RPG Multiplayers

[Stalydan]

Okay, touchy subject apparently for a lot of people but I'd like to see a multiplayer RPG. Not MMO though, a true western RPG like The Elder Scrolls or Fallout. I know there are great mods out there that enable this sort of thing already but I'd love to see a game with that added in.

Personally, though not an amazing game itself but a great example of a game that gets the model right for multiplayer in an RPG is Borderlands. The game works great with friends, keeping the enemies just about right when you team up with people. The level of the enemies slightly raises when more players join the server. Though the problem with that game was playing it single player feels... bad. The driving is a good example of this because to get a good time with it you need two people in the vehicle. It's a flawed game that I hope learns from its mistakes with the sequel.

What I'd really like to see happen is a game like TES or Fallout add multiplayer to their game but really not lose good single player to get it. Honestly, I don't know which would be the best way of doing that either. Like would you make into something like Fable where one player joins the other's world or a completely separate zone like in Diablo 2? Both have advantages and disadvantages to them but I honestly can't decide which I'd rather prefer. But then there's also the problem with multiplayer itself that a person misses a mission that their friends did the night before and loses out on the rewards of the quest.

There are so many problems with multiplayer RPGs that aren't MMOs that I don't think anybody really wants to invest in making one. And I can't see any solutions to it. There are basic things to me like increasing the enemies' levels when more people are in the game and a maximum of three players which would really not over clog the game with PCs running around. Other than those two things, I can't really think what would make that type game appealing without breaking itself.

What do you think. If a series like TES, Fallout or even The Witcher decided it would add some multiplayer to the mix, what would you hope would added to or even taken out of the game to balance it out online mode?

 

[godofallu]

I completely agree that you should be able to romp through the open world games with others.

Hell add in a dueling option. Now that would kick ass.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

I'm not sure what about my Skyrim experience would be greatly improved by watching some Argonian named Raistlin bunny hopping across my screen before killing the quest giver I was trying to talk to, but I suppose I could just not be your target audience.

 

[Stalydan]

I completely agree that you should be able to romp through the open world games with others.

Hell add in a dueling option. Now that would kick ass.

Exactly, it's not something brand new. Both Grand Theft Auto and Saint's Row are both open world sandboxes that still add lots of fun to their multiplayers because they use their open worlds as something the players can explore together. I don't think there's any genre that could make that even better than RPGs where along with your open world you have monsters, bandits and dragons waiting for you and your friends to explore and conquer.

 

[Stalydan]

I'm not sure what about my Skyrim experience would be greatly improved by watching some Argonian named Raistlin bunny hopping across my screen before killing the quest giver I was trying to talk to, but I suppose I could just not be your target audience.

Yes, I understand that is a serious problem with the typical Bethesda style RPGs where you can practically kill anybody. I suppose you could maybe put up a vote system that would enable or disable friendly fire... hmmm I don't think that term works well without guns. Friendly slashing?

 

[Vegosiux]

What do you think. If a series like TES, Fallout or even The Witcher decided it would add some multiplayer to the mix, what would you hope would added to or even taken out of the game to balance it out online mode?

No! Bad Stalydan! Down, boy!

*ahem*

I am not opposed to multiplayer per se, but I am strongly opposed to bringing MP into a franchise that I've grown to respect and love of its singleplayer qualities. So, yes, multiplayer RPGs? Why not! Bringing multiplayer into the RPGs that were singleplayer so far? No! Bad! Bad bad bad! Kill it with fire!

*ahem again*

So yeah, that's what I generally mean. If people want MP in their RPG's, create new franchises for that. Don't force it into SP franchises.

 

[Euhan01]

Demon/Dark Souls had some good ideas for Multiplayer in RPG's, didn't Two Worlds have multiplayer or something? How did that work.

 

[Stalydan]

What do you think. If a series like TES, Fallout or even The Witcher decided it would add some multiplayer to the mix, what would you hope would added to or even taken out of the game to balance it out online mode?

No! Bad Stalydan! Down, boy!

