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Re: Any new news? And who really wants network play? Vote here.

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Posted by Eric Liebl on June 30, 1999 at 23:41:55:
In Reply to: Re: Any new news? And who really wants network play? Vote here. posted by Chris Appel on June 30, 1999 at 11:44:15:
: 1) How important is multiplayer functionality to you in an RPG?
ANSWER: It depends on the core design of the game. Personally I don't see how you can include a solid single player experience and expect gamers to use a muliplayer option. The design philosophies seem at odds with eachother. I am a big fan of massive multiplayer online RPGs and am enjoying Everquest now and UO to a lesser extent in the past. But I don't see how one of these titles could succeed if there were a single player option thrown in. Those games are not strong on story telling, rather they are all about player interaction. Now it looks to me as though TGFKAS&S is very much an extension of Wizardry 7...and I really think there is a strong demand for a story driven single player experience (look at the success of BG!). So for a title designed like Wizardry 7, for me multiplayer functionality is a waste of code and I wont be using it. The advantage of a massive online game is that you dont have to round up 5 friends to play it..the world is always there to join...this wont be the case with HPI's offering. I see only about 10% of your audience ever using multiplay. I'd venture to guess that the same held true for BG. Also, single player game are like reading a novel...you are done when you get to the last page...with massive online games there is no last page...where is your game placed within this construct?
: 2) If multiplayer DID pose a delay to the game, would you prefer to see it released as a single player game with a multiplayer patch released later, or would you prefer we wait and release everything at once?
ANSWER: I'd like to see the single player released...and a patch added later. I won't consider this game incomplete without multiplayer since I am not interested in that aspect of gameplay for this type of title.
You said it yourself...this game is about a campaign, not a virtual world...throwing in the kitchen sink is only going to muddy the waters. I'd rather see one design done well, than a compromise between two designs.
Thanks for listening!

Follow Ups:

I concur...forget multiplayer. Calibis 16:18:51 9/28/99 (0)

exactly my thoughts... tuc 07:15:22 7/11/99 (0)

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: : 1) How important is multiplayer functionality to you in an RPG? : ANSWER: It depends on the core design of the game. Personally I don't see how you can include a solid single player experience and expect gamers to use a muliplayer option. The design philosophies seem at odds with eachother. I am a big fan of massive multiplayer online RPGs and am enjoying Everquest now and UO to a lesser extent in the past. But I don't see how one of these titles could succeed if there were a single player option thrown in. Those games are not strong on story telling, rather they are all about player interaction. Now it looks to me as though TGFKAS&S is very much an extension of Wizardry 7...and I really think there is a strong demand for a story driven single player experience (look at the success of BG!). So for a title designed like Wizardry 7, for me multiplayer functionality is a waste of code and I wont be using it. The advantage of a massive online game is that you dont have to round up 5 friends to play it..the world is always there to join...this wont be the case with HPI's offering. I see only about 10% of your audience ever using multiplay. I'd venture to guess that the same held true for BG. Also, single player game are like reading a novel...you are done when you get to the last page...with massive online games there is no last page...where is your game placed within this construct? : : 2) If multiplayer DID pose a delay to the game, would you prefer to see it released as a single player game with a multiplayer patch released later, or would you prefer we wait and release everything at once? : ANSWER: I'd like to see the single player released...and a patch added later. I won't consider this game incomplete without multiplayer since I am not interested in that aspect of gameplay for this type of title. : You said it yourself...this game is about a campaign, not a virtual world...throwing in the kitchen sink is only going to muddy the waters. I'd rather see one design done well, than a compromise between two designs. : Thanks for listening!
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