Soul Calibur V

[the7k]

Again, I was talking about the extreme lack of single-player content - I understood full well you can play multiplayer offline, but that wasn't my point. What if I just DON'T want to play multiplayer at all?? My initial problem with the game was that 85% of it's content is centered around multiplayer of some sort, (offline or online.) That's not worth the full price of admission, if you ask me, and I know plenty of other gamers will agree with me.

I've been a fighting game fanatic since the early 90's arcade scene, so I think I'm more than well aware of how important competitive multiplayer is to the genre. But in this day and age of $300+ home consoles, if I want to come home from work and play alone against the computer for awhile and unlock content, I should be allowed to. But no, instead, game companies have done away with the concept of "unlockables" in single-player modes, and now require you to purchase the content via the online marketplace. That is absurd. That is my complaint. And Namco is notorious for doing this.

Look, all I'm saying, is that when I spend $60 for a game, (or $85 in this case,) I'd expect a little more content to justify my investment. And multiplayer does not do that, because honestly, in about 3 years, when the new Microsoft/Sony console is out and they've moved on from the 360/PS3 and Live/PSN isn't available for those systems anymore, how am I going to play mulitplayer on Soul Calibur V then and get my money's worth out of this game?? Single-player will be it; and there's not much there...

Yes. I know you were pointing out that this game is mostly multiplayer.

I was just trying to point out that it's silly to expect anything different from a fighting game. It would be like buying Final Fantasy and then complaining that there isn't enough multiplayer content. It's silly. Plain and simple.

Is it nice to have single-player content? Yes. But it's just a luxury. Buying a fighting game for single-player is not much different from buying a DVD for the previews.

"if I want to come home from work and play alone against the computer for awhile and unlock content, I should be allowed to."

So ALL fighting games should be made this way, just because you want them to be that way?

That's silly. It's called the free market. If you want a fighting game that is centered around single-player, play Mortal Kombat or Smash Bros. Not every game should focus on that just because that's what you specifically want.

"But no, instead, game companies have done away with the concept of "unlockables" in single-player modes, and now require you to purchase the content via the online marketplace. That is absurd. That is my complaint. And Namco is notorious for doing this.'

Except that there is plenty, PLENTY, of content to unlock in this game without paying. PLENTY.

[MrPopo]

if I want to come home from work and play alone against the computer for awhile and unlock content, I should be allowed to. But no, instead, game companies have done away with the concept of "unlockables" in single-player modes, and now require you to purchase the content via the online marketplace.

That's really a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation. With a fighting game you have two crowds. Crowd A is guys like you, who like the concept of a fighting game but prefer to do it solo vs. the computer. Unlocks are a nice reward for you as you get better, and measure your progress. Crowd B is the group who want to fight against other people, whether casually or competitively. For them unlocks are a hindrance; if they buy Super Fighter Ultra Turbo they have to spend some time solo before they can use The Masked Unit against their friends. They want to have the entire roster open at the start so they can see who's style they like. And having the whole roster as the start is better for getting a group of friends together and playing.

SCV seems to be in this terrible middle ground. There are several unlockable characters, but actually unlocking them is relatively trivial, so it annoys people who want to use the Setsuka expy and it annoys people like you who want a robust single player. Smash Bros Brawl had a rather extensive single player, but that resulted in a lot of unlocks that took a fair amount of time to get. This makes tournaments harder to run (especially since you can't move save files between Wiis) and means you'd probably want to bring your own Wii to your buddy's house instead of just the disk.

[the7k]

I'm love unlockables like Create-A-Soul parts, custom music tracks, costumes, etc. Characters should definitely be with the game as soon as you get it, though. Most annoying thing was trying to search for Algol in Quick Match just so I could unlock him.

As long as the unlockables are vanity items, it's all good. Heck, as long as DLC is vanity items, it's all good. I really wanna play Dampierre, but it sucks having to wait for him to show up on the network (unless I wanna pay $40 for a code on ebay).

[EvilRyu2099]

I'm love unlockables like Create-A-Soul parts, custom music tracks, costumes, etc. Characters should definitely be with the game as soon as you get it, though. Most annoying thing was trying to search for Algol in Quick Match just so I could unlock him.
.

Lol I actually went through Legendary Souls to get him.. On default difficulty.. The computer is ridiculous.. I had to cheese like a mofo to win, lol!!!

[3DSStrider]

I'm also dissapointed with the terrible single player. Not because I don't like the concept of playing with others, but because I suck at fighting games. I can always put the CPU on easy if I want a good challenge, but I can't turn a human on easy. I love Soul Calibur (I've literally been my entire life), but without single player, it's crap.

[Rurouni_Fencer]

Crowd A vs Crowd B

I can totally understand and sympathize with this. I guess I just pine for the days of the arcades and no XBox Live service where you bought a fighting game and spent hours upon hours playing the computer - I guess I developed a fondness for it. But I totally see where gamers, like the7k, just want to play online and immediately have access to all characters so they can know who to get good with without having to grind for hours to unlock Generic Headband Karate Guy.

I'm love unlockables like Create-A-Soul parts, custom music tracks, costumes, etc. Characters should definitely be with the game as soon as you get it, though. Most annoying thing was trying to search for Algol in Quick Match just so I could unlock him.

