why do people like to solo?

[Sithel1988]

do you hate getting stick with a retarded group member every once in awhile?

is the xp faster?

are you hanging out with friends in your room?

do you like being alone in real life and in a virtual game world at the same time?

what is it thats so fun about soloing. cause i hate it

[Briscoe]

do you hate getting stick with a retarded group member every once in awhile?

is the xp faster?

are you hanging out with friends in your room?

That just about sums it up.

[roks1]

Sometimes I like to use both hands.

[GuisedShaman]

I normally solo because I like to take smoke breaks and I got friends who come over often and I hate leaving a group I just got.

People who have kids and other stuff that goes on in the real world that can happen at any moment need to solo. Nobody likes to have someone afk for 15 minutes every hour.

Its good for not devoting 100% attention to the game, sometimes you just wanna do it at your own leisure.

The exp can definitely be better if you are doin it right. I tend to find duo'ing the most efficent for exp if you get two good classes togerther, enchanter cleric, monk shaman, shaman + nearly any melee really. The bigger the group the more everyone slacks, give me a 3 man LCY group over a full group anyday

[Waedawen]

1) You don't have to pay attention when you're not killing.

2) You don't have to pay attention when you're not killing.

3) You don't have to pay attention when you're not killing.

4) Points 1-3 Cover the OP's points 1-3.

[Raavak]

Exactly as above. You basically set your own pace. And there's no one to yell at you for being afk too long. There's usually plenty of /ooc and /gu chat going on to stay social.

[Nagash]

Random play time plus random AFKing makes group unfriendly as I wouldn't pull my weight. When I know I can group, it's great, but it rarely happens.

[Sithel1988]

when you solo to 60 what happens then? solo a new char?

[Raavak]

Poopsock.

[kenzar]

when you solo to 60 what happens then? solo a new char?

Farm plat/gear -> get geared -> join raiding guild -> accumulate dkp -> win

or

farm plat/gear -> get geared -> farm plat/gar -> start alt twink -> win

Its a 4 step process to win, either way you go.

[Bigcountry23]

The majority of my time is played in a situation where I may have to walk away from the computer at a moments notice. I have no issues eating a death under this circumstance. I have issues with getting a group killed. Therefore, I solo.

[Lyra]

cause i hate it

Are you in a guild?

I've grouped with guild members since level 5.

[Autotune]

the xp rate never really mattered to me, but joining groups with retarded people did it for me.

Why group a place I could just solo and have an easier and more profitable time doing it?

[SirAlvarex]

Soloing was nice because my ADD would start acting up after grouping for an hour. I just couldn't stand it. Playing a Bard has alleviated the impulse to "do stuff", since I'm always clicking around.

Basically Soloing is nice because you can do it on your own schedule. If at some point I want to stop and go do something else, all I have to do is find a safe place to camp out. If I'm in a group, I'll have to tough it out until we can find a replacement (well atleast I do. I may have ADD but I try not to be a dick). So I guess I used to like soloing because it was less stressful for me.

That is until my internet became unreliable. That killed my desire to solo.

[Lyra]

Why group a place I could just solo and have an easier and more profitable time doing it?

Fun? Laughs? Teamwork?

I love the people I group with!

[Shadowslain]

I definitely prefer to group but I don't have as much dedicated EQ time as I would like at the moment. I still go lfg on Saturday or Sunday if I'm going to make it an EQ afternoon or whatever.

For the rest of the time, if I park myself somewhere I can easily get pulls and safely med, then I can grab a couple of kills every 20-30 minutes. If I do this for a few hours every day, then I can keep making at least some progress when I wouldn't really be able to otherwise.

[diplo]

some people can't commit to a group for hours at a time. some people like to afk inbetween kills so they can do chores. some people don't like the idea of sharing item loot, so they solo to get 100% of loot, some people hate grouping with retarted people, some people think its faster exp to solo.

but i think the main reason is bc some people can't commit to a group for hours at a time.

[heartbrand]

the xp rate never really mattered to me, but joining groups with retarded people did it for me.

