Alone in Telon?

By Lady Sirse

Standing alone on the top of a hill looking out across the landscape,
one can take a moment and reflect how they came to be here. Was it by choice,
by necessity or by some quirk of fate? Have you ever found yourself in your
chosen MMO on a server filled with people, but all alone? How did it happen
and what did you do?

There are MMOs on the market that have catered to the solo player.
Is it right that a MMO, otherwise known as a Massive Multiplayer Online Game,
should contain content for one to play alone? Isn't it a contradiction in
terms? No matter what the name implies, there are many folks out there who
look for content they can explore on their own in the many gaming worlds.
What does this mean for Telon?

According to Jeff Butler, President of Sigil Games Online, Telon
will have content to satisfy even those that choose to play alone. They will
be able to adventure, craft, harvest and work on diplomacy. They will be able
to work their way through all the levels of the game and make it to max level.
While speaking in a panel on January 28, 2005 at Fanguard, Jeff Butler and
Brad McQuaid, CEO and Chairman of Sigil Games Online, were asked about this
a few different times. They made it clear that soloing would be able to be
done, but with one thing that must be understood.

They said that Vanguard: Saga of Heroes will be a group oriented
world. The world is being built around a community, for the community. There
will be rewards and content only able to be unlocked by groups. To achieve
success in the deepest, darkest dungeons or in the wildest places of Telon,
you will need a group. The most impressive and outstanding items and equipment
will need the help of others to obtain. Does this mean that the solo player
will have nothing to do? According to Brad, they will have many things to
do and challenges to overcome though the path to max level will be slower.

So now that we know that one can solo in Telon, my question
is why would someone want to? What is it that drives a person away from the
community? Looking back through the many years that I have played MMOs, I
think I found some reasons for this.

The first reason I think many people solo is because they are
new to the genre or to the world. It is daunting to be in a new environment
trying to learn the mechanics to a game. It can be nerve wracking to think
of struggling with the mechanics, trying to run your character properly and
be expected to interact with total strangers. For many people this chaos is
fun and they thrive on it. They jump into groups without a care. But for many
this is just too much at once. Before they know it they have the mechanics
down, and understand their character, but now they are used to playing alone.
They rarely if ever reach out to their fellow players for groups.

Another reason I have seen is time. While some who play MMOs
are able to find a steady schedule to play, real life can be demanding for
many others. Be it work or family sometimes you just can't commit to being
in a group for a certain amount of time. You may think it is odd not to be
able to say, "Sure! I can play for an hour." But for many in the
community that is how things are. I feel at times these people withdraw instead
of seeking out groups of people who would understand and welcome them no matter
how long or short their time may be. Personally, there were a few people like
this in my guild in EverQuest. They really never offered to do much until
after many weeks of poking and prodding they came to believe us when we said
we would love to group with them. I am glad we didn't give up on them!

The last reason I think people withdraw from the community is
bad encounters. These are the people who I think need good groups and guilds
the most. It is easy to get fed up or discouraged when you are faced with
impolite, unkind and obnoxious players. Simple mistakes or questions can be
ridiculed, teased or even worse. This is not a pleasant situation. Not only
can this occur in groups or on raids, but also over chat channels. I know
you all have encountered the unending spam in channels that you wish could
and would go away. There is no reason that this should happen. It is my hope
that Telon will be a more open and understanding world where people are encouraged
to ask questions and seek the advice of their fellow players.

For whatever reason a person feels that they need to play a
game like Vanguard: Saga of Heroes alone, I would hope that everyone that
has the opportunity to walk the landscape in Telon will try to be a bit more
open and understanding than in others worlds. This is only my opinion on the
subject and I would love to hear why you think people solo. Or better yet,
those that do solo give us your reasons and help us to understand.