[nocoolnamejim]

Hello to the fine folks at CD Projekt.

I saw an article on Gamespot today where I'm a volunteer forum moderator talking about the possibility of some sort of multiplayer mode being added to The Witcher 3.

http://www.gamespot....tcher-3-6405159

This inspired me to register an account here for the purposes of giving my feedback in the hopes of influencing the development team of Witcher 3. In times past, CD Projekt has shown themselves to be receptive to their customers thoughts and concerns and I am hoping that someone who is working on the next game will read this.

Before I continue, let me say that I consider this company to be my favorite CRPG developer in the world, and it isn't even close. To properly understand why I am so very against a multiplayer mode in Witcher 3, I have to first explain what I like so much about your company currently. It is in this way that I hope to convey the point that adding a multiplayer mode into Witcher 3 represents a significant risk of a departure from some of the things that make you a developer that I love so very much right now.

First and foremost, I love how CD Projekt shows their appreciation for their fans. It shows up in the big ways they do things (making Enhanced Editions free for anyone who had already bought the regular editions) and in smaller ways. (My Collector's Edition extra in-game goodies were not working right for Witcher 2 when I bought it. The support person I spoke to not only got it working but also gave me the rest of the ones that didn't come from where I bought the game from.)

Time and again I have seen heartening articles about this company that show them to have business practices that are almost the opposite of what are so frustrating in the industry today. Whether it is on the subject of DRM or DLC, your company has striven through its history to try and do things the customer friendly way and you have built a lot of loyalty as a result.

Secondly, I have loved how you do not shy away from mature themes in your storylines. The video game industry is a story telling medium like any other. If things like, say, rape can be present in Game of Thrones then why should they be off-limits to a different story telling medium? And yet, you have been so unique in this area that you deserve kudos. While everyone else is off chasing the mass-market and trying to get a "Teen" rating or doing, you guys have not. I love you for this. I'm an adult gamer. I want to play games made for adults.

Lastly, I cannot tell you how much I appreciate the way you make RPGs aimed at RPG fans and not trying to chase after a mass market. This is the opposite of what a formerly great RPG developer like Bioware has done since their purchase by EA. You have not turned your RPG games into action or shooter titles with RPG pieces here and there. You have not forced a multiplayer mode into every game that doesn't need one or turned a survival horror game into a shooter, etc.

All of these things combined make you the developer I love.

And all of these contribute to why I am so distressed to hear you are thinking of adding a MP mode. Now, for anyone reading this, I know that not everyone will agree with me on this point and therefore I definitely assert that this represents my thoughts and my thoughts alone, but hearing about this mode was the biggest stomach punch I can remember receiving since EA bought Bioware in 2007.

Scroll through the comments section of that linked Gamespot article starting at the oldest comment first. The majority of individuals don't just not want MP in their next Witcher game, they actively hate the idea. A smaller minority is taking the stance of "well, we trust CD Projekt so hopefully it won't be so bad" but the number of people who actually are very excited and want this to be added? A tiny minority.

And that's because of everything that MP has come to represent. In nearly every case, it either is blamed for any shortcomings in the singleplayer campaign (length, polish, etc.) or is considered to be tacked on and unnecessary. For me, part of my purchase price going towards this thing that I won't even touch is almost an insult. I hate the very idea of it in my next RPG.

But why? Why do I hate the idea so much?

Most importantly, because I want ONE company SOMEWHERE to be catering to singleplayer gamers exclusively. I want one company that says, "Singleplayer gamers are enough. We want to make the absolute best singleplayer experience possible, and that's almost always harmed in some way by adding multiplayer." Adding multiplayer is usually the first step towards eventually targeting future games at multiplayer gamers.

A short list of common problems associated with tacked on multiplayer in games that DON'T NEED IT.

1. Shorter singleplayer campaigns
2. Less polished singleplayer offerings
3. Difficulty balancing due to the expectation that coop mode will be used instead of the AI partner or vice versa
4. Twice as many things to patch post-launch
5. Lower review scores due to lackluster MP mode
6. Less cohesive or coherent story and character development due to lack of focus on it or spreading too thin
7. Less immersive story. (Try reading a book sometime with someone talking to you constantly. Or try watching a movie with someone talking in the theater the whole while)
8. Just plain bitterness that, once again, single player gamers can't get one game company or franchise completely dedicated to them.(GUILTY AS CHARGED.)

