Single player games, where's the fun?

drako said:
What's the point of this thread? If you are going to ask a question, and then be stubborn and reject any of the answers you get, then you haven't exactly learned anything have you? :)
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I honestly feel the purpose of this was a veiled attempt to drive this point across -

butterfliesrpretty said:
4. People who don't play multiplayer do so because they probably can't compete online.
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Single player games have a story you can get immersed in,the good ones allow you to explore the game world you're in. Multiplayer games,to me,lack any real imagination,no matter how you dress them up,it's basically a bunch of people running around trying to rack up kills.There's no real goals to accomplish.
 
butterfliesrpretty said:
for a single player experience, why not play an mmo that offers quite a bit more content and can offer the same experience in a much more expansive way

People who don't play multiplayer do so because they probably can't compete online.
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Let me adress those points - 1) MMO does not offer same experience. Every time game has RP server it's invaded by all the normal PvE players, who then mock RPers, interrupt events, break all the server policies - naming, behaviour and so on - that the game does not offer great story any more, but it turns into hell of "J00 RP N00BZ"

2) Competition for everyone means the other things. I'll not play the game, like my "pr0" friend does, with 640x480 and all goodies off, so he can get few frames more and kill people faster. I'm not wishing to sacrifice the comfort of play, in sake of winning.
 
TheOneKnownAsMe said:
I play a Singleplayer game when I'm looking to experience a good story. I don't want to simply be told the story, I want to live the story. Knowing that my actions within a game have a tangible and immediate affect on the storyline, that I can not only experience, but also alter the game character's attitude, his relationships, the way they view the world and they way the world views them... it's just intoxicating to me. It's my natural high.
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You don't really alter anything. The reward for you is proceeding to the next phase of the story so typically you will do what the game commands you to do in order to accomplish that. The story in the game you experience doesn't give you room to re-interpret your situation or change perspectives, it sees you as nothing more than a non-AI player in training. And you are just fullfilling the same prophecy every player who bought the game fulfills. Whats more you are engaged in a world you know is fake and is setup only for you as a practical challenge, not one where you overcome fears, solve problems and beat the odds; merely trial and error and in the very scripted games of today, you easily finish a level through trial and error. You are only as good as your last saved checkpoint.
 
dioxholster said:
You don't really alter anything. The reward for you is proceeding to the next phase of the story so typically you will do what the game commands you to do in order to accomplish that. The story in the game you experience doesn't give you room to re-interpret your situation or change perspectives, it sees you as nothing more than a non-AI player in training. And you are just fullfilling the same prophecy every player who bought the game fulfills. Whats more you are engaged in a world you know is fake and is setup only for you as a practical challenge, not one where you overcome fears, solve problems and beat the odds; merely trial and error and in the very scripted games of today, you easily finish a level through trial and error. You are only as good as your last saved checkpoint.
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You have no imagination. Fail go back to playing multiplayer games then.

Oblivion you can pretend to be other things and be happy, but you need to use your brain and imagine things. Requires some thought instead of mindless bunny hopping spraying :rolleyes:
 
MP is only really good in somewhat controlled environments. For me that would be simracing leagues with a code of on track behaviour. In my experience, random races with random people always end up with someone going in the wrong direction on purpose, crashing into others and such stuff just to ruin the fun for others. So thank you, but no thanks to open MP.
So either SP or closed MP for me.
 
xIronCrossx said:
You have no imagination. Fail go back to playing multiplayer games then.

Oblivion you can pretend to be other things and be happy, but you need to use your brain and imagine things. Requires some thought instead of mindless bunny hopping spraying :rolleyes:
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Actually, I think this is the true answer to the question. It takes imagination and some roleplaying I guess to really make a single player game work.

Stalker scares the hell out of me. The environment is so amazing it draws me in, and I cant help but want to imagine things. When I see an abandoned building, I dont go "Ooh, a building to go in!" - I think "I wonder what that place was before it got all fucked up?" And I try to find out what it was, even though it's a game and it never actuallty *was* anything. I try to imagine the locations as they were, and see how it fits together. It makes it that much more immersive. I build the world up more than the game does itself, and it becomes that much more of an amazing game.

