Story Mode option

EDIT: It’s come up a lot, so I’d like to state here: Yes, I’m aware it’s an MMO. Many people have pointed this out.

Hi! I’m writing here to make a suggestion for Blizzard. Just something that I think a lot of us would like to see in the game. As the title implies, it’s a kind of solo “Story Mode” option for certain content.

I’ll start off by explaining the problem: A lot of us don’t like group content. I know I’m not the only one who finds it exhausting to deal with people, even (or especially) in PUGs. Often, however, it’s actually necessary as part of a quest chain, like the mythics you have to do for the Kul Tiras and Zandalar questlines. It’s also the only way to see how the story progresses: It’s not just cutscenes, but dialogue between characters as the raid progresses, in and between fights, and all kinds of little things that bring it to life.

LFR is a good attempt at solving this, but I’m afraid it falls far short. In my experience, LFR groups are only marginally less likely to kick you if their Recount says you’re lagging behind, and they rush through everything haphazardly, leaving no time to listen to that dialogue or explore your surroundings. Half the group doesn’t care and just wants some new gear, and the other half is forced to follow along to avoid a wipe.

The worst part of all of this is that, since those of us who don’t like dealing with groups are generally not very talkative, this side of the story is rarely seen on these forums. One could be forgiven for not realizing we exist at all, because we hardly ever speak up. But there’s a lot of us, and we’re all struggling with things like needing the war mode talents but hating PvP, or wanting to finish a quest but not endure the constant barrage of vitriol that accompanies any PUG.

I think that having simple solo versions for dungeons and raids would alleviate a lot of that pressure. People like me wouldn’t have to choose between putting up with a rushed push through these things with people insulting us or each other the whole way, and just not seeing the content at all.

I welcome constructive discussion on the idea, of course, but let me head off a few issues I’m sure people will have:

First, I’m not trying to kill group content. I just don’t want to engage in it. The incentives for most people who do that content - particularly anyone who does it more than once - will still be there. Solo versions would ideally drop no loot, meaning there’s no gear boost, no mounts and pets, not even a new mog. It’s just to experience the content.

Second, as I said before, LFG and LFR are not solutions to this problem. Both of them force you to rush to keep up with a group that probably just wants to finish it all fast and collect their loot. You’re not really getting the “story” out of that, hence the need for a “story mode.” Plus, honestly, there’s way too much salt.

Third, I don’t hate the people in those groups. They want to play the game their way, and that’s fine. I want to play it my way, and that’s fine too. But right now I don’t have the tools to do so, and I don’t think either of us should be dragging the other along. Just like War Mode separates the people who want open world PvP (and sometimes, admittedly, those who are willing to grit their teeth and bear it for the talents) from those who don’t, this should be a way for more people to enjoy what they like best about the game. It shouldn’t detract from anyone’s experience to just have that alternative.

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Wait, what? I’ve yet to be kicked from LFR for anything, ever.

No one bothers looking at your recount because no one cares. Moving and going the same direction as everyone else is enough to not be kicked. If you can also press a button or two you’re gold.

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Why play a MMO then? I thought a story mode to make questing more interactive but to run and see dungeons and raid solo with?

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Being in a world full of other players and relying on those players to experience all the content are two very different things that appeal to different types of players.

I enjoy running HM dungeons in groups if I feel like it that day. But if a quest sends me into a dungeon to collect the MacGuffin for “reasons” when all I wanna do is chill out and quest, it’s annoying.

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No hes asking blizzard for reworking mmorpg into single player because he doesnt like to play with others.

For OP - go google what MMORPG stands for. WoW is and mmorpg - if u dont like it…just play something else.

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Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game - nowhere in there does it mandate what must be group content and what can be soloed. Every individual game decides that for itself and that is what OP is asking for.

I know people in other MMOs who craft or RP all day and they love it. Giving them an option to play through a raid as a scenario to experience the story would just be adding more content to the game for relatively little money.

Not having the option helps nobody. Players who don’t enjoy group combat content aren’t going to force themselves to do it and even if they did, who would that help…?

All the rewards that encourage people to play together already exists so what does any of it matter to you if someone gets to play through the story themselves or watch it on YouTube?

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You can simply queue up for a normal dungeon or LFR for the story quest if you get kicked there, I have seen plenty of extremely bad dps never been kicked.

Come on that’s literaly the first thing some idiots say when there’s wipe. “Kick low dps”. Even if the wipe was only because people ignore mechanics.

