[Merged] Co-Op Multiplayer as some potential future stretchgoal?

The topic of multiplayer came up here, and I was wondering what the community feels regarding multiplayer / co-op as a potential stretch-goal down the road?

 

Did some searching, didnt yet see a specific topic on it. Is the answer out there and I'm missing it?

 

Can we expect a Multiplayer option similar to BG/IWD?

 

For me personally, not being able to play the game with my best friend like we did both the BG and IWD series would suck.

 

Yarazin

I'd really like to see Multiplayer if it's at all possible. I may never ever end up using it, but having the option to grab a couple friends and playing through with them would be a grand old time, I think.

I'm not sure this would be a good idea. Tacked on multiplayer rarely works well, and I rather see the money being spent on improving the single player experience further.

 

I did have fun playing BG1 multiplayer with a friend though.

Multiplayer for those sort of games are usually very, very fun. It's just that it needs to be well done.

Considering the amount of time and resources necessary for a proper multiplayer implementation, I'd rather leave that for the sequel, assuming the first game does well.

I wouldn't mind the MP as an option for one of the higher stretch goals (or sequel, but that's a long way then...) if it would be done similarly to the NWN - i.e.:

 

You can go co-op in campagin AND you can create own worlds for hosting Persistent Worlds. - I realize that this would probably require a huge amount of work (release of proper modding tools, etc.) but at the same I would expect this to be a top tier goal (prob. somewhere around 4-5mln mark), so to be done only if all other parts can work well in SP experience.

 

Co-op would be certainly fun, but for me it would create more carving for a spiritual successor of NWN Multiplayer client

Edited September 16, 2012 by Darkpriest

I hate multiplayer/coop with the ferocity of a thousand suns. It frustrates me to no end that it seems that every game these days seems to need to include some sort of multiplayer. I don't like to see resources taken from making a really amazing single player experience.

I hate multiplayer/coop with the ferocity of a thousand suns. It frustrates me to no end that it seems that every game these days seems to need to include some sort of multiplayer. I don't like to see resources taken from making a really amazing single player experience.

Are you joking? RPG used to have multiplayer much more often than they do now.

As an expansion pack or dlc, sure

As a part of the core game instead of more playable races and companions etc, nah

 

Better yet, just release modd tools and allow the modding community to add it among other things.

 

 

...allow the modding community to add it among other things.

 

That would be technically impossible. Multiplayer isn't something that can be "modded-in".

 

You'd need access to the game's source code and know the inner workings of the engine by heart.

 

Edited September 16, 2012 by aVENGER

Maybe as a long down the road stretch goal, but not anytime soon. Mainly because the number of people who actually end up using it is a minority.

Maybe as a long down the road stretch goal, but not anytime soon. Mainly because the number of people who actually end up using it is a minority.

 

Tell that to the NWN community?

Playing BG multiplayer after my first playthrough was tons of fun (and I'll probably be doing it again once the enhanced edition comes out on the 18th). Singple player should of course be the main focus, but I see nothing wrong with a simple BG style co-op set up. Plenty of good times were had.

Yes. BG-style multiplayer was great, and something more games should have; let me pull another person in and we divide up control of the party as we like, then leave it at that.

Multiplayer is by no means a must for an RPG, in my opinion. In fact, I tend to hide away to immerse myself in the epics. Still, the option would be great and if it could be done without removing anything from the singleplayer experience (i.e. story, characters, customisation), I'm all for it. Enjoying an epic RPG with your friends, like a great tabletop game, is awesome.

Maybe at 4 million.

Maybe as a long down the road stretch goal, but not anytime soon. Mainly because the number of people who actually end up using it is a minority.

 

Tell that to the NWN community?

That's funny because I remember back in the day there was a Bioware forum post that basically stated that only like ~20% of all players of NWN1 even started one mp game. Most bought the game to play the sp campaign and never touched mp.

 

No thanks to any form of MP. We need every little scrap of devtime / resources to make the sp campaign more awesome.

Meh. I'm more in it for single player. Maybe they can make it post-release as a patch or addon?

 

I can understand the want for having friends join in, but honestly, I would rather have the team spend time on a more expansive world.

Edited September 16, 2012 by silvercross

I'd rather they concentrated on single player only.

I love multiplayer, if it's possible please include this option. I played all the IE games on multiplayer, hopefully it's not too difficult a thing to implement.

I'd love some NWN(2)-style multiplayer with an Editor, it should be a stretch goal really.

I'm definitely a single-player when it comes to rpg's, so I don't care/want it myself. But as always, I certainly don't have an objection to it being there as an option, either as a high-level stretch goal for this round, or if that's not feasible in Project E, used as a sequel incentive or something.

Yes! Obsidian, please consider adding a multiplayer option akin to what we had in the BG and IWD series.

 

I've played those games with friends and it was a lot more fun than playing solo. It didn't ruin the immersion either, it just felt like we were playing an epic pen and paper RPG.

I never got to play the BG series or NWN in multiplayer; how did that exactly work? I'm assuming other players are either extra party members, or they share control of them?

In the BG and IWD series other players are part of your 6-men party. Basically, you have to decide which of the NPC companions to leave out of the party in order to take your friends. You can also give them control over other NPC companions, e.g. you can control Jaheira and Minsc and let your friend control Aerie and Imoen.

 

In NWN and NWN 2, other players are extra party members. So, for example, if the maximum party size is 4, when your friend comes on, you'll have a 5-men party. It's again possible to let other players control NPC party members.