Like everything else, it has pros and cons

The most common advice veteran WoW players give newbies is to find a guild or a group to raid with. However, not all players like group content, so they ask if solo play is fun. It’s a loaded question with mixed answers, but it all boils down to what you want to do and your natural disposition toward others. WoW gold can wait, so read about the pros and cons of playing alone.

Pros of Solo Play

No Schedules, No Pressure

Raiding groups and guilds have a regular schedule for dungeon runs. More than that, they could have strict equipment and level requirements. They can easily kick you out if you show up late or have subpar gear. That creates pressure on the player to level up quickly and expose themselves to jerks through PUGs for items.

When you’re alone, there’s nothing. You go at your own pace. Play whenever you want without feeling bad that someone is waiting for you. Do whatever activity you want to do without the expectation of others. Don’t worry about statistics and how well you’re doing. You can play and have fun: no obligations, no pressure, just enjoyment.

Avoid Drama

Interactions with other people inevitably go one of two ways: pleasant or not. Unfortunately, there always seems to be more of the latter than the former. When you avoid people, you also avoid the politics that come with big groups and the frequent rude teammates.

Nobody would ask you to hurry up leveling, tell you that you suck, or insult your playstyle. You can avoid the nagging to add macros or the cursing and accusations of a teammate when you get the equipment they want. You’re free of the social posturing and measuring contests. Nobody can make you feel inadequate about your choices when you’re alone. It includes any role-play drama or awkwardness if you’re into that.

Focus On What You Want

It bears emphasis that you have the freedom to choose what you want. Questing, exploration, lore-hunting, professions, you name it, you can do it. With a group, you’re forced to rush, as mentioned above. That leaves little time to enjoy the stories, the art, and more of the game.

Groups make playing WoW something like office work. You must be online at specific times, contribute gold or resources, and fulfill gear and level requirements, or else you’re kicked out (fired). Players usually log in to escape those same specific obligations. For those kinds of players, being alone is much better.

If you want to make more alts, you can. Make them do various professions and provide materials for each other. Explore the classes and races. Have fun your way.

Cons of Solo Play

Less Content

Don’t get it wrong. There’s plenty to do in World of Warcraft alone. You’ll have a more challenging time doing group activities solo. That also limits your gear since the best ones come from group dungeons or raids. It’s still possible but mainly for old content when you’re over-leveled.

Much PvP content is also limited, as you need teams for specific categories. You’re left with achievements, collectibles (such as WoW mounts), and quests. These can provide hours of content, but then they’re also finite.

You can do raids again and again (and you will). That’s why it’s considered the ‘endgame’ content. Quests, collectibles, and solo content will eventually run out. Finally, you’ll have ‘finished’ the game, meaning you can’t do anything anymore, and your subscription is useless.

No Guild Perks

Of course, playing alone will mean you won’t join a guild. However, you’ll miss out on various benefits. Plus, the Guild Bank can be an excellent source of materials and gear (make sure to make up for them).

Solo play means you’re alone, so a guild isn’t required. Some cater to loners, but you can still choose to join or not. Still, most would avoid entering one for the second reason listed in Pros.

Loneliness Can Creep Up on You

Everything’s better with friends, and WoW is no exception. Sharing experiences with them make playing the game more fun. Without them, it can be lonely. Even the most introverted people still need to talk to other people occasionally.

Loneliness is a feeling that can build up and fester. Once it hits critical mass, you may associate the game with it. That leads to you wanting to avoid the game since you’ve connected it to a negative feeling. Making friends within the game can be tricky because you’ll encounter a bully more likely than not.

This could be one cause of burnout for solo players. It’s something to think about, at least.

Your Disposition and Other Factors

Your disposition is about you and how you relate to other people. Extroverts are likely to have little fun playing solo in an MMO. They’d require social interaction and probably pulled friends to start the game. They can make friends easily and enjoy group activities more.

In contrast, introverts are more likely to enjoy playing solo. For them, being alone does not equal loneliness, though they do feel that way sometimes. Still, they’d rather not talk to or interact with people. They’d prefer the more relaxed style of solo play.

Another factor is what kinds of activities you prefer. Some would like raiding, and others prefer questing and exploring. There could even be a group who’d alternate between the two. From that logic, the former would rather play in a group, while the latter would enjoy solo play more.

So Is WoW Fun Solo?

As mentioned, it depends on whether you can handle the cons and the unsociability it entails. If you’re an extrovert, likely not. Introverts have more incentives to do it and would enjoy it more. If raiding and pushing the limits of the class is your jam, no, going the loner way won’t be fun.

If exploration, questing, collecting, achievements, lore hunting, and professions are enjoyable, then yes, you’ll like playing solo.

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