Why group a place I could just solo and have an easier and more profitable time doing it?

[senna]

I have to get up and walk around every 30 minutes or so or my whole body seizes up

[fishingme]

yeah, i've got a girlfriend so when she says "sex" I need to /exit immediately and I wouldn't morally feel right doing that in a group.

[Autotune]

Fun? Laughs? Teamwork?

I love the people I group with!

Which is why I never grouped with anyone who I didn't know.

Random grouping with strangers, not happening.

Group with people who you know are on the up and up, okay.

Otherwise, solo is the way to go.

[SamwiseRed]

id rather group but having a 3 year old doesnt mesh well.

[Tiggles]

I like soloing because I go afk often because this game is boring as fuck.

That said I play a rogue so it was a problem..

[Droog007]

yeah, i've got a girlfriend so when she says "sex" I need to /exit immediately and I wouldn't morally feel right doing that in a group.

Dude, there's nothing morally wrong with group sex...

[Sithel1988]

guy acts like hes gonna get raped grouping with strangers.

[Sebekkha]

Monk + 6month old = impossible to pull in groups...

So i find a nice corner in a zone and kill a mob, when i can!

[webrunner5]

I solo a lot more now. After being on here for over 2 years this game can get boring as hell. So why group and then say I a leaving in 15 minutes. Plus My Rolls suck ass for loot. Might as well just be greedy as hell.

[fugazi]

It's funny how one of the biggest complaints of modern MMO's is that they neglect the social and 'massive multiplayer' aspects of the genre. And still, people want to play this MMO like a single player game.

.. but yeah, why group up when you're rocking a cleric/enchanter duo?

[Gadwen]

I solo out of respect for other players, no sense in joining a group if I am not going to be engaged or will only be on for a short period of time.

[pharmakos]

i think the biggest three reasons are (in no particular order)

-- you're AFKing a lot

-- you have a limited amount of time to play

-- you hate group drama

[San]

I like to group when I can. But have a newborn at home now so kind of making the move over to playing more soloable classes.

[kenzar]

I've leveld a shaman, a druid, and a necro to 60 on this server, both completely solo (with a few exceptions where I took a group here or there.)
I can say from experience:
A) soloing as a shaman/druid/necro = way faster xp than with a group.
B) If you solo the right mobs, u make more money than compared to a group.
C) You have way more control(eg. fewer random, 'oops train' incidents.)
D) You can stop whenever you want, no finding a replacement.

There really is no downside. You level faster, you make more plat, you have complete control over your play periods. So really, the default question (at least for sham/dru/necro) is 'Why would you group?'

[Tecmos Deception]

The only downsides I can see to soloing are 1) you do limit your chance of meeting new people to /friend and 2) you miss out on the "group dynamic."

Imo those downsides to soloing are VASTLY outweighed by the perks, most of which have been mentioned already in this thread, especially since you can mitigate/eliminate #1 by joining a guild and you can still join a group when you want to to get your fix of #2.

[Trevalon]

I think the biggest problem is that as it is, grouping is much worse EXP than soloing. The Group bonus is absolutely horrendous on this server and I am not sure if that is what it was on classic or not, but either way it makes grouping pretty much pointless for the most part.

It's sad as I would much rather group than solo but if I can get a ton more exp soloing then there is little incentive for grouping.

P99 needs to up the group bonus significantly or grouping will never be as viable as soloing - At this time the group bonus in Live EQ is 20% per member and the 6th person in the group doesn't take a share of the exp in the group. Last I read P99's group bonus capped at like 36% or something which is somewhat comical.

[Tecmos Deception]

I don't like the group bonus. It's a crutch that makes shitty groups a good place to earn xp. Full groups are generally crappy on this server because 1) the group has a bad composition, 2) the group members aren't using their abilities very well, and 3) the group is in a bad location.

A group full of hybrids sucking up xp, or that has a couple wizards DPSing, or that has a cleric healer when CHing is unnecessary? You're gonna have crappy xp.