But if someone cant do that, I suppose single player games would suck. Not being able to imagine things, add your own story into it.... I guess they would never enjoy Garrys Mod since theres no point to it without making your own story and reason to play :p
 
butterfliesrpretty said:
my points were:
3. for a single player experience, why not play an mmo that offers quite a bit more content and can offer the same experience in a much more expansive way
4. People who don't play multiplayer do so because they probably can't compete online.
5. multiplayer offers a different experience everytime, and years of fun, not hours
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The first two points were ripped apart but I will tear down these a little.

3. MMOs are fucking boring. I don't find them fun. I don't find them engaging and I don't find them worth the time. If I want to spend hundreds of hours grinding I'll play one of the Disgaea games at least I'll be able to laugh while grinding.

4. Bullshit. I don't play multiplayer because I don't think its fun. I don't care about competing with random assholes on the internet. With friends and family I have a blast for a couple hours and then move on to something else. I don't care to spend enough time with a game to get "professional" at it. Its a waste of my time and I'd rather have FUN.

5. Again, bullshit. For some people, but not me. I get bored with multiplayer very quickly. Or I get sick of dealing with assholes who find it more interesting to bitch and moan than let me enjoy the damn game. I don't care if I win a MP game, I only care about having fun. People have issues with that, so fuck 'em I'll go have fun somewhere else.
 
I enjoyed MP games when I was in high school. They fit my mentality back then (all about showing the internet that I'm the best!). As I grew and matured, I didn't look to games to prove my worth anymore and instead looked to them as a way of escaping the mundane every day world I'm part of. Much in the same way I enjoy reading books and watching movies, I enjoy a single player experience that pulls me into it's world for a little while so I can relax and take a break from reality. MP (and in the MMO's I play, PvP) can't do that and never will so long as you have people out there that see their Kill:death ratio in direct correlation to their penis size.
 
I enjoy both multi-player and single player games. Some years I'm more into multi-player and other years I'm really into single player.

But since your into broad generalizations I'll play devil's advocate.

FPS multiplayer is usually simple, arcade like gameplay on repetitive maps that you play over and over and over again. It's filled with immature 15 year olds who think COD is the greatest game ever created and have no sense of what real gaming is. Your exposed to cheaters, hackers, offensive behavior, and the general armpit of the gaming community.

Singeplayer on the other hand offers a much more intimate and immersive experience. After playing a couple hours of Dead Space 2 Or Amnesia in a dark room with headphones on you'll feel like your on the Sprawl or a run down mansion. Gameplay is more varied and built specifically to stimulate and keep the interest of the player. You'll see new environments, have to employ new tactics, gain new abilities and in general feel a sense of forward progression towards a goal or story.

Not to mention games like The Witcher, Civ 5, Total War: Shogun 2 where you can spend an entire weekend wrapped in deep, thoughtful, complex gameplay.
 
Derangel said:
The first two points were ripped apart but I will tear down these a little.

3. MMOs are fucking boring. I don't find them fun. I don't find them engaging and I don't find them worth the time. If I want to spend hundreds of hours grinding I'll play one of the Disgaea games at least I'll be able to laugh while grinding.

4. Bullshit. I don't play multiplayer because I don't think its fun. I don't care about competing with random assholes on the internet. With friends and family I have a blast for a couple hours and then move on to something else. I don't care to spend enough time with a game to get "professional" at it. Its a waste of my time and I'd rather have FUN.

5. Again, bullshit. For some people, but not me. I get bored with multiplayer very quickly. Or I get sick of dealing with assholes who find it more interesting to bitch and moan than let me enjoy the damn game. I don't care if I win a MP game, I only care about having fun. People have issues with that, so fuck 'em I'll go have fun somewhere else.
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Did you forget to take your Ridalin today? Jesus, calm down. Please don't kill anyone today because someone said SP games aren't fun.
 
Rofl-Mic-Lofl said:
Did you forget to take your Ridalin today? Jesus, calm down. Please don't kill anyone today because someone said SP games aren't fun.
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Who said I'm angry? Don't read too much into the words. I type like I talk. So occasional use of swear words for emphasis.
 
