The final wipe of the selective multiplayer RPG Shroud of the Avatar is over and many MMO fans are not thrilled that one encounters hardly any players.
Shroud of the Avatar can be played in four game modes: Once in MMO mode, where one can encounter and interact with other players. In Friends Only mode, one sees only the players on their friends list, while all others are hidden. In Single Player Online mode, you are completely alone, and the Offline mode essentially represents a standalone single-player RPG with its own rules and mechanics, isolated from the online world.
Do even MMO players want their peace?
In MMO mode, you have to compete for monsters and resources in the game areas, as other players want to “farm” them too. Furthermore, NPCs approached by other players are “busy” and you must wait until you can speak to them. This can, for example, prolong quests and trading. Therefore, many players are in Single Player Online or Friends Online mode. Because then you are in your own instances and do not have to share resources, monsters, or NPCs with other players and can act completely at your own pace.
This leads to some MMO fans currently complaining. It would harm the MMO aspect of the game if everyone were to play only in Single Player or Friends mode. Especially concerning PvP and crafting, this would have drastic effects. Those playing in Single Player mode can farm resources faster and gain EXP through battles quicker. Additionally, one would not have to expose themselves to the risk of having to fight against other players.
But if it is more enjoyable to play in Single Player or Friends Only mode, should a game force players to switch to MMO mode? Should players be forced to play in a way that apparently brings them less enjoyment?
Shroud of the Avatar is sitting between stools
Shroud of the Avatar definitely has an identity problem. It wants to be everything: MMORPG and single player RPG, but it doesn’t quite work. Single Player fans complain about too many MMO elements that turn the game into an offline MMO rather than a true single-player RPG, and MMO fans complain that SotA doesn’t feel like a real MMO and the sandbox aspect is receding into the background.
Perhaps it is this identity problem – alongside the fact that the game is far from finished – that also leads to only a “few” hundred players being online simultaneously even after the final wipe and the expected “land rush” of those wanting to build houses in the game? According to Steam Charts, the peak number of players so far has been 601, averaging around 300-400 active players. Added to this are those who play through their own launcher and not through Steam, but according to official reports, the total number of all players so far has been 732…
