Why do more games not support Co-Op play?

[Maverick_SY19]

I was thinking today about many FPS games and flight games that do not support co-op that if they did would really kick butt. I know I have loved every game that has supported this feature. Some that come to mind are Quake 2, Hidden and Dangerous, Starlancer, Freespace 2, more recently Deadly Dozen 2.

Imagine how much fun it would be to play a game like MOH:AA in co-op (someone came up with a way to do this but it never worked after the 1.11 patch), Spearhead also even though it was to short (Someone made a mod for this also but it didn't work very well, not like native support would have). How about a game like Unreal 2, though it was to short of a game, Co-Op play would have ruled. Halo was a blast in co-op but you had to use the darn split screen, imagine if in Halo 2 the support it over X-Box live so you each can get a full screen view and use your voice system to work together.

Ghost Recon was a good game in Co-Op also. Anyway you get my point. This in todays high speed network environment should be a standard feature in all games with Single Player storylines. The dev teams put so much time in to making them fun, but they could add a whole new demention by allowing co-op even if its just 2 human players again everyone. MOH:AA on the hardest level with 2 humans, add in a few more enemies and it would be challenging and fun at the same time and increase the replayability on the single player game.

We should all bend the ears of gaming companies to include this stuff, and console also. No need to have silly split screen co-op when we have something like X-Box live around now.

Thanks for reading your opinions are welcome.

[sushi128]

yeah, i agree that some games really deserve co-op play; but really, isn't most multiplay based around the joy of fragging real intelligence as opposed to AI? i'd say that's why developers focus on deathmatch more than co-op.

[Odm]

I think what some games have, ie a mix of co-op and deathmatch, is really cool. Like in RTCW on the beach...

[Maverick_SY19]

Not sure on that one, AI guys can be pretty tough in some games. Ever try play Raven Shield Terrorist Hunt on Elite level. Those guys never miss and they always seem to know where you all, like they are using a wall hack. They rush you when you have a grenade in your hand and they make good use of cover most of the time.

Ya humans are smarter, but when you got a good group of pals going around killing a bunch AI that don't have smart a** attitudes back at you can be a blast.

[Downfall]

the updated pack for UT2k3 sort of has on in invasion mode..but i dotn know if its ehough to qualify as co-op..but i know i would definetly love to play more co-op games

[sushi128]

i haven't checked the demo, but i just wanna comment; invasion has provided some of the most fun i've ever had. it's a perfect example of great co-op play.

[Hobbes874]

yeah, if there was co-op play for MOHAA, that would be awsome i would go out and buy two copies!!!

[Smapdey]

GTA 3 or Vice City deserve co-op play more than any other game, ever.

[jnick]

Pssh...uh no...

Super Mario deserves co-op play more han anything.

[fatBastard();]

If you take a look at most reviews of singleplayer games today even here at ActionTrip, I'm sad to say, you'll in 9 out of 10 instances see the words "No multiplayer" written under the "Cons", i.e. the fact that it is a singleplayer game is a drawback.

The really sad part is when you look at the multitude of singleplayer games where the developers broke under the pressure of the juvenile wailing of spoiled little brats wanting everything for nothing, the sooner the better (and thus included a multiplayer part to the single player game), and then look at what people are actually playing online. Where are the NOFL players? or the Tachyon the Fringe players? or even the Serious Sam players?

Unless a multiplayer mode was intended to play a major part in a game as early as the design stage, where not even a single line of code has been written yet, I say: Drop it and focus on what the game is supposed to be about.

Co-op is slightly different ... only more difficult. What is co-op anyway? It's the singleplayer game played as a multiplayer game. So not only do the developers have to make to entire singleplayer portion of the game playable with one or multiple participants (i.e. making scripted sequences, transitions, difficulty balancing and level design a lot more difficult to handle) but they also have to make the entire singleplayer portion playable via a network connection.

In short: it takes a lot of HARD work to make a good singleplayer game also be a good co-op without crippling either of the play modes.

Diablo2 handled the co-op balancing brilliantly by making the game's difficulty adjust itself depending on how many people were playing (more numerous and tougher monsters etc.). In fact, Diablo2 handled it so well that the singleplayer game was merely a multiplayer game with only 1 participant ... but with all the limitations of not being designed as singleplayer game to begin with (e.g. no saving, repopulating already cleared areas when reentering the game, etc.)

Aside from the balancing problem, there is also the technical aspect to consider. If you think that it's a coincidence most multiplayer levels/maps are a lot smaller than most singleplayer maps or that the gameplay itself is different in multiplayer than it is in singleplayer (e.g. fewer, if any, interactive maps and game modes) then you are mistaken. The most serious bottleneck in multiplayer games today is the netcode and 99% of FPS singleplayer games today would only be playable on LAN connections and then what's the point?

I DO agree that it would be great if more games had co-op but if the cost of said co-op is a more bland singleplayer experience then I'll pass.

[Yian]

Maybe it is time for all the game developers to start building this feature into all the new titles yet to come...
Serious Sam and 2 was great to lpay with friends!

[IkYiolul]

yeah I think this was one of the best games of all time..
hundreds of enemies hording you party along with crazy mazes and stunts, not to mention the best graphics I've seen in a game yet. Along with many options like the technology test.

[Maverick_SY19]

fatbastard I think that you are wrong about if it was only playable on a LAN it would not be worth it. I have 3 computers and home as well as many guys I know have more than one computer, or can bring their computer over for a day of gaming fun. I played the MW4 Co-Op mod with a friend of mine over a LAN connected via Firewire 400Mbps line. That kicked major butt. Once programers have the level design and so on added to the game it can't be that much more work to add in Co-Op. Shoot in Medal of Honor and Spearhead you have AI troops with your through half the game already. The Netcode is already there, so its just a matter of adding the rest. Look at Raven Shield, Hidden and Dangerous, Ghost Recon, Starlancer, all those games had great co-op.