I was playing a game, specifically sauerbraten, and I thought "Why don't rpgs have multiplayer?" I've noticed that a lot of rpgs are either single player or mmorpgs, and thers very little in the middle, at least as far as computer games go. Most pen and paper rpgs have a small party of players, but most computerized rpgs are single player, or massivley multiplayer. Any theories on the gap between single player and mmo?

The project I'm doing in order to learn various aspects of game dev is actually a multiplayer RPG. I honestly can't say why other people aren't interested in the idea, other than the fact that MMOGs are much more profitable and single player is probably easier to make a good story line for.

I think thats because most non-MMORPGs are pretty narrative, so you would have to only play together, else you would not be in the same place in the story. Also, even if they are in a party, most of them have 1 "hero" that is more imporant than the others.

Still, there *are* many multiplayer RPGs on the PC. Both Baldur Gates, Neverwinter nights, and actions-rgs: both Diablos, both Dungeon siege, and a bunch of others I can't remember the name.

Also remember than consoles have been networked a lot more recently than PCs, and that there are a lot more RPGs on consoles than the PC. Playing Lord of the Ring in multiplayer on the SNES was frustrating at times, as you always needed to follow the leader closely to stay inside the screen!

Have you tried the X-Men legends games? They try to pass them off as gauntlet-style beat-em-up action games, but we all know they're RPGs. There's a big focus in multiplayer in those, because even while one player is playing, anybody can pick up the second controller and join in.

Fascinating....
Of course you would need to have your players all play at the same time, so it might be a nich market cause most people are too lazy to coordinate like that, but I'd enjoy it. It's not necceassary to have a single hero; Pen and paper rpgs have a pparty of heros all the time. I htink the biggest issue is coordination: people usually schedule things IRL, but they don't usually schedule things online. WHy is that?

If I could schedule well with my friends, I'd be playing Pen n Paper RPGs, not online.

Baldur Gate series and NWN were awesome with multiplayer. I actually didn't like single player that much after I tried MP.

Yeah, but its really hard to find BG games these days, and even in NWN its starting to get hard to find full servers to play on :(

Though there is hope for multiplayer RPG's, if hacks like this: http://archives.ravensky.org/2006/01/16/regarding_morrowind_online/
come to fruition. I've tried the morrowind online hack (the guy did it completely in the games editor) and it actually works out extremely well. Although a hack is nowhere near as good as a true Multiplayer RPG, its still a good first step.

I wish I could play Oblivion multiplayer... like Diablo II did. A few friends could go adventuring together.

Secret of Mana + Multiplayer = Greatest "RPG" (whatever that term means) Ever

Their working on the oblivion online plugin as we speak ;)