10 Arguments for Singleplayer Features

WoW Classic WoW Classic General Discussion
1

Hello Community,Blizzard.

I got 10 Pros for Singleplayer:

  • Greater Accessiblitly: Players could experiance content without Relying on Group or Raid Schedudels.
  • Flexible playtime: Solo players could make progress even with short or irregluar sessions.
  • lower entry barries: new players would face fewer social or mechaniacals obstacles
  • learning environment: bots could help pratice mechanics and understand mistakes befor interacting with real players.
  • More stable progression: solo content would always be available regradless of server population or time of day
  • improved accessibility for all: players with social,physical or psychological limiation would have more ways to enjoy the full game.
  • Flexible group composition: Players could use bots to fill or replace missing roles as needed.
  • Less Frustation from Toxic Behavior:players would be less dependet on random groups
  • stronger narrative immersion: solo play would put more focus on story and world bulding
  • longer lifespan for older content: bots could make old dungeons and raids accessible again even if real groups rarely run them.
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It is a MMORPG .. you know what it is?

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You are overlooking people with disabilities and not treating those who need support fairly

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Choose wisely who you play with. That’s all it takes.

No npc bot / ai will ever help you with this though. Well, at least not in a predictable future.

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You just described Questing :slight_smile:

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If you want to play with bots, just play classic wow.

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We got Hardcore Version , Retail version , Classic Version , Why not a Solo Version?

Here 10 Pro Arguments:

  • Reaching new audiences: A Solo version would appel to player who avoid mmo but love the world and story of warcraft.
  • Stronger player retention: Players with irregluar schedules could stay engaged without becoming frustrated by group requirements.
  • Better use of existing content: Decades of quests dungeons and raid could remain relevant through solo adaptations.
  • Independence from server population:Content stays playable even when vertain realms or time slotas have low activity.
  • more accessible gameplay: players with social anxiety or physical limations would gain full access to the experiance.
  • Imporved learning curve: player could master classes , rotations and mechanics wihout social pressure.
  • Reduced strain on the community:Fewer frustrated players in random groups,since solo players wouldnt be forced into them.
  • Testing ground for new systems:blizzard could experiemtn with features wihout disruptin the main mmo enviroment.
  • Expansions of the franchise: A solo edition would diversify Wow , Simliar to how classic and hardcore added variety.
  • Long-term value: a seperate version could bring players who enjoy the setting but dislike mandatory group play.
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Classic players will never allow singleplayer features because they think the game is all about socializing

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No they wouldn’t. It’s not real.

The only truly important thing is playing together with other players. Spending time together online. Working together to solve problems. That’s what matters in an MMORPG.

That’s the experience. The only one that really matters. The rest is just pixels.

A separate version, that has nothing to do with the multiplayer game? Sure. But only a minority of players would be interested. And you’d only develop basic skills. Unless Blizzard put in a major effort designing test situations.

Is this really required? There’s already so much content you can access completely solo right now. Only a few quests really require a group of more than two players. You may have to put in some effort. But you also have to put in effort when building a group. So it’s only fair in my opinion.

Wouldn’t it be better to make the effort and look for those people in the game who are genuinely open to play with people with limitations? I know they are out there. There always have been players creating the required environment. But it’s not so easy to find them. I agree.

Maybe Blizzard could do a better community job here. Bringing together people. Maybe that’s the way to go instead of finding new ways to isolate further.

10

I think what you’re looking for is called: Final Fantasy XIV.

Because everything you listed is in that game.

Blizzard won’t do that because that’d be like passively admitting that WoW has a toxicity problem or that it’s bleeding players.

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a standalone single-player version of WoW could create long term value because many players leave mmorpgs due to social pressure and deteriorating communty dynamics. In many live mmos, toxic patterns - such as gearscore gatekeeping, archievments requierments,rising gorup pressure, impatient of dismissive raid leaders, and voice-chat ridicule-significantly reduce the quality of the experience. Some players also feel pushed out competitive or performative behavoir. These factos drive away peopel who enjoy the world and lore but no longer want the social burdens of the mmo environment. A singleplayer option would lower the barrier to entry , reduce frustation , and bring back an audience that loves the game universe but no the pressures of constant group performance.

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So interestingly this has been asked before many years ago and the many replied there came to the same conclusion that then warcraft would not be the game for them as it is an MMO.

However the request for more solo content has always been asked on the forums, and Blizz did deliver and everything you want is literally in retail.

So lets look at your points:

Greater Accessibility: Players could experience content without Relying on Groups or Raid Schedules

This is literally raid finder in retail, pop on do a any wing you want and all content can be completed in this easy and quick mode no interactions needed

Flexible playtime: Solo Players could make progress even with short or irregular sessions

Literally everything in retail is solo-able, plus now in warwithin you have have NPC dungeon group you can complete solo.

Lower Entry Barrier: New players would face fewer social or Mechanical obstacles

Again this is all in retail you have delves that have low lvl and you decide your difficulty and they are solo-able, as mentioned above you have dungeon you can do with NCP group and raid finder doesn’t require any requirement other than reaching the ilvl which is very easy to get with all the catch up mechanics they have. All these things have low barriers and fewer mechanical obstacles and other than LFR its solo.

