Lack of Solo End-Game

[Turkeyspit.3965]

@Mortifera.6138 said:I loved PoF. I consumed the whole of Personal Story, then Living Story 3, then Living Story 4... Each took me a day to complete. After that I worked on the Griffon mount, which took me less than a day. All in all, it was the most dedicated I had been to a game in years. But then... I stopped. I had begun to lose interest and started playing less and less... What could it be? Well, after some thinking, I was able to pinpoint the problem: the lack of solo end-game content.

Now don't get wrong: this game is one of the most solo-friendly MMORPGs on the market. The problem isn't that there isn't solo content -- it's that none of it is at end-game. The only options the solo player has at end game are Living World, which is a few hours' worth of content every 90 days, and map completion. Things that require a group are: dungeons, sPvP, WvW, Fractals, Raids and World Bosses.... so most of what is available at end-game. So while journeying through Personal Story and other first-timer content is an experience rife with possibilities, there isn't much to do alone once one reaches the end game, if one is to not start over.

Yeah, but I think the GW2 Personal Story / Living Story is rather unique, at least compared to other MMOs ive played like WoW, LoTRO or D&D. It does eventually get to an end though, but I don't know if it's reasonable to expect otherwise? It is an MMO afterall, but as you said, this is an MMO that allows solo players to do pretty much anything. You don't even need to join a party or squad for anything other than dungeons/fractals. You can jump in to any meta, any bounty, any map dynamic event, any world boss.

If you are dead set against playing with anyone else, it does really limit your options, but you can still find things to do solo. Map completion, achievement farming, jumping puzzles, farming/crafting, leveling multiple different characters will keep you pretty busy. But in the end you will run out of new content for solo players because this isn't a single player game....but unlike single player games, this one keeps getting new content added to it, and you can replay it multiple times from multiple perspectives. I've logged over 1000hrs in the 13months I've played GW2, and I can only think of perhaps 2 single players game that saw me rack up as much time. Not bad value for a $60 purchase imo.

[Khisanth.2948]

@thehipone.6812 said:

@"crepuscular.9047" said:hmmm... why play a MMO if you are only after solo experience?

Because I like playing a game with other people around, but I REALLY hate wasting my available game time looking for a group, waiting for a healer, finally getting a group and having someone go "BRB smoke break" and just wasting everyone's time.

On the original topic - "fashion wars" and chasing rare drops are solo-able (or solo-able enough) endeavors. I include joining map metas in there too because you mainly just show up at the designated time. But it isn't necessary to just be a zergling. PoF seems designed for the solo player or small group of friends. The events that drop the profession minis are all soloable and offer a chance at rare/valuable drops. Chests, champ bags, and even some random events/mobs give unique stuff. Junundu Rising meta is soloable and easily completed in a group of 3 to 5 as long as you start with the awakened fort first.

On that note there are surprising amount of seemingly designed for group things that are soloable with enough research and preparation.

[Amaranthe.3578]

@Mortifera.6138 said:

@Linken.6345 said:What about world bosses and map meta events?You can do them without being in group with anyone.

You /can/ do them without a group, but you /will/ run into people who want to do them just as much as you do!

If youre looking for a solo experience why are you here? Im honestly baffled by the question...A single player RPG can give you a solo experience GW2 (or any other mmorpg)will never be able to compete with.A mmorpg should focus on MP content.

[Vayne.8563]

@Amaranthe.3578 said:

@Mortifera.6138 said:

@Linken.6345 said:What about world bosses and map meta events?You can do them without being in group with anyone.

You /can/ do them without a group, but you /will/ run into people who want to do them just as much as you do!

If youre looking for a solo experience why are you here? Im honestly baffled by the question...A single player RPG can give you a solo experience GW2 (or any other mmorpg)will never be able to compete with.A mmorpg should focus on MP content.

I've seen this answer many times on forums, and it seems like people who post it are always answered in similar ways, but they ignore those answers because they believe this statement to be true. But it's not true.

There are people who play MMOs to have other people around without desiring to group with those people. MMOs provide a completely different type of experience, almost a voyeuristic one when compared to a single player game.