A group with necros/druids/enchanters who aren't charming, or with warrior DPS but he's not zerking, or with bards only twisting a couple songs, or with people AFKing frequently? You're gonna have crappy xp.

A group of 6 in LCY? You're gonna have crappy xp.


The solution shouldn't be to give out free xp to people who are willing to join big groups, the solution is to play smarter and then laugh at the people who don't. Some xp bonus for groups is fine, imo, but live EQ's xp bonus is just like the rest of live EQ... catering to people who have already done it all and will quit if they can't PL their 14th alt to max level in 1 week while AFK 99% of the time.

[Invurnus]

I rarely group. XP, loot, and convenience are all better solo, as others have said.

I think part of the social appeal of EQ is not the grouping per se, but the vanity. I was going to pick up a new single-player RPG to play, but I figured I might as well play a game where I could show off the stuff I had achieved. That, and sometimes single-player RPGs are rather lonely endeavors.

[SCB]

I don't like the group bonus. It's a crutch that makes shitty groups a good place to earn xp. Full groups are generally crappy on this server because 1) the group has a bad composition, 2) the group members aren't using their abilities very well, and 3) the group is in a bad location.

A group full of hybrids sucking up xp, or that has a couple wizards DPSing, or that has a cleric healer when CHing is unnecessary? You're gonna have crappy xp.

A group with necros/druids/enchanters who aren't charming, or with warrior DPS but he's not zerking, or with bards only twisting a couple songs, or with people AFKing frequently? You're gonna have crappy xp.

A group of 6 in LCY? You're gonna have crappy xp.


The solution shouldn't be to give out free xp to people who are willing to join big groups, the solution is to play smarter and then laugh at the people who don't. Some xp bonus for groups is fine, imo, but live EQ's xp bonus is just like the rest of live EQ... catering to people who have already done it all and will quit if they can't PL their 14th alt to max level in 1 week while AFK 99% of the time.

I don't understand people with your mindset at all in EQ. I've never really given a shit if a group is slower xp because I'm going to be doing the same shit at 60 that I'm doing now, I just won't also have the incentive of an orange bar moving. I guess maybe I can solo a few things I can't now, but really, that's just the same thing with a different name.

I'd rather be in a fun group slowly crawling a dungeon or doing something really dangerous than aoe grouping in almost all situations - and I will actively look for aoe groups because I think they're a blast. I like to group that much, that I've turned down really fun, really fast xp for something that sounded more interactive.

I don't have a problem with the min/max speedrush crowd, enjoy the game however you want, but I just don't get you.

[Pscottdai]

Simple, besides many of the points previously stated, I deal with massive amounts of people in RL, so why the hell do I want to do the same in my virtual life?

The game may have been designed for the basement dwelling crowd that has limited social interaction in the real world to facilitate them making "friends" in the virtual world, but fact is I don't need it. I play EQ because I like the game, not because I want to find "friends" from grouping. My virtual friends are my guildmates who are usually the only folks you will find me grouped with when the mood strickes me.

[Brimacombe]

Sometimes I want to putter around the house doing chores or whatnot, so I solo.
I generally save my grouping for prime time. Yeah, you run into all kinds of levels of play skill, but if I joined the perfect group I would ruin it by being there.

I have always called this game "False Sense of Accomplishment" so I really could care less about speeding to cap. Why race to the stop sign? I have been uber, I have been super PVP man, I have done pretty much everything you can do in a MMO, so I am over all that. I find enjoyment in being the best I can be at my class.

If someone I am grouping with isn't MAXIMIZING the xp intake, I really don't care. Personality > "Use to Me" every time. If I joined a group and someone started cracking the whip on me, I would find my way back out of it fast. This is a game, not my self-esteem.

- Brimacombe

[Kagatob]

I don't like the group bonus. It's a crutch that makes shitty groups a good place to earn xp. Full groups are generally crappy on this server because 1) the group has a bad composition, 2) the group members aren't using their abilities very well, and 3) the group is in a bad location.

A group full of hybrids sucking up xp, or that has a couple wizards DPSing, or that has a cleric healer when CHing is unnecessary? You're gonna have crappy xp.

