why has getting and keeping a group together for endgame gotten a lot harder?

[Olor]

Hey, I've been trying to get into parties or form my own to actually do some events, and I and other leaders are finding it harder and harder to get enough people together to do high tier battlefields/skirmish/incursion/delve/etc. especialy when you consider how "strict" party roles are.

I just feel like it's hard to get anything done in terms of endgame events if it's gotten so hard to fill a party out for high tier battlefields or skirmish or even Adoulin missions, sometimes It's really, REALLY difficult to get that elusive Aegis/Ochain PLD or a COR or BRD so you have songs/rolls. I just feel like with the limited server pop being able to find good PLDs as well as a good buffer job, and some nights it's even hard to find that last DD sometimes.

I'm willing to admit it just might be my server. but even when I'm not taking charge as a WHM and forming my own group (which is what I usually have to do.), when I join someone else's shout, it just falls apart because we can't find one more person or we can't find x or y job we need to have a good party comp.

It's cause job balance is borked and the fun has been sucked out of events. I have a 3 song bard that can do most events no problem but I got sick of only ever playing it, and being treated like crap when I did play it. Frankly support jobs are a pain to play because everyone feels entitled to yell at you if you don't play perfectly.

Now I see people shout for an hour for a bard for an event I could do but I'd rather level up my goldsmithing or something because I just don't have fun in pick up groups anymore. Abyssea was a good time, the game was chill there was content for all kinds of players, these days its "BE PERFECT OR DIE" and, frankly, I don't have the patience for it 99% of the time. I know I can't be alone.

Honestly, the devs need to up drop rates in easier difficulty levels a bit, so that people can lower the difficulty a bit and still have a chance of getting something more than a chapter. The game is supposed to be fun but the grim drop rates at "normal" and below make it so it doesn't feel like there is any point in doing the content at all unless it is on higher difficulties and at higher difficulties it's not fun anymore.

If the devs think that they are keeping players around by artificially extending the life of this content by making it no fun to do... well that's a really really crappy plan. Abyssea proved that giving plentiful rewards and having fun content that encouraged some job diversity gives life to the game.

I'm okay with like 1 event being "hardcore only" but right now I feel like every event requires a near perfect set up of a handful of jobs with perfect gearswaps etc. and it's just not fun.

[Granis]

A lot of the jobs are skippable, you definitely don't need a BRD, COR nor ochain/aegis PLD to beat the BC unless you're doing VD. Once I've seen a PUG leader refuse to enter a Normal difficulty BC without a BRD in pt, claiming it's 100% wipe without a BRD. It took me a while to convince him that it's completely not worth the time to /shout for a BRD and N is doable without a BRD. In the end we won fairly easily as well.

Next time if you can't find certain jobs, just go without them.

Yeah, I guess next time I can just go "we have this many people, PST with jobs" and not stress out over getting those buffs and that cookie cutter tank. and just take whoever shows up, even if it's just me on WHM with 5 random DD (even if they are all SAM because Samurai Fantasy 11) at least one of the DD should hopefully have a hate holding/not die gearset.

[Alhanelem]

I think one of the reasons is people are using the unity concord and joining linkshells and forming groups with those systems and that's reducing the number of shouts and candidates available when shouting.

[Mitruya]

It's cause job balance is borked and the fun has been sucked out of events. I have a 3 song bard that can do most events no problem but I got sick of only ever playing it, and being treated like crap when I did play it. Frankly support jobs are a pain to play because everyone feels entitled to yell at you if you don't play perfectly.

Now I see people shout for an hour for a bard for an event I could do but I'd rather level up my goldsmithing or something because I just don't have fun in pick up groups anymore. Abyssea was a good time, the game was chill there was content for all kinds of players, these days its "BE PERFECT OR DIE" and, frankly, I don't have the patience for it 99% of the time. I know I can't be alone.

Honestly, the devs need to up drop rates in easier difficulty levels a bit, so that people can lower the difficulty a bit and still have a chance of getting something more than a chapter. The game is supposed to be fun but the grim drop rates at "normal" and below make it so it doesn't feel like there is any point in doing the content at all unless it is on higher difficulties and at higher difficulties it's not fun anymore.

If the devs think that they are keeping players around by artificially extending the life of this content by making it no fun to do... well that's a really really crappy plan. Abyssea proved that giving plentiful rewards and having fun content that encouraged some job diversity gives life to the game.

I'm okay with like 1 event being "hardcore only" but right now I feel like every event requires a near perfect set up of a handful of jobs with perfect gearswaps etc. and it's just not fun.

OMG yes, this is so true and has been since SoA came out.

[Oakrest]

As an ochain/excalibur pld, even I still don't have delve clears and am finding it impossible to get a group on Bahamut. I recognize a big part of my problem was that I was really turned off by Adoulin and the announcement of iLvl, and so originally I had no interest in the content and didn't put much effort in. However, after taking a break and returning, it seems the only way I'm going to get a delve clear is to either lvl and gear brd, or gear my sch. I'm not really up for playing a job I don't want to play, just to clear content - so that ultimately means no Delve for me.

I can see the predicament SE is in: if they make Delve inclusive for all jobs, that will probably also mean making the event easier. This means those who enjoy the difficulty aren't happy - either way, somebody isn't happy.

I wish I had an answer, but there probably isn't one other than leveling the cookie cutter job needed and doing the work. Party finders definitely aren't the answer, that was a disaster in FFXIV.

[Tidis]

With regard to PLD in Delve, if that's the only job you're advertising, you won't get delve clears since in the typical set ups for low man delve, you only need PLD for Marjami and even then, it would be really beneficial to have an Aegis for the megaboss.

Another problem is that most people who regularly clear delve, do so in a sort of static, they have the winning formula and continue to stick with it as it makes them a substantial amount of gil.

[Malithar]

However, after taking a break and returning, it seems the only way I'm going to get a delve clear is to either lvl and gear brd, or gear my sch. I'm not really up for playing a job I don't want to play, just to clear content - so that ultimately means no Delve for me.

My hours are junk anymore, and tbh I've never seen you around in game, but if you catch me online, hit me up. Not going to lie, Pld doesn't have much use in Delve, but a few friends and I randomly do lowish man Delve just cause. Could prolly get you in for a quick clear or three.

[Oakrest]

My hours are junk anymore, and tbh I've never seen you around in game, but if you catch me online, hit me up. Not going to lie, Pld doesn't have much use in Delve, but a few friends and I randomly do lowish man Delve just cause. Could prolly get you in for a quick clear or three.

Whoa awesome dude! You're also on Bahamut? I'll try and message you anytime I'm on (usually EST pm hours).

And yea, I've come to realize PLD isn't needed or useful in Delve (hence my previous post), I was mainly just posting to show some forum visitors that even a relic/empy pld can struggle clearing content if you don't know enough people / friends. That said, I have a ton of other jobs, just none that are ilvl (or more importantly than I'm enjoying playing these days) such as cor, sch, mnk, etc. Perhaps cor would be useful since it's less iLvl dependent? In any case, it would be fun to meetup!

[BobbinT]

Back on SoA early days, there were big demands for MNKs to do delves. And so, I do spend about a week cap-levelling & skilling it, and maybe another week working on preliminary gears especially the one that helps enhance that 100 fist skill. And boy, I do get in those content quite easily. Not so much these days. ^^;

Heck, I can't even get a VW clears on Jeuno. Only thing I can do for the time being is joining most popular shouted stuff, like WKR or Skirmishes.

Anyways, I'm only here for the free login campaign, and unfortunately have to go back to XIV when it's over again. And with those troubles with payment options, it's getting even more harder for me to make longer returns.