Spiral Knights - Soloing Or Groups; Which do you prefer?

Soloing Or Groups; Which do you prefer?

27 replies [Last post]

Tue, 12/20/2011 - 10:54

Darkbrady

I used to travel pretty exclusively in groups; even with the stronger mobs I felt considerably safer knowing I had energy free revives and backup attacks, but lately I've been feeling ...almost slowed down by groups. The higher health mobs (esp. in T3) are starting to become more effort than the benefit given by parties if it's disorganised even slightly; even on T3 I can one-combo most monsters since I'm using three different swords to farm, even arena's are fairly do-able and I can get to basil and beyond with no more than one or two deaths with T2 armour that I'm heating up.
But when I join random groups I tend to find that I die OFTEN; I don't pay energy but I'm losing the heat that I'm there to collect and it seems to take so much longer.

Even doing The RTwins I've found that four people make the journey absolutely exhausting, whereas solo or a duet job results in fast, easy, death-free runs.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not talking about well organised guild-parties here who know each others tactics or gear up to compliment each other, I accept that they'll generally always out-do a solo-er, I'm talking about going on your own (or maybe with one other) or joining a random team of 4 people, and how you view it.

The coins are the same, and heat would be the same without all the deaths; the mat drops are vastly differed and the time it takes to run changes greatly. Which do you prefer, and why?

EDIT:
(I should note that, from what I've been saying in my situation, I'm somewhat new to T3; I've had access to it for a long time, but never done it that often, and rarely bother going beyond basil. I've also been inactive for a couple of months and still getting my stride again. I'm also using 3/4* gear and have no 5* gear equipped during aforementioned runs, as I'm heating them up to be upgraded)

Tue, 12/20/2011 - 11:07

Martinsen

;;;

tl;dr

Sorry :C

Tue, 12/20/2011 - 11:08

Kwizzy

I prefer company for boss and

I prefer company for boss and other repetitive stages. Not a fan of grinding unless it's with other people.

I prefer soloing if I'm diving into T3. More mats, and people tend to waste all my hearts after reviving them. A fun challenge too and none of those darn Polaris spammers ^^

Tue, 12/20/2011 - 11:15

Shidara

Hm..

I'm the type who likes company, so I usually tend to look for groups. This is especially the case with bosses, as I've done 'em enough already. (I might solo them if I'm feeling particularly bored.) I also like groups because, well, more heat. Sure, I tend to goof off a lot and take tons of hits, so I might die a bit, but generally I don't mind as long as I get a bigger net heating from groups. If I feel that groups slow me down I'll just solo. I've taken a liking to soloing S6 arenas lately. They're quite easy when you're alone and know what you're doing.

Tue, 12/20/2011 - 11:19

Hitten

If you worry much about heat

If you worry much about heat - buy cheap heat ampilifier (7days) that you will get on AH for hot price now cuz of new pack (explorer's). I used mine (bought explorer's pack too) and I'm happy cuz selling it is damn unprofitable cuz people giving them for cheap cuz (must be annoying word xD) they are just unpopular.

Yes solo is much easier then +3 noobs. I started to like soloing jk runs cuz slimes die in 2 hit gran faust combo (not like in 2-4 ppl party).

Solo isn't easy for me in like Vana runs, danger rooms (not all), T3 arenas and etc.

Sometimes you can do job easier and faster then with 3 random people. But nothing will change tactics and communication. One must be dmg dealer (sword charges), one must be supporter (bombs) and 3rd/4th can revive/being carried/deal dmg with 1st one. It's much more fun with party (random people too).

EDIT: about loot. You said same crowns and heat? I feel like I readed something about "more players - more loot" in SK tips or smth.

Tue, 12/20/2011 - 11:22

Darkbrady

tl;dr: sometimes random

tl;dr: sometimes random parties work out worse off than just going on your own, in every possible respect.

I definitely prefer groups, just for the social aspect, but when I've got a heat amp on and am rolling through T3 arenas and T2 bosses and realising that i'm coming out with barely enough heat to even be worth my time in some group, it's kinda disheartening. I did a solo run cuz I was bored and the stratum i went to was empty and realised that I got 2/3 times the heat in half the amount of time, and it's holding true every time I go down, partied or not.

Tue, 12/20/2011 - 11:27

Shuichi

Hmm...

