With all due respect, balancing content like a story instance is completely different than balancing an enhanced jumping puzzle like Super Adventure Box, so for us it just wasn’t feasible to consider doing an “easy” and “hard” mode in this particular case.
Instead we focused our time and energy into making a really unique, polished and hopefully memorable encounter that enables any group of five to complete in roughly an hour. I understand that there are players who will simply object philosophically to this direction, and wish that all the content we create to be solo-friendly, but our company has always been focused around building an online world that encourages our players to play our game together.
For those of you who have taken the plunge and shut down one of the Molten Facilities, thank you so much for giving it a try and giving us your feedback. Hope to see you on the front lines!
Hi Matthew,
I happened to read your response on the thread concerning the disappointment some players felt regarding the dungeon-based ending for flame and frost. I had posted on that thread as well, and although I do not believe your comment was responding to me directly, I wanted to reply to a particular portion of it:
“I understand that there are players who will simply object philosophically to this direction, and wish that all the content we create to be solo-friendly, but our company has always been focused around building an online world that encourages our players to play our game together.”
Personally, I am not idealogically opposed to content that is not solo friendly. I personally enjoy encountering dynamic events in the open world and joining in on the battle! And you all have crafted such a beautiful world!
The reason I left the game centers around my personal feeling that although there is a great deal of content one may experience as a solo player in the game, I felt there was virtually no content that one could experience to its conclusion as a solo player: Personal Story, Exploration, Living Story for examples.
That said, I know that each developer has their own philosophy regarding development and I respect that you have clarified that philosophy and intend to stick to your guns. I was feeling very moved at my disappointment in not being able to complete those three portions of the game I had enjoyed so much, that I wanted to let the team know that I was experiencing that disappointment.
Regards,
Matt (formerly Skade Thordottir)hhmmn you are ok playing with 100 players taking down Jormag but oppose the idea of playing with 5 players to take down the dungeon boss….
do you see your own contradiction?
Hi Kript,
I can see how that would seem contradictory. Let me add this to clarify. I enjoy immersing myself in gameworlds. As someone whose profession is in public service, I enjoy the escape. Coming upon a dynamic event in the gameworld adds to my immersion, in fact I can say that is one reason I enjoy being in an online world… it feels alive by virtue of having others present. However, when one joins a dungeon one should communicate with their group and strategize. I respect that, but it does break my immersion and thus is no longer an escape.
Hope that helps explain the seeming contradiction.
Matt