Solo players given raw deal

[lashton]

Solo players are given a raw deal, when they don't wanna join a larger tribe the game is so anti solo players

[Sphere]

Strength in unity. Greatness in numbers. However if you want to join a community, you have to offer something. What you can offer depends on what you have, and what they are after. For example, if you're a girl, and you want to join a group of guys who are lonely, welcome. Your choice to join tho.

[Guest DJRone89]

22 minutes ago, lashton said:

Solo players are given a raw deal, when they don't wanna join a larger tribe the game is so anti solo players

Correct. The engram tree and official rates are built around having a tribe, balancing them for longevity.

The devs intended that you tribe up, so you can’t blame them for a choice you made.

[invincibleqc]

39 minutes ago, lashton said:

Solo players are given a raw deal, when they don't wanna join a larger tribe the game is so anti solo players

Eh. Are you really complaining that the multiplayer version of the game is not designed for solo players? You have to play singleplayer if you want to solo. Multiplayer is, by definition, designed for teamplay.

[SmokeyB]

2 hours ago, invincibleqc said:

Eh. Are you really complaining that the multiplayer version of the game is not designed for solo players? You have to play singleplayer if you want to solo. Multiplayer is, by definition, designed for teamplay.

I don't agree with that. When you buy the game unless you buy it with a few friends or already know real life friends playing the game, then you are starting solo. Most people don't even play single player on games these days and all the hours in the world on single player will still mean starting solo when you join official. Saying the game is balanced for tribes and solo players should play single player is just dumb on a game with no matchmaker system, or way to tribe up without actually starting a server solo. Also multilayer means playing online with other people, not playing in the same team as them, even cod has one man death match for people that don't want to team up with others. 

[Hobgobblin247]

3 hours ago, lashton said:

Solo players are given a raw deal, when they don't wanna join a larger tribe the game is so anti solo players

And? Your point being? You need to play smarter if you play solo... it is designed for tribes, but it's your choice not too...

And yes I'm solo on official's

[DoughBoy93]

Don't play official servers your be wiped by mega tribes even if you have 10+ tribe members. 

[SirPeter]

5 hours ago, SmokeyB said:

I don't agree with that. When you buy the game unless you buy it with a few friends or already know real life friends playing the game, then you are starting solo. Most people don't even play single player on games these days and all the hours in the world on single player will still mean starting solo when you join official. Saying the game is balanced for tribes and solo players should play single player is just dumb on a game with no matchmaker system, or way to tribe up without actually starting a server solo. Also multilayer means playing online with other people, not playing in the same team as them, even cod has one man death match for people that don't want to team up with others. 

@invincibleqc is completely correct in his statement. Official and unofficial servers main if not only purpose is for multiplayer. Just because you start solo has nothing to do with the way the developers envisioned how people would/could/should play. Part of the strategy of online play is social interactions. If you don't do the social side well it may not matter how good a player you are as your tribe may decide to boot you. Or leave if you're the leader.

@SmokeyB what are you referencing when you say:

5 hours ago, SmokeyB said:

Most people don't even play single player on games these days and all the hours in the world on single player will still mean starting solo when you join official.

That is a bold claim and without any supports should be just left out. Even if single player in Ark isn't utilized as it would on many other games single player makes a significantly powerful tool in Ark as it can allow multiplayers the ability to test out strats without fear of significant loss. More people use it than you may expect. IF the online version wasn't tiered for tribes then why is there a setting in the single player options for single player where I think the notes that pop up actually state it makes the game suited for people playing solo? That alone nullifies any logic that playing online isn't geared towards groups. Maybe he could have worded it a little better but based on the context to me it reads he is saying that if OP is going to get what OP is wanting then he needs to play single player otherwise don't be complaining the cards are stacked against him. Not so much that solo players can't play at all which seems is how you may have took it?