One of my sons never groups but still plays MMOs because he likes to watch what's going on in map chat while he's playing. My wife likes joining events without communicating with other players. Being in small instanced group content is very very different from the game a lot of people play which is open world. No single game I've ever played has experiences like Dragon Stand or Auric Basin meta, but you don't have to communicate or group to do those things. You're remaining isolated while still having people around. You can go to a bar alone and watch people. You're not obligated to chat or make friends.

There are many reasons why people might want to play a multiplayer game. Some people are lonely and like having people around, just being there, but not participating actively. Some people have social phobias and don't want to talk but they still want to experience the types of content MMOs offer, in this case things like World Bosses. Feeling like you're part of something without the communication is important to some people. And there are people who feel they're not good at the game, and they're embarrassed to be in parties with people who they'd be holding back but they still like to get into a world boss event, or even regular dynamic events in the world. It's easier than soloing because other people can show up.

Long gone are the days where people think others don't solo MMOs. Before Rift was launched, Scott Hartsman did an interview in which he said MMO developers ignore solo players at their own peril. Wildstar once released an announcement saying they apologized for not having more solo content, because they didn't realise how many people wanted that sort of thing.

I run a casual guild and it blows me away how many people solo, never group and never get involved. I'm pretty sure far under half my guild have ever been in a fractal or a dungeon, and most don't want to. They run around the open world, doing events, completing zones, making alts. But a lot of those same people spend quite a bit of money on the game, because they want a new skin from the gem store, or they want more bank storage because they're pack rats.

Skyrim was a great game for me, but it still doesn't provide the kinds of experience an MMO can give me, even if I'm often not playing in groups.

[Konig Des Todes.2086]

@Amaranthe.3578 said:

@Mortifera.6138 said:

@"Linken.6345" said:What about world bosses and map meta events?You can do them without being in group with anyone.

You /can/ do them without a group, but you /will/ run into people who want to do them just as much as you do!

If youre looking for a solo experience why are you here? Im honestly baffled by the question...A single player RPG can give you a solo experience GW2 (or any other mmorpg)will never be able to compete with.A mmorpg should focus on MP content.

And it baffles me how people can think "solo experience" is the same as "solo content" (aka "content designed to be done by one person"). They're not.

GW1 is an online game with a good community, was focused around that community, but the content was almost all solo content. The only thing that wasn't, was the elite missions and PvP. Yes, you could party up to complete the content, but you didn't have to and the content itself was designed so that you didn't have to. Sure, it wasn't an MMORPG, but a COORPG, but the same rules apply.

GW2 is also an online game, and it already has solo content - the main story, SAB, and Queen's Gauntlet are all content designed for solo gameplay. For the former two, you can join in with up to five players, but you neither have to nor is the content designed primarily for such. Let me ask you: how often do you do the story in a group? If your answer isn't "all the time", then guess what you're doing solo content in an MMO.

Arguably, all non-group events, jumping puzzles, etc. in the open world where you don't explicitly need a second player can be considered solo content, but it's far from solo experience. And far from challenging solo content.

But none of it is challenging, which is what's being asked for. And "doing group content alone" is not the same thing.

People do not want a solo experience - if we did, we'd play games like Elder Scrolls, Gothic, etc. We want some challenging content designed to be solo'd.

Again "solo content" != "solo experience".

We do not want to be in isolation. We still want the community in the game.

[Amaranthe.3578]

@Konig Des Todes.2086 said:

@Amaranthe.3578 said:

@Mortifera.6138 said:

@"Linken.6345" said:What about world bosses and map meta events?You can do them without being in group with anyone.

You /can/ do them without a group, but you /will/ run into people who want to do them just as much as you do!

If youre looking for a solo experience why are you here? Im honestly baffled by the question...A single player RPG can give you a solo experience GW2 (or any other mmorpg)will never be able to compete with.A mmorpg should focus on MP content.

And it baffles me how people can think "solo experience" is the same as "solo content" (aka "content designed to be done by one person"). They're not.

