These thoughts came out of a thread in the always-fun LT Gaming Discord community. One of the other members commented that, “The longer I have been a gamer the more I’ve realized that multiplayer is often a cop out where the devs rely on the playerbase to create the fun.” However, as one of those devs, it reminded me yet again that playing with good people transcends any level of fun that a dev can implement.
Nothing beats playing a game with good friends. Designers can make AI at all levels of challenge, but still cannot add the sheer pleasure that comes from gaming with the right people. I won’t deny that the wrong people can make even the best game a miserable experience, but good people elevate even mediocre games to memorable experiences.
This was always true in TTRPG, when we would note that a good GM could make even the worst game great. When I taught, and would ask students what got them interested in game dev, it was almost always a multiplayer game or multiplayer experience. Decry “friends slop” games all you like, but AI cannot replicate that friendship feature.
Far from being a cop out, good game devs create an environment where people can enjoy each other’s physical or virtual company in new and unexpected ways. If you like a game singleplayer, and can try it multiplayer, I strongly recommend that you find some like-minded people and go to it.