Single player games all the way for me. I like to play MP a bit, usually 5-20 hours tops, but then move on to another game. I don't sit and play the same game for a year or more. I'm a much bigger fan of playing in a LAN with my friends in games like MW2, Monday Night Combat, FEAR, etc. I'd love to play BC2 that way, but I don't have enough friends.......

Single player is my favorite gaming. I like to stand around and look at the level design, scenery, I like the story and the idea of an 'ending'. there is no ending in multiplayer, just rinse and repeat.

There has been a real lack of singleplayer goodness lately, though games like Trine, Torchlight, Mirror's Edge, and even Modern Warfare 2 were alright. I have been revisiting older games like Painkiller, FEAR, HL2, etc and have REALLY noticed just how much longer the single player games were in those.
 
I would rather play a new story typically. I would also like to play a single player experience that has an ending point. There is a reason people get addicted to MMO's of all sorts (including call of duty)...because it never ends.
 
There really isn't any point for this thread to continue if the OP isn't here for discussing the pluses and minuses of both types of games. He basically said SP gamers are noobs and let everybody start "flapping their mouths". Why bother?
 
Go play Red Dead Redemption and come back. :cool: I prefer SP games in every shape and form over MP.

When I want some quick pick up and play MP, I'll fire up my 1 or 2 goto MP games. Everything else I play is SP, like reading a good novel.
 
Play better singleplayer games.

Also, I really don't care if I only get 6-10 hours out of a game. If those are quality hours, then I've had my money's worth. Portal, for example, is one of the best games I have played to date, and it only lasted 3 hours! Persona 4, is one of my favorite games of all time, and it lasted me 120 hours. My enjoyment of a game is not tied to length.

Actually, a long winded game is likely to give me less enjoyment, since a game needs to be truly spectacular to hold my interest for much more than 6 hours. I buy enough games that I don't feel the need to play through all of what I buy.

Multiplayer games tend to be absolutely boring and predictable today. Call of Duty is just mindless, as the experience never evolves. It's more of the same thing I've been doing for the past 12 years (ever since I started playing TFC). Singleplayer games have the chance of showing me something new and exciting. Demon's Souls, Monster Hunter, Super Meat Boy, Plants vs. Zombies, Persona 4, Uncharted 2, The Witcher, Risen, Phoenix Wright, Super Mario Galaxy...these are just a few examples of the wonderfully unique experiences I've had over the last few years.

You can say "multiplayer offers a different experience every time", but I simply disagree. The process is always the same:

1) Learn maps
2) Learn weapons
3) Grind to level cap (if playing a ranking up game)
4) Keep playing the same thing over and over again

Eventually, you start learning the little intricacies and the game starts becoming muscle memory more than anything. Still, I've done it before (played CS competitively for 5 years), and I have no intention on doing it again. There is so much more to experience out there...why would I limit myself to just a few multiplayer games a year?

I really don't care about 'getting better' at a game. I play games to have fun, not to compete. I'm not one to watch sports either, since I find them dull and repetitive...the only thing that can make sports exciting is cheering with friends and having a good time. Similarly, I will only play these competitive games with friends, where trash talking and friendly competition becomes part of the equation.

I am of a similar mindset when I watch movies. I really get tired watching movies with the same old boring formula. I tend to like unique movies that offer me something I've never seen before. Even if they're not great, that bit of variety goes a long way. Avatar, The Dark Knight, and Inception are examples of universally acclaimed movies that have bored me to tears over the last few years. However, movies like Inglourious Basterds, Primer, and Hobo With A Shotgun have been wonderfully refreshing. If a movie is going to use a tired formula, it needs to be absolutely exceptional to get much praise for me. A good example of this would be The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. To come up with a similar video game related example, Uncharted 2 would be a game that was not really that unique in any way, but did everything so exceptionally well that it was a great game to play.
 
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Its interesting to see so many prefer singleplayer over multiplayer. Maybe its gotta do with age. But people like me and OP just cant get immersed into these "roller coaster rides". I also like to show off my skills to people, where's the fun in beating the computer? At the end of the day, games are meant to be played with people, its the essence of gaming.
 
ex0du5 said:
Play better singleplayer games.

