Can we finally get the real deal on online multiplayer

[Mephster]

I never heard of keeping the mechanics of how online multiplayer works in a arpg a big secret before launch ? Can someone oficially shed some light on this ? The only thing I have heard was that you can have up to 4 players online but they never mentioned how it works. So what is the deal ?

[Sannom]

I never heard of keeping the mechanics of how online multiplayer works in a arpg a big secret before launch ? Can someone oficially shed some light on this ? The only thing I have heard was that you can have up to 4 players online but they never mentioned how it works. So what is the deal ?

 

Up to four players online, each player using one of the pre-defined characters (Lucas, Anjali, Katarina or Reinhart). No character can be used by more than one player. As far as we know, characters exist only in the context of one play-through, so you can't take the character you used and store it on your profile. As such, DS3 is meant to be played with friends or with an organized group.

[Tigranes]

There doesn't appear to be a pseudo-persistent online MP in the sense of Diablo or MMOs where you have one character you play with over and over again - co-op does appear to be the big focus.

 

I don't think DS3's character development system is built for grinding to level 99, in any case, so I'm excited about the coop, but it might disappoint some.

[Sannom]

I don't think DS3's character development system is built for grinding to level 99, in any case, so I'm excited about the coop, but it might disappoint some.

 

I agree on all counts. I simply can't see how grinding can work with that leveling system.

[Lord Elvewyn]

I never heard of keeping the mechanics of how online multiplayer works in a arpg a big secret before launch ? Can someone oficially shed some light on this ? The only thing I have heard was that you can have up to 4 players online but they never mentioned how it works. So what is the deal ?

 

Up to four players online, each player using one of the pre-defined characters (Lucas, Anjali, Katarina or Reinhart). No character can be used by more than one player. As far as we know, characters exist only in the context of one play-through, so you can't take the character you used and store it on your profile. As such, DS3 is meant to be played with friends or with an organized group.

 

Still seems to be mixed messages about local storage. That's what I thought happened but someone said something about inventory being stored locally or something. Obviously a great deal of confusion\uncertainty still.

[Mephster]

Well I pretty much cancelled my pre-order and chose to buy Brink instead. It seems to me atleast Obsidian has made the decision to make story > gameplay and has made this into a single player game. Sure it has co-op and online but what is the point in playing with people if you can't even keep your characters. Sorry but I been a player of the previous franchises for years and what Obsidian has done to the Dungeon Siege franchise is not what the franchise is all about. They should of made their own ip for these story>gameplay ideas instead of changing a winning forumla that has worked great for the franchise for many years. It makes me wonder if they even played the previous games when they released.

[Flouride]

Well I pretty much cancelled my pre-order and chose to buy Brink instead. It seems to me atleast Obsidian has made the decision to make story > gameplay and has made this into a single player game. Sure it has co-op and online but what is the point in playing with people if you can't even keep your characters. Sorry but I been a player of the previous franchises for years and what Obsidian has done to the Dungeon Siege franchise is not what the franchise is all about. They should of made their own ip for these story>gameplay ideas instead of changing a winning forumla that has worked great for the franchise for many years. It makes me wonder if they even played the previous games when they released.

 

I'm pretty sure about everyone at Obsidian would have rather worked on their own IP's. But that's not how the gaming business works... Also I'm pretty sure the publisher has a thing or two to say about what kinda features they are gonna implement into the game.

 

I wonder if this is how Bethesda fans feel about original Fallout fans. "OMG they are ruining the franchise". When few things are done differently. I didn't even know original DS had a proper multiplayer until someone here mentioned it. Don't think any of the reviews I read mentioned anything about it at all. But apparently Dungeon Siege is only about online multiplayer.

[Lord Elvewyn]

Well I pretty much cancelled my pre-order and chose to buy Brink instead. It seems to me atleast Obsidian has made the decision to make story > gameplay and has made this into a single player game. Sure it has co-op and online but what is the point in playing with people if you can't even keep your characters. Sorry but I been a player of the previous franchises for years and what Obsidian has done to the Dungeon Siege franchise is not what the franchise is all about. They should of made their own ip for these story>gameplay ideas instead of changing a winning forumla that has worked great for the franchise for many years. It makes me wonder if they even played the previous games when they released.

 

I'm pretty sure about everyone at Obsidian would have rather worked on their own IP's. But that's not how the gaming business works... Also I'm pretty sure the publisher has a thing or two to say about what kinda features they are gonna implement into the game.

 

I wonder if this is how Bethesda fans feel about original Fallout fans. "OMG they are ruining the franchise". When few things are done differently. I didn't even know original DS had a proper multiplayer until someone here mentioned it. Don't think any of the reviews I read mentioned anything about it at all. But apparently Dungeon Siege is only about online multiplayer.

