Despite the fact that multiplayer (specifically: massive multiplayer) has become all the rage, I''ve never really gotten into it at all. So I was wondering: What''s so appealing about it? The human interaction? The sheer size of it? The fact that you''re kicking a real person''s ass or your fighting side-by-side a real person? Please enlighten this single-player! ------------------------------ Changing the future of adventure gaming... Atypical Interactive

You know, this one I''d like to know myself-- at least as far as the massively multiplayer goes.

I''m a Starcraft and Unreal Tournament fanatic, so I have some input into straight multiplayer. Oddly enough, I''m into both the teamwork stuff and the testosterone addled a$$ kicking you find in deathmatch.

Humans are, of course, very unpredictable, and that''s very refreshing. Being able to ally gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling (that''s second only to hearing *HEADSHOT!!!!* and seeing the message *WAVINATOR IS GODLIKE!!!!* ) Seriously, I prefer coop games more than deathmatch, particularly human vs. computer. That way, either everyone shares in the victory, or everyone shares in the loss together.

I think you really have to get into a game that fits you personally. I play against the computer alot because I don''t have to deal with snot nosed brats (like the one recently on Battlenet who decided to use a map hack just because he was losing). I can''t really relate to MMOGs because they don''t seem to be able to cater to the individual player the way single player does.

Also, with single player, you tend to get a greater depth of experience than is tolerated in multiplayer because of the time constraints (which is why my latest design isn''t multiplayer).

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Just waiting for the mothership...

As a player of UO since September 97, I feel that I can answer this... on the flip side I don''t really know how to explain the why. I will try.

When I first got into UO, I was working part-time at a software store in the mall. I bought it on a discount and really did it because I had played most of the Ultima''s before. And we needed someone in the store that knew about the game. The first hour, I was hooked.

I met a few guys and we started adventuring together, after about 4 hours of playing we made plans to meet the next night. We had clicked. Before you know it we had 5 of us all running around killing things... running from PK''s and having fun! We saved our money and bought a guild stone. Then we saved more money and bought a house deed... all the while having fun on our journey together.

I could go on, but I think I will stop short and just say this:
A MMORPG is an extension of real-life, you make friends that last a lifetime... well at least your characters lifetime

Long live MMORPGs and life.

Dave "Dak Lozar" Loeser

My god, how can you not like multiplayer?

I was first introduced to it when I arrived at college 4 years ago. Before that, I had never ever played multiplayer, but in my apartment building, there was a computer lab and the whole building was wired on a T1 network, and every weekend, in the lab there was 8 of us in there playing Duke Nukem, and damn that is so sweet when your kill your friend you can just look over at him and laugh. And you get so pissed when he kills you and starts laugh "sweet revenge". After that, I have never gone back to single player. I havent basically ever played any single player in the last 4 years. Why would you ever want to when you can play against a real human being?

Besides, if you need to play against a computer oppenent, then that means you just suck ass. Computers are so easy, even on the most difficult setting. Humans on the other hand provide the greatest challenge and most fun. Like playing Alpha Centauri, even on Transcend (the most difficult) I could wiped out 2 of the AI controlled players in the first 50 turns, but then I bump into one of my buds I am playing against and all bloody war breaks loose, its awesome playing against a couple friends in a very tense game that lasts 2-3 weeks (and often longer).

And there are games like Age of Empires 1 & 2. Where me and my friends team up and play on the same team and we go online onto the Zone and kick other peoples asses. Playing against a computer AI doesnt even enter our consciousness. There would be absolutely no reason to ever do it. Why play an AI when you can play against a real live human being who is so much better then an AI. A human oppenent offers a challenge and the thrill of the unknown (because they are so unpredicatable) that an AI wont be able to offer for another 20 years yet at the current rate of computer advancement.

The whole idea of even thinking of a playing a game in single player mode is just funny. I havent done it litterally in over a year, and then I did it just to play the game 1 or 2 times to get familiar with it before going online to play it multiplayer.

Possibility

Edited by - Possibility on August 29, 2000 11:31:38 PM

I like multiplayer games because you have the satisfaction of knowing you can kick someone else''s butt. Perhaps people play them to make themselves feel better than someone else.