GW1 is an online game with a good community, was focused around that community, but the content was almost all solo content. The only thing that wasn't, was the elite missions and PvP. Yes, you could party up to complete the content, but you didn't have to and the content itself was designed so that you didn't have to. Sure, it wasn't an MMORPG, but a COORPG, but the same rules apply.

GW2 is also an online game, and it already has solo content - the main story, SAB, and Queen's Gauntlet are all content designed for solo gameplay. For the former two, you can join in with up to five players, but you neither have to nor is the content designed primarily for such. Let me ask you:

how often do you do the story in a group?

If your answer isn't "all the time", then guess what

you're doing solo content in an MMO

.

Arguably, all non-group events, jumping puzzles, etc. in the open world where you don't explicitly need a second player can be considered solo content, but it's far from solo experience. And far from challenging solo content.

But none of it is challenging, which is what's being asked for. And "doing group content alone" is not the same thing.

People do not want a solo experience - if we did, we'd play games like Elder Scrolls, Gothic, etc. We want some challenging content designed to be solo'd.

Again "solo content" != "solo experience".

We do not want to be in isolation. We still want the community in the game.

Your answer makes zero sense. You will find the best solo content in SP games. Many SP games have a vibrant community...a good example would be most aRPGs(games like Diablo) that focus on the solo content/experience (yes, it is the same thing) yet gives you plenty of reason to get involved with the community like build sharing and occasionally Co-Op.GW2, and any other MMORPG pays certain costs(in terms of design)to offer good multiplayer gameplay. Solo content is the last of its priorities (and rightfully so) because it can never do it to the max.

[Amaranthe.3578]

@Vayne.8563 said:

@Amaranthe.3578 said:

@Mortifera.6138 said:

@Linken.6345 said:What about world bosses and map meta events?You can do them without being in group with anyone.

You /can/ do them without a group, but you /will/ run into people who want to do them just as much as you do!

If youre looking for a solo experience why are you here? Im honestly baffled by the question...A single player RPG can give you a solo experience GW2 (or any other mmorpg)will never be able to compete with.A mmorpg should focus on MP content.

I've seen this answer many times on forums, and it seems like people who post it are always answered in similar ways, but they ignore those answers because they believe this statement to be true. But it's not true.

There are people who play MMOs to have other people around without desiring to group with those people. MMOs provide a completely different type of experience, almost a voyeuristic one when compared to a single player game.

One of my sons never groups but still plays MMOs because he likes to watch what's going on in map chat while he's playing. My wife likes joining events without communicating with other players. Being in small instanced group content is very very different from the game a lot of people play which is open world. No single game I've ever played has experiences like Dragon Stand or Auric Basin meta, but you don't have to communicate or group to do those things. You're remaining isolated while still having people around. You can go to a bar alone and watch people. You're not obligated to chat or make friends.

There are many reasons why people might want to play a multiplayer game. Some people are lonely and like having people around, just being there, but not participating actively. Some people have social phobias and don't want to talk but they still want to experience the types of content MMOs offer, in this case things like World Bosses. Feeling like you're part of something without the communication is important to some people. And there are people who feel they're not good at the game, and they're embarrassed to be in parties with people who they'd be holding back but they still like to get into a world boss event, or even regular dynamic events in the world. It's easier than soloing because other people can show up.

Long gone are the days where people think others don't solo MMOs. Before Rift was launched, Scott Hartsman did an interview in which he said MMO developers ignore solo players at their own peril. Wildstar once released an announcement saying they apologized for not having more solo content, because they didn't realise how many people wanted that sort of thing.

I run a casual guild and it blows me away how many people solo, never group and never get involved. I'm pretty sure far under half my guild have ever been in a fractal or a dungeon, and most don't want to. They run around the open world, doing events, completing zones, making alts. But a lot of those same people spend quite a bit of money on the game, because they want a new skin from the gem store, or they want more bank storage because they're pack rats.

Skyrim was a great game for me, but it still doesn't provide the kinds of experience an MMO can give me, even if I'm often not playing in groups.

So ..youre basically saying that there are some vouyers/creeps who wanna play around other people but not with them? Jeez I wonder why nobody cares about them and their needa/wants.

