You Know What I Love? Having A Companion

[News Portal]

Brendan Keogh returns with his regular dose of positivity - and this week, it's to discuss how he was turned from a devout single-player gamer to a man who learned about the simple joys of playing with others.

Read full story →



Read full article by Brendan Keogh

[PinothyJ]

The worst part about companions is always pacing. Nothing grinds my gears quite like running a co-op Borderlands game only to have some douchefag join who wants to go so freaken fast through EVERYTHING the point in playing the game is moot.


I still stand by and say that Journey has to be the most amazing co-op experience I have enjoyed…

[meji]

Co-operative play is where it is at for a generally "good" multiplayer experience, imo.

Co-op generally promote positive game play - people needing to work in unison to get a goal accomplished.

Multi-player games generally promote a more neutral approach - people can work in unison to get "your goals" want (in the terms of MMO's) or a down right hostile approach in DM type games.

Dedicated Co-op games I find give you a positive game play experience, even if everything goes pear shaped and then rapidly comes falling down you can still have a laugh with your mate when the dust clears. Even in co-op games where your mate isn't sitting next to you, and may not be a mate you know at all, the end result is that people tend to sack up and just try it again.

In my multiplayer experience people are a lot quicker to bring out the insults at whomever they perceive to be the problem etc..

Of course co-op games in general limit your experience to just one other person and the goal is always to work together so it should cultivate more positive results. Multi-player games open you to everyone and after a few minutes of being spawn camped (or some such an activity) you can get cheesed very quick and find it to be a very negative experience.

There are always exceptions though.

Day-Z is a good example of a multi-player game that while it technically isn't co-op finding someone you can trust to watch your back (other than as a place to drill a bullet) opens up the game vastly.

It would of been easier for me to say that I enjoy having companions as well that even extends to companions in singleplayer games - it's someone to watch your back and liven up the story.

[vcatkiller]

Most of my most memorable gaming moments have been co-op. Pulling an all-nighter with mates playing Diablo, spending a week playing Hexen II two player with my Dad one holiday, co-op Delta Force with mates ("xx found a punji stick and died" still has me in stitches...) it's just seems more personal sharing the experience. I can't imagine having the same experience with some random nobody over the internet though, it just wouldn't be the same. (although the beta of Uru Live was kind of that - I remember long conversations with folk in the US, that was cool too)

[James Pinnell]

I agree, cooperative multiplayer is one of the best ways to play if it's done properly. The examples you provided, especially Minecraft, are fantastic, non-violent methods of sharing a gaming experience.

[Jez]

I've still yet to play Minecraft and DayZ, I've spent bloody ages playing through co-op Halo games though, even those crazy LASO challenges.

[RamjetR]

Borderlands.... Single player sucked the fat one... Coop however... possibly the most fun I've have in gaming in years. I reckon I've sunk 200+ hours in coop borderlands. I lasted an hour in single player and wasn't about to go any further untill a mate said "Looks ok, I'll install it and have a go with ya". And we never looked back.

MW3 Coop was exciting and intense with a sense of accomplishment between us both that made a christmas holiday in Fiji with the family during a stormy afternoon a memorable experience. Yet the single player experience failed to pull me in. And to this date, I still haven't bothered to finished the first level.

Today, I tried my first round of Coop BF3... and I'm instantly hooked. I love BF3, Singleplayer was... ok, but engaging enough to get me to the end. Online is fantastic (when it's being played with a good team playing together), but Coop... wow, New tactics, looking out for a mate aswell as yourself... it brings more emotion, it's more personal and satisfying.

[Jez]

The worst part about companions is always pacing. Nothing grinds my gears quite like running a co-op Borderlands game only to have some douchefag join who wants to go so freaken fast through EVERYTHING the point in playing the game is moot.

I agree with that, damn Lewises of this world.

[brimlad]

I agree, cooperative multiplayer is one of the best ways to play if it's done properly. The examples you provided, especially Minecraft, are fantastic, non-violent methods of sharing a gaming experience.

add to that portal 2, great coop experience. Coop has definitely become a great mp part of my gaming over the last couple of years, games like starcraft 2, star trek online, empire total war, defcon I rarely play by myself but with a friend anytime.

cheers

[Loophole_62ndFF]

Flight-simulators, like Falcon, the DCS series, or IL-2, can also provide some excellent challenging cooperative play.

[Raincham]

I agree with this posts comments a lot.
For years I have spent time solo in games. Even in mmo's.
But recently I have been doing some co-op on the xbox and teaming up with people I actually know in RL makes a HUGE difference.
Just beating (or being beaten) by some faceless person I don't know, doesn't do it for me. Campaign co-op is where its at imo.
Currently we have four of us trying to get some time on Dead Island... but man with work and kids and responsibilities between us all its REAL hard getting some decent gaming time in.
Also I just wanted to add, im the complete opposite of the "rush through" player. Anytime I can stop and "smell the roses" im more than happy. After all, don't we want to make a good game last as long as possible? Well some dont but I do.
DayZ sounds harsh but interesting... ima go look it up now.

edit- ohhhhh its a mod for arma2?? a friend of mine has been trying to convince me to get arma2...

[brimlad]

Flight-simulators, like Falcon, the DCS series, or IL-2, can also provide some excellent challenging cooperative play.

yes I should have mentioned those; DCS Black shark is especially great in a pack of 3 or more as you can stay real close to each other at low speed and unleash tremendous fire power. the tomcat being developed by IRIS for the DCS series will possibly emerge as a true 2 seater with pilot and rio via mp and that would make for some fun coop.

cheers

[Shinanigans]

You know what I love? These articles

Oh, and COOP.

COOP is pretty much almost insta-buy for me.

[DoHo_]

DayZ is easily, for me, a much better experience playing alone. I've said this so many times but avoiding other people is much easier than worrying about a bullet in the back, and playing alone means I only have to worry about my actions. Several times I've teamed up with others only for it to end with me having to save them, waste all my ammo, and end up running off with less than I started with because they're an idiot and can't sneak.

The Halo games have been my best co-op experience. Working together is a lot more fun when you can basically choose a role, i.e. one takes the sniper rifle, one takes the rocket, or one takes both of them and acts as support while the other goes in for the main action. My sister and I played a lot of Halo and one of us would take the Warthog, and the other would take the Scorpion (tank), or we'd both get Warthogs and run circles around enemies on Legendary (the hardest setting). It was great fun. We did this in Halo, Halo 2 and Halo 3 and it was always a good experience.

Games like Minecraft, and DayZ, imo, become worthless without goals. Having the humm-drumm goals of "survive" - in my experience - is not enough for me because there's always a point where surviving stops being a goal and is a boring reality. "What now?"

Anyway, I guess to conclude I think in most cases other players get in the way of things, though there are exceptions such as Halo, or Killing Floor, when you have common enemies and working together is a must.