I have played in large tribes and solo on official (PVP and PVE) and now single player and can absolutely tell you that this game is focused on the tribe and not the solo player. If this wasn't the case alpha tribes wouldn't be so much of a threat. I would refrain from saying something is "dumb" when you haven't fully thought out your position, not saying you're wrong as much as I don't think you are arguing the same thing as @invincibleqc. It reads to me that you may be getting confused a little. Not trying to be rude but when you talk about the difference between playing online and having teams... well just because you aren't in the same tribe doesn't mean you can't have allies. Playing truly solo and playing in a tribe by yourself are in fact different. As if you chose not to gain any benefits of working with others this game is harder than if you are in a tribe or work with an ally. In COD as you used for your example, you are in a totally different game where you don't have the same structure so it's a stretch to compare them. This game isn't designed to have a matchmaker system or to start a tribe before starting the game. Ark and COD are apples to oranges and isn't exactly going to help win any debates.

Keep in mind by the logic playing solo on official and playing in a tribe on official are balanced then after any amount of time a one man tribe and a tribe of two or more people would be in the exact same position. Unless the group is completely incompetent then that will never add up or ever equal one another. 10 hours by one man tribe will not yield same result as tribe of multiple people over same 10 hours. Maybe that helps make sense?

*Solo player - playing alone/not playing with others.

*Single Player - Playing the local save version of the game.

**Example(s): I play solo in single player. ** I play Co-Op in single player. **I play solo in an official/unofficial server. **I play in a one man tribe but have 3 different allies and we work together to solve problems. 

Hopefully this clears of the confusion.

[Anarki]

9 hours ago, lashton said:

Solo players are given a raw deal, when they don't wanna join a larger tribe the game is so anti solo players

Can you expand upon this slightly? Why are you saying this? I may agree, but would like to hear your opinion and justification.

[Brayn]

Played solo on PvP official for a while.  Not too difficult and you actually pose little threat to alphas so speaking to them, sending them a pic of your tribe log confirming you're a solo, will almost always grant you the ability to live.  It's a lot harder, for sure, and I do dual box with another xbox for some tasks, but solo is not as hard as it seems.

Now... LEARNING the game as a solo tribe will be incredibly difficult.  When I first started it took me a month to hit like level 60 and I had very little clue about mechanics and where best to find resources.  As a vet, I can be 80 within a day as a solo and have an argie, ptera, anky, doed, beaver and a few auto turrets up and running in a smallish metal base 4x4x2.

[ishootpaint]

 Its how the game works. Its like me feeling like im getting the raw deal on Arma 3 for example, when a squad of players can easily take me out if im playing solo. Nothing needs to be balanced, you just need to make friends.

[Hobgobblin247]

1 hour ago, SirPeter said:

@invincibleqc is completely correct in his statement. Official and unofficial servers main if not only purpose is for multiplayer. Just because you start solo has nothing to do with the way the developers envisioned how people would/could/should play. Part of the strategy of online play is social interactions. If you don't do the social side well it may not matter how good a player you are as your tribe may decide to boot you. Or leave if you're the leader.

@SmokeyB what are you referencing when you say:

That is a bold claim and without any supports should be just left out. Even if single player in Ark isn't utilized as it would on many other games single player makes a significantly powerful tool in Ark as it can allow multiplayers the ability to test out strats without fear of significant loss. More people use it than you may expect. IF the online version wasn't tiered for tribes then why is there a setting in the single player options for single player where I think the notes that pop up actually state it makes the game suited for people playing solo? That alone nullifies any logic that playing online isn't geared towards groups. Maybe he could have worded it a little better but based on the context to me it reads he is saying that if OP is going to get what OP is wanting then he needs to play single player otherwise don't be complaining the cards are stacked against him. Not so much that solo players can't play at all which seems is how you may have took it?

I have played in large tribes and solo on official (PVP and PVE) and now single player and can absolutely tell you that this game is focused on the tribe and not the solo player. If this wasn't the case alpha tribes wouldn't be so much of a threat. I would refrain from saying something is "dumb" when you haven't fully thought out your position, not saying you're wrong as much as I don't think you are arguing the same thing as @invincibleqc. It reads to me that you may be getting confused a little. Not trying to be rude but when you talk about the difference between playing online and having teams... well just because you aren't in the same tribe doesn't mean you can't have allies. Playing truly solo and playing in a tribe by yourself are in fact different. As if you chose not to gain any benefits of working with others this game is harder than if you are in a tribe or work with an ally. In COD as you used for your example, you are in a totally different game where you don't have the same structure so it's a stretch to compare them. This game isn't designed to have a matchmaker system or to start a tribe before starting the game. Ark and COD are apples to oranges and isn't exactly going to help win any debates.

