Group play vs Solo Action

[SamVerner]

Will someone who prefers to play a solo role be able to advance as far and as well as players who continually rely on groups?

I know there is talk about being able to hire mercenaries, but to me that is just another form of group play that I would prefer to avoid.

For instance, with WOW (sorry for referencing it here, but it is a well known example) certain areas can only be accessed with 4-39 other players, or alternately can be done solo LOOOOOOOOONG after any rewards you get from them have any use.  This makes for an environment that is terribly tilted toward players who cannot function alone, and leave someone who prefers to stand on thier own merits with a bitter taste in thier mouth.

[Stahlseele]

I'm a solo.

[primetide]

Well, our avg. group size is more like 4 characters maxing at 6, initially you will have one or two. So any soloplayer would have to hire help (or borrow from friends) most likely, who you then control directly. Kinda like Baldur's Gate or Jagged Alliance.
The amount of talents required alone (hacker, mage, street sam) merits a mixed group. But technically you can usually try solo...it will be much more challenging in some missions, but we don't force group play.

[Stahlseele]

Wonder if magicians will be the go to class for anybody wanting to solo, as they seem to be in SR4 . .

[Michael Chandra]

Accomplishment? Solo. But I'd rather do teamplay, with NPCs or others, and only solo when I'm badass for the repeated-reward.

[Gator Shaman]

I will usually play in groups unless I'm doing something like farming that would be boring to other players. I'm not in it for the personal glory. I do what I do to make the players around me better. Several MMOs that I have played in the past had a fairly rewarding solo experience, but I always had the most fun when helping someone else do something they couldn't do without my help. I also enjoy being given a competent reputation by other players, so I guess I am in it for the glory as long as it's the right kind of glory. I also kind of dig helping out noobs. We were all noobs once, and someday they're going to be a lot stronger and they're going to owe me a favor...

[primetide]

Be sure to stick around- we need all the helping hands we can get, I am sure. True social gameplay is about exactly that...hmm...we should have positive street rep for helpful players...back to the design doc...

[Nitz]

Careful with the feature creep primetide.

Though in the game I run I try to make a big deal out of notoriety. When the runners get a bit too crazy with their methods all of a sudden everybody they meet already knows everything about them and they get kind of spooked and lay low for awhile.

[Stahlseele]

That is heavyly dependent on how the world reacts to this kind of stuff . .
Would not work in LA at least . .

[Gator Shaman]

Personally, I like the idea of gaining fame or notoriety as you advance in levels. Nobody successfully runs the shadows very long without gaining the attention of some powerful people. Reputations can go both ways. It also might grant a player access to a location or information from a contact they couldn't get if they were still "nobodies".

I also like the idea of helpful players earning some kind of perk, though it's probably not necessary. Word of mouth can travel quick in MMOs, so players who are helpful and capable will attract a higher caliber of player for groups than players who aren't.