Soloing in WoW?Follow

Any of you beta testers out there know an estimate of xp per hr solo vs grouped in WoW? Because that is the only thing that makes me mad about FFXI, if you solo you are a Beast master...

Not in beta, so I can come up with numbers, but I heard from many testers that solo IS effective in WoW....so don't expect a huge difference between group xp and solo xp.

FFXI is not a solo game. That's all there is to it.

No one ever claimed it was a solo game. But then again, if it's solo action you're looking for, why are you playing an MMO?

EDIT- I do understand why some of you want to be able to solo. Please don't rant on about FFXI being unsoloable. Think of the FF game series - Cloud would not have been a hero had be opted to ditch everyone else and go out on his own. FF has always been about party dynamics, and FFXI follows suit.

If you want to solo, by all means quit FFXI and play WoW. Just understand one thing - in FFXI there are plenty of things that you CAN do solo. Leveling is just not one of them. When you don't feel like playing with others, don't level. Leveling with others gives you a chance to build a reputation for yourself, and if you find a good party, takes away from the "grind" aspect of things. Also, when you have to work hard with others to accomplish something, it just feels all that much better when you hear the glorious leveling sound.

I don't expect everyone to enjoy the social nature of FFXI. The American mentallity makes us prefer to be able to do things ourselves. We all want to be the hero. FFXI is not an American game so it goes a little bit out of our typical way of thinking. If you don't like it, don't whine about it. Just leave and play WoW... You'll be happier that way!



Edited, Tue Aug 31 19:34:30 2004 by kingjord

actually the glorious kinda has a point in a MMORPG the point is massively MULTIPLAYER online yada yada yada. if you want to solo it seems more logical to get a console game but it is good inan MMORPG to get online start fighting things and go *job* looking for group @ *place*. I used to play FFXI and it forced you to group and sometimes it would take a while. I currently play lineage 2 and while it is buggy its fun. You can log in fight mobs solo while shouting while making money so you dont have to worry about having to sit and wait for a party.


P.S. And to clear this up NO there is NOT alot of PKers in L2 that go around killing you. Then people are gonna go i got killed like 10 times! And then im gonna say if you were in beta some people did NOT plan to keep their char thats why they PKed now there is not alot point blank jus to clear that up

To be fair, several jobs in FFXI could solo. Beastmaster was good at it for XPing, but can't take down a NM solo near as well as a Ninja or Red Mage could. Summoner at lower levels (1-15) or higher levels (60-75) can solo amazingly well too. Some jobs never can though, like Thief.

On to WoW, I am guessing (Not having played it YET) that some jobs are more...inclined towards soloing than others. While they all might be capable of it, a Rogue probably won't be able to solo as well as say, a Warlock (Who can summon pets) or a Hunter (Who will have pets of some variety). A Priest probably (Probably, I don't know again) would be one of the worst soloers, as they will stay alive without a problem but have a difficulty killing things.

I'd pay to see that.

In WoW, any class can solo. A priest, say, might only solo at about 50-70% the efficiency of a warlock or rogue, depending on what he's fighting, but it's still workable. You are never ever FORCED to group, except for a few elite quests which you could probably solo if you skipped them for a bit then went back when you were higher level, if you really didn't want to group.

See my other post for more soloability info.

Soloing is not only possible in WoW, it's fairly easy once you get the hang of it (with any class!). You can level at a fair rate with very little risk by soloing mobs 2-3 levels lower than you up to even cons. Soloing mobs 1-2 levels higher is more challenging, but doable with some downtime (which varies by class). Soloing higher or elite (~4X the normal HP for their level) mobs is also possible with strategy, but it's not terribly efficient generally. However if you're like me you do it just for the challenge and the bragging rights.

There are some areas where you can't solo. "Can't" is a strong word, really, but if the mobs are so bunched up you spend 6 times as long to kill something as you would otherwise with a very high chance of death and wasting all that time, I think it fits.

On the other hand, I have seen very little that isn't duoable with a bit of common sense and a few handy potions!

