One Dei at a Time: Conquering Pax Dei Solo
In an article describing our vision for the game, we said that Pax Dei is not a single-player game and that we designed it to encourage group play. This often gets misinterpreted as ‘it is not possible to play Pax Dei solo.’ It is not exactly what we meant. Single-player games are intended to be played alone, but playing solo does not mean playing alone.
In an MMO, there are other players—yeah, okay, that’s not breaking news—and their characters are bound to specific Worlds. This specificity draws a line between multiplayer games and MMOs; it is one of the core ingredients that makes MMOs unique. The fact that your character is bound to a World means you will come across the same Clan and players regularly. In the long term, it creates a unique culture for each world.
Every MMO player has stories about their world, either because it was a kind of rockstar world where some of the biggest clans were competing, or because it was THE roleplay world, or the most welcoming to new players, or the one with the biggest dramas, etc.
Because of the building system and the size of the map, the persistence and the players' imprint in Pax Dei are particularly strong—and here, we don’t even talk about what will happen once the economy is unleashed and the feudal system kicks in - and the solo players are part of this persistence.
It’s a fact that many players like to venture solo in MMOs, and Pax Dei is not an exception. If some players said that the game is, according to them, not playable solo, many have said the opposite and are enjoying their experience. So what’s the truth here?
Again, you can twist it the way you want, but Pax Dei is an MMO. And the difficulty can’t be indexed on solo players. Because of that, it will never be possible to enjoy every single aspect of the game playing entirely solo. However, there is a lot you can do. On top of the general difficulty, the game does not hold your hand, which can make it overwhelming to some. Finally, Pax Dei revolves around crafting and building, which means a lot of grinding. All in all, it can look like an impossible mountain to climb, but if you enjoy the slow pace, walking through the landscape, and discovering things by yourself, then it can be an amazing experience.
To end this (very) long introduction, we want to thank all the players who shared their experiences on Discord, Reddit, YouTube and others… As well as give a special shoutout to @Holydan and @Ancient Swamp Lord Grumpy Grim for their precious help while we were writing this article.
Now, let’s get into the specifics. Here are some of the best pieces of advice we gathered from solo players.
Chapter One: don’t get lured by the obvious spots!
Finding the perfect plot is probably one of the hardest things while playing solo, as you probably don’t want to be engulfed in the middle of a big Clan that calls dibs on all the resources in the area.
So you will want to avoid the obvious zones:
Around the Petra Dei (the big standing stone where you first spawn);
The top of the mountains;
Islands;
Borders of a lake…
Basically, all the places that catch the eye, especially if they are not too far from the Petra Dei, tend to be overly crowded. And if it is crowded, it means fewer resources and more people fighting for them. You also need to think about the later game, not only the start. Having a short route to the wildlands and small enemy camps close by can become extremely valuable for farming metals.
Careful with wooded areas. First, because, currently, you can’t remove trees entirely - they will come back through your foundations (Side note: this is a known issue that we are working on solving). If building a house around a tree can be really cool, building around ten can be tiresome. Second, because as there are different types of forests, your first axe won’t let you chop down pine trees. So if you want a wood house and only just started the game, don’t put your plot next to a pine forest expecting easy wood gatherings. The map gives a lot of indication of the biomes and, after a while, you will know what biome hosts what resources.
So yes, finding a good spot can be tricky. And until you know the game very well, you will probably make some mistakes. So don’t overbuild on your first plot, start by learning the basics, and unlock a few recipes and crafters. Once you reach the metal, you will know better where you want to create a more persistent base or you will just decide to only have several temporary bases, ideally placed to level up specific skills!
Chapter Two: be curious and grab stuff!
The inventory and the item stacks have been vastly increased - some even say too much, so gathering a bit of everything to see if it unlocks a recipe, and stacking foods that will improve your health points, stamina, and regen is always smart.
Typically, while looking for your first spot, it can be extremely useful to grab the stones and clay you find on your way - like all of them. Gneiss rocks are easy to find close to the Petra Dei, but can be harder when you get away from it, at least until you can have your first pickaxe.
Chapter Three: find your own pace!
Pax Dei is not fast-paced. Things take time. Playing solo obviously makes the progression slower. On the other hand, you can become far more autonomous and have much better knowledge of how things interact together.
The key thing is optimization. Don't just wait for the processing crafters to finish processing stuff. You can gather flax or hunt for hides while the iron is smelting. If you focus on, say, tailoring, don’t neglect your charcoal kilns burning because you will need a ton of charcoal when you get to smithing!
Chapter Four: you can take some enemy camps, solo!
Of course, as a solo player don’t expect to go into the dungeon alone, but as soon as you can have a mix of mail and leather, you can start to take on the Inquisition camps. You will have to be very careful with your pulls and be ready to run if things get hectic.
As for gathering and crafting, there is a lot to learn. Get familiar with how enemies attack, learn to pull with a bow, and use a shield to block and bash. Don’t be afraid to craft a LOT of wooden arrows. They don't do a lot of damage, but they are very cheap, are enough to pull, and will help you level up your Bow skill.
Your blocking skill can also be critical as it has a huge impact on the mitigated damage. Check the different enemy camps, caves, and ruins. Some are easier than others and they often offer different rewards.
At this point, you will probably discover your first magic recipe and craft your first magic item. The world will then look different to your eyes.
To close this chapter, and to say the opposite of what we stated at its beginning: there are stories of players who manage to go solo into some dungeons. How do they do that? They plan. They get prepared. They remain careful. It is not easy and it is very dangerous. When you die, the corpse run part can be extremely difficult. However, these players have proven it is possible.
Chapter Five: don’t be shy, interact with others!
Writing an article about solo playing to advise on non-solo playing can be surprising, but again: playing solo does not mean playing alone.
Here, we are not telling you to join a Clan, even if you can find some who accept solo players and even some who regroup mainly solo players. What’s the point? They share hints and materials and sometimes group together to make some dungeon runs.
Though, the key point here is that you should not be afraid to interact with other players. It can be a friendly neighbor with whom you will exchange pieces of advice or a random encounter in the forest that will point you to some gathering spots or a cave that hosts a rare mob. Perhaps you have a Clan in your Home Valley open to trading basic materials - clay, gneiss, wood… - for equipment.
An Iron Axe or Pickaxe can drastically ease your progression, and even just a little armor can greatly improve your survivability. It could also be a pick-up group that will help you farm a rare in an enemy camp.
You can even meet people outside the game, on Reddit or Discord, for example, and make alliances. All in all, it is up to you, but don’t forget: in an MMO, there is a point where interacting with others can be hard to avoid.
Chapter Six: Discord is part of the meta.
Perhaps you don’t know it, but when you purchase Pax Dei, you can obtain a Founder role on our official Discord server. This role will give you access to channels dedicated to Early Access - and a nice orange color for your nickname. Here, you will find global channels like community-help and some shard specific channels where you can find trade opportunities, player-driven events, and more.
As Pax Dei develops, you can expect to see alliances being made, wars being declared, and lists of outlaws… An MMO is about the community, and Discord is a great place for it.
We hope you enjoyed those tips for playing Pax Dei solo - If you have more, share them with the rest of the community in the ea-discussion channel!
Pax Vobiscum - The Mainframe team