Single Player first, or Multi?

[Fall-Of-Enosis]

With the majority of FPS games having Single as well as multi player capabilities, I have noticed that a lot of players skip past single player and go right to multi.

Why is this?

I ALWAYS play the single player story first. ALWAYS. That (IMO) is what the game is about. The story. I like to feel as though I am part of the story, the movie, whatever. I played through Bioshock 2 and loved it. Tried the Multi only to find it was drivel.

This is what video games are for right? To bring us into a world impossible to achieve in our own.

Multi is to compliment the single player story IMO. Something to let you expand the skills you honed in single.

The day that Multi outshines the single player will be a sad day. I think.

Now keep in mind (MAG boys) that I understand that there games out there geared strictly to multi. Like MAG. However, MAG (I think) is ONLY Multi.

I am speaking of games that have a single player storyline AND multi. Games that have dealt with this well are obviously COD series, and BFBC series.

I just don't want to pick up a game and have the multi be great and the single player crappy. That would be sad.

So if you guys play the multi first, why is it?

Just curious

[ozivillan]

people will always jump into multiplayer first. levels around 21 are already being seen in BF BC2. only been out a couple of days. some players just have to get to the top of the tree before others. takes the fun element out of the game for casual players who just want to have a run around every now and again.

[Pure Mongrel]

When I look to buy a game I always consider the multi-player aspect first.

There are very few multi-player games that I have played (through to the end) the single player campaign. This is due to time restraints mostly, but a big part is predictability.

Once I have figured out how the AI works / is most likely to do I quickly get bored with the game. Human players add that element of surprise and when you play with friends their is always "war stories" to share. (Can't do that with an AI ... well not yet )

There are very few FPS I have cared enough about the story has been; All the Ghost Recon games, Rainbow 6 Vegas 1 and 2, Modern Warfare 1 (Have not gone back to 2) and the HALO games (Except ODST).

I guess FOE it is what you want out of a game. For me, playing with real people is the focus and what I prefer. The single player has to be something very, very special for me to even look at it.

[Cadder]

I found single player MAG really boring.
Same with Warhawk.




I played GTA4 all the way through single before multi, but then found the multiplayer a little sluggish. Games like Burnout are essential to play single-player (to get more varied cars for playing in multi), and both modes are really fun in their own way, but the multi really shines when you're on with mates.
Only other game I have that's both single/multi is AvP - but MAG kinda got in the way of me playing it in either mode

edit: I forgot about Resistance:Fall of Man. I never finished the single player campaign. I got about half way through it before I started tinkering with multiplayer - and the latter was much more fun IMHO.

[Spunkmeyer]

I'm totally with you FOE.

Single player is usually my mode of choice. When I get bored of it or finish it, sure I'll move on to some multi, but usually not for long. Something about l33t 10 year olds trash-talking and calling me a noob because I haven't racked up 200 hours of game time yet, just tends to get under my skin. (Not that I have anything against trash-talking, and to be honest, most of the time I am a dumb noob) It seems to me that the anonymity of the net lends itself to behaviors that would generally be unacceptable in real life. Therefore, I prefer to play single and ENJOY the story that I've invested in.

When my friends have a copy of a game and we can get together in multi, yeah, those are some of the greatest times I've ever had playing. Real life just seems to really bork all our plans recently. That's why I'm here now. I'll probably pick up BF BC2 here soon and with a little luck, I'll be able to try it out with some of you.

[Pure Mongrel]

Originally Posted by Spunkmeyer

Something about l33t 10 year olds trash-talking and calling me a noob because I haven't racked up 200 hours of game time yet, just tends to get under my skin. (Not that I have anything against trash-talking, and to be honest, most of the time I am a dumb noob) It seems to me that the anonymity of the net lends itself to behaviors that would generally be unacceptable in real life.

That's why I only play with TOGers!

[YellowMegaMan]

It really depends on the player. Everyone's priority is different.

For me the single player experience is more important. That's why I tend to get drawn into games like Fallout 3 or (currently) Dragon Age. I own Call of Duty 4, but I only played multiplayer once to try it out. I really sucked at it! Okay, so maybe I didn't give it a chance, or myself to get better at it, plus I was playing against strangers.

I admit I am tempted to buy MAG given how many TOGers seem to be playing it at all hours of the night. But I just can't justify buying it at full price when I don't get a single-player fix out of it. Also, given how many games I want to play, I tend to prefer games that have an actual ending so I can eventually move on to the next one on the list.

It was different 10 years ago though. I used to be very into the multiplayer, especially Quake 2. But I had a lot more time to practice back then, while still having time for the single player games. Now days I have much less time and my "pile of shame" just keeps growing...

[ozivillan]

and it's always nice to play the single player mode as it will graphically look a bit better than the online component

[Bawheidbob]

I must admit i am usually all about the single player but with BFBC2 i have went straight into the Multi

[FunkyJ]

I used to love single player campaign stories in shooters, but I realised something playing BF:BC2 - they're all the bloody same now days.

I'm sick of being essentially Rambo fighting a one man war (because lets face it, your allies are useless) against mad dictators and corrupt governments, including "my own".

They're all just so hackneyed and predictable.

So, realising I know how the story will end, I play about half the campaign, and then jump on multiplayer.