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Exploring Eberron: DDO for the solo player
One of my favorite things about MMO gaming is that there is literally something out there to suit every MMO player. It's one of the upsides of a fairly crowded market -- if what you're playing doesn't hold your attention, there are a hundred more games lined up behind it. One effect of this is that the "multiplayer" part of "massively multiplayer" is more of a suggestion than a defined gameplay style these days. There's a significant portion of the gaming community that lacks either the time or inclination to do everything in-game with a group. Most MMOs have varying levels of soloability. Some make a point of extending a welcoming hand to solo players, some stack the benefits and perks on the side of groups, and some don't even seem to realize there's a difference. So where does Turbine land in all of this? Well, the company has made some nice strides in the past year or so in opening the doors for solo players. If you tried DDO way back when but didn't find it very solo-friendly, it might be time for a second look. Follow along after the jump as I touch on the various solo-friendly points of Dungeons and Dragons Online.
Wings Over Atreia: Destination guide -- Taloc's Hollow
Are you weary of group dynamic bickering, spittle-laced rants, or plowing through repeatable quests until your head is spinning and your hands have a death-grip on your weapon? Are the crowds around Atreia just getting to you? Why not spend some quality time alone... when you needn't answer to anyone else? That's right folks! Leave your friends, your legion-mates, and all reminders of real life behind and come visit beautiful Taloc's Hollow! Thinking of just kicking your heels up in Pandaemonium or Sanctum? Lounging around in an inner tube on dry land hardly a getaway makes, so hurry on down to the lush lands of Taloc's Forest (Inggison) or Krug Basin (Gelkmoros) for a little R&R -- rewards and, well, rewards. What does Taloc's have to offer? For the discerning level 51-55 adventurer, Taloc's offers the unique opportunity to gather treasure and soak up experience, all without having to share any of it with your compatriots. Need a random five-minute break to grab that leftover pizza? No problem! Find an awesome piece of fabled jewelry? Nope, you don't have to roll -- it's all yours. Choose Taloc's Hollow as your next Aion destination spot today! Ready for adventure? Cruise on past the cut for a guided tour, along with some helpful hints, special tips, and time-saving deals for your trip.
The Soapbox: Playing alone together
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect that of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column. It's sitting there in my quest log, frustrating me with its presence and quite possibly calling me names when I'm not around. "It" is a fellowship (group) quest for Lord of the Rings Online that I need to complete to continue Volume 2 of the epic storyline. This particular quest has been moldering in my log for over two weeks now, and I'm starting to think I'll never get it done. I hate it. Oh, sure, I know that there's plenty of other things to do, I know that if I'm diligent I'll find a group sooner or later, and I know that eventually enough of my kinship will need to do it and we'll throw together a "help each other out" posse. But I absolutely, completely hate being dependent on others for my gaming, and it always grates when I hit a wall that cannot be passed unless I gather a few friends -- or, more likely, a motley crew of puggers -- to get around it all. Yup, that's right, I'm a solo MMO player. I'm the very oxymoron of what some consider to be the quintessential MMO experience, which is to play an online game together with thousands of others. I like to do my own thing, go my own way, and 95% of the time, chew through content as a one-man act. I don't mind being with other people for fun and adventures, but I don't want to need them to progress. And I'm part of a growing majority of MMO gamers.
The Mog Log: We all live in a community submarine
This week, like the week before, has seen an explosion of controversy about Final Fantasy XIV. I have not really taken part, as I have been far too busy playing Final Fantasy XIV to care one way or the other. But after a month of people's impressions, it seems like the perfect time to dive back into the meat of the community topics -- much like we did last month around the same time, as a matter of fact. Sadly, Final Fantasy XI has been fairly quiet, both due to the anger generation systems its successor features and due to a general sense of community burnout. After all, we're about two months away from another version update, and thus far we've heard nothing about what's due for December. Still, jump on past the cut for discussions about Final Fantasy XI as well as FFXIV, with the usual dosage of commentary to accompany each.
