The Importance of Solo Play in DCUO

Discussion in 'Gotham City (General Gameplay)' started by MrMigraine, Mar 14, 2016.

  1. MrMigraine Devoted Player

    As has been pointed out several times in recent threads, (Hi, Torikumu! ;)), a very small percentage of players who get their characters to Level 30 ever move past that milestone, and most of them don't bother to make it to the end of the Free Pay Wall (at Tier 4).

    While there are many possible reasons for this, it is my personal belief that it is because the game changes fundamentally at Level 30. We go from teamups with Iconic characters and flying/running/jumping around Metropolis and Gotham to a series of instanced areas. Perhaps most significantly, we are forced to play with others to advance to new content.

    Now I think this is a very deliberate part of design. The devs try to ease us into playing with others. We fight our ways out of Brainiac's ship solo and we see other players around, but don't really have to interact with them at all until Level 30 (unless you want to do Seasonals, PvP or experiment with Area 51 and the like). Because of this, by the time we're ready to start farming Tier One, we feel pretty self-sufficient. We are the stars of our own solo comic book titles.

    But some players seemingly just don't want to make the next leap forward. Perhaps they don't want to be in a team book, so to speak. They don't care to join Duos, Alerts or Raids. Why? Because, as the advertising says: YOU are the next Legend.

    So what do we do?

    Many folks will simply say 'let them find a game that isn't an MMO'. But here's the truth of the matter: many people play this game despite the fact that it is an MMO. They play it because it is a Batman game, a Superman game. As I've described before, it is a fan's dream; it's our own personal DC Universe Jungle Gym.

    And quite frankly, sending them to another game doesn't help us at all.

    We need a more robust Solo Campaign, from Tier One to Endgame. Sometimes your leaguemates are slow to log in. Sometimes the queues just take too long. Sometimes you're just feeling anti-social and don't want to deal with any human beings at all. For whatever reason, DCUO would benefit greatly from expanded Solo play.

    Universal Teleporters would be one of the greatest boons to help further this cause - expanding a solo player's options in the early Tiers by a huge factor.

    Maybe we could find some way to ease reluctant new players into the MMO way of doing things - perhaps introducing the differing kinds of content more slowly - Duos at Tier 1, Alerts at T2 and Raids at T3. But to do that we'd still have to give them more ways of earning Marks/Gear on a Solo basis.

    By giving more players more options, I think that we could grow this game tremendously. But to do so, we have to give those people that are quitting a reason to keep playing past Level 30.
    • Like x 50
  2. Malachee Committed Player




    The first radical changes in direction and game play starting at lvl 30 were before I began in DCUO. What were the original reasons for them? What did the Devs have in mind for such drastic changes in how a player continues to level?
  3. Tyrranus Well-Known Player

    HELL YES! :p

    I have to admit I only have two characters I really play past the lv30 point because of how this game works.. I really dont want to wait for queues to pop and grind endlessly the same 2 or 3 tat actually do. I would kill for more things to do solo past lv30, especially plot driven ones.
    • Like x 3
  4. Torikumu 10000 Post Club

    Heeeeeeey ;)

    I totally agree with you.

    I don't know the precise numbers any more because the guy I did the research for didn't bait me into posting my findings, but basically it's about 1.7m of the 17m non-deleted characters in game today have made it to Level 30 (10%). This number seems pretty low to me, especially considering how small the 1-30 experience is but whatever.

    What's more concerning is that only 295k characters are eligible for T5 or higher content and T5 has been available now for 2 months shy of 3 years. By comparison, as of writing this post right now, 395k people (not characters) are playing DOTA2 which is only available on one platform, doesn't have an iconic license attached to it and doesn't really seem like the sort of game a casual gamer would want to play (unlike this one)

    T5 is the first tier which requires the player to actually pay for content. So my initial prediction was that perhaps the reason the numbers are so low is because people don't want to pay for a free to play game. But upon further inspection, I found out that a massive 75% of the 1.7m characters who do make it to level 30, don't even make it to a CR high enough that enables them to enter T4 content (Level 30 with a CR less than 70). T4 being the tier before you must start paying to play the game.

