Multiplayer

[Benji]

Carrying on from the /forum/index.php?showtopic=30011">online thread, how important to you is multiplayer?

I find myself constantly playing games alone, it's what video games were intended for, the AI is there to replace your buddies. But over time multiplayer developed stronger and stronger causes in games, so much so that I can't stand it if a game doesn't have even SOME form of co-op/vs mode. I think that games are fun in single player, but true potential is reached when with a friend, some games are now even designed to be generally two player (MK: Shaolin Monks for one, God knows how many threads I've mentioned that in now).

How would you incorporate multiplayer gaming into a plainset RPG? No online features, just two friends with a party, do you think that data merging could be a good idea? IE: Stuff like Smackdown! where characters can be shared.

[apsham]

Isn't important at all to me, it's a nice feature, but I don't but a game with the intention of playing it with friends. I instead let them being the multiplayer stuff.

[Mick]

I don't really see Multiplayer as much of a factor.

Since I was little, with the old 8-Bit NES, there's been only a hand full of 2 player video games that were fun, and even fewer games that supported 3 or more players. The only NES Game I can think of that the 4-Score or whatever it was called was good for was Gauntlet II. Even then it wasn't too spectacular. Multiplayer gaming has really evolved towards the next generation of gamer, using the newer systems. It's been drilled into me to play the older games, and not the multiplayer ones. Sure, some of them are good fun with more than yourself, but I don't mind it too much.

[PkmnTrainerJ]

I do own and play an awful lot of single player games, but having a large family, I doubt we could live without a multitap and four controllers for the GameCube, and big multiplayer games like Mario Party, Smash Bros and Colosseum.

[therockbox]

I love playing games online. I can't get enough of DoD, BF1942 (which I don't really like as a game, but the multiplayer is fucking awesome), and CS: S.

[Venom]

It's funny, when I lived at home, I didn't really care either way whether or not a game had massive multiplayer capabilities. Now that I live in college, I can't see myself ever buying another game that wasn't multiplayer in some way, except old favorites like Final Fantasy or GTA. A bunch of people playing a game that has great multiplayer potential kicks the shit out of a great singleplayer game any day.

[Skummy]

Multiplayer depends on the nature of the game. If I was playing a linear story-based game, such as Final Fantasy or whatever, which I have little time for any more, I'd much rather be doing it alone, so I can progress through the game at my own pace, enjoying it at my own pace, without someone else wanting to go off and do their own thing.

However, the most fun I've had on a game in years was playing Super Smash Bros Melee not too long ago. I enjoyed it to the extent of wanting to buy a Gamecube just so I could play it some more. And, to me, that's what gaming should be about. Just something you can plug in and play for an hour or so with your mates.

Although, a truly online RPG, to the extent of what Fable was supposed to be, essentially just playing D&D but on a much wider scale, could also be a fantastic multiplayer experience.

[Cole]

Multiplayer isn't anything huge for me, I usually play my games alone so it doesn't matter.

But then there are other games that I find funniest to play with friends.

So I have some games where I just play alone and some where I just play with friends, no in between.