Keep in mind by the logic playing solo on official and playing in a tribe on official are balanced then after any amount of time a one man tribe and a tribe of two or more people would be in the exact same position. Unless the group is completely incompetent then that will never add up or ever equal one another. 10 hours by one man tribe will not yield same result as tribe of multiple people over same 10 hours. Maybe that helps make sense?

*Solo player - playing alone/not playing with others.

*Single Player - Playing the local save version of the game.

**Example(s): I play solo in single player. ** I play Co-Op in single player. **I play solo in an official/unofficial server. **I play in a one man tribe but have 3 different allies and we work together to solve problems. 

Hopefully this clears of the confusion.

Great write up and rebuttal.. now if we were to compare games with matchmaking facilities then WoW would be the obvious choice. 

[iKickDownDoors]

I can kind of understand for PVE, but what is the point of playing solo PVP? 

[Guest DJRone89]

21 minutes ago, iKickDownDoors said:

I can kind of understand for PVE, but what is the point of playing solo PVP? 

More PvP skirmishes. Raiding is great when you actually have people on to attack/defend. Playing solo is about playing smart.

[iKickDownDoors]

1 minute ago, DJRone89 said:

More PvP skirmishes. Raiding is great when you actually have people on to attack/defend. Playing solo is about playing smart.

Maybe there is more satisfaction for you, I don't know. I do know that I remember my solo days and the fear of losing everything when I logged. I don't miss it at all. Lol.

[Guest DJRone89]

4 minutes ago, iKickDownDoors said:

Maybe there is more satisfaction for you, I don't know. I do know that I remember my solo days and the fear of losing everything when I logged. I don't miss it at all. Lol.

The fear of losing everything, is the bane of official.

[Pipinghot]

On 2/15/2018 at 5:10 AM, SmokeyB said:

I don't agree with that. When you buy the game unless you buy it with a few friends or already know real life friends playing the game, then you are starting solo.

How you start and how you end up are two different things, beyond that, how you start and how the devs intend the game to be played for end-game content are also two different things.

Just as many people start other MMO's (like WoW or Rift) solo, but if they want to be serious about end-game content (Raids) then they they join a guild. Sure, you can solo-pub raids in WoW now, but they're the easy-mode raids, not the real thing (and in most games you still have to be in a guild/tribe if you want to do end-game raiding).

On 2/15/2018 at 5:10 AM, SmokeyB said:

Most people don't even play single player on games these days

/citation needed

On 2/15/2018 at 5:10 AM, SmokeyB said:

Saying the game is balanced for tribes and solo players should play single player is just dumb

Tell that to the ARK devs, Wildcard has publicly stated that the Official servers are fundamentally intended for group play. If people want to play solo then they accept they are making things harder for themselves.

On 2/15/2018 at 5:10 AM, SmokeyB said:

Also multilayer means playing online with other people, not playing in the same team as them

No, that's just one definition of multiplayer, you don't get to cherry pick the definition that suits you.

[lashton]

On 2/16/2018 at 4:49 PM, Pipinghot said:

How you start and how you end up are two different things, beyond that, how you start and how the devs intend the game to be played for end-game content are also two different things.

^Nope start solo you wanna end solo!

Just as many people start other MMO's (like WoW or Rift) solo, but if they want to be serious about end-game content (Raids) then they they join a guild. Sure, you can solo-pub raids in WoW now, but they're the easy-mode raids, not the real thing (and in most games you still have to be in a guild/tribe if you want to do end-game raiding).

/citation needed

^No citation needed, I think Intelligence test needed for you

Tell that to the ARK devs, Wildcard has publicly stated that the Official servers are fundamentally intended for group play. If people want to play solo then they accept they are making things harder for themselves.

No, that's just one definition of multiplayer, you don't get to cherry pick the definition that suits you.

^ BS what other difinitions do you have Multiplayer = multiple players!

 

[Joebl0w13]

10 minutes ago, lashton said:

Stuff

Quoting an entire post and mixing your replies in with the original quote makes this very difficult to read. 

[Joebl0w13]

20 minutes ago, ArkRage said:

How? He has arrows at every reply he has made lol. Not exactly very difficult unless you have a low iq.

You must mean the Carets. Yup, clears that right up. 

