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  • The Soapbox: Meaningful solo play

    by 
    Eliot Lefebvre
    Eliot Lefebvre
    06.19.2012

    Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column. I'm going to open this piece off by laying my cards on the table: If you read my last Soapbox two weeks ago about why solo players choose to play solo and you absolutely hated it, then honestly, I have to tell you that this installment isn't for you. You aren't going to like it. Go read a book or play a game or something else because there's no reason for you to read something that I can promise you straight-up you won't like. I spent that entire column talking about why people might play solo, but I spent absolutely no time discussing what players are supposed to do solo or how games can handle the dichotomy between solo and grouped players. There does need to be some parity between the two, and that works both ways. Solo players need content and rewards, but group players need to have something to work toward as well, and you need to have the feeling of an overall shared world. So how do you mix a solid solo experience with a solid MMO?