*ahem*

I am not opposed to multiplayer per se, but I am strongly opposed to bringing MP into a franchise that I've grown to respect and love of its singleplayer qualities. So, yes, multiplayer RPGs? Why not! Bringing multiplayer into the RPGs that were singleplayer so far? No! Bad! Bad bad bad! Kill it with fire!

*ahem again*

So yeah, that's what I generally mean. If people want MP in their RPG's, create new franchises for that. Don't force it into SP franchises.

Yeah should have worded it better really xD If a game operated on the same style of gameplay like the above games, what you like to see done with it?

 

[AlternatePFG]

Dark Souls/Demon's Souls did multiplayer really well. Okay, it did co-op and player interaction really well. PvP is kind of an unbalanced mess, but that's bound to happen when there is no hard level cap and players can upgrade their gear to astounding heights while still being at a low level. *shrug*

What is best about it, is that it doesn't compromise the game's great sense of atmosphere. Your options for communicating with other players are very limited, and most of the time the most you'll see of other people is their ghosts roaming around the world or from their blood stains. Even PvP, which I don't like and avoid whenever I can, enforces the feeling that it's a hostile world out to get you.

 

[Stalydan]

Demon/Dark Souls had some good ideas for Multiplayer in RPG's, didn't Two Worlds have multiplayer or something? How did that work.

Can't say I've ever played Two Worlds myself :/

 

[Shirastro]

I think this could work only if you have someone you know to play it with.
If it is with some stranger it would just be some sort of mini MMO.

 

[Korten12]

Demon/Dark Souls had some good ideas for Multiplayer in RPG's, didn't Two Worlds have multiplayer or something? How did that work.

In Two Worlds 2, on consoles you join a game, and go through various co-op levels, or join a pvp-game. Same for the PC, but you go into a city and then form parties and then go on the levels. It was quite fun.

White Knight Chronicles 2 also is another rpg (well JRPG) that had Multiplayer. It works really well.

 

[Stalydan]

Demon/Dark Souls had some good ideas for Multiplayer in RPG's, didn't Two Worlds have multiplayer or something? How did that work.

In Two Worlds 2, on consoles you join a game, and go through various co-op levels, or join a pvp-game. Same for the PC, but you go into a city and then form parties and then go on the levels. It was quite fun.

White Knight Chronicles 2 also is another rpg (well JRPG) that had Multiplayer. It works really well.

How does White Knight Chronicles' multiplayer work?

 

[burningdragoon]

Do I think, developers/publishers/players should respect single player games by not shoving in multiplayer without any regard to if it belongs in the game? Yep.

Is Skyrim super awesome as is? Absolutely.

Would I like to share a sprawling, epic adventure with a friend in an open world RPG like the Elder Scrolls games? Hell yes I would.

Is that a conflict of interests? I guess it is.

 

[Korten12]

Demon/Dark Souls had some good ideas for Multiplayer in RPG's, didn't Two Worlds have multiplayer or something? How did that work.

In Two Worlds 2, on consoles you join a game, and go through various co-op levels, or join a pvp-game. Same for the PC, but you go into a city and then form parties and then go on the levels. It was quite fun.

White Knight Chronicles 2 also is another rpg (well JRPG) that had Multiplayer. It works really well.

How does White Knight Chronicles' multiplayer work?

You use the created character you have in the Single-player. From there, you can build a town (getting resources from SP and so on), go on the ingame forums, join guilds (just added into a newest update) with there own towns (I think), in these towns you join you can buy materials to make weapons, armors, potions, etc...

Now this is where the actual multiplayer comes in, in the towns, you will join a town through the menu and see other players. Like TW2, you join up with players and then go on various co-op missions while ranking up and unlocking more.

 

[AlternatePFG]

You use the created character you have in the Single-player. From there, you can build a town (getting resources from SP and so on), go on the ingame forums, join guilds (just added into a newest update) with there own towns (I think), in these towns you join you can buy materials to make weapons, armors, potions, etc...

Now this is where the actual multiplayer comes in, in the towns, you will join a town through the menu and see other players. Like TW2, you join up with players and then go on various co-op missions while ranking up and unlocking more.

