37 réponses à ce sujet

[PillingPower]

I've flitted around the forum, seeing feedback and suggestions that I agree with here and there, articulated very well. The one thing I haven't noticed though is a suggestion to link more the multi-player game to the single-player campaign.

Mass Effect 3 of course used the 'war readiness' tool to encourage players to spend time completing missions in the multi-player game. Dragon Age:Inquisition lacks any such link, which removes vital motivation. People respond to incentives!

It occurs to me that there are two simple ways to enable such links.

 

1. War Table Missions - perhaps upon succeeding on a MP mission at Level 20, a one-off war table mission becomes unlocked - one for each different character. The rewards could differ depending upon the threat level that was completed. 

 

2. Agent - promoting a Level 20 character could bring them in as an agent to the Inquisition - they could even hang around Skyhold to be chatted to like some of the other agents.

 

It seems to me that both of these options could be used and would greatly increase the motivation for individuals to spend time playing multi-player games.

 

 

[Jeremiah12LGeek]

I'm pretty sure BioWare chose not to have any links between the two because of complaints about the way MP influenced SP when Mass Effect 3 was released.

 

I don't think they'll reverse the decision, and I think that's probably for the best.

 

I wouldn't mind links, myself, but we're in the minority, and I definitely don't think people who have no interest in MP should feel compelled to play it in order to enrich their SP experience.

[Teddie Sage]

The only way I'd ever accept this is IF, the crafting materials you farm in MP are carried over in SP through a war table mission.

[caradoc2000]

No thanks, I don't need MP messing with my game.

[Dubya75]

No thanks! I have absolutely ZERO interest in MP.

[Rawgrim]

I've flitted around the forum, seeing feedback and suggestions that I agree with here and there, articulated very well. The one thing I haven't noticed though is a suggestion to link more the multi-player game to the single-player campaign.

Mass Effect 3 of course used the 'war readiness' tool to encourage players to spend time completing missions in the multi-player game. Dragon Age:Inquisition lacks any such link, which removes vital motivation. People respond to incentives!

It occurs to me that there are two simple ways to enable such links.

 

1. War Table Missions - perhaps upon succeeding on a MP mission at Level 20, a one-off war table mission becomes unlocked - one for each different character. The rewards could differ depending upon the threat level that was completed. 

 

2. Agent - promoting a Level 20 character could bring them in as an agent to the Inquisition - they could even hang around Skyhold to be chatted to like some of the other agents.

 

It seems to me that both of these options could be used and would greatly increase the motivation for individuals to spend time playing multi-player games.

 

Go play CoD.

[PillingPower]

I guess my idea would be that the benefits of extra war missions or agents would be in addition to the normal campaign, making it somewhat easier, just as MP did in Mass Effect 3: it was perfectly possible to win that game without spending a second on MP. That is the key - that one would not need to play MP in order to succeed in single-player. 

Do Bioware want people to play MP? Do the numbers playing it derive them some financial advantage? If so, provide incentives - it's as simple as that.

[Teddie Sage]

The only way I'd ever accept this is IF, the crafting materials you farm in MP are carried over in SP through a war table mission.

And the gold, anything you can carry over from MP to SP to help your Inquisitor and their companions.

[zeypher]

Nope, let SP and MP be separate. This always leads to trouble and i rather they be separate.

[Jeremiah12LGeek]

I guess my idea would be that the benefits of extra war missions or agents would be in addition to the normal campaign, making it somewhat easier, just as MP did in Mass Effect 3: it was perfectly possible to win that game without spending a second on MP. That is the key - that one would not need to play MP in order to succeed in single-player. 

Do Bioware want people to play MP? Do the numbers playing it derive them some financial advantage? If so, provide incentives - it's as simple as that.

 

The complaints stemmed from the fact that in ME 3's original form, getting certain endings required an investment in MP. That changed over time due to a combination of tweaks from the dev team, and the addition of new assets in the form of SP DLC.

 

And while it might seem harmless to provide an advantage to players who have invested time in MP, the response from many players who don't want to play MP is that they are being denied content, or punished for not participating in a component of the game that they have no interest in.

 

Given the response to the original ME 3 MP design decision, I don't blame BioWare for choosing to sever the two completely from each other in DA:I. I think it was the right decision, even though I play and enjoy MP regularly. Regardless of how I feel about it, I'm very certain that they're not going to reverse the decision at any stage.

[Jeremiah12LGeek]

Go play CoD.

 

CoD really has nothing to do with it.

[Ashevajak]

I wouldn't mind if they were linked, so long as the link was something which was relatively innocuous and didn't affect the SP campaign overall.  Like the crafting material suggestion.  It doesn't close off any options for those who choose to only play the SP campaign, and it is something which the SP player could themselves do without having to touch MP at all.

 

The problem is, as Jeremiah says, when you have to play the MP or you're locked out of certain options, like with ME3 before the Extended Cut war assets value fix.

[Octarin]

No, please. Seriously, no. Not a chance I'd play the game then. I loathe MP, and have never touched it and never will. It'll simply kill the game/franchise for me.

[Terodil]

I only ever play SP games.

 

I'd hate it if I was forced into MP to fulfill my completionist desires. As I said in the RNG thread: Somebody who looks into every nook and cranny should have everything the game has to offer at the very end of the game.

 

Besides, if you need to create artificial incentives to make your customers play a certain part of your game, there is something fundamentally wrong with that part of your game.

