Originally Posted by Gyson
Originally Posted by demise
Those buttons are obviously shortcuts for friends only or nobody. We know this, your point is new players do not. Sure the game doesn't explain this, but it could with a mouse over tooltip. Singleplayer could say - Solo experience, you create and control both main characters and all hirelings, other players can't join your game. Then multiplayer could say - Co-op experience, players from your steam friends list may join your game at character creation, you each create and control a main character and can assign hirelings in game, friends can drop-in/out at any time. Then it could have a disclaimer at the bottom "you can switch between single/multiplayer at any time in game with the gem above the minimap". Suggestions are better than pointing out a nitpicky flaw over and over, right? Constructive feedback or some such...

See quote below.

Originally Posted by Gyson
Unless there is a hidden difference, I'm really struggling to see a need for both of these options on the menu. Even if it's to let players know the game can be played either way, isn't there a better way to get that information across (e.g. tooltip when hovering over "New Game").

That was my second post in this thread.

Anyway, the reason I came here and created this thread to begin with is because I'm actually aware of what those buttons appear to do. As you said, they're just "shortcuts for friends only or nobody". You also said "obviously", but that part seems debatable since most of the people responding to this thread didn't realize these buttons simply toggled the Options > Multiplayer setting. At this point I'm not even sure most understood there isn't actually a multiplayer mode or a singleplayer mode. There's just one mode and whether or not this happened:

[Linked Image]

So, when I create a new game I know I can choose either option "singleplayer" or "multiplayer" and have the exact same game experience and options. However, in the back of my head there is always this nagging thought "is there something else going on under the hood here with these options that isn't immediately obvious or that we haven't been informed about? Is this choice changing the game in some way?". And that's why I said this right off the bat:

Originally Posted by Gyson
Is there an actual in-game difference that results from these two choices, or is it only there to inform players that the game can be played either single or multiplayer?

Originally Posted by Gyson
Unless there is a hidden difference...

That question, by the way, has not been answered. Oh, we can speculate, and while we do have Ellary running around in the background for five pages repeatedly chanting things about buttons that were made crystal clear within the first three responses of this thread, what we don't have is a real answer - because the only people that can tell us whether or not something else is happening under the hood are the developers.

I completely agree with the sentiment that these buttons may, in time, have a real use once more multiplayer options (LAN, non-Steam online, etc) are added, but we'll have to wait and see for that. And even then I'm still interested in knowing if there is something else happening under the hood when a player chooses one mode over the "other" mode. Or, just confirm that they are indeed exactly the same (because that's how drop-in/drop-out games work).


Who did not know what they did? Pretty much all of the players know those two buttons are "modes" and the "Modes" are options variants. You seriously are over complicating two buttons...which are not broken and working perfectly. Why not let them focus on ya know..actual broken things in the game to get it ready for release. ^_^

*pssst* Most players spend about two seconds to a minuet or so just setting their audio/graphics and game options. Then they click New Game or Load Game. If they click new game I highly doubt they sit there n look at the buttons confused. They simply click the mode they want to play in and go. Most won't see the buttons again for quite awhile. Since they will be clicking Load Game.