why does Borderlands 2 punish solo players?

[crazygameguy4ever]

I only recently got Borderlands 2 and while it is fun, it's also one of the most frustrating, and difficult games I've ever played. The main problem seems to be that the game punishes you for not playing with a teammate(s).. I get that it wants you to play as team with others.. but some of us like playing games solo and I don't under stand why the game forces you too play with others to get through the game. At the very least, Gearbox should have included difficulty options for solo players so that you can get through the game on your own with out dying a million times.. I've only level up my character to level 7 and I've already died around 6 or 7 times.. mostly on the bosses.. when facing Boom and Bewm specifically I had to keep retreating and getting health from the vending machine over and over again to keep from dying any more..

What does everyone else think about the difficulty of the game?

 

[Kopikatsu]

I think the main difficulty comes from the aimbots that all the enemies are sporting that let them one shot you from a billion yards away, especially on UVHM and the OP's. That and for solo players, dying to a boss means you just wasted your time and ammo while with a team, you can at least try to cycle your deaths so you slowly wear the boss down.

 

[Scarim Coral]

Who are you playing as? My main is Axton and I never really have any difficulty in the game other than those horde challange. In saying so however I do ALL of the quests so I probably did overleveled.

Even then when I started playing again as Kreig, I only died a couple of times at the start of the game due to not fully understanding his build but it wasn't that difficult as I did beat Boom and Bewm.

 

[crazygameguy4ever]

Who are you playing as? My main is Axton and I never really have any difficulty in the game other than those horde challange. In saying so however I do ALL of the quests so I probably did overleveled.

Even then when I started playing again as Kreig, I only died a couple of times at the start of the game due to not fully understanding his build but it wasn't that difficult as I did beat Boom and Bewm.

I'm playing as Maya.. I wanted to try the unique Siren character.. maybe she's not good to play as if your going solo?

 

[42]

would you like someone to play with? I still need some achievements from that game on steam.

Overall the game isn't too hard for solo, although some areas can be a real pain in the arse. If i recall, the varkids were a pain in the arse to solo. and most boss fights also end up being find an exploit to your advantage. Overall though, it isn't too hard to solo this game. The best character for that game for solo players IMO is Psycho. However you can make it easier for yourself, just grind up on the side quests before you tackle the main story missions and it'll make it all the easier for you.

 

[crazygameguy4ever]

would you like someone to play with? I still need some achievements from that game on steam.

Overall the game isn't too hard for solo, although some areas can be a real pain in the arse. If i recall, the varkids were a pain in the arse to solo. and most boss fights also end up being find an exploit to your advantage. Overall though, it isn't too hard to solo this game. The best character for that game for solo players IMO is Psycho. However you can make it easier for yourself, just grind up on the side quests before you tackle the main story missions and it'll make it all the easier for you.

I play on PS3 not pc so even if i wanted to play co-op with you I couldn't.. I'll have to try playing as another character besides Maya i guess

 

[Dandark]

I've never played co-op with anyone and I can usually do the game solo alright with only a few deaths every now and then.

Who are you playing as? My main is Axton and I never really have any difficulty in the game other than those horde challange. In saying so however I do ALL of the quests so I probably did overleveled.

Even then when I started playing again as Kreig, I only died a couple of times at the start of the game due to not fully understanding his build but it wasn't that difficult as I did beat Boom and Bewm.

I'm playing as Maya.. I wanted to try the unique Siren character.. maybe she's not good to play as if your going solo?

Which tree are you levelling up? I first cleared the game with Maya solo and found her alright. Also the game is a bit harder earlier on, you may find it gets easier as you level your character up.

For Maya I levelled up the cataclysm tree/red one/one on the right. I would also recommend trying out different items. The weapons are really varied and can play quite differently, even weapons of the same class. An explosive Torque pistol is very different from a Maliwan elemental or Jakobs pistol so experiment with weapons and see what you enjoy.

As a Siren you will probably want to use Maliwan elemental SMGs but don't feel limited, the weapons work well for everyone so pick whatever suits your playstyle. Also make sure you keep upgrading your shield, it's a huge part of your survival, the extra effects are not as important as the raw shield stats.