[trev.1045]

@Amaranthe.3578 said:

@Vayne.8563 said:

@Amaranthe.3578 said:

@Mortifera.6138 said:

@Linken.6345 said:What about world bosses and map meta events?You can do them without being in group with anyone.

You /can/ do them without a group, but you /will/ run into people who want to do them just as much as you do!

If youre looking for a solo experience why are you here? Im honestly baffled by the question...A single player RPG can give you a solo experience GW2 (or any other mmorpg)will never be able to compete with.A mmorpg should focus on MP content.

I've seen this answer many times on forums, and it seems like people who post it are always answered in similar ways, but they ignore those answers because they believe this statement to be true. But it's not true.

There are people who play MMOs to have other people around without desiring to group with those people. MMOs provide a completely different type of experience, almost a voyeuristic one when compared to a single player game.

One of my sons never groups but still plays MMOs because he likes to watch what's going on in map chat while he's playing. My wife likes joining events without communicating with other players. Being in small instanced group content is very very different from the game a lot of people play which is open world. No single game I've ever played has experiences like Dragon Stand or Auric Basin meta, but you don't have to communicate or group to do those things. You're remaining isolated while still having people around. You can go to a bar alone and watch people. You're not obligated to chat or make friends.

There are many reasons why people might want to play a multiplayer game. Some people are lonely and like having people around, just being there, but not participating actively. Some people have social phobias and don't want to talk but they still want to experience the types of content MMOs offer, in this case things like World Bosses. Feeling like you're part of something without the communication is important to some people. And there are people who feel they're not good at the game, and they're embarrassed to be in parties with people who they'd be holding back but they still like to get into a world boss event, or even regular dynamic events in the world. It's easier than soloing because other people can show up.

Long gone are the days where people think others don't solo MMOs. Before Rift was launched, Scott Hartsman did an interview in which he said MMO developers ignore solo players at their own peril. Wildstar once released an announcement saying they apologized for not having more solo content, because they didn't realise how many people wanted that sort of thing.

I run a casual guild and it blows me away how many people solo, never group and never get involved. I'm pretty sure far under half my guild have ever been in a fractal or a dungeon, and most don't want to. They run around the open world, doing events, completing zones, making alts. But a lot of those same people spend quite a bit of money on the game, because they want a new skin from the gem store, or they want more bank storage because they're pack rats.

Skyrim was a great game for me, but it still doesn't provide the kinds of experience an MMO can give me, even if I'm often not playing in groups.

So ..youre basically saying that there are some vouyers/creeps who wanna play around other people but not with them? Jeez I wonder why nobody cares about them and their needa/wants.

Did you really just call people who like MMO games but dont like formal grouping 'voyeurs/creeps'?

wow.....

[Julischka Bean.7491]

@Raknar.4735 said:

@"Blur.3465" said:In any case, I support OP and I truly hope we do get some content that can be done solo or with a group depending on our choice.

Joining in on this sentiment, I'd also add that the content should be repeatable with meaningful rewards (doesn't have to be gold, unique skins preferred).

I've also always wondered why some people are "against" the idea of solo-content in a MMORPG, citing the "massively", yet they defend instanced content like dungeons / fractals / raids. 5-10 man groups aren't something i'd describe as "massively", it's more or less something i'd expect in a lobby-based game, like PoE, GW1 and even shooters like CSGO, Battlefield and Overwatch.

Darn...I was furiously typing my reply when my screen blinked a bit and my reply went poof. My wrists must have hit something bad.

Anyways. Two reasons come to mind when I read posts from people who do not want soloing in an MMO.

The first of my two thoughts are that they are young whippersnappers who have "Skillz" and want to show them off. If folks are busy having fun soloing, they not only do not notice this person's "Skillz" they also do not need this person's "Skillz." To someone who thrives on adulation being thrown at their young whippersnapper feets, this soloing business must stop now!

The second of my two thoughts are the exact opposite of the above. This person cannot play. He has no "Skillz." If folks are busy having fun soloing, they are not available to carry him through the stories...or... through Queendale for that matter...remember he has no "skillz." This soloing junk must stop NOW!