 

More the multiplayer world. I only played online once -dialup but played 'multiplayer' games a lot. It allowed for more exploration & character upgrading. DS3 seems to be more a case of a console party game. Drop in to play a bit then quit. As long as the host grinds to the end of the game everything's fine. Once that run's over everything resets and someone else can host. Okay maybe a really really long party game (20hrs?) but it sounds more like ultra casual gaming than months spent trying to get XXXXX.

[hopfrog16]

Well I pretty much cancelled my pre-order and chose to buy Brink instead. It seems to me atleast Obsidian has made the decision to make story > gameplay and has made this into a single player game. Sure it has co-op and online but what is the point in playing with people if you can't even keep your characters. Sorry but I been a player of the previous franchises for years and what Obsidian has done to the Dungeon Siege franchise is not what the franchise is all about. They should of made their own ip for these story>gameplay ideas instead of changing a winning forumla that has worked great for the franchise for many years. It makes me wonder if they even played the previous games when they released.

 

I'm pretty sure about everyone at Obsidian would have rather worked on their own IP's. But that's not how the gaming business works... Also I'm pretty sure the publisher has a thing or two to say about what kinda features they are gonna implement into the game.

 

I wonder if this is how Bethesda fans feel about original Fallout fans. "OMG they are ruining the franchise". When few things are done differently. I didn't even know original DS had a proper multiplayer until someone here mentioned it. Don't think any of the reviews I read mentioned anything about it at all. But apparently Dungeon Siege is only about online multiplayer.

 

I agree completely! The original Fallout games (a turn based strategical RPG franchise) weren't much different than Fallout 3 (a FPS with RPG elements) at all! What gall Fallout fans have to feel disappointed when a sequel to a franchise they grew up playing and were looking forward to barely resembles what they know!

 

Sarcasm aside, if you are going off of reviews for an understanding of what DS did or didn't have instead of being part of the modding/multiplayer community or asking people who were, you don't really know what you're talking about. =P

 

That being said, not all fans of the DS franchise dislike Obsidian's direction with the game. As a fan I think this will be a good reboot for the franchise, and that Obsidian is more than capable of making a fun multiplayer experience (even if it's just local co-op or co-op online with friends or family). Several of my old DS buddies have pre ordered this game so we could play online, in fact. I am a little disappointed with the online multiplayer and modding decisions (as are some of my friends who are DS fans, heh), but times change, and so does the target customer group. I'm just glad a third game is in the works to begin with, and I hope enough money is made from this game to make a fourth one. =)

[Flouride]

Sarcasm aside, if you are going off of reviews for an understanding of what DS did or didn't have instead of being part of the modding/multiplayer community or asking people who were, you don't really know what you're talking about. =P

 

Well multiplayer is a huge feature (apparently), so yeah one would imagine it would be mentioned in the reviews. I knew about the modding culture, as some of the more popular mods have been reviewed on the magazine I subscribe. Hopefully though they will release toolsets later on for DS3 as well since mods are a great way to make the game last soooo much longer.

 

Personally I only played Dungeon Siege (single player) briefly at my cousin's place and didn't really like it.

[hopfrog16]

Sarcasm aside, if you are going off of reviews for an understanding of what DS did or didn't have instead of being part of the modding/multiplayer community or asking people who were, you don't really know what you're talking about. =P

 

Well multiplayer is a huge feature (apparently), so yeah one would imagine it would be mentioned in the reviews. I knew about the modding culture, as some of the more popular mods have been reviewed on the magazine I subscribe. Hopefully though they will release toolsets later on for DS3 as well since mods are a great way to make the game last soooo much longer.

 

Personally I only played Dungeon Siege (single player) briefly at my cousin's place and didn't really like it.

 

The multiplayer in DS was never the selling point of the game, the modding was. During the time of it's release, many games started adding modding tools (NWN for example) and DS was just another game that jumped on that bandwagon (then again DS had a lot of unoriginal ideas, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing... just look at Torchlight). The modding complimented the multiplayer that DS had so well, and the modding tools were so accessible, that many great multiplayer mods were released for the game. This happened long after the game was released, however, so of course it wouldn't be in a review (after all, how many reviews for Quake ever mentioned team fortress for example? that mod was made a while after the game's initial release, and became so popular that they are still making sequels of it to this day using other games/engines/variations). Like a lot of the modding multiplayer cultures of the time, it had it's own flavor and evolved in ways that the creators never really intended... but in the end that's what made it so memorable (at least for me, heh). =)

[Pidesco]

If it wasn't for Dungeon Siege 3, I would never have realised that the original games had much of a fanbase. As I remember it, developers only hyped the snazzy graphics, the lack of loading screens and the pack mule. And then it came out and practically played itself, which made people call the game a glorified screensaver.

[Labadal]

People seem to forget there was a Dungeon Siege games for PSP, and it was nothing like DS1 and DS2.

Edited May 5, 2011 by Labadal

[WorstUsernameEver]

People seem to forget there was a Dungeon Siege games for PSP, and it was nothing like DS1 and DS2.