EVE Evolved: Group PvE in EVE Online
EVE Online is often thought of as a strongly PvP-based game, with player conflict and competition at the heart of practically every activity the game offers. Competition for resources, power, and notoriety routinely drive players to disintegrate each other's ships, but this effect isn't limited to just PvP. Miners compete with each other for ore on a daily basis, for example, and traders fight for market supremacy. EVE's competitive sandbox element is such a headline feature that PvE often takes a back seat in discussions about the game. EVE's combat-based PvE comes in the form of repeatable agent missions, hidden exploration sites, and deadly Sleeper encounters. While most of these can be completed solo by experienced pilots with a well-designed ship, they're often much faster and more fun when done in groups. The lack of a limit to how many pilots can be brought on PvE expeditions even makes it feasible to take newer players along to tough missions, something that doesn't happen in most MMOs. In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at why EVE's PvE is so inherently soloable, which types of PvE encounters are well suited to group play, and what the future holds for EVE's possibly neglected group PvE content.
The Anvil of Crom: Traveling the Silk Road
Last week we spoke briefly with Funcom executive producer and game director Craig "Silirrion" Morrison regarding Age of Conan's random encounter mechanic, which will invoke a series of one-off solo instances designed to add a bit of flavor to the journey to Hyboria's Far East. We also checked out five of the 11 available instances: four sea-faring adventures and one rare-spawn quest-giving encounter. This week, we'll step through the remaining five adventures, all of them land-locked, in addition to taking a quick look at the second rare spawn. Voyage past the cut for more.
Breakfast Topic: One is the loneliest number
This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the Aol guest writer program that brings your words to WoW.com. There is nothing better than sharing a common interest with friends, but what happens when you find yourself alone in Azeroth for long period of time? You and your friends used to spend hours playing together, raiding or simply sharing idle banter in private messages or even the dreaded trade chat. But lately, it seems that you are the only person playing. Your friends, for a multitude of reasons, simply can't find the time to play anymore. Now you're alone in a big world with no one to talk to and nothing to take the edge off the quest grinding. So what do you do? Guilds: a toon's best friend Whether it's on a RP, PvP, normal or mixed server, a guild can keep you entertained and chatting throughout that hard grind to 80. When you find yourself stranded in an area where there isn't another living soul in sight, it's always good to know that one /g away is a group of people who will, more often than not, love to hear how things are going, both in game and out. It's a warming feeling to see that the minute you log on, another person is there to greet you with a friendly "Hey, _____." General and trade chat If a guild is not your thing, it's always nice to take a few minutes between quests to sit in a capital city and share in some banter with your fellow players. General chat is full of other players discussing either the game itself, movies, music or a multitude of other topics. Even trade chat can be fun if you keep up with the latest internet memes, though after a period of time, it came become annoying.
Mortal Online creates exclusive guild leader forum
It's no secret that certain members of MMORPG communities are quite determined in their push to influence a game's direction. Whether it's early adopters jockeying to get their ideas heard while a game is still in development, or the leaders of large and influential endgame-oriented guilds that garner developer attention via their content-clearing prowess, it's not uncommon to see small groups of customers attempting to rub elbows with decision makers. Rare individuals have even parleyed these relationships into professional careers. What is unusual is when a game company publicly endorses such behavior. Star Vault, the independent developers of the PvP sandbox title Mortal Online, has set up an invitation-only forum called the Council of Patriarchs, wherein guild leaders (and only guild leaders) can interact with developers regarding larger game matters. While it isn't unusual to solicit player feedback, it is interesting that the forum is not visible to most paying customers. Whether or not it was Star Vault's intention to open up an "us versus them" can of worms, discussion on the official boards is currently trending towards the divide between solo and group/guild players. Mortal Online isn't the first game to dip its toes into the exclusive forum club. Some of you may recall that Matrix Online had a private retreat known as the Champagne Room, which, while similar in catering to a small subset of players, was not publicly advertised by the developers.