I hope my way of writing made someone smile...but I am serious about these two reasons.

[kharmin.7683]

I think that some people who are opposed to solo content feel that GW2 is designed to be an MMO and that they would not like to see resources spent in creating content that is not multi-player centric?

[Julischka Bean.7491]

@Vayne.8563 said:

@Amaranthe.3578 said:

@Mortifera.6138 said:

@"Linken.6345" said:What about world bosses and map meta events?You can do them without being in group with anyone.

You /can/ do them without a group, but you /will/ run into people who want to do them just as much as you do!

If youre looking for a solo experience why are you here? Im honestly baffled by the question...A single player RPG can give you a solo experience GW2 (or any other mmorpg)will never be able to compete with.A mmorpg should focus on MP content.

I've seen this answer many times on forums, and it seems like people who post it are always answered in similar ways, but they ignore those answers because they believe this statement to be true. But it's not true.

There are people who play MMOs to have other people around without desiring to group with those people. MMOs provide a completely different type of experience, almost a voyeuristic one when compared to a single player game.

One of my sons never groups but still plays MMOs because he likes to watch what's going on in map chat while he's playing. My wife likes joining events without communicating with other players. Being in small instanced group content is very very different from the game a lot of people play which is open world. No single game I've ever played has experiences like Dragon Stand or Auric Basin meta, but you don't have to communicate or group to do those things. You're remaining isolated while still having people around. You can go to a bar alone and watch people. You're not obligated to chat or make friends.

There are many reasons why people might want to play a multiplayer game. Some people are lonely and like having people around, just being there, but not participating actively. Some people have social phobias and don't want to talk but they still want to experience the types of content MMOs offer, in this case things like World Bosses. Feeling like you're part of something without the communication is important to some people. And there are people who feel they're not good at the game, and they're embarrassed to be in parties with people who they'd be holding back but they still like to get into a world boss event, or even regular dynamic events in the world. It's easier than soloing because other people can show up.

Long gone are the days where people think others don't solo MMOs. Before Rift was launched, Scott Hartsman did an interview in which he said MMO developers ignore solo players at their own peril. Wildstar once released an announcement saying they apologized for not having more solo content, because they didn't realise how many people wanted that sort of thing.

I run a casual guild and it blows me away how many people solo, never group and never get involved. I'm pretty sure far under half my guild have ever been in a fractal or a dungeon, and most don't want to. They run around the open world, doing events, completing zones, making alts. But a lot of those same people spend quite a bit of money on the game, because they want a new skin from the gem store, or they want more bank storage because they're pack rats.

Skyrim was a great game for me, but it still doesn't provide the kinds of experience an MMO can give me, even if I'm often not playing in groups.

Vayne said everything I wanted to.

And Scott Hartsman is absolutely correct. "Ignore solo players at your own peril"

We are probably the unseen, unheard, majority. I am different in that I come out and shriek every now and then :)

[Julischka Bean.7491]

@trev.1045 said:

@Amaranthe.3578 said:

@Vayne.8563 said:

@Amaranthe.3578 said:

@Mortifera.6138 said:

@Linken.6345 said:What about world bosses and map meta events?You can do them without being in group with anyone.

You /can/ do them without a group, but you /will/ run into people who want to do them just as much as you do!

If youre looking for a solo experience why are you here? Im honestly baffled by the question...A single player RPG can give you a solo experience GW2 (or any other mmorpg)will never be able to compete with.A mmorpg should focus on MP content.

I've seen this answer many times on forums, and it seems like people who post it are always answered in similar ways, but they ignore those answers because they believe this statement to be true. But it's not true.

There are people who play MMOs to have other people around without desiring to group with those people. MMOs provide a completely different type of experience, almost a voyeuristic one when compared to a single player game.

One of my sons never groups but still plays MMOs because he likes to watch what's going on in map chat while he's playing. My wife likes joining events without communicating with other players. Being in small instanced group content is very very different from the game a lot of people play which is open world. No single game I've ever played has experiences like Dragon Stand or Auric Basin meta, but you don't have to communicate or group to do those things. You're remaining isolated while still having people around. You can go to a bar alone and watch people. You're not obligated to chat or make friends.

