Is it possible for some more of the content in this massively multiplayer game to be made single-player accessible? I assume that a lot of us, regardless of our guilds, factions, levels, or commitment to the game, have been delving deeper into this particular part of the Star Wars mythos ever since we first escaped the destruction of the Endar Spire and crashed into the Upper City years ago. Everyone who was a fan of the original Knights of the Old Republic games knew the rumors that the third entry would be an MMO, and what Bioware has crafted is nothing less than phenomenal. The scale an MMO both demands and allows for truly does the game justice, but can something be added to let players like me, who like playing a multiplayer game for the single player experience, see more of what’s being added?

Since finishing my class chapters and dabbling in endgame flashpoints, Malgus has died, the rakghoul plague has spread well beyond Taris and the Dread Masters have done something, well, dreadful. I honestly have no idea what they’ve done; the content added since launch has been geared to raiding and PVP, but even if the loading screen still says interlude, the game story has gone on. Events have advanced; I just can’t see them. I did group flashpoints long enough to finally get some closure regarding Revan’s fate; I also saw Malgus’ demise. I’m not a group player by nature, and I reached the point where I had to be satisfied with the story content I could realistically experience on my own. I was elated to see an HK droid added to the game and truly disappointed to realize that I’ll never get to interact with it without not only doing end game group content, but doing it long enough to gear up for hard mode flashpoints.

I am currently, happily, a subscriber; I have no problem whatsoever paying for an excellent product and also for new features that might arise which interest me. Make no mistake; the game is excellent. I just wish the game had some kind of story mode for the flashpoints, some way for people who like playing on their own, at their own pace, to experience some of the adventures and stories otherwise left as the domain of guilds and groupers. Is that possible? Could a solo mode be implemented, at least for the flashpoints, as some kind of equalizing buff or as a redesign of the difficulty?

I don’t care about the loot; I have no problem seeing players whose gear dwarfs mine in terms of stats. I would play every flashpoint in the game without any reward at all if it meant being able to do them all and see some more of the galaxy Bioware has created. I would happily consider buying an unlockable mode or consumable item that would let me play single-player variations of the flashpoint or operation content.

More than anything, I just want to be able to get my fill of a story that Bioware began with Trask Ulgo’s tutorial and has gone on ever since.

Being able to get an HK-51 without having to wait for a level cap increase so I can attempt to solo Hard Mode Maelstrom prison would be helpful too.

I am right with you, I would love to be able to play some of the group mandatory content solo. It is very depressing when you go through your personal story and at the end they give you a mission leading into a flashpoint where you suddenly need a group.

I haven't done many flashpoints because I don't group hardly at all so I envy the little bit of the story you have seen when you did group. I also agree having to tell myself that I may never have HK-51 after looking forward to that addition still is hard to swallow. It also hurt when I realized I could never craft the best stuff in the game on my own because acquiring the best materials requires flashpoints as well.

I had a post not long ago very similar to this subject too.

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=555128

It would be wonderful indeed... but I doubt we'd ever see it happen as it opposes the nowadays idea behind an MMO.

On a separate note - go bravely ahead and solo the HK quest line. You would need to group with another person only for the final quest or could even solo it as well if you are a tank, preferably with a healer companion. I'm no expert at all and soloed everything but the last quest (last boss actually) with a DPS class + DPS companion. You will probably get your butt kicked few times in the process but the end goal justifies it

Holy cow!

How many more people are going to complain that they have to play with other people!!!

IT'S A MULTIPLAYER GAME!!!

If you want solo so bad, go hop on your Xbox or Playstation!

Holy cow!

 

How many more people are going to complain that they have to play with other people!!!

 

IT'S A MULTIPLAYER GAME!!!

 

If you want solo so bad, go hop on your Xbox or Playstation!

MMORPG doesn't equal playing in groups, it just means lots of other players exist within the same setting as you do.

The whole issue wouldn't exist if not every last bit of content since launch, apart from the dailies (which don't really have a story), has been focusing on grouping.

Especially for those of us who don't raid, it's basically impossible to know what's going on in the game's setting at the moment. I noticed this when I entered Section X and everything there was about some Dread Guard guys and I went like: "Dread who? Never heard of them".

The brief answer to the OPs question is, yes. You can play the game entirely solo.