Slingbox Solo devices no longer streaming for some users?
According to Slingbox's message boards, some Slingbox SOLO owners are experiencing a slew of issues with their devices, the most concerning of which is the failure to stream content after a brief period of use. Understandably, that's more than a bit frustrating for users who purchased the set top box exactly so they could stream TV content remotely. The particular thread in question was started back in May, and as of now has not been universally resolved by Slingbox's engineering team, who claim the problems have yet to be nailed down to a single issue -- despite many owners discovering their issues are related to bloated capacitors. Unfortunately for users, that means Slingbox hasn't announced a blanket replacement program. Instead, Slingbox is asking those affected by the problem to contact their support team: if your device happened to fail within 90 of purchase or you purchased an extended warranty, they'll handle for free. Otherwise, those still within the device's hardware warranty can pay a small fee for service which will be refunded only in the event the problem is found to be hardware related. From a consumer standpoint, this definitely sounds like a raw deal, but we'll avoid taking sides until more details surface... or a last minute press conference is called to claim it's a problem with all streaming boxes.
Spiritual Guidance: Soloing 5-man content the shadow priest way
Dawn Moore is at it again, running misleading, sleazy ads against Spiritual Guidance's Fox Van Allen. What's she trying to hide? We know that Fox Van Allen, self-appointed high priest of the shadows, favors lower hybrid taxes, a strong [3. Local Defense] and securing our borders with the timely use of Mind Flay and Shadowfiends. Maybe Dawn is trying to hide that she favors higher taxes on your DPS, that she voted repeatedly to give valuable Renews to those playing the game illegally and is flat-out soft on gnomes. Dawn Moore. Wrong for priests. Wrong for Azeroth. (Paid for by the Committee to Elect Fox Van Allen.) End -of-expansion ennui. It's inevitable. I'll admit, even though I've yet to see the Lich King downed on hard mode, a lot of the Wrath content is growing stale for me. I'm playing alts more often (Recruit-A-Friend really is a great way to experience the game). I'm spending more time at the auction house. Basically, I'm trying to find new and different ways to experience the game. That's our general idea today: experiencing the game in a new way. A way that Blizzard didn't really intend, but a way that still holds a lot of entertainment value. A way that proves that shadow priests are, in fact, as awesome as five other players put together. That's right, I'm suggesting you try soloing some old school 5-man content. Why would you want to? You're bored as hell with all the Northrend stuff you've been running every day for the last one-and-a-half years. It's a new challenge that requires you to approach World of Warcraft in an entirely different way than you're used to. You probably don't have the all the 5-man BC achievements if you started your character after fall of 2008. You can farm a lot of valuable enchanting materials, find some rare trade skills, items and pets, and walk away with a solid chunk of gold, besides. Best of all, doing stuff alone means that you can tell the GearScore elitists where to shove it. Interested? Rock. Follow me after the break, and let's figure a way to get this done.
The Daily Grind: How important is the "multiplayer" part of MMO?
The definition of "MMO" is changing at an increasing pace these days, to the point where many people argue that the very idea of defining an MMO is a thing of the past. However, a defining factor that has stayed consistent through all of that is the question of how many people can play together. "The more the better" is the commonly held standard, but not everyone prefers to play that way. An increasing number of games offer quests created for solo play, the ability to create solo play skill sets, and even the ability to play through the majority of the game alone if you prefer. While grouping isn't obsolete by any stretch of the imagination, the solo player isn't left out in the cold either. So what is your preference? Would you rather go it alone at your own pace, or are you there for the company of others as much as the gameplay?