Also if your having a lot of trouble then just make sure you do all of the side missions in each area so that you keep getting more XP to level you up. It's normal to die a few times in the game solo but the difficulty does depend on how many players are present and the game is completely possible to play solo.

 

[Gladion]

I've only ever played that game with other people, so I can't really help you with that, but I can offer two possible answers to your question:

1) The developers designed the game to be played co-op and want to incentivize you to play with others because they think it's more enjoyable that way.
2) To make you tell all your friends about Borderlands 2 and beg them to buy it.

 

[Dominic Crossman]

I hate to be that guy, but you really shouldn't be finding it too difficult yet. Are you trying to do areas that are to high level for you (if enemies have a skull next to their health bar the answer is yes)
Make sure to do side quests and make sure you have at least decent equipment on you.
Side note, Maya seems to be the worst solo class, so if things don't improve for you try the Mechomancer Gauge, her deathtrap is great for helping inexperienced players.

 

[G00N3R7883]

I usually hate it when I see posts like the one I'm about to make, so I apologise if I sound arrogant ... honestly I thought the difficulty was fine as a solo player. Sure I died from time to time, but not so much that I got frustrated. I can't remember if there are difficulty options, if so I always pick the middle one for my first playthrough.

I've done both Borderlands 1&2 plus the all the season pass episodes for B2 as the Siren. Her special skill is a perfect fit for my playing style. You can suspend an enemy in mid air for a few seconds which means less things shooting at you. I make sure I equip the biggest shield I can find and when its getting low I'll try to take cover until it recharges. If you can get into a good rhythm with this you've essentially got infinite health.

You need to be careful with what weapons you're using as well. Some of them sound a lot more useful than they actually are. The maps are wide open and you'll be fighting at long distances which means the shotguns are mostly pointless. On the other hand, a good sniper rifle is essential. I like the assault rifles and smgs too. Rocket launchers are good against vehicles.

But don't just look at the damage stats. There are lots of factors that have an effect. One of the manufacturers (I can't remember which) has terrible recoil - I never use their weapons because I can't hit anything. Different iron sights and zoom scopes are easier to use than others. And you've got to pay attention to the elemental damage. Electricity will drop enemy shields quickly, fire is good against flesh, acid is good against robots.

Also,

I play on PS3 not pc

if I was playing without a Mouse and keyboard I would die a lot more.

 

[Warhawg01]

Level 72 Zero and a level 56 Maya, 550+ hours played, every single one solo. And this is the first FPS game I've really played. You're in the first Playthrough (Normal mode) -- and that is easy mode. I recommend you give some more specifics about your character and gear you have, to get some better assistance. Better yet, post in the Gearbox forums in the sub forum for your character and you'll get help there.

For the Boom Bewm fight: hide behind the pillar/smoke stack right in front of the drop in, and snipe the Bertha cannon first. That thing will hurt you. Then focus on Boom and Bewm. Don't fight the bandits that rush you...leave them alive for second wind kills if you need them. The green Jackobs sniper you get from Hammerlock in the Bad Hair Day quest is really good -- use it.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

I just kept my Vault Hunter's relic. Getting multiple blue drops all the time helped keep me from getting outgunned.

 

[Ronald Nand]

I play as Axton the Commando, so my Sabre turret acts a a 'partner' drawing fire from enemies so I can pick them off with my sniper. I also do as many sidequests as possible too. I've only died a couple of times and that's only happened when I've taken too many risks and put myself in a situation where I'm surrounded by enemies, the commando is mid to long range so its a good class for solo as you have some room to run away if your health runs low.

 

[Shingeki no Gingerbeard]

I've logged 230+ hours on all six characters, the vast majority of which I did with Axton. It was the first FPS I played since Unreal Tournament and Halo back in my Freshman year at college in '02.

Sometimes loot sucks and you have to go a little slower, like when I got hung up with Mad Mike in Bloodshot Stronghold, but normal mode is pretty easy once you get the hang of it. I hunkered down and popped my turret until I got comfortable, and by the end I was clearing slaughter domes with ease. It also helped that I picked up a slag-***** smg and Sham on my first playthrough.