The long winded answer is actually, sort of. You will basically need to funnel all your resources into maximizing 2 characters instead of one. Your companions becomes an extension of your character to the extent that the sum is greater than its constituent parts. That's actually not an easy thing to do and that doesn't even take into account your class and role choices. To a certain extent tanks do this the easiest and, with the right crew skills, the fastest. Healers are about in the same boat. Dps.. not so much since you tend to pull off your companion tank more often than not and you're usually too squishy for even an extraordinarily geared companion healer to keep alive in heavy combat. Hybrid specs for certain ACs can do better than pure builds as well. It can be done, but you may not have fun doing it. It will also require some research on your part to find out the strengths and weaknesses of your chosen AC and how to bolster strengths and plug weaknesses.

I am right with you, I would love to be able to play some of the group mandatory content solo. It is very depressing when you go through your personal story and at the end they give you a mission leading into a flashpoint where you suddenly need a group.

 

I haven't done many flashpoints because I don't group hardly at all so I envy the little bit of the story you have seen when you did group. I also agree having to tell myself that I may never have HK-51 after looking forward to that addition still is hard to swallow. It also hurt when I realized I could never craft the best stuff in the game on my own because acquiring the best materials requires flashpoints as well.

 

I had a post not long ago very similar to this subject too.

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=555128

Sadly, the best stuff in the game isn't crafted. Some parts of it can be, but most of it is dropped by one critter or another. Also, and even sadder, is the fact that once you hit 50, they give you a free set of recruit PvP gear for your chosen AC. That gear is actually better than the crafted items you are able to make (without getting patterns from HMs). Patience and grinding in PvP war zones will see this gear upgraded to Battlemaster gear and higher, but the only reason to go higher is for the mods available from the next tier. In fact, once you get any piece of modable gear, you already have the potential to have a "top tier" piece as all you need to do is spend the credits on the mods and slot them (though this may not be cheap).

Sadly, the best stuff in the game isn't crafted. Some parts of it can be, but most of it is dropped by one critter or another. Also, and even sadder, is the fact that once you hit 50, they give you a free set of recruit PvP gear for your chosen AC. That gear is actually better than the crafted items you are able to make (without getting patterns from HMs). Patience and grinding in PvP war zones will see this gear upgraded to Battlemaster gear and higher, but the only reason to go higher is for the mods available from the next tier. In fact, once you get any piece of modable gear, you already have the potential to have a "top tier" piece as all you need to do is spend the credits on the mods and slot them (though this may not be cheap).

What if you only pvp rarely, I'm not a big pvp player.

Holy cow!

 

How many more people are going to complain that they have to play with other people!!!

 

IT'S A MULTIPLAYER GAME!!!

 

If you want solo so bad, go hop on your Xbox or Playstation!

You seem exasperated by the number of people who like playing MMOs a solo players, which would mean that there must be a large number of solo players, which would in turn mean there should be enough of a market for the devs to put in place a server for solo players because they must be a considerable part of the community.

This will continue progressing, until eventually people start whining for a server where they are the only player that exists. Where other people can't kill that one particular mob, or take that one particular chest while they're busy in combat. A server where you can play your MSPRPG (Massively Single Player) all to yourself.

I don't agree with you on this. Solo players don't mind playing with other people online all at once, it is just that they prefer doing missions alone. They chat with people, answer questions, add things to the auction houses, craft items to sell....solo players are still part of the community they just prefer playing missions by themselves and at their own pace.

We already have Story Mode and Hard Mode; I would love to have a Tourist Mode where everything is reduced to single-player difficulty, only grey items drop, and no titles are unlocked. That would let me experience the story of the flashpoints and operations at my own pace, and learn their layout and tactics so I’m a little less clueless when I jump in through the Group Finder.

Or what if they had a solo mission attached to the flashpoints and operations, so maybe you don't do the flashpoint or operation exactly but you do a mission that is sort of "behind the scenes" and shows you the story.

So you wouldn't actually experience the actual flashpoint or operation but you would do a mission that made you aware of the major plot points and characters involved. A solo mission that is kind of wrapped around the story of the flashpoint or operation.

Or what if they had a solo mission attached to the flashpoints and operations, so maybe you don't do the flashpoint or operation exactly but you do a mission that is sort of "behind the scenes" and shows you the story.