There are many reasons why people might want to play a multiplayer game. Some people are lonely and like having people around, just being there, but not participating actively. Some people have social phobias and don't want to talk but they still want to experience the types of content MMOs offer, in this case things like World Bosses. Feeling like you're part of something without the communication is important to some people. And there are people who feel they're not good at the game, and they're embarrassed to be in parties with people who they'd be holding back but they still like to get into a world boss event, or even regular dynamic events in the world. It's easier than soloing because other people can show up.

Long gone are the days where people think others don't solo MMOs. Before Rift was launched, Scott Hartsman did an interview in which he said MMO developers ignore solo players at their own peril. Wildstar once released an announcement saying they apologized for not having more solo content, because they didn't realise how many people wanted that sort of thing.

I run a casual guild and it blows me away how many people solo, never group and never get involved. I'm pretty sure far under half my guild have ever been in a fractal or a dungeon, and most don't want to. They run around the open world, doing events, completing zones, making alts. But a lot of those same people spend quite a bit of money on the game, because they want a new skin from the gem store, or they want more bank storage because they're pack rats.

Skyrim was a great game for me, but it still doesn't provide the kinds of experience an MMO can give me, even if I'm often not playing in groups.

So ..youre basically saying that there are some vouyers/creeps who wanna play around other people but not with them? Jeez I wonder why nobody cares about them and their needa/wants.

Did you really just call people who like MMO games but dont like formal grouping 'voyeurs/creeps'?

wow.....

Lisa the Voyeur/ Creep. Has a ring to it.

[particlepinata.9865]

Perfect solution. Play singleplayer games. They are made exactly for this.

[Rasimir.6239]

@Vayne.8563 said:

@Amaranthe.3578 said:

@Mortifera.6138 said:

@Linken.6345 said:What about world bosses and map meta events?You can do them without being in group with anyone.

You /can/ do them without a group, but you /will/ run into people who want to do them just as much as you do!

If youre looking for a solo experience why are you here? Im honestly baffled by the question...A single player RPG can give you a solo experience GW2 (or any other mmorpg)will never be able to compete with.A mmorpg should focus on MP content.

I've seen this answer many times on forums, and it seems like people who post it are always answered in similar ways, but they ignore those answers because they believe this statement to be true. But it's not true.I agree with most what you said, but there is a catch to it: the OP explicitely calls world bosses (and implicitely large map metas like Dragon's Stand) non-solo content. The way I read the op, what they want is endgame content that they can play without anybody else being around.

Endgame content specifically designed not only to be played without formal grouping but targeted at single players without participation/interference of other players definitely is not the strong point of this game, and to be honest I'm glad it isn't. I'm one of those people who enjoy being able to play without forced grouping (even though I group up with friends as often as not), but I wouldn't want a stronger focus on single player targeted content than we already have.

[trev.1045]

@Julischka Bean.7491 said:

@Raknar.4735 said:

@"Blur.3465" said:In any case, I support OP and I truly hope we do get some content that can be done solo or with a group depending on our choice.

Joining in on this sentiment, I'd also add that the content should be repeatable with meaningful rewards (doesn't have to be gold, unique skins preferred).

I've also always wondered why some people are "against" the idea of solo-content in a MMORPG, citing the "massively", yet they defend instanced content like dungeons / fractals / raids. 5-10 man groups aren't something i'd describe as "massively", it's more or less something i'd expect in a lobby-based game, like PoE, GW1 and even shooters like CSGO, Battlefield and Overwatch.

Darn...I was furiously typing my reply when my screen blinked a bit and my reply went poof. My wrists must have hit something bad.

Anyways. Two reasons come to mind when I read posts from people who do not want soloing in an MMO.

The first of my two thoughts are that they are young whippersnappers who have "Skillz" and want to show them off. If folks are busy having fun soloing, they not only do not notice this person's "Skillz" they also do not need this person's "Skillz." To someone who thrives on adulation being thrown at their young whippersnapper feets, this soloing business must stop now!

