Dragon's Dogma Doesn't Need Co-Op

Jan. 23, 2016

Dragon’s Dogma Doesn’t Need Co-Op

This is going to be short and sweet. Co-op is an aggravatingly common request for games in general that have no need of it and wouldn’t benefit from its inclusion, but I feel like Dragon’s Dogma is a special case. Unlike most of the other games where people who don’t know what they’re asking for beg for co-op, Dragon’s Dogma at least seems to lend itself to the concept with it’s base systems. This is a trap, something many people who’ve played Dragon’s Dogma Online can probably tell you and something mentioned in at least one review of it (fyi) but I’m going to explain why: Pawns.

More specifically, the entire game is balanced around the idea of having pawns as helpers. Now, well trained pawns can be quite effective, but they will never be as effective as a good human player. If you’re attempting to implement co-op this creates a conflict of interests. Either:

You design around a party of pawns and the game is stupidly easy with players who are better than pawns are

or

You design around a party of at least 2 humans and the game is unnecessarily frustrating for people relying on pawns.

So as not to present a false dichotomy, there is a third option (change the mechanics for co-op players to compensate for the extra player/s.) However; what that’s going to accomplish is making people who play solo feel like they aren’t playing the actual game and get a dumbed down version instead,  so it isn’t a good option either.

The next obvious problem is that you either end up with MMO syndrome where the world isn’t reactive (and despite the poor story the world of Dragon’s Dogma is fairly reactive) to stop other players accidentally (or intentionally) screwing your game/world by killing people or taking a different direction in a quest, or you end up with a Fable 2 situation where the co-op partner can’t interact with anything and is only playing half a game. Dragon’s Dogma isn’t heavy enough on the roleplaying elements to pull off theDivinity: Original Sincollaborative storytelling approach either, nor was that the intention of the developers.

Now, I’m not a huge fan of co-op to begin with, but are you really willing to cripple the game for solo players, be bored silly by a complete lack of challenge, and/or remove arguably the most unique aspect of the game all together just to co-op? I can tell you right now that I’m not. Dragon’s Dogma style combat in a game designed for co-op could be great, I’m not saying it wouldn’t be, but Dragon’s Dogma isn’t that game on a fairly fundamental level, and it simply cannot be that game without negatively impacting the experience for everyone else.

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Dark Alliance is a fundamentally different game than Baulders Gate, it’s just in the same universe. That’s not even close to a valid comparison.

Balder Gate ps2 version was a good co-op. The game that transform into WOW copy always end up massive grindfest and unneccesary boss HP and problem stuff which the OP located.

Balder Gate ps2, Dungeon Siege series and Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide is my preferer co-op style.

I don’t know what’s with people wanting co-op in almost any game that it would seem any bit possible to have. I have actually heard gamers say they won’t play a game that doesn’t have multiplayer. It seems it has basically become standard that all shooters have multiplayer as well, and any one that doesn’t have it is lesser as a result, even if the game is great as a single player. I mean, look at Elder scrolls. Every game was single player and great, but people wanted multiplayer for some reason. Then came ESO, which had the multiplayer, but it took from the single player experience. Not all games are better with multiplayer.

Didn’t even think there was much of a demand for co-op for this game.But you’re definitely right with this article about how it would definitely ruin the experience of most gamers that don’t care for co-op and gamers that would still like to use pawns instead of co-op.

Me being a bit of a recluse in most cases, I’d hate it if something like co-op was integrated into DD.

I don’t think it’s possible,the AI simply isn’t there. In 5 or 10 years maybe it could work.

Not that I would play with people, because I wouldn’t, but it wouldn’t be hurting my solo play.

While I do enjoy a bit of coop with good friends, nothing can replicate the immersive feeling I get in a game like Fallout or Mass Effect single player. I almost see these as two different genres of gaming. DD was a lot of fun with pawns, but I think you’re right…it would be a tricky balance to get this right (coop I mean).