I did all four dlc packs on normal mode, which brought my to my mid 40s before even beginning TVHM. Gear again lagged behind, so I used keys, but despite being so far ahead of the curve initially I was only 52-53 when I beat Jack the second time. Golden Keys help a LOT. I got some nice e-tech weapons out of the deal.

TVHM was definitely harder than normal, once level and gear evened out more, but it still was forgiving enough that you could be comfortable playing in whatever spec you liked. Except for Maya and Zero; they're woefully under-powered in my opinion. UVHM was a beast, and I wound up respeccing Axton from primarily Guerrilla to Survival. He went from Rifleman to Pointman, and he's good at his job.

 

[Schadrach]

I only recently got Borderlands 2 and while it is fun, it's also one of the most frustrating, and difficult games I've ever played. The main problem seems to be that the game punishes you for not playing with a teammate(s).. I get that it wants you to play as team with others.. but some of us like playing games solo and I don't under stand why the game forces you too play with others to get through the game. At the very least, Gearbox should have included difficulty options for solo players so that you can get through the game on your own with out dying a million times.. I've only level up my character to level 7 and I've already died around 6 or 7 times.. mostly on the bosses.. when facing Boom and Bewm specifically I had to keep retreating and getting health from the vending machine over and over again to keep from dying any more..

What does everyone else think about the difficulty of the game?

I played as Gaige, and I never really had trouble with solo difficulty until UVHM. My nephew played Soldier and Psycho and didn't really have any trouble either. What class are you playing, it's probably just a matter of spec and tactics.

 

[happyninja42]

Who are you playing as? My main is Axton and I never really have any difficulty in the game other than those horde challange. In saying so however I do ALL of the quests so I probably did overleveled.

Even then when I started playing again as Kreig, I only died a couple of times at the start of the game due to not fully understanding his build but it wasn't that difficult as I did beat Boom and Bewm.

I'm playing as Maya.. I wanted to try the unique Siren character.. maybe she's not good to play as if your going solo?

I haven't had much issue playing solo with any of the characters. My favorite though is Zero. I think you might need to restructure her talents for a more effective solo build? There are some skills that are just better built for supporting a team, than playing solo. Also you might need a good weapon upgrade. I've noticed in that game that I frequently have issues if I've leveled a lot, and not found any significant weapon upgrades in a while. But once I do improve my weapon type spread (Acid/Fire/Shield/etc), the game becomes easier.

 

[Mikkaddo]

I only recently got Borderlands 2 and while it is fun, it's also one of the most frustrating, and difficult games I've ever played. The main problem seems to be that the game punishes you for not playing with a teammate(s).. I get that it wants you to play as team with others.. but some of us like playing games solo and I don't under stand why the game forces you too play with others to get through the game. At the very least, Gearbox should have included difficulty options for solo players so that you can get through the game on your own with out dying a million times.. I've only level up my character to level 7 and I've already died around 6 or 7 times.. mostly on the bosses.. when facing Boom and Bewm specifically I had to keep retreating and getting health from the vending machine over and over again to keep from dying any more..

What does everyone else think about the difficulty of the game?

The reason why is it's an MMO, it'll never admit this, and it tries to hide it, but it's an MMO. In an MMO, if one member of a team dies, they can respawn and rejoin the fight where the rest of the team is at, if the whole team dies, the boss gets all their health back and sometimes respawns all their adds.

Also, a point or two I noticed you missed, the loot is SIGNIFIGANTLY lower solo style than in a group, and the chance of getting legendary, or especially Eridian weapons is almost nil till you're nearing max level if you're not in a group.

But the main point is it's an MMO that tries to hide that fact, so it'll never let us solo players have the same experience as people that badger all their friends into buying it too so they can do it as a team.

 

[Kaimax]

Solo Play, Punishing? No.
But, Playing Multi has more advantages than just being easier. Mainly Solo'd BD 2 with Zer0.