The second of my two thoughts are the exact opposite of the above. This person cannot play. He has no "Skillz." If folks are busy having fun soloing, they are not available to carry him through the stories...or... through Queendale for that matter...remember he has no "skillz." This soloing junk must stop NOW!

I hope my way of writing made someone smile...but I am serious about these two reasons.

My experiences of wow confirm that the first group certainly exist- there used to be a lot of threads insisting that LFR needed to be removed because 'scrubs can get sets' and that people used to 'admire their gear' in the cities etc. They never seemed to understand LFR was put in because a large amount of resources was being spent on a minority activity which is bad business.

Personally, i do enjoy the casual grouping in events/world bosses, and i used to enjoy battlegrounds- but sometimes i spend my time just exploring the vast world that exists on GW2 and discussing various nonsense on guild chat...

I suspect there are an awful lot of 'solo' players on GW2. Whether people feel it is appropriate or not, they are an important market sector.

I tend to avoid organised grouping since i can never guarantee i wont be interrupted- and with hobbies/job/wife i cant really stick to schedules well (i suspect this is also common given the average age of MMO players)

[mindcircus.1506]

@"Mortifera.6138" said:Guild Wars was described by its own developers as a "non-MMO." I've come to expect certain things from that

You mean to say "I have projected my desires until they no longer met the product being offered by purposefully misinterpreting a developer post and twisting it to my ends. And now I am holding arenanet responsibile for not meeting my fantasy"

[Julischka Bean.7491]

@particlepinata.9865 said:Perfect solution. Play singleplayer games. They are made exactly for this.

Nope. People who solo like to read and join in on mapchat, look at how other people dress their characters, we like to look forward to updates, join in on forum discussions...what solo game does all this???

[Julischka Bean.7491]

All seriousness. As Vayne and everyone has said, there are many, many, many varied reasons why people play solo in an MMO.

I am a clutz. Very poor hand-eye coordination here, and in a small forced group of five people I would probably get kicked.

However, I have fun with the unforced grouping. Lost in a crowd I can play without feeling like I am holding back the group and I have a blast :)

I would relish more endgame content like this.

[mindcircus.1506]

@Julischka Bean.7491 said:All seriousness. As Vayne and everyone has said, there are many, many, many varied reasons why people play solo in an MMO.

I am a clutz. Very poor hand-eye coordination here, and in a small forced group of five people I would probably get kicked.

However, I have fun with the unforced grouping. Lost in a crowd I can play without feeling like I am holding back the group and I have a blast :)

I would relish more endgame content like this.

Congratulations, you have just described the overwhelming majority of the content created for this game outside core Tyria.Lucky you, you get exactly what you want.

[kratan.4619]

@Vayne.8563 said:

I've seen this answer many times on forums, and it seems like people who post it are always answered in similar ways, but they ignore those answers because they believe this statement to be true. But it's not true.

There are people who play MMOs to have other people around without desiring to group with those people. MMOs provide a completely different type of experience, almost a voyeuristic one when compared to a single player game.

One of my sons never groups but still plays MMOs because he likes to watch what's going on in map chat while he's playing. My wife likes joining events without communicating with other players. Being in small instanced group content is very very different from the game a lot of people play which is open world. No single game I've ever played has experiences like Dragon Stand or Auric Basin meta, but you don't have to communicate or group to do those things. You're remaining isolated while still having people around. You can go to a bar alone and watch people. You're not obligated to chat or make friends.

There are many reasons why people might want to play a multiplayer game. Some people are lonely and like having people around, just being there, but not participating actively. Some people have social phobias and don't want to talk but they still want to experience the types of content MMOs offer, in this case things like World Bosses. Feeling like you're part of something without the communication is important to some people. And there are people who feel they're not good at the game, and they're embarrassed to be in parties with people who they'd be holding back but they still like to get into a world boss event, or even regular dynamic events in the world. It's easier than soloing because other people can show up.

