game is yours > you have fun > next campaign releases and the intent is that you want to buy that too.
So with that in mind, perhaps rather than encouraging a particular playstyle ( PUG, or other player groups ) it would be even more commercially successful to also make solo play as viable/fun as possible. The freedom to choose is a good thing. :D
Consideration ~ Where'd All The Good People Go ?
It is a fact that people playing Factions = less people playing Prophecies, and that when subsequent campaigns release each preceding campaign becomes emptier.
When there are not other people around, players must face quests & missions solo.
It is a fact that some quests & missions either are, or verge on, impossible for certain professions ( no matter the build ) to solo. Specific examples being Aurora Glade and Boreas Seabed ( for some professions ).
Even certain bosses can be impossible for a player to overcome with available hanechpersons, such as taking down a level 28 Mursaat Monk ( or even the dreaded Mursaat Monk boss + Mursaat Monk combo :shock: ). Few professions have access to the necessary interrupting/disabling powers necessary.
So at some point in the future, it seems inevitable that some challenges will have to be reworked or henchpersons upgraded. :?
Consideration ~ Dude, Where's My Charr ?
People start out as rookies. They play with veterans. They gain skill. They become veterans. They play with rookies. That is why PUGs are the best system.
Right ? Wrong ( possibly ).
People in Thunderhead Keep that have never heard of infusion. People in Maguuma with starter armour. Level 12s in Naphui Quarters. AoE pyromancers in Hell's Precipice.
These players did not get there with henchpersons. They were carried along with veteran parties, and along the way they did not pick up a clue.
It would help rookie players, and those who currently team with them, if :
* Rookies were able to face difficult challenges solo and get at least far enough to learn valuable lessons.
* Rookies had to stand on their own two feet sometimes because more experienced players felt that they could be successful solo.
Consideration ~ Boy Meets World, Hates It
There are three negatives that online gaming must face : subscription fees, stagnation and jerks.
Guild Wars conquered subscription fees ( hurrah ! :D ).
Anet combat stagnation with quite some gusto.
But jerks...
Almost everyone meets jerks in online games at some point, and with enough jerk incidents either quits their game or feels like doing so.
While gritting their teeth and sticking the mission out with jerks ' for the team ' might achieve the objective, they will still leave their gaming session with the knowledge that their play experience was quantifiably less fun.
It is not the responsiblity of online gaming companies to factor in that sometimes players want to game without other people, but it is an opportunity for Anet to broaden the market ( and draw in unhappy online gamers ) by saying that " hey, if you do not want to socialise you don't have to ! ".
Consideration ~ Brotherhood Of Man
Co-operative PvE can be a good thing. It adds an extra-dimension and enjoyable interaction can make a good gaming session great.
Co-operative PvE deserves it's special place, and it is quite possible to uphold that with strong solo capabilities. High level challenges such as the Underworld, Fissure Of Woe and Titan Quests would always be the realm of co-operative PvE.
Quite possibly such co-op would be enhanced by a stronger solo game, as experienced solo players have a greater understanding of the complexities of GW and their own role within a team ( solo as a Monk and you know the exact impact of each of your healing spells, co-op as a Monk and you never know if it is your Orison Of Healing or their Vampiric Gaze that is keeping a player alive ).
Consideration ~ Diablo In A Blue Dress
My final consideration, and one that I really believe Anet should contemplate as it could be very lucrative indeed.
Offline RPGs are not what they used to be. Diablo, Planscape Torment and Baldur's Gate were giants that strode the PC landscape and made the RPG genre something to behold. But they are gone now, and the offline RPG field consists of :
* The Elder Scrolls series, which divides RPGers in to those that love it and those that absolutely loathe it.
* Neverwinter Nights, which performs well but has yet to fulfill its potential ( particularly with packaged content ).
* The Dungeon Siege series, almost universally lightweight.
* Knights Of The Old Republic ( still ? ), which has gone from hmm to iffy.
* The upcoming Titan Quest, that might be a big hit.
* Diablo clones that tend to look dated compared to Diablo itself, somehow.
There has never been a better time for an online RPG to put a Godzilla like foot on to offline RPG territory and stake a claim - and as the only big commerical subscriptionless RPG, Guild Wars is just the game to do so.
Compared to the current generation of offline RPGs, GW is :
* Bigger and growing ( shame on you, Neverwinter ).
* Prettier by far ( system requirements of a super computer is cheating, Oblivion ).
* More tactical, without wandering in to micromanagement ( shame on you, Dungeon Siege ).
* More balanced, which is necessary in the longterm ( shame on you, Oblivion ).
* Capable of letting your beloved characters move from one game to the next - no need to wave goodbye.
* Just more fun ( /glaresatOblivion ).
In terms of play style, GW is a spiritual successor to the Diablo series ( very welcome ) - though Factions has shown Anet dipping a toe into the deep deep pools of Baldur's Gate ( Kurzick or Luxon, Am Fah alliance, drink from the cup ? ). With a few more steps in the right direction, I can foresee even Torment falling within the shadow of Guild Wars. 8)
With widespread untimed broadband access and a conventional buy-game-got-game sales model, GW just needs a stronger solo experience and the appropriate marketing to absorb the offline RPG market.
Fin
Solo Guild Wars FTW ! :D