Grace Digital Audio announces Solo WiFi internet radio tuner
Interested in a WiFi internet radio but already have a perfectly good stereo? Then you're just the sort of person that Grace Digital Audio is after with its new Solo WiFi internet radio tuner, which simply turns any stereo (or set of speakers, for that matter) into an internet radio. Apart from the lack of speakers, the device is fairly similar to Grace's recently announced Allegro WiFi radio, with it packing the same support for services like Pandora and Sirius internet radio, the same backlit LCD display, and the same support for Grace's remote app for the iPhone / iPod touch (plus a standard remote, of course). Sold? Then you can snag this one directly from Grace right now for $124.99, or look for it to hit Best Buy, Sears and other retailers in July.
The Digital Continuum: The trouble with sticking to MMOs
I get to these points where not a single MMO will stick with me any longer than roughly one month -- sometimes less. That wasn't always the case, though. There was a time when I could play a single MMO nearly every day for three or four months before getting tired of it. And a lot of my friends are in the same boat, trying to regularly play an MMO but mostly faltering. This isn't new to me. In fact, I've been here before and I know how to get out of the viciously boring cycle. This week's The Digital Continuum is all about renewing the luster to your MMO experience, and maybe a little more.
The Mog Log: Answers (and disclaimers)
In this edition of the Mog Log, every question you have ever had will be answered completely accurately. (Disclaimer: these questions must pertain to either Final Fantasy XI or Final Fantasy XIV. And they must have been asked via e-mail or comments. And it must be noted that "I don't know" is an accurate answer to a question. Also, this aside is now longer then the introductory sentence.) Aren't you excited as possible? I know I am. We'll start off with a question from Dormer: "Why aren't we getting more information from the beta?" We're not sure, but we can certainly speculate. The most logical reason is that the testing is closer to an alpha than anything and they're not letting people in that they can't trust implicitly. Square-Enix has a pretty good track record at keeping things quiet when they want to, and they're likely making sure that nothing leaks out from this phase. How much of an NDA further phases of Final Fantasy XIV's testing will have is a mystery. But there's another reason for the possible dearth of information. (Which we've intentionally put behind the cut to inspire you to keep reading.)
EVE Evolved: Medic ships, part 1: The healers of EVE
The holy trinity of tank, healer and damage-dealer is present in every MMO, including EVE Online. While most MMOs dedicate these roles to specific classes, ships in EVE can do all three at the same time. When running missions solo, for example, a ship will need to tank incoming damage, repair it and deal damage themselves. Setting up a ship for solo PvE becomes a balancing act between the three roles. Too little tank and you'll find yourself in trouble, but too little damage and you'll take forever to kill NPCs. As part of a gang, however, remote armour repair and shield transfer modules allow pilots to specialise into a traditional healer role. Rather than having each player repair their own damage, it can be much more effective to have a dedicated medic ship to repair anyone that gets shot at. There are even specialised ships for would-be healers in EVE, from entry-level cruisers to advanced Tech 2 Logistics ships and massive capital ships. Medic ships can be an effective part of any gang, whether you're tackling a tough level 4 or 5 mission or engaging in large-scale gang PvP. In this first part of a two-part look into dedicated healers in EVE Online, I look at the more affordable ships and modules available and the best strategy for healing in PvE.
15 Minutes of Fame: The solo artist
15 Minutes of Fame is WoW.com's look at World of Warcraft players of all shapes and sizes -- from the renowned to the relatively anonymous, from the remarkable to the player next door. Tip us off to players you'd like to hear more about. DKs are OP -- there, we said it. Now then, we can move on with our discussion of ... well, of an OP death knight. This particular DK, however, brings more to the plate than the sheer muscle of his class. Raegwyn of EU Zuluhed-H brings a wealth of raiding experience, class skill and game savvy to bear in his continuing campaign to conquer as many bosses and instances of WoW as possible, completely solo. We get a lot of "check me out soloing X" videos submitted here at WoW.com, but Raegwyn caught our eye with his video of a solo kill of Al'ar from Burning Crusade's 25-man Tempest Keep instance The Eye. He's made masterful headway in heroic Pit of Saron and most recently polished off an instance that still catches level-appropriate groups off guard: heroic Ahn'Kahet. We talked to this Austrian death machine about why gear is nice but timing is everything when it comes to taking down bosses on your own.
