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I was having this discussion with a friend over dinner. He said that a game without any multiplayer capability is nothing more than a waste of money. In some way, he's true. I'm not big on the whole multiplayer thingy(ie: i don't do it) and while he's still playing Gears of War over the 'net, i moved on to Ghost Recon. So, in a way, i don't use the full potential of the game. He told me that a game like Quake or UT have a longer lifeline when you play online.

While i mostly agree with that he said, i'm still not convinced. I don't buy the whole online gaming bandwagon... but i think that train is going nowhere.

So this leads me to the obvious question: Are you playing online and if so, does it make the game better ? Do you feel like someone like me who buys a game only to play the single player mode is a waste of money ?

Discuss.

Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2006 8:37 pm Post subject:

Simple:

Qauke 1-3 online multiple player fun.

quake 4 no multiplayer ZIP nanda. Play forget.

Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2006 9:00 pm Post subject:

Well, Quake along with UT and WoW are time gobbler and like i also mentioned to my friend, i don't have the time to play countless hours online. I prefer a solid game with 20 or so hours of gameplay than buying a game that offer nothing but a mere 10 boring hours of gameplay with countless hours online. Take Gears of War for example, i didn't count the hours it took me to beat the game, but it was time well spent. Plus, i have the option to start the game all over again at a higher level of difficulty with more options, so basically, i'm gonna end up with a game that can offer 30+ hours of action-packed gaming.

That's one example of why i don't buy online thingy. I still believe that it's possible to make a game that can offer real, fun time of single playing action without forcing you to play online to get the best of it.

Butt Sniffer Joined: 09 Nov 2000 Posts: 1883

Deathmatch is fun, don't care if it is online or not, Grand Theft Auto is fun, don't need multiplayer at all.

I reckon it dependw on how good the game is, some need it to make them viable, some don't.

Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 2:10 am Post subject:

Good question. One of my favourite memories of gaming is the 20-30 player Quake 2 capture-the-flag matches we used to have over the college network, one classroom versus another classroom. Man, the sysadmins hated us for that...

Having said that, although I've been known to play any type of game, I'm first and foremost a PC strategy gamer (mostly Relic and Creative Assembly games) and I also have a PS2 for my twitch gaming needs (mostly rhythm-action games). Fortunately for me, the multiplayer component isn't the be-all and end-all of these types of games so I don't consider it to be essential to my enjoyment of the game. I could play a Total War game, or a Civilisation game in single player mode quite happily for a metric yonk, for example.

But it is nice to exercise the multiplayer part of my favourite games every so often and when I do, it is almost always over a LAN (in the case of PC games) or split-screen (in the case of consoles) and almost never over the Internet. I much prefer playing against friends in the same room as me over playing against strangers on-line. Partly because a large percentage of on-line players are arseholes, partly because being in the same room makes tactical discussion and yo' momma jokes easier, but mostly because drinking beer on your own isn't half as fun.

Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 3:52 am Post subject:

Each to his own. Sometimes I'm happy to while away a few hours on an Unreal Tournament InstaGib CTF server; other times I'm just as content to play with myself.

Generally I prefer playing with myself, though.

Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 4:35 am Post subject:

Capture the flag is great. 1942, quake 2 / 3 awesome fun

Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 6:05 am Post subject:

Multiplayer has always been better than vs. PC. The computer AI is predictable.

Way back in 1990, a game called "Fighter Duel" appeared. It featured head-to-head aerial combat (via modem). The difference between this experience and the single-player experience was phenomenal.

A couple of years later, GEnie started running advertisements in computer magazines for its on-line games. (Image of PC.) "This is a computer controlled adversary. It tries to beat you." (Image of deranged snarling madman.) "This is Bob from Omaha. He wants to rip your guts out and stomp on them repeatedly."

In the past year, I have played quite a bit of Guild Wars. The multiplayer cooperative aspect is great, too. Human allies are way better than computer-controlled allies.

Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 7:15 am Post subject:

They both have their place. I recently spent countless hours playing through Final Fantasy IV on the GBA. Bit nostalgic about my FF days when I was a kid. It is hard to get away from WoW though, there is a draw to the fact that you are almost in a different world, with real, different people.

Guide Dog Joined: 08 Nov 2003 Posts: 8402 Location: MN

Toxin wrote:
Generally I prefer playing with myself, though.

more then I cared to know...

Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 4:00 am Post subject:

Ehh...I haven't jumped into the whole online thing either. It just doesn't really interest me. I prefer consoles to PC gaming and when I play multi-player, it's with a case of beer and friends running split-screen over a PS2, SNES, or N64. Course, I'm also not one to sit around and play an FPS by myself either....much prefer to shoot my friends. I don't find it to be a waste of money either because frankly I could care less if people think I'm only using half of a game's capabilities, but it's the only half that I'm interested in.

Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 4:29 am Post subject:

I´ve been playing multiplayer for a long time. First started off with my cousin introducing me to MUDding in 94 when he was at VermontTech. then Doom came out with it´s multiplayer capabilites. Going at it ever since. There is something for everyone. I like interaction with people. Always go crazy with those games that have good multiplayer possibilities. I also love single player games. For me it´s all about the experience. Play with people I get along with, especially with my friends in the US, being here in Spain I´ve had to change my gaming habits. Thanks to multiplayer capabilites.

Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 10:30 am Post subject:

my personal preference is for the multi-player game, or games that have multi-player abilities. Games that are single player are too repetitive after awhile, as someone else mentioned, a computers AI becomes predictable. I personally hate spending money on something I'm going to be bored of right away, and once I've beat a game I lose all interest in it. This is where online play or multi-player capabilities make a game more interesting. Competitive play against real people is always a different challenge opening up replayability for a game extending playing life from 20 hrs or however long it may take you to beat your single player campaigns up to endless possibilities. I can't even begin to imagine how many hours I've spent playing games like counter-strike or WoW (which I've quit only recently after palying for almost 2 years (and my oh my is it ever nice to have a life again away from WoW)). As I get older, I'm not too interested in sitting down and gaming on my own, I like to game with people, be it online or in a party setting. That's why I'm choosing to buy a Wii over an xbox 360, not that the 360's games aren't snazzy and interesting, but I think that the Wii will cater to more non-gamers and party type situations. Just playing Wii sports and watching non-gamers play it and have fun is enuf to convince me that it's the right choice for my needs...now I just gotta get my hands on one :S.

Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 7:33 pm Post subject:

I enjoy both to a point but won't say that I am a online junkie. I am playing Eve at the moment with a group of friends and luckily they don't expect much from me as my time is pretty erratic. I would enjoy Online games more if it was for "kiddie" syndrome. I hate these useless shcmucks who ruin your experience for no aparant reason or feel the need to destroy other peoples experiences. I am a firm believer in playing the game it was meant to be played. For this reason I enjoy single player games or LAN games as I can control who I am playing with and don't have to put up with mindless drivel.

My spare time is scarce so it is valuable to me and I chose to spend it in the best way possible.

Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 7:44 pm Post subject:

This is a reason for choosing Guild Wars: Nightfall over WoW or other on-line games. In Guild Wars, you don't get griefed. Each of the three Guild Wars chapters may be played by itself or combined with the others. Nightfall is the best so far because it allows you to have extensive customization and control of NPC heroes in your party.