I hope that CD Projekt reconsiders. I truly and fervently do.

[nocoolnamejim]

Apologies for the duplicate topic on MP. It took a while to write this up. Please mods, do not delete!

[Geralt_of_bsas]

The thing is, while CDPRED surely are developing a game with a single player mode thats supposed to stand on its own feet without needing multiplayer, multiplayer still could improve the whole experience.

Im extremely cautious, and the information revealed is too little yet, but like i said, that it doesnt need it, doesnt mean it shouldnt do it.

The witcher games never needed to be open world, or to have incredible graphics, or even to be in consoles.

And CDPRED decided to step up, so we'll see how it goes.

[nocoolnamejim]

Multiplayer wouldn't improve my experience one iota. It would have the exact opposite effect. I hate the very idea of it in the game. I won't even try it out once. Won't even look at it.

It has ZERO appeal to me and, worse, every time I come across a bug or some other lack of polish in the SP, I'll find myself asking, "Gee, I wonder if this would have been found and fixed pre-launch if resources weren't dedicated to that MP mode that I don't give a **** about?"

[Jandurin]

hi long time listener, first time caller;

i want to tell them how i bought both their previous witcher games and how i feel that multiplayer is a really interesting developmental decision and i can't wait to try it out! if they add multiplayer then i can finally get all of my friends to buy their game too!

[warzoch]

W3 to singel game, no multi. Cyberpunk 2077 - multi ok

[Kudos]

Far too little information released to do more than speculate on how MP *could* be added effectively. OP, I appreciate your posts and your concerns, i'd even share them, but not yet, nooooo not yet!

and please add a "don't care / not enough information to make an informed choice" to your poll.

[Geralt_of_bsas]

nocoolnamejim said:

Multiplayer wouldn't improve my experience one iota. It would have the exact opposite effect. I hate the very idea of it in the game. I won't even try it out once. Won't even look at it.

It has ZERO appeal to me and, worse, every time I come across a bug or some other lack of polish in the SP, I'll find myself asking, "Gee, I wonder if this would have been found and fixed pre-launch if resources weren't dedicated to that MP mode that I don't give a **** about?" ›››

Well for me, if i think multiplayer in the witcher, 90% of the situations would be " absolutely no", but that 10%, that chance that it might be something new and amazing, will alaways be there.

So between not wanting to even see or find out how this multiplayer RED are thinking is, and actually giving them a chance, i say lets have a look at what they can come up with.

[Kris teh pwnz]

No, please NO CDPR. No crappy MP, don't go that way guys!

Please listen, you're playing with fire...

[nocoolnamejim]

Geralt_of_bsas:

I can see where you're coming from in your previous post. I truly can.

But this is the last game of a trilogy. It's supposed to tie everything together. Think of everything that this final game needs to do.

Even if I wasn't adamantly in the "no MP EVER for ANY CD Projekt game" camp, I would think that the third game of a trilogy would be the absolute WORST possible time to experiment with adding it in. Just look at the mess of the storyline and botched endings to ME3 for an example of what can go horribly wrong.

[Kudos]

Disingenuous to declare that was because MP was added.

[Saoe]

Co-Op only, hmm something similar like Arena Mode 2.0 add more arena locations, npc's, monsters..
or co-op monster hunting mode or co-op dungeons? 2-4 people supporting each other.

[nocoolnamejim]

Kudos said:

Disingenuous to declare that was because MP was added. ›››

Is it? I don't think it is. (BTW, sorry for not responding to your earlier post about poll options. I chose to keep it as a binary yes/no because I wanted to poll the strong opinions and force leaners to pick a side.)

How do we know that MP didn't contribute to poor writing? When you spread your focus too thin, these things happen.

What changed between ME2 and ME3? Kinect and MP were added. Can you think of anything else? What's more plausible than pointing the finger at the new variables to the equation?

Do we know for certain? Not really. Have we seen game franchises that add MP have shorter, less polished offerings after adding MP? Quite often. No, correlation does not imply causation, but it's a coincidence that sure seems to happen a lot.
(Need to head out for a work meeting. Back in an hour.)