Also, I really don't care if I only get 6-10 hours out of a game. If those are quality hours, then I've had my money's worth. Portal, for example, is one of the best games I have played to date, and it only lasted 3 hours! Persona 4, is one of my favorite games of all time, and it lasted me 120 hours. My enjoyment of a game is not tied to length.

Actually, a long winded game is likely to give me less enjoyment, since a game needs to be truly spectacular to hold my interest for much more than 6 hours. I buy enough games that I don't feel the need to play through all of what I buy.

Multiplayer games tend to be absolutely boring and predictable today. Call of Duty is just mindless, as the experience never evolves. It's more of the same thing I've been doing for the past 12 years (ever since I started playing TFC). Singleplayer games have the chance of showing me something new and exciting. Demon's Souls, Monster Hunter, Super Meat Boy, Plants vs. Zombies, Persona 4, Uncharted 2, The Witcher, Risen, Phoenix Wright, Super Mario Galaxy...these are just a few examples of the wonderfully unique experiences I've had over the last few years.

You can say "multiplayer offers a different experience every time", but I simply disagree. The process is always the same:

1) Learn maps
2) Learn weapons
3) Grind to level cap (if playing a ranking up game)
4) Keep playing the same thing over and over again

Eventually, you start learning the little intricacies and the game starts becoming muscle memory more than anything. Still, I've done it before (played CS competitively for 5 years), and I have no intention on doing it again. There is so much more to experience out there...why would I limit myself to just a few multiplayer games a year?

I really don't care about 'getting better' at a game. I play games to have fun, not to compete. I'm not one to watch sports either, since I find them dull and repetitive...the only thing that can make sports exciting is cheering with friends and having a good time. Similarly, I will only play these competitive games with friends, where trash talking and friendly competition becomes part of the equation.

I am of a similar mindset when I watch movies. I really get tired watching movies with the same old boring formula. I tend to like unique movies that offer me something I've never seen before. Even if they're not great, that bit of variety goes a long way. Avatar, The Dark Knight, and Inception are examples of universally acclaimed movies that have bored me to tears over the last few years. However, movies like Inglourious Basterds, Primer, and Hobo With A Shotgun have been wonderfully refreshing. If a movie is going to use a tired formula, it needs to be absolutely exceptional to get much praise for me. A good example of this would be The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. To come up with a similar video game related example, Uncharted 2 would be a game that was not really that unique in any way, but did everything so exceptionally well that it was a great game to play.
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Persona 4 got me to dust off my ps2, fun game!
 
butterfliesrpretty said:
so whats the point of being on a forum if you don't like discussions, sorry my opinion made you butt hurt, maybe adress one of my points?
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You answered your own question - "sorry my opinion made....". As you stated - it's your opinion. If you don't like SP that's your opinion. You never had a "point" in anything you wrote, though you tried to present them as such.

Blond women: Why the would anyone want a blond when they could have a brunette? It makes no sense to me at all.
Your OP makes as much sense as this.^ (though in all honesty, I do prefer brunettes)
 
dioxholster said:
Its interesting to see so many prefer singleplayer over multiplayer. Maybe its gotta do with age. But people like me and OP just cant get immersed into these "roller coaster rides". I also like to show off my skills to people, where's the fun in beating the computer? At the end of the day, games are meant to be played with people, its the essence of gaming.
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BINGO

I could see people playing single player games if it offered the sort of immersion that the holodeck on star trek did, but we are so far from that I don't see how any adult could really get immersed. I did when I was a child, but not now (almost 30). Again I can see the fun in ones where you're trying to get a high score or beat a certain time, etc.

As far as having an imagination I'm a 3d modeler, love doing instructables (the website) type projects, and I'm slowly working on a movie script. I create things, thats what a person with a real imagination does, I don't see how not liking scripted single player games with no human interaction means I don't have one.
 
butterfliesrpretty said:
BINGO

I could see people playing single player games if it offered the sort of immersion that the holodeck on star trek did, but we are so far from that I don't see how any adult could really get immersed. I did when I was a child, but not now (almost 30). Again I can see the fun in ones where you're trying to get a high score or beat a certain time, etc.