ioSafe Solo SSD plays with fire, gravity, and the pathway of a tractor
It's an inevitability, when a product claims to withstand Kryptonian strength, someone out there's gonna phone up the son of Jor-El himself for a trial run. Today's entrant is ioSafe's Solo SSD, which Extreme Tech took for a few rounds to determine its actual survivability. Spoiler alert: the SSD drive is still functional in the end, and it's really none too surprising when you realize the test site is run by ioSafe itself -- who else would have such an appropriate location handy? Still, the journey is what's interesting here, and there's plenty of pictures of incineration, falling, and drowning here -- and even a video of an intimate encounter with a tractor tread. Jigsaw would be proud. Video after the break.
ioSafe Solo hard drive places a 2TB bet on all kinds of disasters
It's Friday the 13th, and ioSafe couldn't have chosen a better time to update their Solo fireproof and waterproof hard drive line with a 2TB model. Sure, it'll cost you $399 for a USB 2.0 connection instead of eSATA, FireWire 800 or USB 3.0, but you'll never know when your yacht sinks or burns down, sending that precious Kenny G collection to oblivion. Don't go thinking you can just get the $149 500GB model and upgrade it yourself either -- you'll have to destroy the waterproof seal to get to the hard drive, as demonstrated before. Yeah, life's tough.
MMO Family: The family that groups together
MMO Family is your resource for leveling a gaming-specced family. From tips on balancing gaming with family life to finding age-appropriate niches for every family member, MMO Family offers you advice on MMO gaming of the family, by the family and for the family. Now that we've established why and how to stay plugged into your children's gaming interests, some general internet safety rules for kids and a variety of ways to choose games that are suitable for your family, you're probably ready to log in and get some XP. But if it's the whole family we're trying to consider here, we're not quite buffed and ready to pull. Gaming for kids and gaming with kids are two different things. Have you considered the benefits of fitting both into your gaming family? A gaming family has a lot in common with a rich, well developed MMO. You can solo. You can group. You can team or raid. You can quest, and you can craft. You can go PvP, stay PvE or tuck yourself into a quiet corner to roleplay or socialize. And just as you can cherry-pick your activities according to your interests within a single game, you can mix and match games, what you do within each game and different configurations of groups and partners within your family. There's no law that states that kids must play "children's games" and adults must play "mature" fare. Your kids may be jonesing to play the games they've grown up watching you play – or they may find your enraptured state over the economy of EVE Online utterly stultifying. Cobble together whatever mix of high/low, adult/kiddie gaming everyone finds most enjoyable.
The Daily Grind: Do you prefer leveling grouped or solo?
While there are some MMOs that try to handle their progression differently, the bulk of them probably offer some form of combat-centric leveling. Killing large quantities of NPCs, doing quests and exploring dungeons is the norm. However, whether these things are done alone or with others is usually still left up to the player. These days games are very accommodating when it comes to classes having the ability to solo. Sure, some will be better than others, but for the most part soloing should at least be an option.What we'd like to ask you today is how you approach this choice. Do you like to join up with a band of fellow adventurers and take on harder content to get your levels, or even just tackle solo content faster together? Perhaps you have a regular group that negates the need for the often-tiresome "Looking For Group" process. Alternatively, you might enjoy the ability to log on and get straight into leveling on your own, without relying on others. Maybe you've been scarred by too many bad groups! For some, leveling solo is just a time thing -- you have no time to wait around for LFGing and the group formation process, which can sometimes take longer than you were planning to be online. To these folks we ask: when you do have the time, do you make use of it to group, or are you happier just soloing anyway?
