[...] http://www.nerfbat.com/2007/04/16/mmo-development-lesson-12/ [...]

[...] week over on Nerfbat, MMO Development Lesson #12 was that solo content has to be an integral and fulfilling part of any [...]

1. Half your group isn’t half way across the map and half dead by the time you are on the second dialogue screen of an interesting back story to the quest that half of those morons didn’t except because the didn’t bother to read the response choices to said quest.

2. You can enjoy the in-game art or actually see the detail in the mob you are fighting instead of the getting an annoying view of all of those avatars, name text, guild text, fly text damage numbers and animations meshed together.

3. The only one to blame for triggering the trap on a box while you’re in combat is yourself.

4. You don’t get called a noob when you suggest that you don’t have to pull all the mobs during a raid in order to fight the named. And then later have to listen to them swallow their pride when one of their guild mates says, “Um, dude, the guy was right…we just need to pull named.” But are you even thanked for saving everyone from death #7? No.

5. You don’t have to explain why, as the MA tank, you did not save the wizard who pulled aggro by gently stating, “The raid was better off with you dead.”

6. After every mob you don’t have to wait for yet another person to AFK bio when you know darn well they went to smoke.

7. All the loot, as crappy as it might be, is MINE!!!!

*grin*

“Its not classed based design that promotes “no solo” mentalities… its item-centered design.”

It’s both really. Actually, it seems to be the entire “typical” MMO design as a whole which is anti-soloing.

[...] Over at the nerfbat, Ryan adds another lesson, this one about Solo Content not being a bad thing. [...]

I play EQII and LOVE the game. I am Australian and play at irregular hours – often difficult to get a group especially during the week. I can sometimes manage a group on my Saturday and Sunday mornings (Friday and Sat night US time). During this time, I occasionally group with guildies to both give and recieve help for HQ’s or more difficult game content. Between those times I want to be completing game content towards advancement of my toon, and to contribute to the advancement of my guild (writs). If I cant, then this leads to much frustration and unhappines for my little dwarven Templar

When I reach endgame, I dont think i want to raid. I accept that I am therefore not going to get all the shiny leet loot and may miss out on some game content. That is OK with me. Just make sure that there is enough content that I have plenty of stuff to continue on with to develop my toon in some way – such as the likes of more detailed deity quests, or questing for special treasures to decorate my home or whatever. The idea of being able to chose solo or small group versions of many more instances is a FANTASTIC idea.

I am part of a guild and even if I dont raid – I can contribute to the guild. Crafting of food, drink, ammo, potions, skill/spell upgrades, mastercrafted adornments, armour and weapons. I can do writs that also contribute to guild progression. I have done all of these things just last night for example – hardly antisocial or against the “community” intent of MMOs.

So the thing is even if I mostly adventure solo, I am still part of the community and make valuable contributions to the community. Please then give me enough game content that I can see my toon develop without forcing me into a group to adventure and advance my toon.

As Robertson points out above – you want my moolah, you need to cater to more than just one style of play:)

If they truely want to play an MMO, and not just want to play a single player game with amped up “AI” (where the AI is other players), then they’d probably be better off with a more Worldy, player-driven game, where traditional MMO design is less prevalent.

Of course even in more Worldy, player-driven types of MMOs, players who seek that shared presence should at least expect to encounter some forms of inter-dependency, whether direct or indirect. You don’t plant and harvest (or breed and butcher) the food you eat. You don’t weave and sew the clothes you wear. Someone else does it, and you acquire that stuff from them somehow.
And on the flip side (for crafter folks), you don’t defend the town you’re living in. You don’t fight the wars against your mortal enemies. Someone else does it, and you go on living your life uninterrupted.
Of course there could be individuals who grow their own food, make their own clothes, and fight their own wars, but unless your MMO is set in a world of simple technology (like a dawn-of-civilization type setting) nothing besides specialization would make much sense on a widespread scale.

However, that specialization doesn’t have to be forced on players through hard mechanic rules (like all the class-based MMOs). You could allow players to do everything, and specialization would just happen naturally because players don’t have the time to do everything for self-sustenance. Especially if being able to do something required any sort of player skill or knowledge.