That actually sounds really cool. Do people still play that game, because I might pick it up when I get the chance.

 

[Korten12]

You use the created character you have in the Single-player. From there, you can build a town (getting resources from SP and so on), go on the ingame forums, join guilds (just added into a newest update) with there own towns (I think), in these towns you join you can buy materials to make weapons, armors, potions, etc...

Now this is where the actual multiplayer comes in, in the towns, you will join a town through the menu and see other players. Like TW2, you join up with players and then go on various co-op missions while ranking up and unlocking more.

That actually sounds really cool. Do people still play that game, because I might pick it up when I get the chance.

People do play it, but I would suggest checking it out via youtube, as it is a more of a niche. It's combat isn't as fast as most JRPGs, and you need to play the SP to unlock everything.

(Also search White Knight Chronicles 2, as it comes with WKC1, and WKC2 has a lot of improvements.)

 

[jthwilliams]

I think multiplayer in a good RPG would be great. However, with TES, I rather they build 50 more hours of contant then use the same time and resources to get multiplayer working. Don't get me wrong, if multiplayer could happen, it would be cool. The issue is that games get a budget and they always end up cutting features and quests as they run out of time and money. Personally, I rather they put more time and money into developing the content of the RPG that I really like than into making multiplayer work which would only be fun for a bit for me.


Multiplayer is not easy to do well and it takes considerable time, effort as well as requiring the developer to creat an online server for live, PSN, and their own solution for PC and/or MAC (they can use steam or games for windows, but the point is they have to worry about developing servers) Creating networking and multiplayer logic isn't the same as creating a game logic so they have to hire people with that skill set to get it done. ... .... ...

cutting it shorter ...

My point is multiplayer isn't cheap. Given infanit time and money if a studio wanted to develop their RPG with a non instrusive mutliplayer, It would be cool to be able to bring my friends into my Skyrim universe to help me with a quest that is kicking my ass. However, with limited resources, I rather those resource be focused on making more quests, improving the quests, improving the control system and QA. (I'm looking at you bethesda, a alpha and beta test wouldn't kill you and would mean your release wouldn't be quite so buggy. Aww, I can't stay mad at you. )

 

[Smooth Operator]

Ah the pedestrian developer mindset, why can't we have everything in every game, why doesn't TES have guns, why isn't TES realistic, why doesn't TES run in realtime, why isn't TES an MMO, why doesn't TES have ponies, ...
I understand that in your mind every idea is perfect but in the real world they come with huge amounts of problems and limitations.
Bethesda games need to bump up production value on all of their existing features before we can even consider anything new, them wasting time on multiplayer is the last thing they need.

And anyway there are plenty of chop shop RPG's(and most other games) getting stuffed with multiplayer so I really can't see you are lacking in choice, if anything people looking for good single player are the ones sold short.

 

[Stalydan]

Ah the pedestrian developer mindset, why can't we have everything in every game, why doesn't TES have guns, why isn't TES realistic, why doesn't TES run in realtime, why isn't TES an MMO, why doesn't TES have ponies, ...
I understand that in your mind every idea is perfect but in the real world they come with huge amounts of problems and limitations.
Bethesda games need to bump up production value on all of their existing features before we can even consider anything new, them wasting time on multiplayer is the last thing they need.

And anyway there are plenty of chop shop RPG's(and most other games) getting stuffed with multiplayer so I really can't see you are lacking in choice, if anything people looking for good single player are the ones sold short.

Well despite the fact that the quite condescending nature of your tone which alone should make me want to not give you a reply to your post, if you had read a few posts below, I suggested why games of this style of play (open world RPGs) could be interesting to see how they would work with a multiplayer component. Not MMOs, those are vastly different games and there's enough of them already. Just multiplayer. Two to four people exploring vast landscapes with each other whilst questing and fighting along the way much like the single player of the games would be based on. The ideas they're based on wouldn't have to have anything dramatically changed (e.g. no guns in swords and sorcery games or magic in the post-apocalyptic settings). The games would just have to work like the great RPGs that we love without sacrificing anything to accommodate more players into the mix.