As long as the unlockables are vanity items, it's all good. Heck, as long as DLC is vanity items, it's all good. I really wanna play Dampierre, but it sucks having to wait for him to show up on the network (unless I wanna pay $40 for a code on ebay).

I can definitely get behind this as well, the7k! If all characters are unlocked right out the gate, and there are plenty of vanity items, BGM, and artwork available to unlock, I'm happy - since it will satisfy both Crowd A (like myself,) who want a single-player experience, as well as pacifying Crowd B, who just wants all the characters to play the damn game and learn the movesets.. This is a very nice middle ground.
However, I just feel SCV dropped the ball when it came to both crowds. You still have to unlock characters, (some tediously, like Algol, as you mentioned,) and I'm pretty sure at 10 hours in and 85% of all collectables obtained, I'll be done around the 15 hour mark.. For a $60 game, I'm a bit disappointed. That's all.

And for the record, you're a good dude, the7k, and I never had any beef with ya, so I really hope I wasn't coming across as an ass in my posts - it was never my intention to provoke or anything.. I just like my single-player fighting games, because I just don't believe that any game genre's sole purpose should be for only multiplayer. Video games were meant to be played for one's amusement first and foremost, and multiplayer capabilities were always a perk. Check out the old Atari and NES games - 2-player was always a sales perk, never a prerequisite.. That's just how I personally feel.

Not because I don't like the concept of playing with others, but because I suck at fighting games. I can always put the CPU on easy if I want a good challenge, but I can't turn a human on easy.

I like this point - It sucks to go online anymore and play any game you don't know how to play well, and lose. You've gotta really get good at it, (especially in fighters,) before experimenting online with other players. That's what the single-player mode should be all about. Although, to play devil's advocate, the training mode in SCV addresses this nicely, as Soul Calibur's training options have always been pretty robust. Once I finish unlocking everything, this will probably be the only other area I go to offline in order to practice because it's done so well..

[the7k]

It's all good - it's just that I really would have hated for the multiplayer in this game to suffer just for the sake of single-player. Like I said, it happened in SCIII, and it's kinda happening in MK9 as well. The result is that the game is loved for a very short amount of time, then the community dies.

Really, I wasn't snapping because of you - it was mostly folks in other communities that have made complaints about the single-player that made me snap. Especially when someone stated "Yeah, the game is good, until the community dies in 3 months and then you are left with nothing", as if the game would have lasted longer than 3 months if they had focused on single-player instead of multiplayer.

It also reminded me of this one guy who hated MvC3 because "I can only kill Galactus so many times." There's plenty of reasons to hate MvC3, but the lack of single-player in a genre that is known for versus play is not something I considered legit.

If a fighter can have good multiplayer AND good single-player, then that's great. I'd say the original Soul Calibur and Tekken 3 pulled this off. However, if a compromise had to be made, the only correct compromise is to sacrifice single-player. Versus play is the very foundation of the genre - if you are going to make a single-player focused fighting game, it would be so much better if it was just a beat 'em up.

I think all the complaining about SCV's lack of single-player mode is REALLY doing a disservice to the online features which really should have been STANDARD in fighting games when this console generation started. Lightning fast connections that rival playing with a friend on the same console. A community hub. Rival Stat tracking. Online tournaments.

Why has it taken THIS LONG for a big name fighter to have these features? Now that Namco has done it, Capcom and NetherRealms (along with everyone else who wants to compete) will have to follow suit. Too long has fraudulent online been something we've just dealt with because "That's the way it is."

[quintorro]

I'm really only disappointed in the story mode. Almost every fighting game has had individual story endings for every character. Why did they drop this? Say what you will about the story in fighting games, but SC had one of the more interesting stories in my opinion.

The number of single player modes is fine with me. Would I have preferred an Edge Master/Weapon Master/Chronicles-like mode? Sure, but Quick Battle will suffice. Those modes plus Team Battle or a gallery would have been icing on the cake to me.

I really would have hated for the multiplayer in this game to suffer just for the sake of single-player. Like I said, it happened in SCIII

It's been a while since I played 3 and I know a lot people dislike it, but I never really understood why. I remember having a blast playing it with my friends.

[Ivo]

I think it is pretty easy:

Can have all unlocks be cosmetic or stuff like stages, extra costumes.
Heck they can even leave part of the roster locked in *single player*, but have the full roster (and fully powered up) for multiplayer from the start (online or local).

It is a bad design decision not to do it (but maybe it is a good business decision, that I do not know). There are good ways to appeal to both crowds, and they are not that complicated.

Ivo.

[the7k]

It's been a while since I played 3 and I know a lot people dislike it, but I never really understood why. I remember having a blast playing it with my friends.

The game had no playtesting for balance issues before it was released. I repeat: Zero Playtesting.

As a result, many glitches (Variable Cancel allowed you to cancel the recovery animation of many unsafe moves and even throw techs, guard impacts and other situations that SHOULD be unsafe) and unbalanced characters (Lynette - I still loved her though. Strife was another who ran tournaments) threatened to break the game and its community completely. By the time they finally did get around to banning Variable Cancel, the community was already a shell of what it was.

Considering how much time obviously went into Chronicles of the Sword, Create-A-Soul and various other modes, it's impossible in my mind to say that the vast amount of time put into single-player content had no impact on the viability of the competitive game.