[Multiplayer in expansion?]

I would say that if you do multiplayer mode in your game do it well, which means that it most likely cost at least same amount as single player mode even though they usually can reuse art asset, because technical implementation and server implementation of good multiplayer is expensive. You can do cheap multiplayer modes if you do similar half-assed job like what Bioware did with DA:I's multiplayer. 

 

I feel like you are addressing the current multiplayer paradigm of aditional multiplayer specific content, or custom maps, characters, dedicated servers (perhaps) rather than thinking of it as plain old ordinary co-op,  my background is in a different programming field than game development, but I don't see the packing sharing and syncing of game data peer to peer for co-op using all of the assets and engine extant in the existing single player game, to be of the same order of magnitude as the creation of the game itself (again, not my field, but my gut feeling, totally non-scientific, I know....) and different from other implementations of what the gaming community has come to view as multiplayer.

 

As to a co-op (I can't say the m word as that isn't what I mean) fix of a cRPG there is only one and that was D:OS same style of thing as the IE engine originals, just with a nice shared decision making, I didn't like the ability for people to wander off, but then there is a certain desire to appease people who was to venture forth without gathering their party.

 

I don't see co-op as a half assed multiplayer implementation,  i see it as co-op implementation, I couldn't give two hoots about a multiplayer expansion, I want a co-op mode.

 

*edited for spelinks

[Multiplayer in expansion?]

Yeah, I have to admit that I hear 'multiplayer' and I'm itching to man the barricades. I generally don't, but the inclination is there. Probably not fair. If they found a way to include simple coop, I suppose I wouldn't mind. ...But I'll always prefer money be spent on the single player aspect. It's just natural for folks to be greedy about time and resources for the games they follow in development. :Cant's wry grin icon:

 

Totally fair due to the implications implicit in the whole multiplayer paradigm as it exists now, perhaps a marketing makeover, I shall now refer to it as co-op mode. More friends to help me cooperatively farm ankhegs for that sweet sweet armour.

 

Also, feature addition should never be a feature replacement, cRPG's are content driven, first and foremost, that's why this got off the ground, you had a team of great content creators with a background in these games who were stifled by publishing houses who make money of dime store novellas, not grand epics.

 

*edited for additional context

[Multiplayer in expansion?]

But nowdays, multiplayer is starting to get a lot more priority. Best case scenario: some single player development time is lost to multiplayer. Worse case scenario: they start making decisions based on what would be good for multiplayer (like scraping a cool unit or design cause it wouldn't work well in MP) Worst scenario: "Let's just make it into an MMORPG! We can get more money that way!" or "Let's make it always online!" (I'm looking at you Diablo 3)

 

Which is exactly not the type of multiplayer fans of these game types want.  I believe (and I'm happy to be pointed out if I'm wrong) that, as you say, when people bring up multiplayer, fans of the genre immediately jump  to your worst case/worst scenario, and that isn't what cRPG players want out of multiplayer, they want to share the single player experience, nothing more, nothing less.  No Arena mode, no persistent world (I know it's been mentioned, but that was a dirty dirty NWN hack job) no running off all over the place.

 

People want to 'gather their party before venturing forth' and walk through an engaging tale with a good friend who shares their interests.

 

I'll stop going on now, I just have issues as IE multiplayer was such a fun part of my gaming life.

 

*edit because ankhegs, those buggers pop up everywhere.

[Multiplayer in expansion?]

Please no, please no multiplayer *sobs*. I know some people like it and I have no problem with that, but these days there are loads of games going in that direction (with lots of great series going MMORPG) so how about we keep PoE pure and single-player?

 

Just curious, do you feel that it would change the game somehow?  All I would like to see is the ability for someone else to take control of party members, have the choice of which is the lead character to initiate dialogue, and that is it, I don't want some awful PvP/MMORPG homunculous, I feel that is what people immediately think when someone mentions multiplayer.

 

I just want to be able to share the story with someone. No bells, no whistles, just offload some of the character management to an extra pair of hands.

[Multiplayer in expansion?]

I know there are a bunch of threads on here about multiplayer, and it's not the type of game that they were writing etc, etc.

 

Can I start (or continue in this case)  to say that I'm glad they've made this game they way they have, I'm glad I could help make this game by crowd funding support on kickstarter, and I'm really pleased with what I've played on the beta.

 

Going on from the wonderful single player experience I've had so far, some of my fondest memories of the old IE games were playing through them with the same character party with a friend. 3 Characters each, made the micromanagement of battles so much better, and we gre attached to these characters, all the way through BG1 BG2 and their expansions.  I can say without a shadow of a doubt that playing through those games as a team with the same characters was the most fun I've had in a co-operative gaming scenario across any genre.

 

If we can't see a way forward with co-op from Obsidian, so be it, I'm not here to berate anyone, it was never what I funded (even if I secretly hoped) but if there is anyway this can be implemented via mods then so be it.  

 

That's my 10c worth, I'm sure there are people who would love to see this come out as an expansion, and who knows, maybe outside of the kick-starter this is going to be the success I hope it is, and re-ignites peoples love of the genre and introduces new and younger people to this style of game.

 

Also, well done Obsidian, thanks for this game, thank you to tthe people who work there who have been involved so heavily in some of my fondest memories from gaming history, and if someone has a little bit of time somewhere, try and crowd fund a multiplayer expansion. I'm sure you'd get enough money for 1 persons salary for a year or so