Got busy and let my previous post close. So I’m recreating the topic for visibility. I’ll set a reminder this time to check every 6 days so it doesn’t close again.
I am once again asking for a developer response in regards to Solo w/ Bots being a planned feature. We are at the very least owed an explanation as to why it’s not in the game yet.
Like many good plans for Darktide, stuff was most likely scrapped and thrown in the garbage.
I’d also appreciate an update on this feature.
Some of us purchased the game because this was confirmed prior to launch.
(and btw, I’m aware the latest info on this by Catfish was it’s been downgraded as a low priority/postponed development)
Yet, with these numbers, better bots would be a significant improvement for games with incomplete striketeams:
I would like to know this as well. Add solo ASAP…it was supposed to be ‘soon’ after release as it was ‘close’ to being finished.
Let’s not be naive, you know why and you know why they won’t give the actual reason out. Solo mode would mean more servers used for the same amount of players. They don’t want that for obvious reasons. Expecting them to actually give this as a public response? No way. That’s why it remains unanswered.
If it functions via listen server and client-hosting the same way VT2 did, then it would not.
And anyway they already allow private lobbies with at least two players. That requires twice the hosting of a 4-man group. It seems more like they are against solo specifically or against people avoiding teamplay, which is weird because they had no problem with it in past games.
It could be that it’s hard to square these things because, perhaps, we don’t have solo for exactly the reason they stated we don’t: they aren’t happy with the state of it. It’s easy to see why, with the (unmodded) bots being only rando vets.
I still think they should deliver on this promise, but I understand how it could be a lower priority.
Yeah, I get that, especially with the state the game launched in and crafting still being garbage. But a public acknowledgement of their stance instead of pretending it’s never been a thing would be nice
If my grandma had wheels, she’d be a bike. VT2 didn’t have dedicated servers only, Darktide does.
Big reason for this is that Darktide has you gather materials in mission. If they want to check that at all they’ll not let you solo host missions and get rewards. Another reason for Darktides insistence on not playing solo is probably cosmetics, same reason the lobby with random players in it that gets loaded every time is a thing. Being forced to see eachother drives up cosmetic sales a little.
I am more likely to buy cosmetics if I can see them on my other characters in solo. You would actually get to look at your purchases then.
Posting my support for solo mode
It would even be an incentive and opportunity to set a theme for the whole team and purchase cosmetics from the same pack. Something you likely never get in public lobbies.
For reference, some of the official responses (and there could be more that I might have overlooked):
2023: February → March → October
(also, as usual, CMs aren’t accountable for the development progress. They can only relay authorized information.)
Thank you for gathering all of this together! I had seen the “Not a priority” post, but it was from a DM to Catfish, not an official reply. Still, hearing “it’s a co-op game first and foremost” when every other iteration of this same genre has had solo as an option is ridiculous.
As I’ve said before, and I’ll say it again, if: Left 4 Dead, Left 4 Dead 2, Vermintide, Vermintide 2, Back 4 Blood, World War Z, Deep Rock Galactic, GTFO, and even Killing Floor 2 can all be “co-op first and foremost” but still allow you to play solo w/ bots, there’s 0 reason for Darktide to be the outlier.
Edit: and I’d like to add that “not a priority” doesn’t explain “we’re almost done!”
Obvious point here is how bad the bots must be for FS to refuse to release the mode.
What if I want to solo with no bots? What’s the excuse there? Let me spawn enemies in the psykhanium then. What’s the excuse there?
Why are bots in the game at all then?
The psykward is an imperfect but huge upgrade over the training dummies in VT2. I’m of a mind that FS want to realize as big of an upgrade for solo play, but it isn’t currently a priority (as they’ve said) and how it’s implemented remains to be seen.
The AI for the bots — which isn’t the only thing they need to flesh out to deliver a solo mode that could be called an upgrade over VT2’s — isn’t so bad that they’re useless, and I’m glad they’re in the game.
When the quitters quit, and the Emperor protects, I’ve seen backfilled bots clutch more times than backfilled players. It’s one of my favorite random events in the game actually!
They come in with full health and laser aim. It’s why people quit when they go down nowadays. I’ve even done it once or twice after making a really boneheaded mistake. Also, to nitpick, bots can’t clutch, it’s not like they have heart or make a single decision. You can’t pat AI on the back.
If everyone is dead and a bot picks up a player, saving the run, I consider that a clutch. Maybe you could call it a “botch” instead. The effect is the same as a human doing it.
Personally, it doesn’t bother me that people quit. It’s their time, and they don’t owe it to a team who may take many minutes to revive them (if they can do it at all). But I have never gotten the sense that the people who do quit do it to selflessly grant the team a bot.
Bumping to prevent topic from closing.
Honestly this is why I hardly ever play this game; only times I will typically play is if I have a friend over so we can do the co-op with bots. I’m a bit astounded that fatshark won’t allow the same freedom to its players as it did with Vermintide 2. Pretty disappointing.