[Sirnaq]

waaaaaah multiplayer!!! run while you still can
*running and flailing hands*

[Jandurin]

nocoolnamejim said:

Multiplayer wouldn't improve my experience one iota. It would have the exact opposite effect. I hate the very idea of it in the game. I won't even try it out once. Won't even look at it.

It has ZERO appeal to me and, worse, every time I come across a bug or some other lack of polish in the SP, I'll find myself asking, "Gee, I wonder if this would have been found and fixed pre-launch if resources weren't dedicated to that MP mode that I don't give a **** about?" ›››

Mod: personal attacks at other users will not be tolerated

[cmdr_silverbolt]

I agree that MP in TW3 wouldn't fit or make sense, but MP isn't inherently awful. In fact, one of the reasons I am looking forward to CP 2077 is the possible shift away from SP. I would still like an option to play that game SP, though.

[4s4sin96]

I think, if they will add the MP option, the main SP story-line will be ''faster made''
You know, Call of Duty, Assassin's Creed (III especially) and so on...
Let them focus more on the SP

[rawsavon]

...about damn time they got with the 'times'.
I mean seriously, how much longer are game companies going to cater the lone gatherer basement dweller? Games have become a part of our culture and a part of our daily lives. People are connected to the world from the moment they wake up. Gamers want to be connected just like the rest of the population. Gamers want to be able to play with their friends. Gamers want to be able to share their experiences across all forms of social media. Gamers don't want to go home and suddenly isolate themselves away from the world.

I realize that these notions might be foreign to the non-evolved loner gatherers out there. But the rest of us hunters should not be held back by you Troglodites. Go play solitaire or something or dig up your NES. But please let games evolve along with the rest of the planet.

I, for one, applaud this move and the evolution of the role playing genre

[Geralt_of_bsas]

nocoolnamejim said:

Geralt_of_bsas:

I can see where you're coming from in your previous post. I truly can.

But this is the last game of a trilogy. It's supposed to tie everything together. Think of everything that this final game needs to do.

Even if I wasn't adamantly in the "no MP EVER for ANY CD Projekt game" camp, I would think that the third game of a trilogy would be the absolute WORST possible time to experiment with adding it in. Just look at the mess of the storyline and botched endings to ME3 for an example of what can go horribly wrong. ›››

I completely agree that it might not be the best of the times to experiment with it, although it also is the last game of the trilogy, the one CDPRED wants to make all their creativity come to life, so maybe at the same time its THE moment they think its doable, in fact i bet the ideas for multiplayer that are being considered came up to the devs way before TW3, could've been even before TW2, like with the open world.

Let me finally add to my previous comments that, if CDPRED werent taking the first step with this, i'd disagree with having multiplayer in the witcher, its the fact that they are already thinking about how to do it that makes me want it, the fact that just plain and simple, they seem to have something to offer, and when CDPRED has something to offer, i'll take the risk.

If they would say "we dont know if to implement multiplayer at all in the game" then i'd be in the no multi side.

[SonOfDovahkiin]

The devs stated that the mod tools for the Witcher 3 should be coming out after the release.

I would much prefer if they dedicated resources to modding tools rather than multiplayer. They could instead aim to release the modding tools with the initial release, then perhaps expand on it if it was lackluster.

Without multiplayer, Witcher 3 = 9.5+/10
With multiplayer, Witcher 3 = 9/10

rawsavon said:

...about damn time they got with the 'times'.
I mean seriously, how much longer are game companies going to cater the lone gatherer basement dweller? Games have become a part of our culture and a part of our daily lives. People are connected to the world from the moment they wake up. Gamers want to be connected just like the rest of the population. Gamers want to be able to play with their friends. Gamers want to be able to share their experiences across all forms of social media. Gamers don't want to go home and suddenly isolate themselves away from the world.

I realize that these notions might be foreign to the non-evolved loner gatherers out there. But the rest of us hunters should not be held back by you Troglodites. Go play solitaire or something or dig up your NES. But please let games evolve along with the rest of the planet.

I, for one, applaud this move and the evolution of the role playing genre ›››

Online profiles = yes
Mutliplayer = no