 

People also forget that Chris Taylor himself wanted to take the series in a one-character-focused direction anyway. Not to say that people don't have a right to not like if a component that they considered the core of the experience for them has been taken out, don't get me wrong, but I don't think Obsidian is altering the fundamentals of the franchise. Then again, it just may be because I have no attachment to it.

[Labadal]

I can also understand that big fans of the first two games might not be thrilled about the direction of DS3, but I believe it was this or no DS3 at all. People should also be directing their complaints to Square Enix. They are the publishers and owners of the IP now. I doubt SE had no say in what type of game this would be.

 

I think this is how Baldur's Gate fans reacted when the Dark Alliance series was revealed.

[C2B]

I can also understand that big fans of the first two games might not be thrilled about the direction of DS3, but I believe it was this or no DS3 at all. People should also be directing their complaints to Square Enix. They are the publishers and owners of the IP now. I doubt SE had no say in what type of game this would be.

 

I think this is how Baldur's Gate fans reacted when the Dark Alliance series was revealed.

 

....

 

I don't really think BG to DA is an accurate comparison. The changes are nowhere near as much. Though the Difference between pc and psp (DsII and Throne of Agony) is actually a better comparison.

 

What gets me on the whole thing is that DS was never a steady series. Each big installment played differently. And thats actually rather common for Games by Gas Powered (Compare DS/DSII/Space Siege/Compare Supreme Commander 1 to 2)

 

And I think I remember a Interview with Taylor who said something similiar.

 

So the whole situation is really weird to me.

Edited May 5, 2011 by C2B

[Lord Elvewyn]

People seem to forget there was a Dungeon Siege games for PSP, and it was nothing like DS1 and DS2.

 

People also forget that Chris Taylor himself wanted to take the series in a one-character-focused direction anyway. Not to say that people don't have a right to not like if a component that they considered the core of the experience for them has been taken out, don't get me wrong, but I don't think Obsidian is altering the fundamentals of the franchise. Then again, it just may be because I have no attachment to it.

 

Party play was only 1 componenet of DS. If you played multiplayer maps you lost it anyhow unless you had a team going. I don't think anyone's complaining much about not being able to directly play all party members.

[funcroc]

http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthrea...2#post391475819

[Labadal]

It seems to work pretty much like I expected, and that makes me pleased.

[WorstUsernameEver]

It seems to work pretty much like I expected, and that makes me pleased.

 

To be perfectly honest, some of the fears seemed pretty unwarranted to me. It's almost a given that if they said that characters will be saved on the host game, their gear and abilities will be saved too.

[rafoca]

http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthrea...2#post391475819

 

That solves the questions. Co-op, unfortunately, will be as I thought: progress and characters saved on the host.

 

But ok... I wont let this turn me down. Day one for me

[Labadal]

It seems to work pretty much like I expected, and that makes me pleased.

 

To be perfectly honest, some of the fears seemed pretty unwarranted to me. It's almost a given that if they said that characters will be saved on the host game, their gear and abilities will be saved too.

 

I agree. That is why I was never worried about the whole thing. I think a lot of people were also confused, because many previews contradicted eachother.

 

My only online concern is if the servers are worldwide or not. I barely play online games, so I don't know what to expect.

[II 6R3ND3L II]

Well I pretty much cancelled my pre-order and chose to buy Brink instead. It seems to me atleast Obsidian has made the decision to make story > gameplay and has made this into a single player game. Sure it has co-op and online but what is the point in playing with people if you can't even keep your characters. Sorry but I been a player of the previous franchises for years and what Obsidian has done to the Dungeon Siege franchise is not what the franchise is all about. They should of made their own ip for these story>gameplay ideas instead of changing a winning forumla that has worked great for the franchise for many years. It makes me wonder if they even played the previous games when they released.

 

DITTO!!!!

 

looks great BUT! i am NOT!!! going to purchase this if they do not change the way the co-op multi is built!

 

if they do not allow your character to be drop in and drop out, with the ability to go back to your own game with the stuff you have looted, or even jump to someone else's game with that same character, then count me out of being a consumer of this product.

 

They are Trapping your co-op character into someone else's game and to play that character you must play that persons game with them. that means you can only play when that person wants to play!

 

SUX! in my opinion

 

 

*Community Personnel*

(47) gamers posted a thumbs up to my comment (gewel) on this website:

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/co-op-tr...on-siege/713771

 

that's 47 sales lost, just on this lil topic alone that feel the same way.

imagine how many other players on so many other websites and forums feel like this.

please send back to your dev's that, limiting a players choices and locking them in to only (1) way of playing multi is going to limit sales overall.

give the players flexibility and choices and games will Flock to pay for your product.

you may get good sales overall but you are cutting off that much more that would buy your product. which looks great by the way. just not going to be buying it because of the multiplayer limitations.

 

[WorstUsernameEver]

that's 47 sales lost

 

Nope.

[Monokli]

Custom Character Creation is a must have in these days. DS3 should really not devolve back into diablo 2.

 

At least as a fix/patch/content update.