My first multiplayer experience was Warcraft 2 (straight dial up to my friends house, not over the net). It was fun hearing him whine and complain as my undead beat his village in. With single player games, the computer guys don''t seem real enough (random tauntings get repeated a la UT). When you are playing against someone else, they say and do things in an unprecdictable way.

I''ve only played Diablo online. After i played it online i never went back to playing it single player. The reason being is the interaction or watching or participating in humourous situations. Its esspecially fun when people start abusing each other What turned me of was all the cheaters with trainers, never played it since. I''ve got to find out more about D2 before i buy it because i would only get it for the internet playability. If no cheats then i shall purchase!

I love Game Design and it loves me back.

Our Goal is "Fun"!

I''ve been playing FPS since I discovered Wolfenstein, some ...years ago. I evolved gradually, kicking more and more a$s, and kinda getting more and more bored with all this meaningless violence.
Then I discovered multiplayer.
The only explanation I can find to the adrenalin rushes I get on a perpetual basis is that we play multiplayer to recreate the kids games we practiced at school : seek and hide, wolf, tag, capture the flag (Yes I DID play CTF as a kid) and other stuff like that. And there is nothing better than a team game, as you will remember if you have ever played in a school yard.

I still remember the total lack of interests for most girls; but for the few that would join us, they would get this aura of ... I dunno... but it was so rare that any girl want to join that we would not even consider their level if they wanted to play.

Now that I am supposed to be an adult, it''s kinda hard to play seek and hide with my engineers, consultants, etc, friends ... except of course if it''s to take care of the children (any excuses ...)
So you can imagine how sweet it feels to play anything quake. Actually, I can play most quakelike nonstop for hours if in singleplayer (well ... SOME did have a very big scary factor, but that''s RARE), but when I enter the arena and play humans, the pumping of the blood, the wave of adrenalin rushing through my veins, is jsut so intense that I have to stop every 15 minutes to take a break. I remember once, I was driving 140 km/h average on a 2 lanes motorway, for 2 hours. Then I had to take a break and slow down. Well. When I play quake for 10 minutes, I get even more tired than this ...

God I like it

youpla :-P

(as for MMORPG, I don''t have the Fuck!ng money ... not the nice line, but I would be probably as hooked, I love real RPG too much not to try this)

Ahw brings up such a great point. There''s a stigma among adults wrt playing games. Unless it''s sex, sports or playing games with your kids, adults aren''t supposed use their creative energy for play (I think it''s all supposed to be channeled into business). This is really too bad. Can you imagine if this same stigma existed for fiction? How boring the world of books would be!!!



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Just waiting for the mothership...

quote: Original post by Wavinator

Can you imagine if this same stigma existed for fiction? How boring the world of books would be!!!

Heh, well said Wavinator! This is all really interesting. I''ve always wanted to design a multiplayer games, but all my ideas were far too single-player oriented. Basically, everything would get totally messed up if a given player logged off all of a sudden, which happens a lot in multiplayer games.

So here''s a new question: In MMORPG''s and the like, is it annoying when a member of your party just signs off in the middle of play? Does that happen often?

I''d still like to hear responses to my original, more general question, too.

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Changing the future of adventure gaming...
Atypical Interactive

Well, I gotta say that even in regular multiplayer games that aren''t MMO, a team-member getting dropped or leaving really stinks. I play a lot of Starcraft and Homeworld and when a team member suddenly just leaves, I''m dumped with defending myself against 2+ opponents!! So, yes, it is very annoying but, unfortunatly, there''s really nothing you can do about it, just pray the guy your fighting with will stick around and carry his weight.

As for why I like multiplay - I don''t really know. I just started playing online with Starcraft like what? 2, 3 years ago? And loved it. maybe it was cause I kept getting my ass whooped by the computer and when I went online I would con some newbie into playing me and whoop his ass! . In short, I think its the human interactoion. Playing against a computer can get so boring over and over again, its great when you play against a human mind as devious and cunning as your own... and frustrating. All I can say is that since I''m not an RPG player, my experience with MMO won;t come until Sovreign finnaly gets kicked out of Verant''s doors. I want that game.....

carry on.... carry on....

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"You don''t know the power of the Dark Side..."

- Darth Vader, Episode VI
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