Going Solo

Darkfall is talked about as being an extremely difficult game to solo in, this article for example lays out the case that darkfall is designed for groups/clans and not solo players.

The first line of that article is:

If you’ve been keeping up with DarkFall impressions you might have noticed a trend. Solo players hate it; people in active guilds love it.

I intend to put this assertion to the test. I would like to say that I do agree with all of the points in the article, I just think that there is an exception to the rule, which is a player that enjoys extreme difficulty.

I am going to solo in Darkfall (when I get it), and we'll see how far I get, and how much I enjoy it. I'm hoping and expecting that I will enjoy it a lot, but I am not the typical soloer, I'm not completely ruling out the possibility of joining a clan, as tactics do need to be flexible, but I'm not going to actively seek one out and am going to see how well I can do alone.

First, it is important to recognize the limitations of playing solo, you are never going to win on the same scale that a clan can, a solo player will never control (or even seige) a city, and as I've outlined in a previous post clans can betray (pk) you at will and usually suffer no consequences for it (but not always, the resourceful soloer sometimes has teeth).

So, rather than approaching the game as a clan will, trying to gather power and influence, a soloer instead needs to play more like an animal, both predator and prey, with the simple goal of surviving till your next meal.

The main reason I think I'll do ok, is that I have done it before, in EQ, I solo'd on Tallon Zek quite a lot, including things like raiding crushbone to attack groups of dwarves by myself and take items from them, the mechanics favored that a bit more though. I was a wizard so I could do quick damage to take someone down, loot him, duck in the river and gate before they even realized what was going on. Stuff like that will obviously be a lot harder in this game.

I also played on Sullon Zek when it opened (a short lived 'hardcore' server with if I remember correctly full item loot). I solo'd there and did pretty well despite the harsh environment. I'm something of an outlier but even in a game as unforgiving as DF there should be a fair amount of people going solo (at least part-time if nothing else).

My final thought on this is, that although clans do offer increased benefits, they also are nearly universally alpha-male systems, where a concentrated few people at the top of the organization reap most of the benefits. Being a 'cog' in a clan may offer you safety in numbers, and your clan itself may go on to great heights giving you a reputation just for being a part of it, but unless you are one of the alpha's you are probably just one of the herd.

I think this article sums up what I am trying to say on that point. Bonedead definetly knows the feeling of being a cog hehe (relevant quote below).

The point is, strength in numbers ftw in DF. Even though I wish I had uber combat skills, unlimited suits of plate, unlimited mounts, and not having to deal with lazy fucking failures who can't even have some guild pride and defend their fucking city, that isn't happening anytime soon. So I must sit back and wait and hope that strength in numbers remains plausible.

I'm hopeful the game will be released this week so I can start with my 'field work' :)