As far as having an imagination I'm a 3d modeler, love doing instructables (the website) type projects, and I'm slowly working on a movie script. I create things, thats what a person with a real imagination does, I don't see how not liking scripted single player games with no human interaction means I don't have one.
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So your saying you have an low ego problem and need justification?

Ok. Cool guy.

(BTW. tons of people have pointed out to you single player games that are amazing and just don't work as multiplayer yet you keep wanting to ignore it. I'll add another. Silent Hill 2 says "Hi")
 
butterfliesrpretty said:
BINGO

I could see people playing single player games if it offered the sort of immersion that the holodeck on star trek did, but we are so far from that I don't see how any adult could really get immersed. I did when I was a child, but not now (almost 30). Again I can see the fun in ones where you're trying to get a high score or beat a certain time, etc.

As far as having an imagination I'm a 3d modeler, love doing instructables (the website) type projects, and I'm slowly working on a movie script. I create things, thats what a person with a real imagination does, I don't see how not liking scripted single player games with no human interaction means I don't have one.
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Actually, I find the opposite to be true. As I aged my ego went down and I am just in it to have fun, not show off my 'mad skillz' or be happy that I have a better magic cape than some other guy. I need to manage my time, not get scooped up into an addicting multi player experience, maybe its just me (almost 30 as well).
 
dioxholster said:
Its interesting to see so many prefer singleplayer over multiplayer. Maybe its gotta do with age. But people like me and OP just cant get immersed into these "roller coaster rides". I also like to show off my skills to people, where's the fun in beating the computer? At the end of the day, games are meant to be played with people, its the essence of gaming.
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That right there is the difference of mindset. If I were to write that last sentance it would be "At the end of the day, games are meant to be a break from every day, its the essence of gaming." Since I spend my entire day interacting with people, why would I want to play a game interacting with people to get a break?

My wife and I play games together becasue we enjoy each others company, and it's always games where we are co-op. She hates shooters, especially MP, but loves L4D2 for playing campaign with friends. Ask her to join vs. mode and she logs out without another word. I could care less what others think of my "skills" in a video game. Ultimately, it means nothing to anyone, as when they log out, you were just another name that they shot at. I could care less if you killed me 500 times in a match. I log out, go play with my kids, or hit the garage and spin some wrenches or even (if I'm really bored) do housework. To me, there's no difference in killing AI or killing someone kid whom I don't know and never will. When I'm done, it's all the same.
 
butterfliesrpretty said:
BINGO

I could see people playing single player games if it offered the sort of immersion that the holodeck on star trek did, but we are so far from that I don't see how any adult could really get immersed. I did when I was a child, but not now (almost 30). Again I can see the fun in ones where you're trying to get a high score or beat a certain time, etc.

As far as having an imagination I'm a 3d modeler, love doing instructables (the website) type projects, and I'm slowly working on a movie script. I create things, thats what a person with a real imagination does, I don't see how not liking scripted single player games with no human interaction means I don't have one.
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You have to understand that because YOU think that it's terrible, doesn't mean it is.

I love playing single player games (and I'm a fully functioning adult) but at the same time I'm not excited for BF3's singleplayer, or CoD's (or really most FPS' for that matter) singleplayer, because frankly, they suck. They're short, stupid and completely preposterous. On the other hand, I do enjoy games like Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Oblivion, Fallout, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and Magicka. It doesn't have to be a serious story, or even trying to be fun single player, take Magicka for example, it makes fun of itself and pokes fun at the fact its a game all the time.

Though I can't say I don't like multiplayer, I definitely enjoy playing some TF2 and BC2 just as much as I like playing single player games.
 
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dioxholster said:
Its interesting to see so many prefer singleplayer over multiplayer. Maybe its gotta do with age. But people like me and OP just cant get immersed into these "roller coaster rides". I also like to show off my skills to people, where's the fun in beating the computer? At the end of the day, games are meant to be played with people, its the essence of gaming.
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Your skills are shit, you aren't a professional gamer whos sponsored so your just another "Pub noob". That's all you are if you think about it. Look at CoD 4, ever see those people who can no scope through the smoke across the map and get a headshot with every shot? Exactly. Even TWL is mostly full of noob teams compared to the professional gamers.