[PillingPower]

As a matter of interest, is there a financial incentive for Bioware itself to encourage MP play, beyond the initial purchase of the game? I suppose those who indulge in MP will likely keep the physical discs longer, so reducing the amount of second hand games on the market, thus keeping the prices a little higher. Do they get money for Microsoft or other providers for hours spent playing MP, does anyone know? I just wonder what guides their own strategies.

 

I suppose if I was an utter SP completist I might begrudge being asked to play MP in order to tick every box. On the other hand, I hope I'd have the generosity of spirit to take a more benign view.

[TurretSyndrome]

As you can see, a suggestion that even hints on SP and MP sharing something is quite flammable here. 

 

Bioware maybe capable of adding some light but interesting touches to the game in the way you say, but I doubt they will. Besides, don't you think that any incentive to play MP more should be offered by MP itself? 

[Fraevar]

Absolutely not. They tried it in ME3 and it ended up being more of a block than anything else for people who had no interest in multiplayer. Multiplayer should remain completely optional (if indeed it needs to be included at all!) so those who simply wish to enjoy a singleplayer game can do so without penalty.

[Rawgrim]

Seeing how popular this suggestion is, I am sure it will be implemented in the next game. Kind of the same way how people really hated having more than 8 abilities in the previous games, and Bioware fixed it.

[berelinde]

No. No. A thousand times, no. Keep multiplayer out of my single-player game. As long as it takes nothing away from the single-player side of things, I guess it's not hurting anything, but the moment that changes, I'm done.

 

Ultimately, my opinion doesn't matter. If BioWare wants to emphasize the MP side, my loyalty and my money won't change anything. But they'll have lost both.

[FKA_Servo]

Let's not encourage Bioware to rehash their worst ideas, please.

[TurretSyndrome]

Seeing how popular this suggestion is, I am sure it will be implemented in the next game. Kind of the same way how people really hated having more than 8 abilities in the previous games, and Bioware fixed it.

 

Yes... I really hated the freedom to have more than 8 abilities at a time in the previous games. I also hated how both DA:O and DA 2 provided Tactics to assign to each character. The gall they had to provide me with the ability to efficiently design my AI party members' actions. Man, was I getting sick of all that adaptive gameplay and tactics implementations. Thank you Bioware kindly, for fixing these issues.

[Octarin]

As a matter of interest, is there a financial incentive for Bioware itself to encourage MP play, beyond the initial purchase of the game? I suppose those who indulge in MP will likely keep the physical discs longer, so reducing the amount of second hand games on the market, thus keeping the prices a little higher. Do they get money for Microsoft or other providers for hours spent playing MP, does anyone know? I just wonder what guides their own strategies.

 

I suppose if I was an utter SP completist I might begrudge being asked to play MP in order to tick every box. On the other hand, I hope I'd have the generosity of spirit to take a more benign view.

 

It has nothing to do with generosity. It has to do with gameplay preference. Are you so narrow-minded that your world-view cannot allow for people with different preferences than your own? Seriously? I don't believe that, I find it very difficult to believe that anyone in this day and age would find that notion inconceivable. But then again, here you are, having made that completely rude and unempathic comment, so what can I say. I'm dashed. 

[PillingPower]

I must admit I had no idea of the depth of feeling this issue provoked. Personally, I'm mostly interested in the single-player campaign but I sometimes find the multi-player can be fun - it is certainly more fun if it links to the SP campaign. To learn that some people loathe MP so much that they threaten never to play the game at all is eye-opening. Certainly it is said that the completer-finisher player tends towards a certain...ahem...personality type. I see no evidence here to refute that.

 

Perhaps, if some are so easily offended, instead the SP campaign could link to MP, but not the other way around? Unlocking the alliance with the Dwarfs in the SP campaign, for instance, could unlock the Legionnaire in the MP campaign.

[Jeremiah12LGeek]

I must admit I had no idea of the depth of feeling this issue provoked. Personally, I'm mostly interested in the single-player campaign but I sometimes find the multi-player can be fun - it is certainly more fun if it links to the SP campaign. To learn that some people loathe MP so much that they threaten never to play the game at all is eye-opening. Certainly it is said that the completer-finisher player tends towards a certain...ahem...personality type. I see no evidence here to refute that.

 

Perhaps, if some are so easily offended, instead the SP campaign could link to MP, but not the other way around? Unlocking the alliance with the Dwarfs in the SP campaign, for instance, could unlock the Legionnaire in the MP campaign.

 

I'm a completionist, myself, and I also play MP. I don't think there's any specific tendency there, personality-wise.

 

But, yes, there is a lot of anger at the inclusion of MP. After a long effort, the forums at large do understand that the way the resources are budgeted fore them are separate, and that MP's existence doesn't, in general, impact the SP experience. But there is still a lingering grey zone, and people are very wary of anything that looks like it might cross it.

 

The MP element of ME 3 was definitely a success, flaws and all, and there was a huge community component between BioWare and the players, so there was little doubt that the process would be repeated as future games came out. But even so, the decision to keep the play experience separate was made to avoid provoking conflict with the player base, and between the players who play MP, and those that don't.

 

Since there's nothing preventing us from enjoying the MP experience, whether there are any direct links to SP, or not, I'm content that they are right to keep them separated.

 

As for why they wouldn't allow successes in SP to unlock MP items, that is largely a question of finances, I believe. The model essentially works for them because some players would rather spend money than additional time playing to unlock items. If they can unlock items for both modes simply by completing the SP campaign (something virtually all players are going to do) it reduces their motivation to purchase packs with real money (which is the revenue stream that justifies MP's separate budget in the first place.)