6-man content means no one uses linkshells anymore?

[Gwydion]

Hi SE,
I think the persistence of 6-man content has created an environment across Vanadiel were linkshells are just used any more. This is extremely sad.

Has anyone else noticed this? I see people make group of 5-6 and consistently shout for 1 job (usually COR or PLD/tank), and then go about their merry way into Sortie or Odyssey Shaol C.

This is an incredibly frustrating game play experience. I spend so much time AFK, that I might as well just play another game while AFK'ing ....and I do!

[Catmato]

That's the nature of the server you choose to play on.

[Sirmarki]

That's the nature of the server you choose to play on.

Nah. There are many active linkshells.

[Alhanelem]

People use linkshells all the time. Their purposes may vary but they are very much still a thing on all servers.

I played PUP and SMN as mains way back in the day. You have no idea how much time I spent idle in town looking for parties back when we still did things like that.

[Gwydion]

People use linkshells all the time. Their purposes may vary but they are very much still a thing on all servers.

I played PUP and SMN as mains way back in the day. You have no idea how much time I spent idle in town looking for parties back when we still did things like that.

I played Beastmaster as my main job for 5 years. Believe me, Early BST = Forever Alone. I got you beat on that by a mile.

[Sp1cyryan]

I use LSs. I like 6 person balanced events.

Might as wl say no one uses LSs because of Discord next.

[Alhanelem]

I played Beastmaster as my main job for 5 years. Believe me, Early BST = Forever Alone. I got you beat on that by a mile.Honestly, until well into Audolin, PUP was probably less popular than BST. And SMN wasn't being used the way anyone actually wanted it to be, it was just being used as a sub par healer with some redundant buffs.

[Gwydion]

I want to bump my thread and mention a contributing factor to the over-all player decline.

There is a mixed problem with daily 6-man content and it's affect on the FFXI population. One person in a 6-man static Sortie group will inevitably take a break for a day or a week or more. The remainder of the group will find 1 or 2 replacements depending on the day of the week, and they will continue their runs. The person who takes a break returns and their spot is still saved in the static group. The person who has just a temporarily fill-in has to go back to looking for a group all over again. This new group, my have different expectations of demands for what gear that player upgrades to +2 or +3. The player spends their Gallimaufry accordingly. After 2 or 3 groups with inconsistent expectations and hurting gains on their progress towards a prime weapon, this fill-in player is left frustrated.

/Yells and /Shouts help search a large pool of players to fill-in. Linkshells help narrow that pool. But the overall situation, where a person just fills in random spots, even if they make a group of their own, it will be a while before they are productive, even if they get comitted plaers. This is feels like a Negative Duty Finder effect, and actually makes it difficult to collaborate on content.

Proposal: What if Sortie had an entry mechanism where it picked 6 random players from the waiting queue and put them in a party together? The benefit of playing with random single characters could be a bonus towards Gallimaufry or an NQ/+1/+2 Earring of their choice?

This is just a suggestion, but please help us out, SE.

[Alhanelem]

I feel you, but it's fair to say that th is isn't a new problem.

I'd actually really like to see a queue system- the problem is, party comps in FFXI aren't simple like they are in other games that use the Holy Trinity of Tank Healer DPS. I'd be concerned about auto matched parties getting PUPs or BSTs and getting kicked or party disbanded right off the bat.

[Gwydion]

I feel you, but it's fair to say that th is isn't a new problem.

I'd actually really like to see a queue system- the problem is, party comps in FFXI aren't simple like they are in other games that use the Holy Trinity of Tank Healer DPS. I'd be concerned about auto matched parties getting PUPs or BSTs and getting kicked or party disbanded right off the bat.

Appreciate your feedback. But even if it's not a new problem, it's gotten significantly worse.

[Alhanelem]

Random queueing can only work if all jobs are rigidly assigned into roles. And the problem iwth FFXI is many jobs can fit into multiple roles or don't solidly fit into any.