 

So you wouldn't actually experience the actual flashpoint or operation but you would do a mission that made you aware of the major plot points and characters involved. A solo mission that is kind of wrapped around the story of the flashpoint or operation.

i like this idea. Even if it was just one long VO scene it would help the solo players follow the world story. I´m not a big fan of soloing OP´s, but this idea i´ll support.

MMORPG doesn't equal playing in groups, it just means lots of other players exist within the same setting as you do.

 

The whole issue wouldn't exist if not every last bit of content since launch, apart from the dailies (which don't really have a story), has been focusing on grouping.

Especially for those of us who don't raid, it's basically impossible to know what's going on in the game's setting at the moment. I noticed this when I entered Section X and everything there was about some Dread Guard guys and I went like: "Dread who? Never heard of them".

Massive "Multiplayer" Online Role Playing Game, multiplayer --> play with multiple "people".

But ok, interpretation and associal behavior are permitted.

I understand if you don't raid you might have missed some awesome stories, like the Rakata, the Hutts and the Dread Masters.. But if you say you never heard of them, then you didn't pay attention ingame and just skipped all cinematics? Because otherwise Belsavis would like a word with you.

We already have Story Mode and Hard Mode; I would love to have a Tourist Mode where everything is reduced to single-player difficulty, only grey items drop, and no titles are unlocked. That would let me experience the story of the flashpoints and operations at my own pace, and learn their layout and tactics so I’m a little less clueless when I jump in through the Group Finder.

Please no, if you don't like raids because you want to solo everything, fine, don't do them, just watch the cinematic on youtube. But don't touch the actual MMO content and go the Blizzard way of handholding and nerfing.

This will continue progressing, until eventually people start whining for a server where they are the only player that exists. Where other people can't kill that one particular mob, or take that one particular chest while they're busy in combat. A server where you can play your MSPRPG (Massively Single Player) all to yourself.

Maybe all the solo players should play on the oceanic servers and the oceanic mmo players come to us?

win-win?

Or what if they had a solo mission attached to the flashpoints and operations, so maybe you don't do the flashpoint or operation exactly but you do a mission that is sort of "behind the scenes" and shows you the story.

 

So you wouldn't actually experience the actual flashpoint or operation but you would do a mission that made you aware of the major plot points and characters involved. A solo mission that is kind of wrapped around the story of the flashpoint or operation.

You do know you can see the opening cinematic/conversation of the operations without actually doing them right? just pick up quest and talk to first npc, u'll get to know what's going on.

Not trying to be offensive to anyone but this is an MMO. They are designed around group play. This one already gives you 8 complete different solo storylines to play and enjoy. I really don't see the need to make the whole game soloable.

MMO is about economy, enormous game world, socializing, crafting, etc. Grouping is about the last thing that I play an MMO for.

MMO is about economy, enormous game world, socializing, crafting, etc. Grouping is about the last thing that I play an MMO for.

well, if you are not grouping and soloing all content, and as some people on the forums imply don't even talk to other people cuz they might want to grp, that is asocial.. so there goes the argument of socializing.. and therefor kill economy too, because solo players want to be solo, no-one else getting their mobs/mats, so there is no economy, and who would you craft for if you are solo-player? yay it's fun to be in a huge world all alone

well, if you are not grouping and soloing all content, and as some people on the forums imply don't even talk to other people cuz they might want to grp, that is asocial.. so there goes the argument of socializing.. and therefor kill economy too, because solo players want to be solo, no-one else getting their mobs/mats, so there is no economy, and who would you craft for if you are solo-player? yay it's fun to be in a huge world all alone

I craft to sell. I buy and collect mats, schematics. I craft, sell, buy, trade, talk to people on the Fleet, occasionally have very interesting conversations in /w while doing my thing.

The last thing I'd call myself is "antisocial". But I hate grouping. I group only for raids with my static Ops group and for some RWZ skull-cracking. If I had the opportunity, I wouldn't raid as part of a group, because, frankly, PvE content is static and it lacks dynamic player interaction outside the encounter's mold.

The only truly interesting group experience for me is organized PvP. Other than that, I'd be happy if I never had to group.

wasn't talking about you personally but about the trend in this thread, and as a direct answer to your answer of that poor guy telling the thruth

Fail to see how grouping is automatically relevant to being social. Last time I checked on my alts in levelling FPs, the experience is *anything* but social.