    Whilst I do think the pay walls are part of the reason why so many players don't carry on playing, I'm not convinced they are the only reason any more. Many posts and debates have been and continue to go on discussing the problem of High CR players disrupting the experiences for new players by effectively playing the content for them. I feel this is definitely one of the reasons why many people don't carry on playing DCUO.

    When you couple this problem with the fact that there's not much else to do in the game, except group content, you've more than likely found the reason why players don't stay for the long haul.

    I think you're onto something here, in terms of building more solo activities to do. There needs to be more guidance throughout the tiers. There needs to be a more consistent approach, even to stuff like gear, as I outlined in a satirical conversation in this thread. Just more things to do in general that don't depend on you performing in a team, will help keep people interested for longer.

    Every good MMO I've played allows you to play on your own or with other people and neither one is more fulfilling than another. In Planetside 2, if I just want to join a war on my own and kill people, then I can do it. But I can also go in with a squad and enjoy the game just as much. In ARK: Survival Evolved, if I want to build my own base and have my own dino farm, then I'm welcome to or I can team up with other players and have just as good of an experience. Both of those games are balanced well and enjoyable no matter how you choose to play.

    I hope DCUO attempts to address this going forward, as I would agree that it's definitely one of the many reasons why so few players carry on playing DCUO.
    • Like x 14
  5. willflynne 10000 Post Club

    Unfortunately the large group content crowd has spoken with a louder voice to this point, so that's where the dev focus has been as a result.
    • Like x 4
  6. TheDarknessWithin Loyal Player

    Solo play? What is this mythical thing I like the sound of?
    • Like x 3
  7. TheDarknessWithin Loyal Player

    Lord help us, is all I can say...
    • Like x 1
  8. HideTheBodies Loyal Player

    That louder voice being replay badges.
    • Like x 4
  9. CHUD Loyal Player

    I have to admit I like with what is being proposed here. Good job. In any case, many of the DLC packs that come out are pretty much Alert and Raid based. Maybe an occasional duo or two but a lot of it is team based. Not that I'm going to complain about group activity but in any case but sometimes there is always that complaint about other players and groups not being able to act as a team. Even in duos, players are looking at the other person going "What are you doing and why are you being such a doofus???" But I digress.....

    I always liked solo content for some reason. There's no real rush to things at all.

    The only thing that I see with having to create more solo instances is that the first idea is to have higher tiered solo missions. It's fine if you have access to them but what about if you're still making that climb??? It almost becomes a point to re-hash some of the older lower tiered content and turn it into a solo mission,....such as League of Assassins or even Fortress of Solitude raid and turn it into a one player deal. The other problem is having it appeal to all available CR levels for a person to get into.

    But yeah.....having more solo instances is needed here and there.
    • Like x 1
  10. darkscarletx Loyal Player

    Agreed. I want group contents, but I want also solo contents just like the beginning. Bounties, missions, exploration, cities, etc.
  11. ChromeWarriorXTC Loyal Player

    I would hope I am not the only one, but I would be willing to spend RB on solo content, it is where I like to be. I have run alerts for the mere fact of helping out because those to me while fun are never going to be as fun as a solo. And by spending them I would not do it if I had to do it every stinking day of the week to unlock it, but realistically I would replay a solo instance 2 or 3 times a day. End game players, the ones that make it, have little to nothing to do. As of right now there are 2 solos, 4 duos, and what several raids that are relevant. I redo the lower duos in hopes of getting something cool in T7. And while I think it's great that there are leagues out there, I have been in a couple, most of them jumped the SP band wagon, or are not there, or are comprised of people who are not around when I get in. Nothing wrong with it, but that's why I am not in a league. This leaves me the option of pug our putting together a group. Well that makes for another mess. I have yet to finish PZ because it seems people that pug get horse whipped by the second boss and give up. I know that I can wait until the right people show up, but realistically after an hour or so it gets boring I might as well be flying Metro farming exos. As for a raid, it's funny that the last one I got in was Kandaq. I couldn't tell you what the bosses are in Prison Break because the 3 times I tried it was once again no one could get past the first boss and it was like 147 minutes later I said forget it I am going to bed.
    So as for content it's there it just seems like stuff that I personally would rather avoid. Add in the fact of low CR going into instances and it makes for stressing game play. The game concept is solid, and I understand the need for anything to be profitable. But there are players that don't play the way it was played 5 years ago now. I personally like a challenge, others do not. But as for content there are things that I want to do on my own that a teleport would be great for. And there are instances that one player can't do it so you need the team to go in. I think the mechanics themselves would work out based on that theory. Kandaq needs three players minimum to finish just because of fountains. And I am sure there are others.
    Sorry for rambling so much just wanted to add my 2 cents.
    Sorry I also forgot that the loot should be relevant I know that you can only get so high, but why would you even give me 112 gear in a t7 solo or duo that you need to be higher in the first place to get in seems like you shove in my face that you paid for it now deal with it.
  12. The peoples Badguy Committed Player