A group with necros/druids/enchanters who aren't charming, or with warrior DPS but he's not zerking, or with bards only twisting a couple songs, or with people AFKing frequently? You're gonna have crappy xp.

A group of 6 in LCY? You're gonna have crappy xp.


The solution shouldn't be to give out free xp to people who are willing to join big groups, the solution is to play smarter and then laugh at the people who don't. Some xp bonus for groups is fine, imo, but live EQ's xp bonus is just like the rest of live EQ... catering to people who have already done it all and will quit if they can't PL their 14th alt to max level in 1 week while AFK 99% of the time.

Virgin detected.

[Brimacombe]

“You are not your class, you're not how much plat you have in the bank. You are not the computer you play on. You're not the contents of your backpacks. You are not your fucking fungi tunic. You are all singing, all dancing crap of the world.”

[webrunner5]

I can tell you there is a hell of a lot of satisfaction knowing that YOU are the one that finally got that item you have died 4 times or more trying to get solo. The mob that gave you Goosebumps you killed is a pretty big deal, at least to me.

Because YOU have the item, not "Bob" in the group with a damn lucky roll who was AFK half the time.

[myriverse]

when you solo to 60 what happens then? solo a new char?
Game is not about the grind.

[friznapbaby]

are there enough lower lvl people on the server to start a new character and be able to group? thinking about trying the server out (i am not new to the emulator or the game by any means, just new to this server), and dont wanna be stuck soloing all the time, especially if someone is gonna be upset with me about it ><

[Alanus]

I love grouping and meeting new people. I have made lots of friends on this server doing that. I far prefer grouping to going solo.

However, as others said, if I am doing chores around the house or something that means I cannot put 100% into playing, then it isn't fair to the people I am grouping with. Much better to find a 6 minute spawn, kill it, go afk while I med for 6 minutes.

are there enough lower lvl people on the server to start a new character and be able to group? thinking about trying the server out (i am not new to the emulator or the game by any means, just new to this server), and dont wanna be stuck soloing all the time, especially if someone is gonna be upset with me about it ><

Yes. It isn't too hard to find a group at lower levels on this server. Lots of lower levels are twinked, but a lot are not as well.

[Malrubius]

Because those who are grouping tend to be more anti-social than those who solo.

I like interacting with everyone, not just those who are talking to me in light-blue text.

DISCLAIMER: Yes, there are always exceptions. This is just a general tendency I've noticed over the years, and yes, when I'm grouped I also tend to be more anti-social towards those outside of my group. IMO, this is not a good or bad thing, it just is.

[pharmakos]

are there enough lower lvl people on the server to start a new character and be able to group? thinking about trying the server out (i am not new to the emulator or the game by any means, just new to this server), and dont wanna be stuck soloing all the time, especially if someone is gonna be upset with me about it ><

i've got a couple twinkies i'm working on, druid and a necro but i don't mind joining groups if invited.... the large majority of the people i've grouped with are un-twinked people that have just started their first P99 main character.

[Ocura]

do you hate getting stick with a retarded group member every once in awhile?

is the xp faster?

are you hanging out with friends in your room?

do you like being alone in real life and in a virtual game world at the same time?

what is it thats so fun about soloing. cause i hate it

Time crunch for me, I feel bad in a group and having to afk every few moments when my hubby has a honey-do for me (I don't get any peace from him lol). When he isn't home I'll group as I know I won't have to afk, but when he is home I don't even try.

[Starcraft66]

I almost never group because I'm shy and scared. I don't solo particularly well either though, I don't have anything past level 11 still. I'm doing just as bad as I did back in early 2000, come to think of it...

[Nagash]

are there enough lower lvl people on the server to start a new character and be able to group? thinking about trying the server out (i am not new to the emulator or the game by any means, just new to this server), and dont wanna be stuck soloing all the time, especially if someone is gonna be upset with me about it ><

Doubt you will have issues finding groups even at low level unless you insist on getting to some odd places.

