There needs to be something to offset a group of players in terms of damage output.
Affixes on monsters, am talking about about the rare ones with affixes under their health bar, should include, when in Multiplayer: Examples
Healing reduced by …90% ? (no idea, just picking a number that would properly inhibit a Healer’s capacity to sustain a group)
Monster scales in power for every player in a group ( if a group’s max number of players is 5 but there are only 4 members, then this modifier is multiplied by 4)
Twins (2 identical monsters that need to be killed at the same time or within a 2 seconds window, else they respawn at full health)
Displacing affix (every “x” seconds group members are teleported at random locations)
The above are just examples and their periodicity or strength would be subject to balancing.
They are all group oriented examples that outline cooperation.
We still don’t know how the Multiplayer will be implemented or what it pertains to so we’re just speaking hypothetically. In regards to itemization, absolutely! As I’ve already said in a previous comment, there needs to be a strengthening condition that links group gameplay to itemization, and thus stats should include Multiplayer benefits and offsets. If the benefit is too strong, there needs to be an offset, for Example: “Item X grants you a aura that boosts your allies for 999 extra dmg, but takes you to 1 HP”.
I think there should be some gated behind it. Else multiplayer will be a meaningless ROFLstomp of the content. A game like this where there are not class roles could easily do PUGs. There should absolutely not be BiS gear gated behind multiplayer though. That is why I quit MMOs.
BiS gear, stat-wise, should be crafted. Unique and Legendary gear should do things that changes rules and make builds.
We’ll see how creative and smart about this mode EHG is.
Story mode should definitely not be in any way penalized. And, Multiplayer should be its own world with their own affixes and challenges, but then again if they are too different and the majority of players will prefer one over the other, it won’t be good for future development. D3 taught us this exact lesson.
Ideally this game would have just one mode. Whether you wish to face the Story alone or in a group (Multiplayer) you’d have to face appropriate difficulty and related affixes.
If solo players join a group, they would now be part of the Multiplayer version and encounter all the affixes and mob behavior in correspondence.
I realize by writing this, that such a development requires a certain type of code and technology, so not knowing what resources Eleventh Hour Games have and what they’re willing to bring to the table - I’ll just be waiting to see the final product.
A clone game of what we’ve already experienced in other RPG games will not cut it for me. PoE tried to copy Diablo 2 and regardless of failure or success it got boring really fast. Then Wolcen tried to copy both and we all know how that went. Let’s just try to be innovative and move away from failure sources.
It kinda feels like you’re conflating difficulty with content. They could “easily” make multiplayer content really challenging without adding raids that require x players to complete.
I agree & that seems to be the way they are going.
I am not talking about just ramped up difficulty. People can just run Arena for that. There should be content gated behind multiplayer because they can do unique things with guaranteed parties. They could have rooms with locked doors that open when 3 or 4 pressure plates are stood on at once. This opens up new ways to challenge groups that you can’t get with solo play.
There needs to be something unique and fun with multiplayer rather than just playing single player content with friends.
Diablo 2 screen popup when a new player joined a group:
“Diablo’s minions grow stronger”
Difficulty and multiplayer worked in conjunction.
Why are we talking about raids and what’s so wrong about raids. Have all the rules been set and raids were deemed as substandard?
Not offering the Diablo 2 example because Diablo 2 is like The Bible, it’s just to show a system where the duality of multiplayer and difficulty was in effect. I do hope Last Epoch will take a more more tactical approach rather than go for just increased generic stats for mobs.
That’s literally what people want, it’s what the community of the genre likes. All we want is a solid arpg with something just a little different to separate it from the others.
Same goes for other gaming communities. It’s why sequels are always just like the previous games, but with only a couple or so new things.
Sir, I demand to see your case study since you’re speaking for the “community of the genre” and also including yourself in this “we want” scenario.
Please express individual opinions unless you can provide factual data to represent a group of people sharing the same feeling.
Listen, if the community that plays arpgs wanted tactical group combat they wouldn’t be playing arpgs, they’d be playing mmos or like DivinityOS 2 multiplayer.
That aside, I’m conflicted because I do understand your feelings and honestly I would play a full on mmo/arpg hybrid. I also wouldn’t mind slower paced tactical group content in an arpg. The thing is LE, to my knowledge, has never promised or set a goal to inovate on the multiplayer front.
You’re at an ice cream parlor asking for a cheeseburger my guy.