I normally do solo runs, cause it means more material drops for me. But when a friend or guild mate asks to join i normally let them in. Probably most likely they're not ready for the tier. So in the end that helper only becomes a heat amp for me :P. But during boss fights, i normally let ppl in who need the tokens.. and i only do random parties when trying to get a quick trip to basil xD

Tue, 12/20/2011 - 11:39

Darkbrady

Do the monsters actually drop

Do the monsters actually drop more heat per party member, or is it just a gain from reviving them? Because even with the heat bonuses, I still tend to find that even the occasional extra death puts me in the "less heat than solo" category, even with reviving.

Tue, 12/20/2011 - 12:45

Nordlead

I typically go in groups

I typically go in groups mostly because I like to jump deeper into the tier. I do the occasional solo when I don't have time to put up with random player crap like leaving the computer every couple minutes because you are playing another video game on a console (I had one guy playing Super Mario Bros 3D). Honestly, If you are that distracted then just go do whatever else it is you have to do.

I find that 4 competent players can go quite quick (T1/2 experience only). They don't need to specifically complement each others weapons/gear, but so long as there is one decent bomb and a gun or two any combination works fairly effectively so long as everyone gears up for the current level.

I've had groups clear the Romulus Twins in under 4 minutes (started at the 5 minute warning, up the elevator right after the 2 minute warning), but then again I've had groups of idiots who can't stay alive for more than 2 minutes. My only problem with groups on the munitions factory is that they run into the missiles and hurt me because I was going to dodge them and not shield. But honestly, if the group is really that bad, I just go solo at the start of the next level.

Tue, 12/20/2011 - 14:12

Psychodestroyer

Meh

I usually solo. Unless a friend ask for an invite, needs help, or I need help.

Or I sometimes I invite my friends just because I want to hang with them. For whatever reason.

Either way, I mostly solo.

Tue, 12/20/2011 - 14:27

#10

Kitty-Softpaws

You're not alone. ;)

No one likes PUGs friend.

Tue, 12/20/2011 - 14:37

#11

Delfim

What dark ritual?

I prefer solo because I don't like grinding alone or risking dying (I tend to miss slimes when using slow swords...), but a lot of times I think that people are getting mad at me because I'm not jumping right into the middle of the fray and getting killed, or I have to help others who die a lot.

Tue, 12/20/2011 - 15:26

#12

Xombie

Jenga!

I go to the clockworks alone. I start a group and go where I want.

I will often leave the group open to guild and tell a friend or two if they seem to be hanging out in a Haven.

I rarely open the group to pugs less i just want some nub heat.

That is all.

Tue, 12/20/2011 - 15:47

#13

The-Rawrcake

its organized group > soloing

its organized group > soloing > pugs / random groups i think. Usually it is much more convenient to just solo as you need just yourself instead of any others, but if you are in a guild getting an organized group is no big deal. Personally hate being in random pug groups period, I'll just join their group to jump to where they were at :3. My issue with this is Vana, when I solo him I have to revive 4 times and really rely on groups (shiver) to take him down with ease. If you do like to be in groups and only pug though, don't worry because a good amount of pugs can be good and kill vana. So I definately like solo mainly cause im guns, tiny health mobs , much easier kiting, easier alchemer split bullet positioning (as well as not making people mad on mecha knights and their shielding. maybe if THEY would wait, I could pick em all off with my gun alternating bullets to hit past their shields but nooooooo swords apparently do more damage even though a good majority (not all) swordies end up dieing like an idiot from mecha knights.)

Tue, 12/20/2011 - 20:04

#14

Evilduck

I prefer groups with my usual

I prefer groups with my usual friends if it's an option. I avoid soloing as much as I can because I tend to switch into my browser every time a level loads and end up spending 10+ minutes reading/watching something so that a run takes forever to complete. If there are people waiting for me I don't do that. I've started doing PUGs recently when my friends haven't been online and just electing to leave idiots dead til a room is clear. I solo FSC rather than do it with a PUG, though.

Tue, 12/20/2011 - 22:34

#15

Darkbrady

k, havin' spent too much time

k, havin' spent too much time out of game I@ve obvious missed some stuff...wth is a "PUG" exactly? Like, is it just some demeaning word for random failures or does it actually stand for anythin'?

Tue, 12/20/2011 - 22:52

#16

Xairathan

Solo

PuG = Public Group

Anyways, I prefer traveling in groups, EXCEPT for the Roarmulus Twins depth. Why? Let me count the ways...
1) Noobs hitting switches
2) Noobs hitting switches after they've been told not to do so
3) General lag
4) Overall failure of technique

Another thing that ticks me off is the improper killing of Trojans. The way I usually fight is if I have aggro (the monster's attention), I'll circle around and let his back face my teammates so they can kill him. For some strange reason, 99% of PuGs I enter have people who INSIST on circling the Trojan and attacking him to no avail. What's even worse is a DTB charge intended to kill the Trojan ends up bouncing off his shield, and I go flying due to a blow I could not shield. Other than that, there's really no reason for me to avoid PuGs.