Learning Environment: Bots could help Practice mechanics and understand mistakes before interacting with real players

This doesn’t make sense to me, if you are solo playing why does it matter if you know mechanics to then play with real players? Surely if you’re solo then you’re solo. But as stated above NPC’s in War within in dungeons, not to mention the thousands of guides on youtube and other wow sites that tell you exactly what to do and not to do.

More stable progression: Solo Content would always be available regardless of the server population or time of day

So in retail again everything is online and you can do anything at any time of day and as stated above its all solo-able other than LFR, but i have never had an issue at 3am and tried to get into LFR and didn’t, not that happens too often.

Improved Accessibility for all players with social, physical or psychological limitation would have more ways to enjoy the full game

Again all can be done in retail, you can literally play the entire game without social interaction and same with LFR very few people talk, and lets say worse case scenario you are worried about the chat, well you can turn that off too and have a complete silence in game.

Flexible Group composition: Players could use bots to fill or replace missing roles as needed

As mentioned above already done in retail in warwithin with NPC dungeons and LFR.

Less frustration from Toxic behavior: Players would be less dependent on random groups:

As mentioned above already done in retail in warwithin with NPC dungeons and LFR and turning chat off

Stronger narrative immersion: Solo play would put more focus on story and world building

Not really sure this makes sense, the story wouldn’t change between a solo version of the game and the main MMO so either way the story is the same as you cannot have one version differ from the other, so again in any version of the game this stays consistent and you do the story and side quest as you want.

Longer Lifespan for older content: bots could make old dungeons and raids accessible again even if real groups run them

Again this is all relevant in retail MOP classic prob not ERA or Anniversary as there are no old dungeons. But you can solo all old dungeons and raids, not to mention now with player housing you have to go all over the world and to old expansion to collect the housing patters and items. Again all solo-able.

Reaching new audiences: A solo version would appeal to player who avoid MMO but love the world and story of wartcraft

This doesn’t really make much sense, at the end of the day as someone else has pointed out people that would only want solo content is small, and if you are a fan of the the game, a game which is now 20 years old you already know the deal and there is lots of information about how friendly retail is to solo players i can’t imagine it being the deterrent you are making it out to be.

Stronger player retention: Players with irregular schedules could stay engaged without becoming frustrated by group requirements

Again all in retail and there this is pure speculation that you think a solo version increase player retention. There is no group requirement in retail other than LFR for content. But if you try make the point of doing M+ or mythic raiding this should not be in a solo version of the game because there is zero need to have the more difficult content and as you are trying to make out you just want to do the content at the lower difficulty and accessible.

Better use of existing content: Decades of quest dungeons and raid could remain relevant through solo adaptations

Again this is done in retail refer to my above answer about player housing hunt and players keep content alive if they want to do it because they are chasing transmogs or achievements.

Independence from server population: Content stays playable even when certain realms or time slots have low activity

Not an issue in retail as mentioned above all the majority is solo-able and can be done at any time of the day.

More accessible game play: Players with social anxiety or physical limitation would gain fill access to the experience

Again in retail nothing stopping anyone from playing the whole game without the need to interact with others.

Improved learning curve: Player could master classes, rotation and mechanics without social pressure.

So this is again in retail and exactly what the dungeon NPC runs are for, you run these in a spec you dont want to run with others, Tank or healer and learn, but furthermore you now have single button rotation where you just literally play hitting one button, no need to learn rotation just spam, this is the most accessible feature for all players with physical disabilities. There is even rotation helper in the retail version to help you learn.

Reduced Strain on the community: Fewer Frustrated players in random groups since solo players wouldn’t be forced into them

Again all in retail as stated above, but what i will also add in retail there are also fantastic communities set up specifically to help anxious players. Communities like No Pressure EU and scared of dungeons that welcome players who are nervous, anxious and worried about doing the harder content. I have run many M+ in these groups and there is never any toxicity, everyone is positive and helpful and helping those players get through the tough parts of a Mythic plus. Helping with suggestion and tips in the community chat also.

Testing Ground for new systems: Blizzard could experiment with features without disrupting the main MMO environment

This is just silly on so many levels, there would be no logical reason to test new features in a solo version of the game even if it existed. Firstly that’s what the PTR realms are for so you don’t need to test it on a live version of solo game. Secondly you need volume, and I agree with the other comment that the solo version won’t have the numbers playing you think it will. With the current PTR and Beta for expansion and patches that Blizz gives you access too, there is a huge amount of players that are playing and effectively being testers for blizz so this doesn’t make any sense at all

Expansion of the franchise: A solo edition would diversify WOW, similar to how classic and hardcore added variety

So yes they added variety but they are the same version of the game, both are MMO both have the exact same quests and raids and dungeons, the only difference is one you die in you can’t play on that serer again. You could add SOD and SOM also and MOP classic, but what tends to happen is those version become less populated and played, having more options is not always a good thing.