[Guest DJRone89]

6 minutes ago, ArkRage said:

Advance your technology from primitive stone tools to T-Rex-mounted laser cannons, as you team up with hundreds of players online or enjoy a solo Jurassic experience."

 

enjoy.

See what I did there.

[Pipinghot]

@lashton - Not sure how, but something in the way you posted is preventing the quote feature from working properly now. So here goes...

************************

Pipinghot - How you start and how you end up are two different things, beyond that, how you start and how the devs intend the game to be played for end-game content are also two different things.

lashton - ^Nope start solo you wanna end solo!

Pipinghot - That's fair, and the game includes a solo mode that you can play from start finish without anyone ever making life hard for you. Simply choose "HOST\LOCAL" and you can have the entire game all to yourself.  That's exactly how you 'start solo and end solo'. However, if you want to play on a server with other people, where most of them are in tribes, then you're going to have to join a group if you want to play end-game content, or if you want the game to be safer for you. There has never been a multi-player game in which a solo player can have all of the advantages of being in a tribe/guild but also be able to play solo all the way through the game. If you are trying to be a solo player and you are competing against groups of players, then you're deliberately putting yourself at a disadvantage and you have to accept responsibility for your choice. ARK is not different or unusual in this aspect, solo players always have a disadvantage when trying to compete against tribes/guilds, that's just reality.

************************

SmokeyB -Also multilayer means playing online with other people, not playing in the same team as them

Pipinghot - Tell that to the ARK devs, Wildcard has publicly stated that the Official servers are fundamentally intended for group play. If people want to play solo then they accept they are making things harder for themselves.

No, that's just one definition of multiplayer, you don't get to cherry pick the definition that suits you.

lashton - ^ BS what other difinitions do you have Multiplayer = multiple players!

Pipinghot - It's pretty simple, really. As you like to say, "I think Intelligence test needed for you". SmokeyB was deliberately over-specific in his attempt to define multiplayer. It's clear that many multi-player games (including this one) are fundamentally intended for people to play "on the same team" as some other people. Obviously different games approach this in different ways. When playing WoW and Rift, for example, you must chose one of the factions in the game to join, so you are 'on the same team as other people' whether you like it or not. Other games, like ARK, let players make more open and free choices, forming tribes according to their needs and desires - but at a basic level Wildcard intends for people to join teams/tribes if they are playing on public servers and anyone who wants to play solo is choosing to put themselves at a disadvantage. So when SmokeyB says, "not playing in the same team as them" that's simply not true. Almost every multi-player game with RPG elements (like WoW, Rift, ARK, etc.) are explicitly designed for people to play in teams.

But returning to basics - ARK has a very good single player option available, the option to play single player using Host/Local provides a very good game experience.

[Pipinghot]

12 hours ago, ArkRage said:

"I must mean," well, it's pretty obvious what I meant..

It is beyond easy to read his post and for you to pick at the way it's laid out is just irrelevant.

 

Facepalm me all you want lol. Shows your immaturity.

First you accuse people of having a low IQ, then you can't tell the difference between arrows and carets. Right...

[Pipinghot]

On 3/7/2018 at 3:22 AM, ArkRage said:

If the devs intend for people to play mulitplayer, you'd think they'd get their damn multiplayer servers to work...

Yeah, that's a valid point. We can disagree about some things and agree about others, and we agree on this point.

Wildcard has created their own problems by creating game mechanics that cause the servers to be constantly overworked and laggy. The kibble tree, breeding game mechanics, mutation game mechanics, ongoing problems with graphics optimization, the need for tame caps which hurts the game experience, etc. - these all contribute to their Official servers having lots of lag and data problems. Speaking only for myself, I gave up on Official servers a while back. The game is much more fun playing solo on a Host/Local server or playing on private/unofficial server that either have better computing power or fewer people.

Wildcard has definitely done a poor job (at times) of creating a game that matches their own intentions and goals, but those mistakes don't change their intentions. The game is intended to be played in tribes when you are on a multi-player server, that is simply the reality that solo players have to deal with when they choose to play solo.

[Xenithar]

This is silly. If you want to play alone, use single player. If you don't know anybody, join a server with good ping to you and start making friends. Why is this a hard concept? Multiplayer is for MULTIPLE PLAYERS. Single player is for solo play.