I went 41-0 in black ops, did I feel accomplished afterwards, no not really. I was called a hacker a few times and actually did not feel great about "showing off my skillz". The reason is because I know I am not anything special in multiplayer games, sure I can get good scores but theres always someone better.
 
dioxholster said:
Its interesting to see so many prefer singleplayer over multiplayer. Maybe its gotta do with age. But people like me and OP just cant get immersed into these "roller coaster rides". I also like to show off my skills to people, where's the fun in beating the computer? At the end of the day, games are meant to be played with people, its the essence of gaming.
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No games are meant to be FUN. Whether its single player or multiplayer the essence of gaming is fun. Nothing more and nothing less. If you're not having fun what the hell is the point? Saying games are meant to be anything but fun is naive. I've been playing games for over twenty years. The only multiplayer experiences I enjoy are with friends and family. Outside of that I simply don't care and I simply don't find it fun.
 
dioxholster said:
Its interesting to see so many prefer singleplayer over multiplayer. Maybe its gotta do with age. But people like me and OP just cant get immersed into these "roller coaster rides". I also like to show off my skills to people, where's the fun in beating the computer? At the end of the day, games are meant to be played with people, its the essence of gaming.
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I'd be interested to see how you relate age to gaming preferences. For me, the older I've become, the more I like SP over MP. And most of the first games were SP... so I'm not sure how games are meant to be played with people. Video games =/= sports or board games.

And people here should really stop replying to the OP. It's clear by this point he's trollin us pretty good.
 
drako said:
I'd be interested to see how you relate age to gaming preferences. For me, the older I've become, the more I like SP over MP. And most of the first games were SP... so I'm not sure how games are meant to be played with people. Video games =/= sports or board games.

And people here should really stop replying to the OP. It's clear by this point he's trollin us pretty good.
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But but but I feel the need to argue on the internet :D

I think that games (just like all entertainment) are subjective. If you like MP better, well then fine that's your opinion. If you like SP better, likewise.

I love doing math, chemistry and building things in my free time, I'm sure there are plenty of people (especially my age) who would be asking WTF is wrong with me. Games are the same way, everyone enjoys something different even if it's just a little bit different.
 
I am the complete opposite, I like singleplayer and dislike multiplayer. I find that the fun in multiplayer comes from social interaction, but I only really enjoy that with my friends (it makes me sad that LAN play is slowly going away). I find single player games allow me to try different ways of playing the game and experimenting with different story outcomes and ways of playing the game. Not to mention if you beat it a couple times and want to cheat for a different experience (say to mess around with physics, or play with different weapons) you can.

Most multiplayer games get boring for me quite quickly and I feel like they are extremely repetitive. Play with friends is lots of fun but I could never sit down and spend 500 hours playing a multiplayer FPS.
 
Some games the SP really hooks me like recently Halo: Reach, Medal Of honor, BFBC2, doom 3...

Then other games I just want MP like quake2/q3a/q4.

Just depends on the game, I'm also not big on scare tactics in games but ill still play through most "scary" SP games...
 
Do any of the people who prefer MP enjoy any of the more linear media types? Books, movies?

My main issue with MP, is the amount of time that needs to be dedicated. There are way too many awesome games being released, I don't nearly have the time to be proficient at the MP of all of them.
 
dioxholster said:
Its interesting to see so many prefer singleplayer over multiplayer. Maybe its gotta do with age. But people like me and OP just cant get immersed into these "roller coaster rides". I also like to show off my skills to people, where's the fun in beating the computer? At the end of the day, games are meant to be played with people, its the essence of gaming.
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I think at least half the people who play online games are the type I wouldn't want to associate with in real life. Well, maybe I would, but being hidden behind the interwebs turns people into arseholes who I dont want to associate with :p

I really enjoy playing multiplayer games, if the person I'm playing with is sitting next to me. Beating some faceless person in an online game is really no entertaining than beating a computer.

That's not to say I dont play online multiplayer games, I do, but honestly most of them are just grind. Most multiplayer games have very little creativity or interesting aspects. Problem solving is limited to "I went down the left flank the last 30 times, maybe the next 10 times I'll go down the right flank".
 
It's not that I don't want to play multiplayer games. I just don't want to play multiplayer games with people like you.

:D
 
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