Are you playing the story episodes alone or with friends on your first play-through?

[Michram.6853]

Let's find out if we really want to play MMORPG as lone wolves, or we like enjoying the game (story in particular) with others.What are your ideas to encourage players to play in party, if we reach to the conclusion that most players play the story alone?Why do you prefer playing alone? Is it because of that feeling you will miss something in the story, because you play with the others?

[Danikat.8537]

The first time I play alone for a few reasons. Firstly my free time is limited and erratic, except somehow I seem to be more likely to be busy on a Tuesday evening than any other night of the week. I can't join a static raid or Fracal group because I can't commit to being online at a set time on a regular basis and even though it's not every week I couldn't commit to doing the story with a group for the same reason. Even if the plan is to wait until Wednesday and then do the whole episode in one go I may have to drop out before we've finished.

But also I read slowly and I like to take my time going through the story, talking to all the NPCs at each stage to see if they have anything to say, checking for interactable objects in instances, maybe stopping to take screenshots, do some of the open-world stuff as I'm going between instances etc. and if I was playing with a group I'd feel under pressure to skip all of that and just focus on the story so I'm not holding everyone else up.

Between the two it can take me almost a week to complete a living world episode (just the story and some achievements, not the meta achievement, map completion etc. that will take much longer) which other people say they can do in an hour. So I really don't think it's practical for me to try and play with a group, either I'd end up frustrated that I'm missing so much and not enjoying it or they'll get fed up with me holding them up all the time.

After the first time I'm more flexible however. If someone else is doing the story and invites people to join in I might play it with them, if I have time or I might invite other people to join me. I often do individual instances with guild members so we can help each other with achievements.

So I wouldn't want anything changed. I like being able to play the story alone, but I also like having the option to play it with other people and I wouldn't want to lose either of those choices.

[Randulf.7614]

I play at my own pace. Dungeons/fractals/strikes etc and open world are for group stuff because then I can be serious or mess around depending on the group. But because I like to absorb the story, explore, listen to the dialogue whilst many others just want to skip it, playing with friends on story is a waste of time.

I would never in a million years play story in a group unless I am helping someone who got stuck on something I've already done

[kharmin.7683]

I never finished the core story. I got bored with it. I have finished the two expansions, though.

[Tsakhi.8124]

As selfish as this sounds, I don't want to be responsible for anyone else on my initial play-through, namely because I don't know what's waiting for me. If someone needs help, I'll gladly help them, but for the most part I stay to myself the first time around.

[Etria.3642]

My first play through is always always with my daughter and whoever else is around when we do it. I will even delay days to wait for her but she now has pity on me and usually takes release days off now.

Then we go back through and attempt to get all the achievements we missed the first time.

Then if later I want to do the story on another character I need not stress achievements.

[Teratus.2859]

I prefer to play my story experience alone however I enjoy helping other people with their story.

Basically happy to help others in their story but won't accept help in mine XD

[Poormany.4507]

Alone on first playthrough because I like taking my time and enjoying the story at my own pace, while many other like skipping story entirely.

After that, I replay with others for achievements that are too difficult to get solo.

[Tuna Bandit.3786]

I always play with a friend that struggles with storyline.Just don't tell him I mute his voice because he cannot stay quiet during the lore hehe

Preferably I'd play it all solo, but I don't abandon friends and don't really have time to do it on 2 toons at this moment.

[Moonyeti.3296]

I play through story solo first usually, because I can pay attention to the dialog and the fight mechanics. After that I play through with my daughter. I like to do it alone first so if there are any gotcha gimmicks in the mechanics I have already seen them once and I can help her get through without frustration. She loves to play the story missions and so I like to facilitate them going as smoothly as possible for her without ruining anything or giving away secrets.

[Paradoxoglanis.1904]

I play alone so I can rush through the story instances and alt tab out during npc dialogue

[Blocki.4931]

Either alone or with one friend usually. Mostly alone though. They're already very easy and they don't scale well (if at all). I usually also go for achievements and explore everything, which not everybody finds enjoyable.

[Ashantara.8731]

I mostly play alone, but some achievements are easier done with other players, so I team up on occasion. The only story mission I always team up for is "Hearts and Minds". As for map content, events are always more fun and quicker done with others than alone.

So I'd say I do about 85% of episodes by myself and 15% with others.

[Endless Soul.5178]

Like others, I always play my first story play-though alone so I can concentrate on the dialog and story elements. I tend to get really immersed and RPwalk along with the story NPCs. I take my time and never rush through, absorbing as much as I can.

Later, when it's time to get achievements and such will I sometimes join with friends if I can't get them on my own.

[Luthan.5236]

Always alone ... until there is an achievement not supposed to be finished alone. ("Migraine" from last HoT story step soon ... i'd skip it if it weren't necessary for the Meta.)

[Arcaniaxs.4519]

I only played with someone else onceXD wont happen again

[Westenev.5289]

I'll generally help my friends defeat difficult enemies like Mordremoss or Balthazar, or help them with achievements and the like.

But playing a first play through with friends is just a bad idea in general, since I generally like to play the game at my own pace. Either people want to skip through cutscenes because they have no interest in the story whatsoever, or go afk for 20 minutes because irl reasons (dogs puking on carpet seems to be a common excuse?).

I imagine if I found a friend who was into not-so-serious Role Play, doing a story run with them might not be so bad.

[Zexanima.7851]

This sums it up nicely.

[Turkeyspit.3965]

Several of the story missions cannot be played in a party - only the leader is there, while others are balls of mist and such. The story missions I feel are designed to play solo, and I'm cool with that. If anything, the only thing that would make me re-play a story mission was WITH another person.

I've completed the core story about 4 times I think, but LW S3 only twice (once solo, the 2nd time with my wife), and the same is true of PoF and S4. I'm working to finish PoF a 3rd time to get the Joko achievement, and I'm stuck at the mission in the Riverlands where you have to run everwhere asking people for information on something you don't know what....so tedious lol.