    The Bad guy does not agree with this at all. Teamwork and communication is the key to victory in this game. The People have no pity for cupcakes who are scared to join a group or get on the microphone. That is their problem and that is why they will never advance to a greater level then what they are now.
    • Like x 1
  13. Tyrranus Well-Known Player

    then the bad guy did not read or has trouble with comprehension.
    • Like x 10
  14. AverageJoe Dedicated Player

    The People will agree...:)
    • Like x 3
  15. ChromeWarriorXTC Loyal Player

    Fortunate that I never like the trumped version of the rock and only care about him as an actor. As for a mic, this "warrior" says that you can take that and stuff it in up your candy a$$. :) Don't like hearing all the under schooled kids trying to be men. Oh and last I checked the powers that be skipped my CR like all the others. The "Warrior" needs only his 158 and skill to get the job done.
    • Like x 2
  16. Rockhound665 Steadfast Player

    There are 20 solo challenges and 29 duos in total covering all levels. They're the easiest to get into. The drawback to these is that they only give 1 and 2 marks. The group content is where it's at this is why it's pushed. But I agree, I don't like that you're forced into the group content which is strange in a way considering most superheroes do their things solo. This is why I think it was unfair that they stopped awarding marks when you reach a certain CR. This is also unfair with the fact that removing marks for lower level content prevents us from completing styles because marks are a premium and need to be used for higher gear so you can progress and enjoy the new content. The solution would be for the devs to allow marks to be earned for lower content again like it was before MoV became the current currency.
    • Like x 1
  17. Multiverse 15000 Post Club



    Large group content WAS the Devs plan all along.
    So the Large group content crowd did not need to have a very loud voice to convince the Devs to do what they were planning to do to begin with.
  18. Derio 15000 Post Club

    Sadly since solo open world content does not generate revenue like alerts and raids. On top of it requiring several hotfixes to accomodate PS3 rendering issues. That type of content cost more to make than it earns.

    I have always been supportive of Open world content and solo content. However I see DBG moving far and far away from it.

    The only way for Open world content to make it, is if you add something to it.

    I still support the idea to do an OP weapon that is designed around upgrading it through grinding daily open world missions.
  19. Greenman_x Steadfast Player

    I personally find solo content to be the worst the game has to offer. It can't have any challenge because everyone needs to be able to do it solo, the mechanics are severely lacking/non existent and they generally boil down to little more than glorified leveling missions that players are able to stomp through on day 1. However, I think we should get more solo stuff than we do now.

    It won't happen though. They would never be able to put the best gear in these because at a certain point it would be just giving it away because of how easy these have to be. As a result, replays could never be used on them. No replays means little reason to reset and less money for the devs. Essentially, we won't ever get many more solos because of the stupid loot system. If we somehow did, the quality of higher # group content would likely drop significantly
    • Like x 1
  20. Ichiro Loyal Player

    I think the people who stop at level 30 do so because the game does a bad job in describing how the on duty queue tab works.

    Once I reached level 30 as a noob first starting to play this game I had no idea that the on duty menu was where the missions came from or that it could be used to blind queue. I tried to use the open world portals with the newly bought pvp gear that I got which didn't work at all.

    I think if they just explained that better or had an information center to explain how things work after level 30 would go a long ways.
    • Like x 1