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Well, if they had the story mode giving no loot or achievement or anything- just lore, i don’t see a bog problem with it…

But again, kinda weird😁

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You are right. But wow MMO content now is less important than in the past…

I’d be in favour of a “Story Mode” version of dungeons. I’d go so far as to say “Normal” should be flex from 1 (3 at a pinch) to 8 players. I remember when my small friends and family guild could have 6, 7 or 8 players on and we’d have to split up the groups into a 5 and a 3 (with 2 randoms) for our guild dungeon night (this was back in TBC when casual players like us could take a whole night doing Dire Maul or Gnomregan).

It’s not playing with other that is a problem, it’s being forced to work with randoms.
If there was a way to categorise Randoms in to groups such “Fun Slow Patient” or “Efficient Fast Silent” then this would be a much less problematic area.

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I’ve seen that too. So it does happen but it’s not common. They generally look for afkers.

This would be great! SWTOR does this part right, you can do flashpoints (=dungeons) there in different modes and story mode you can even do on your own. Other modes you can also do in flexible ways mixing and matching with npc companions and players to your liking.

Some might think it takes away people from doing dungeons normal way, but this is not the case. Same people are playing all the modes depending on their current needs and wishes. Story mode is often used when playing story and just wanting to go on quickly without queuing and forming a group, or as random leisure time xp grind. Other modes are used when doing dungeons as a group activity, just for enjoying doing them. Rewards scale depending on mode selected of course.

Other benefit of having story mode is that people who step on other modes have usually gotten comfortable with the said dungeon already on the story mode and it takes stepping into harder difficulties less stressfull when you know what to expect and how dungeon is. You know where to go and where bosses are, where adds come etc. Makes running harder modes more smooth and pleasant.:smiley:

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This game cant get anymore casual than this

Well if you don’t like groups then perhaps MMO-rpgs are not your thing.

If you want to solo things then legacy content is basicly your thing, you can solo legion stuff on some classes as well. But for current content? Grouping up with other players to do stuff is the core of an mmo rpg.

Heroics and lfr are basicly singleplayer already as they are huge faceroll in wich people rarely communicate

I know I’ll get shouted down for this but I’m getting a little tired of seeing this type of response. Yes, it is an MMO - no-one’s denying that. But IF, as an ‘MMO’ it is supposed to be played with other people as responses like this would suggest, then why does the game direct the vast majority of the story line, right from the first quest, as if it’s to be played as a solo player game?? (Unless you choose to buddy up with someone of course.)

I view MMOs simply as games that CAN be played with other people if you wish to but, since most of the ones I’ve played follow the same pattern of solo player story lines for most of the game and then throw in group content (sometimes ‘forced,’ sometimes not) later on, I do have to wonder why people sometimes think an MMO means you HAVE to play with other people.

I must admit I do get really annoyed when quests suddenly start coming in recommending a certain amount of players needed to complete it or that you have to do a group dungeon to progress. This makes no sense at all when you’ve gone right up to level, say, 80 playing solo as the game directs and then suddenly you need other people.

Developers are clearly aware that some, maybe even most, players will play group content and enjoy it. However, there are also many players, myself and the OP included, who don’t want to engage in group content and would prefer to be able to enjoy the game as we were originally introduced to it - as a solo player. Therefore, I completely agree with the OP that we should be able to do this while, at the same time, not interfering with those who do want to participate with other players.

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While story mode would be a dream come true for me, my vision is rather different than yours.

See my ideal story mode would be a very hard and challenging solo gameplay that pushes you to utilize your class to the extreme and has very nice cosmetic rewards, like the mage tower and proving grounds in MoP.

However, many people want story mode to be easy, many also medium in difficulty, different rewards, different ideas and different approaches.

While story mode and similar ideas were something that I’ve been seeing people ask for since vanilla I jest you not, its implementation is just going to be another huge headache, unbalanced and probably will leave most sides unsatisfied.

For the story and experience part, there are actually many youtube videos that show you exactly that, while I know it’s a non solution but I think it might help you and hopefully blizzard will find a solution to the dilemma.

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I can totally see the op’s stance on this. yes it’s an mmo, but since cross realm accessibility (sometimes before but less so) the wow community is the most toxic I have seen. I got so fed up of it I went to FF14 for about a year and again you occasionally got your idiots but the community was overall friendly and helpful. wipe in a dungeon? np people just got on with it, same for raids etc, people had patience also for people new to the dungeon as there is a bonus for being with new players. Since they opened up their cross realm not too long ago the community started to be alot more toxic, not wow level toxic but, growing. There is no accountability in this game anymore.

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Not bad idea at all. Sometimes i am tired from rush. And in these days peopke on RDF dont talk too much. They just beat the mobs and gg. Its strange how comunity in this game level down not up throught the years.

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I agree 100% but perhaps instead of solo content a pug system with no kick or a 4/5 theshold for kicking for people who just want story/a slower pace of content?