Perhaps theres a place for tactical combat RPGs. But I am with @blighted here. LE is advertised as an ARPG with some nice features, but none of them is tactical group combat or raids. Also - perhaps people haven’t read the dev post I linked at the beginning of this topic - they stated they won’t gate any content behind the necessity of group play. Everything is achievable solo. But they plan to spice up group play with additional boss mechanics.
I think this is a very nice compromise. Would be cool if they really can implement something fun for group play. But if not, that’s ok. This game is not supposed to be raid based for endgame. I am not against this, but imho nobody should expect it, either. And it would be a huge disadvantage for those players that came here because they are looking for a solo ARPG.
The solo / offline component is also very popular. While I am here for the multiplayer part, a lot of people don’t care. EHG would be smart to not focus on one of these two groups. Maybe they are equally large, idk.
So I expect an ARPG with the choice to play solo or multiplayer and I hope for some nice features that make multiplayer fun.
Listen, (… “to the song here in my heart”…don’t know why this song popped into my head, i’m not even a fan…SHRUG )
The gaming market is in such a bad spot, and it has been so for the past few years, that gamers would play ANYTHING.
Hello! We’re browsing STEAM for early access games just to satisfy our RPG-need AND purchase even Alpha/Beta access to such rough and unfinished products.
Please carry on listening…
(or just play that damned Beyonce? song which is still on my mind and yet I don’t know the title of)
…to understand how “the gaming community” feels desperate about any food type, be it ice cream or cheeseburger.
My suggesting the above is only directly-proportional to my hoping that developers of this genre, finally transport us in time, from the Diablo 2 Era to the Present Time ( Last Epoch story anyone? )
So, this genre, NEEDS new features and creative ideas- otherwise, what we already experienced in the past, with just a different and prettier dress will be short-lived.
I’m not talking about a whole revolution of the genre, changing everything! I’m talking about certain aspects of the game that should be considered and improved upon.
Sigh… at least in the East, developers are thinking progressively with Lost Ark and trying new things. Good on them for creativity, while we, in the West, still refer to our holy Bible- Diablo 2.
It feels like those still trapped in World of Warcraft players, that can not move past it.
I feel like the old model of MMORPG is dying. Those players want somewhere to go. Small 4/5 man “raid” content and a good “battleground” type PVP would be enough.
If the multiplayer content is the same as solo content, what is the point? If it ends up being like POE and multiplayer just gives a straight exp/gear advantage, then players will get pissed. These groups run the PoE economy.
I would very much prefer a multiplayer experience that is wholy different from the solo experience. Don’t give them any top tier gear that all the solo players want. If they have any gear/affix’s that are unique to multiplayer, they should have exclusively multiplayer use (stronger ally heals, stronger ally buffs (not counting minions)).
Like I said before, it should be extremely easy to PUG in a game that doesn’t have class roles. The biggest problem with WoW PUGS was the exclusion of some classes and several class tree builds.
I don’t expect any of this on release, or even ever. I am just throwing out ideas that I think would help grow the genre. As an old-school gamer, I will also state that so many games are going 1st person (or close to it). I HATE those games. I want a top down (or close to it). I zoom games all the way out. Most MMO’s seem to be going the way of 1st person.
Look at the sales and continuous players of other arpgs. People are still playing POE. Diablo 3 sold millions, Grim Dawn sold thousands, Wolcen Sold over 120,000. If we wanted to play an MMO game we would play an MMO and no one would still be playing POE or D3. No one would have even bought Last Epoch to begin with.
I mean no offense, but to me your words translate to “This game is not for me, so I think it’s bad”
All the new iterations sell because people are looking for something new. If people had everything they wanted from D3 and PoE, Wolcen wouldn’t have sold so well. Especially considering it’s history.
People are itching for innovation. Not another carbon copy. They wouldn’t buy new stuff if they just wanted to play the same old game with a new skin.
Yas!
I also think MMORPG is yet another genre where innovation is lacking- however it’s not as outdated as RPGs.
Yas again!
This has been my creed in all these posts. If there’s no innovation in this title, then what’s the point in having another Diablo 2 clone? PoE and Wolcen tried already.
Brotha! I feel you completely.
I regret GW1 died out in this regard and one can no longer find a multiplayer group to just PvE.
This happens when the development drives classes into meta and everyone facerolls.
Am looking at Pantheon with hope in this regard for still catering environments for each and every class in a game. (buffers, debuffers included)
I’ve already touched on this in a previous post; sales are not a true indicator of anything if the gaming market is in drought!
Oh and no offense taken! I’m still here doing my part, sharing ideas and confronting points of view in an appropriate beta scenario.
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