[SCB]

I almost never group because I'm shy and scared. I don't solo particularly well either though, I don't have anything past level 11 still. I'm doing just as bad as I did back in early 2000, come to think of it...

Trust me when I say that there is nothing to be scared of. The vast majority of people on this server are cool with giving your advice/help if you screw up. Even in the high 50s I'm giving people the benefit of the doubt on loose pets/mez breaks and whatnot, within reason.

[Gadwen]

I almost never group because I'm shy and scared. I don't solo particularly well either though, I don't have anything past level 11 still. I'm doing just as bad as I did back in early 2000, come to think of it...

You should start by RPing in groups, then after being absurd for a while being yourself won't seem too awkward :cool:

[Ocura]

I almost never group because I'm shy and scared. I don't solo particularly well either though, I don't have anything past level 11 still. I'm doing just as bad as I did back in early 2000, come to think of it...


Look for my chars online and send me a tell, I certainly won't belittle you in any way. Everyone has to start somewhere, we don't expect you to be a pro at your class when you're just starting out. Hell, back on original live I recall shortly after Kunarks launch I found out I was playing my level 45ish shammy all wrong. I didn't use slow, and I never trained Channeling! I wasn't belittled, simply had a person point out what I was doing wrong in a constructive way. That is pretty much the eq community way, you don't get the WoW hissy fits if you do something wrong :)

Anyways, look for me. I won't demand great conversation skills or excellence with your class.

[webrunner5]

Don't worry about grouping. I have never seen anyone ask what gear they have to join a group. I know I have never asked. And really every class is welcome in almost every group. Yeah even a Ranger. Groups are really the way to go but the higher you get the longer you have to commit to them and not easy to find a replacement if you need to leave. Being in a nice guild helps a ton for groups.

[Essedge]

its probably been stated before, but the reason i solo is because i'm on at off hours when the server pop is less than 50% of what it is during peak times.

That coupled with only having a few hours a day to play makes its hard to throw up a LFG tag knowing you'll be only around for short while.

[dragonfists]

do you hate getting stick with a retarded group member every once in awhile?

is the xp faster?

are you hanging out with friends in your room?


thats why for me.. every one in awhile i'll give a PUG a shot and sometimes they do turn out good, but usually the exception.. and i miss human contact.. it puts the lotion on its skin

[rsloans84]

Why solo? Well because its best xp ... Find 1 or 2 peeps if u wanna talk to someone and farm some items .. Have fun and just game man

[Raavak]

are there enough lower lvl people on the server to start a new character and be able to group? thinking about trying the server out (i am not new to the emulator or the game by any means, just new to this server), and dont wanna be stuck soloing all the time, especially if someone is gonna be upset with me about it ><

There's lots of groups to be had. You just have to know where to go as they tend to be in the same few zones. Just ask around or leave LFG up and you'll get tells. P99 is probably by far the most populated EQ Emu, and everyone is an individual person since there is no boxing. If you want the grouping experience this is the server to be on.

yeah, i've got a girlfriend so when she says "sex" I need to /exit immediately and I wouldn't morally feel right doing that in a group.Sex while playing? Mmmm haven’t done this in years. Gotta try it again soon.

As we see from the posts there are pros and cons to soloing and grouping. One other benefit to P99 is the accounts are free… I have solo chars and I have chars that need groups. What I play depends on the size of my block of free time and mood.

[Raavak]

id rather group but having a 3 year old doesnt mesh well.
I introduced my daughter to P99 when she was 4 ;-) She could play melee just fine... though I never took her any place too dangerous. But she loved killing lions and elephants in SK.

[rsloans84]

Im calling child protection services omg how dare u..

[Raavak]

Start 'em young, I say.

I should set her up again, now that she's a bit older. She'd rather play Facebook Sims at the moment though.

[Lyra]

I think Toontown online is a really good first MMO for kids.
It has restricted chat phrases. Open chat is available if code trading is done.

http://toontown.go.com/

[mimixownzall]

I solo when I don't have hours to dedicate to a group. I feel shitty getting into a group when I know I'm not going to be there longer than 2 or 3 hours.