Long gone are the days where people think others don't solo MMOs. Before Rift was launched, Scott Hartsman did an interview in which he said MMO developers ignore solo players at their own peril. Wildstar once released an announcement saying they apologized for not having more solo content, because they didn't realise how many people wanted that sort of thing.

I run a casual guild and it blows me away how many people solo, never group and never get involved. I'm pretty sure far under half my guild have ever been in a fractal or a dungeon, and most don't want to. They run around the open world, doing events, completing zones, making alts. But a lot of those same people spend quite a bit of money on the game, because they want a new skin from the gem store, or they want more bank storage because they're pack rats.

Skyrim was a great game for me, but it still doesn't provide the kinds of experience an MMO can give me, even if I'm often not playing in groups.

This, real-life analogy here, I love to go to a mall and go shopping. When at the mall there will be hundreds of other people there, also shopping. We all are accomplishing the same goal and not one of those other people expects me to interact specifically with them at any time. I can go about my business and be successful without interacting with anyone else, just like GW2 open world PvE.

[CETheLucid.3964]

@Mortifera.6138 said:

@"MrRuin.9740" said:I think you may be in a minority. I don't think too many people buy an MMO expecting an in depth solo experience as they tend to be built around the 'massively multiplayer' part.

Guild Wars was described by its own developers as a "non-MMO." I've come to expect certain things from that, one of which is that this game be much more solo-friendly than other MMORPGs. Yes, at end-game too.

Which it is for the most part. There's a lot you can do by yourself and challenge yourself to. But at the end of the day, an MMO it is. Major end-game content is going to be geared towards multiple players.

[Tyncale.1629]

I created my own Solo end-game by investing 125 gold into buying all 25 Volumes 1 of the Legendary Weapons Precursors that have a Collection tied to them. I now have about 25x20= 500 small adventures waiting for me in the wide world of Tyria, that range from doing a certain event, to killing a certain creature, to brewing some concoction, to a jumping puzzle or Fractal. And at the end of that journey a wonderful Reward will be waiting: 25 of the most ugly, botched weapons that Tyria ever brought forth. :) Best way to revisit the world and feel immersed again as if you did it for the first time.

And off course you can take any weapon further from there but that is where it gets costly and grindy. The third collection is actually as fun as the first if a bit harder but you have to get past that expensive hurdle of the second collection. But those first (and third)Precursor collections are what this game is all about, for me at least. Minimal investment required (only need Revered Antiquarion mastery for the first collection) and lots of fun involved.

[Genuinetheo.6591]

Quite literally, your solo end-game content will be farming events that do not have the tag [Group Event]. That's if you don't want to waste your time. I think only some events in the Heart of Thorns areas are not properly tagged as a Group Event...

You can replay hero challenges in Heart of Thorns and Path of Fire. You can also repeat Heart of Thorns/Path of Fire adventures every day for the bronze/silver/gold chests. Do Buried Treasure runs in Desert Highlands every other hour during the Treasure Hunt event. Do your daily gathering runs, crafting, and daily achievement completion (OW, WvW and PvP). Also you can farm the map bonuses in a particular map by playing the events of that map.

You can even try your hand at playing some of the pre-meta events for some extra keys on your future runs in Heart of Thorns. I think some of them are fairly challenging. Basically look at any Heart of Thorns/Path of Fire map, and you'll quickly see what events you can (most likely) do by yourself without anyone's help.

Are these the most profitable? Of course not. We'd never need to do group content if solo play was as viable as group play. I like to think there's plenty of content in the game for one person to enjoy. That's if they're really looking for solo content, and not profitable content.

[Zaklex.6308]

Can everyone agree on the following first: massively...I don't think I need to define this one; multiplayer...multiple players(no where does it say multiple grouped players or multiple groupings, just multiple players), there fore any MMO can be a game designed around solo content with multiple players inhabiting the world. I'm pretty sure that somewhere along the way GW2 fits this model(and yes, you can play any way you want, especially if you're playing solo because there's no one else to tell you how to play).

[Aeolus.3615]

Strange i always felt game has to much single player things... even on a group bsedides stack n spam.. there isnt much for... teamplay!