P.S. Polaris/Pulsar users, I respect your choice of gun but please, when I'm getting my hands dirty fighting, don't blind me. Please. Thanks.

Tue, 12/20/2011 - 22:56

#17

Nicoya-Kitty

Pick-up group. Group of

Pick-up group. Group of randoms, basically.

Tue, 12/20/2011 - 23:32

#18

Darkbrady

I use...PuGs....happily

I use...PuGs....happily enough for most levels, but for RTwins I've come to absolutely hate being with groups I don't know, and even then it seems far too hasslesome to go at it in groups of more than two; it's too pedantic a level to have unpredictability. Of course, another thing I hate on T3 is the gun-users who sit and shoot at the shield gremlins/wolvers etc and persistently fail to hit massive groups, while making it impossible for me to attack/bomb them 'cuz they keep autododging bullets.

I've seen that kind of behaviour in depths that makes me sad.

Wed, 12/21/2011 - 00:02

#19

Kickthebucket

solo 99% of the time... (god

solo 99% of the time... (god how many times i got trolled in pugs and how many morrons send me friend invites just because i have a few 5* sets is just infuriating!!) and i allways lock my party because most of the times i'm farming some mats for friends or just for sales and then some noob comes in snatches the mats, dies on every encounter and makes me rage like a madman haha

alltough i need to start looking for a party to do some vanaduke runs (so i can finaly beat him and get the shield and FoV)

Wed, 12/21/2011 - 00:04

#20

Stavrosg

All of the above.

I join a random group to get as quickly as possible to T2/3 Basil, then solo (if T2) or solo and call friends/guildmates (if T3).
In IMF, I go solo or with a few select friends with whom we run the factory together for such a long time that everything happens automatically [usually, we need about 20 minutes from start of 15 to killing the twins]

I stopped PUGing FSC when my friend list included enough competent people to guarantee me a hassle-free run almost whenever I want.
But I prefer a group (even if it is only 2 people) than soloing, allthough I did dauntless delver alone. Being able to one-shot practically everything with the right sword's charge was fun.

Wed, 12/21/2011 - 00:20

#21

Traevelliath

Duo

I prefer working with a close friend. Two people make sure that the mobs dont have much health, and give you free energy revs. Also, I'm a gunslinger, and most of my buddies are Wolvers, so we tend to compliment each other more than detriment each other.

If it is a large group of similarly equipped people, It tends to be a breeze, but when you throw in that one guy who is using all 2* stuff in a team of people using 4* weps and armor, then it becomes a problem.

Wed, 12/21/2011 - 04:33

#22

Metagenic

Solo

I can use the some of the most effective weapons in the game (Leviathan, Polaris, Nitronome lines) without constantly worrying about hindering a teammate's fighting ability.

I do enjoy PUGs though. On arenas, they're basically living heat amplifiers.

Wed, 12/21/2011 - 22:20

#23

Frocus

Depends

If i am doing a boss i prefer groups. otherwise solo.

reasons why:
1). i get all the mats
2). i can control what goes on (dont have to worry about my targets getting knocked away or having something knocked into me)
3). no 1 to complain about using polaris
4). im a gunslinger so its very easy for me to solo and not die :)

Thu, 12/22/2011 - 00:01

#24

Myllakka

---

For bosses, I prefer parties with two or three people. I like having another person along so that we don't need to energy revive, and there seems to be a large jump in monsters' health when a party jumps from 3 to 4 people. I usually go with full party though, since I do FSC 95% of the time now and guildies/friends like to join.

If I'm not doing bosses, I prefer solo for the mats, especially when I farm beast levels.

Thu, 12/22/2011 - 00:39

#25

The-Rawrcake

Xairathan: "PuG = Public

Xairathan: "PuG = Public Group"

U LIAR

Fri, 12/23/2011 - 23:02

#26

Guardian-Ceal

I run snarby a lot for

I run snarby a lot for crowns, so I prefer to go it solo to get all the materials, as I enjoy mass producing things and selling them. If I go deeper, groups.

Sat, 12/24/2011 - 08:09

#27

Haematite

Usually, i just try to join a

Usually, i just try to join a gate with a friend in it, but thats not always possible. In that case, i do prefer random parties rather than solo because i prefer not to start from the town, and its nice to have someone revive you if you make a mistake

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Soloing Or Groups; Which do you prefer?