Because sometimes you want to group with other people, sometimes you want the mere level of interaction with other people so you don't feel lonely playing a video game, and sometimes you want to progress but are so fed up with people that you want to be alone for a while. In life, there are things I'd rather do by myself and things I'd rather do with some help. MMO's are no different. There are loners, there are people that can't stand being alone, and there's everyone else in-between that likes social interaction but also likes some sanctity at times.

So if I want to do the exciting high-end group encounters some day, I should have to **** around in crappy pick-up groups whenever I can't find an all-guild group?

I am not, incidentally, explicitly a loner. However I appreciate being able to sometimes do things on my own at times and not being completely dependent on big strong tanks to block for me (and they on me to heal their wounds.)

Its very simple why we would want to solo, sub. Its basically because of this reason: WE SOMETIMES JUST WANT TO! Look, there are times when we long on and we don't want to join a group for whatever reason but we want it to at least be worthwhile if we choose to go at it alone. Granted, you won't get 100% out of games like these if you soloed but no one is asking to go solo throughout the entire time we're online. We just want the option to be able to solo when the time calls for it.
Just imagine this: You enter the game knowing that you have at least a hour left. Instead of spending your time looking for a group, you can just solo within the time that you have. This is good for everybody. First off, you won't waste your time looking for a group while actually getting something done and you won't waste your fellow party members' time by departing in such a short time. Win/Win
Anyways, there is no way that we can avoid groups in WoW. There will be constant attacks on your towns and cities thanks to the opposing force (Alliance/Horde) and Epic Quests are sure going to require more then just you. So is there a danger of people becoming loners? Nope, not at all since most people want 100% out of this game, not 25%.
And as for loners playing the game, thats their choice. They can spend their money how they see fit. Personally, if they are of opposite factions, that just makes it easier for me to kill them. XD

Edited, Sat Jun 19 12:36:42 2004 by Redmoonxl

1) I don't recall any online RPG that allows for efficient soloing as opposed to grouping. Even in FFXI as a beastmaster you will recieve exp at a much lesser rate then a party. What the original poster wants is nothing more then freedom of his own time which FFXI never allows pass lv 20. This is why he asked the question not because he wants to get to the end game by himself. The fact that a decent can kill a lv 50 in FFXI is insane. He's just merely asking if soloing is viable in this game where as in FFXI you need to be a certain job before it is actually viable.

2) Very simple reason why people play solo in online game: Because they can. For you to question that is a bit silly because it really doesn't concern you. They have their reasons and they pay their money. Please don't take this as a flame but rather try not to bother questioning small matters such as these.

OK, then let me answer it like this:

I have no problems grouping with someone if we're working on the same thing, and it's *usually* to my advantage. I can also get along peacefully on my own and enjoy it. I think the balance is there. I know people who rarely if ever group. I know people who won't do *anything* without at least one other person. And most people fall somewhere in the middle and enjoy a good mix.

Well, to answere the original question.

Yes, any job can solo efficiently. The dmg dealers can wipe out mobs fast then rest. The healing class just has to heal itself in the middle of battle a couple times then go on to the next kill. Its very fast paced action compared to other mmogs. The battles are quick, and at times, tough. If you know how to utillize all your skills you shouldnt have any problems. Not to mention, food and drinks help. Some mages can even summon consumables which will go a long way when trying to solo.

But you shouldnt be out there just killing things for xp anyway. The real XP is in the quests you do. would you rather spend time on a quest to say, kill 5 mobs then return for 1500 xp, or kill mobs at 100 xp a pop just cuz.

So the real question would be can you solo quests efficiently. For the most part, yes you can. They color rated the quests so you will know which ones you can take for a good amount of xp.

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Now for the soloing deal. I like being out in the middle of nowhere, doing my thing, not dealing with other people... all the while talking to my guildies and having fun. That is why i play mmogs, not cuz i want to group with people, but because i want actual human interaction with my friends. Its as valid of a reason as anyone elses. Everyone pays the same amount, and they all deserver the right to play how they want. If a game takes away the right of a persons play style, then they lose that persons money. That is why an aspect such as soloing can drive people in or away from certain games. Thats why i no longer play ffxi... I coulnt stand waiting for an hour to get a party, when i only had 2 to begin with. I work, and i have every right as those who just play games at an equal shot at leveling, getting good gear, becoming a hero class, etc...