Illwinter, are you keeping it multiplayer?

[Argitoth]

Would you rather a game be designed around a singleplayer concept or a multiplayer / co-op concept?

Before you answer that question, think about this for a moment: Try to come up with a game in your head that you think would be the most awesome game ever made with every feature you would want (try to be realistic in your thinking, something that could actually be created if you owned a game company and you made all decisions). Heck, come up with two or three awesome games. Did these awesome games in your head have co-op or multiplyer or were they only singleplayer?

Now it's your turn. Tell me. Singleplayer or multiplayer?

[Endoperez]

Originally Posted by Argitoth

Would you rather a game be designed around a singleplayer concept or a multiplayer / co-op concept?

The most perfect game I could imagine would have several different multiplayer and co-op modes as well as several awesome single-player campaigns, because it would have everything. Such perfection is, if not straight-out impossible, at least infeasible.
Since game designs don't automatically result into finished games, I wouldn't wish to burden a promising game project with the difficulty of implementing so many different modes of play.

Dominions games 1-3 are the only video game I've played in MP more than once or twice, but there are several games I've finished in SP more than once. I won't finish those SP games more than a few times, or perhaps only once, so they don't last nearly as long as a good MP game. However, there are more good SP games than MP games I'd like to play, because I'm not going to sink too much time into any single game, and that rules out all MMORPGs and many FPS games and many other MP games.



Planescape: Torment (it might also have co-op MP)
Descent: FreeSpace (I bought a JoyStick to play this I should finish it and try 2)
Roguelikes, such as ADOM, Dungeon Crawl, DoomRL
Doom 1
Dwarf Fortress

Here's also few I haven't played, but I've heard things:
System Shock 1/2
The Witcher

Also, X-Com. That's somewhat of a poor example, because CO-OP X-COM would be ingrammaractically AWESOME! Even something simple such as X-Com mod for Left4Dead would probably be very, very undescribable.

[Argitoth]

Originally Posted by Endoperez

Such perfection is, if not straight-out impossible, at least infeasible.

Well, I did say you should be thinking in realistic, doable terms. For example, I dislike Left 4 Dead. I've had this idea for my perfec game before I even heard of Left 4 Dead; that is, an open-ended co-op survival horror game based on a zombie infestation. Throw in a little bit of Battlefield 2 elements plus some STALKER elements, plus lots of simple game mechanics that when combined creates a sandbox-type feel and it's my perfect co-op game.

Left 4 Dead is a step in the right direction, but it lacks dynamics. My perfect game would give you the ability to assess a situation to create a plan of attack. Sometimes you won't have that ability. You may find yourself in situation that you will die, period... UNLESS you use the sandbox mechanics and somehow quickly come up with a way to survive. There would be vehicles at your disposal, but everything would be limited so you usually feel you have to conserve and strategize... but not to the point that it becomes an annoyance, but so that you always have the feeling of "I've got to survive!"

The co-op elements would increase the fun of all the game mechanics in a synergistic way. For example, you may find yourself in a situation where you have a limited amount of time to find a new tire for your vehicle. You split up already knowing that there are relatively few zombies around so it's ok, but maybe you go in twos because zombies are hiding around every corner. That's a simple game mechanic... tire blows, vehicle moves slower, find a tire, use it on your vehicle, vehicle is repaired. I could go on, I love thinking about it.

Originally Posted by Poopsi

WYou turn it on whenever you want, stop whenever you want, and resume it whenever you want.

For the record, that's exactly how I feel about Battlefield 2142, but I don't mind waiting for my friends if I was going to play my perfect game.

[Illuminated One]

I'd say it depends on what makes the game fun.
If the game is about finding your strategy and seeing how it works out then it should be MP. AI can't compete with human opponents.
If the game is trying to tell a story/build up tension SP (maybe with small Coop) is better.