Long-term value: A separate version could bring players who enjoy the setting but dislike group play

You already said this in one form or another in the points you made, and i’ll say it again retail covers the majority of what you want

TLDR: Go Play retail it has everything you ask for with a caveat of LFR but you can play with no social interaction.

So you have the options to play wow as a solo player whether you choose to is up to you of course, and as has been mentioned if not then this might not be the game for you as there are lots and lots of solo RPG games out there that would offer what you want in how you want to play

13

A Single-player standalone verion of wow would offer accessiblitys advantages that lfr cannot provide because the experience is fundamentally different

Complete Time Freedom

  • LFR still requieres qeueing , role distribution , and waiting for enough players
  • a single-player mode means zero queues, zero dependency on player availablity, zero role bottlenecks.

No Social Pressure or Toxicity:

  • LFR Still has behavior issues: kicking , dps shaming , rushed runs , toxic chat.
  • single-player removes all social pressure , allowing players to enjoy content stress-free and at their own pace.

fully designed solo epxeriance (not a simplefied raid)

  • lfr is just a watered-down version of a raid balanced for random groups
  • a single-player mode could offer
  • dedictaded solo mechanics
  • better pacing
  • story focused presentation
  • boss fights tuned and scripted for one player

this is somehting lfr cannot replicate

acces to more than just lfr raids;

  • lfr covers only current-expasion raid wing

  • singleplayer version could include

  • dungeons

  • legacy raids

  • old epxasion campaings

  • solo challanges

  • custom sotry or rpg style content

much broader acess than lfr

independence from server or community popluation:

  • lfr only works if servers are up and players are queueing.
  • a singlepalyer standalone version could function offline or semi offline ensuring permant access regarldess of server status or popluation
2 Likes
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So you ignored everything else i said and focused only on LFR part.

Ok good to know who i am talking too no point in continuing this discussion all your points as i already stated are covered can be sorted in retail with some compromise

What you want a whole new version of the game but then it should not be linked to anything in the current world

2 Likes
15

if you have a disability perhaps find a way to compensate for that, or spend your time doing something that you are physically and mentally capable to do? I don’t think lowering the bar down to nothing would contribute anything in a positive sense to this game, just because 0,01% of the playerbase have disabilities that hinder them from getting the epic loot they want.

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WoW Reflects social classes just like in the real world , there are “rich” characters with lots of gold and rare gear and “poor” ones who struggle to get by. There are popluar characters who are respected and noticed, and unpopluar ones who are ignored. some are seen as “smart” (effients,optimized , strategic) , other as “dumb” (chaotic, slow , inexperienced) even ideas like beautiful vs ugly exist through transmoq,race choice and prestige.

for player who are hardstuck or socially disadventaged wow as singleplayer game is especially valuable. it allows progression without social rejection. without pressure to perfrom in groups, and without constant judgement. players who may recevice lillte recongition in real life can climb through persistence, knowledge , and decision-making. succes is not tied to chrisma, but to learning,time inveestment and planing.

As a singleplayer experience , wow also let players observe society from the outside. it expsoses mechanisms of status,power,exclustion , and upward mobility - similar to real life, but without real wrold consequences. This turn wow into more than just a game. it becomes a social mirror. where even hardstuck or socially marginalized player can find agency , structure and personl growth.

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A Singleplayer version of World of Warcraft would not be the end of social gameplay , but an honest adaptation to the reality of the player base: The fact is every second player dosnt want to share loot. You see it dailys in dungeons, raids and random groups , gear is competititon not community , if cooperation only works until something drops , then thats no real social interaction.

At the same time , leveling boosts exists which praticallly eliminate leveling togehter, if blizzard itself seels skipping content its hard to argue that shared questin or growing togehter is the core of the game.

Boosting Already mean playin “alone next to other” insteand of acually together.

and the peopel claim wow is a social games ,yet almost no one levels togehter , almost no one quest in groups volunatiry, chats are silent , interaction is reduced to a “hi” at the start and a “gg” at the end. Thats not a social experience , thats matchmaking with human instead of bots.

many still cling desperately to the idea that mmo must be social by definition. Thats a mindset borrowed from real life. where copperation is neccessary. in wow current realitly it isnt, content scales, groups are replaceable , player are anonymous, so why not be conistent?

A singleplayer version would finally allow player to experience the story,progression and pacing on their own terms. without social pressure, loot stress or artifical dependecny on others. Thos who want multiplyer can keep it , but those who want wow as s world , a narrative and a RPG should be allowed to play it solo

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I’m actually fine with a totally seaparate true singleplayer version of WoW having no connection whatsoever to the online multiplayer World of Warcraft. Just don’t mix them up in any way.

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Yes, giving even more reasons for people with social anxiety to not overcome their issues, by keeping them away from others, forever immersed in their own worries, so they never learn and take the slightest risk, definitely the #1 choice here.

I suggest not asking the world (and a massive multiplayers game) to change so it can suits you, but create yourself a healthy environment where you can bloom at your pace.

And finding excuses to be forever alone is everything but healthy.

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Nothing in this world should cater to the weak or mentally ill, it only creates more problems and weaker minds. THEY have to change, not everything around them.

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