The problem on the train
There is hardly anything that annoys me more when I'm traveling. As someone who is constantly traveling in all possible corners of Germany and the world, I know this problem only too well. But because I'm not a big fan of watching films on the go, I always pack something to play with – only to often find that I can't get started.
That's not even because I mostly play multiplayer titles. Of course, I plan in advance and prepare for the fact that I will often not have a connection on the go. But why the hell do even single-player games with a separate multiplayer mode necessarily require an internet connection?!
It's not like I need a constant connection every time I play. Anno 1800, for example, just needs the Internet to start. Once connected to Ubisoft Connect and logged in, the game doesn't care whether you are online or not.
The background is probably copy protection. Developers protect themselves against piracy by forcing them online. If you want to start a game – in my case Anno – the servers check whether you are logged in and whether the license matches the library. Once confirmed, the game doesn't seem to care whether there is a connection or not.
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Steam makes my life a little easier in cases like this. The offline mode actually works even without the internet. However, this is still not a solution to the problem.
The first hurdle may have been overcome, but I'm still a long way from reaching my goal. At the beginning of the year I lost my heart to Palworld. That's why I'm mentioning it again at this point. Basically, you have the choice in the game whether you want to play alone or with friends in co-op. The problem? The mere ability to play online requires a constant internet connection.
The same applies to titles like Diablo 4 or Hearthstone. Both games that I generally prefer to play alone. The latter particularly annoys me – after all, I play it on the iPad. And where do I use my iPad the most? On the way! And where do I not have internet? On the way!
The duels against the AI are really fun. Thanks to the large number of heroes, they offer a lot of variety and tough challenges. Not to mention the weird humor. All of this gives me much more than the frustrating online matches against players who effortlessly crush me into the ground. So why can’t I just choose between online and offline?
Source: Blizzard
The problem in the village
But that's just the tip of the iceberg. Things get really annoying when it comes to the connection and server stability. I grew up in a village and fast internet was a foreign concept to me for a long time – a luxury that only became available a few years ago. The problem is less the speed than the stability.
An example that immediately comes to mind is probably the most played series of my gaming career: FIFA or EA Sports FC. I've mentioned many times that Ultimate Team was my daily gaming “pin” for years.
The best thing about the casino mode to this day is the freedom of choice: you can either plunge into sweaty online games or relax and play against the AI. However, there is a catch – even offline games require a connection to the EA servers.
And they are so unstable that I sometimes have the feeling that a single dwarf hamster is boosting the entire operation.
Not only do you have to connect to the servers for offline games, you also have to rely on the shaky connections. I can't count how many times I've wanted to break the controller apart in my hand [ist das ein üblicher Ausdruck? Kenne ich nicht zumindest]because the servers are down again. If you're in the middle of a game, that means defeat. A problem that remains unsolved in over ten years. A disgrace for EA's cash cow, which always presents itself as so competitive and fair.