The "Go Solo It" fever

[Superchicken]

People aren't really helpful to strangers because there's largely been a lack of incentive to do so. Exceptions are involved if you by chance need the same thing, but that's pretty much a case of mutual back scratching.

Back in the day, you'd see few willing to go back and redo CoP missions. The cost of medicines, EXP loss on failure, and the often long trudges through remote locations weren't exactly conducive to risk-taking. So, this basically devolved into people accepting cookie-cutter set ups for PUGs and if you weren't one of the in jobs, tough luck. Fortunately, the cap increase and lifting of restrictions helped to alleviate this issue, but even before that you could see SE maybe took the hint that a lack of reward wasn't helping things, so you got the meager EXP payment for helpers. Definitely a case of far too little, though.

Fast forward to today and while you might have some issues getting boss or caturae clears for Abyssea, it's not nearly as unrelenting. Finding assistance for more mundane activities like magian trials can be a chore, though. In the past on Alla I made a request thread asking for a system of "Kupo Points" where, if helping someone on a trial you're not on yourself, you're given credit to invest on your own needs. For kills, this could mean every 5 you get for someone could become a credit for 1 kill on another trial. 30 could possibly be an Empyrean seal or weapon item like Mikey's Nugget. 50 could be an AF+2 item while 100/125/150 could go toward the respective Empyrean weapon tier items.

Personally, I've never been a fan of throwing gil at a problem. "Helpers" can ask unreasonable prices, and odds are if you're having a rough time doing one thing, making good cash fast isn't really on your plate, either. I can't recall what the census called the average gil gain for a player was, but I don't think it was terribly high. 500k per person, if not willing to split, isn't reasonable for something as an example.

Meanwhile, making friends isn't as easy as it sounds, either. A lot of "end game" shells close themselves off, and the shrinking of required bodies for things hasn't really encouraged recruitment for new blood while even in-shell people break off into little cliques. While PUGs still get things done, you're often at the mercy of finding others who need the same thing at the same time you're playing who happen to be in the same zone you're shouting for help with.

Actually, I guess that leads into the game needing a global chat channel so people looking for help can find it more easily. It'll just need a broadcast timer to keep spam to a minimum and possible GM supervision to keep flame wars down and the channel serving its purpose.

i like the global chat channel idea, wouldn't need a gm to supervise it, you just blist the ignorants who will come in there just to spam.

[Dallas]

I like helping people because I usually can find something I can benefit from as well. My only concern is when I join a Salvage static that morphs into a complete Mythic weapon static.

[Vinceroth]

i like SE's idea of making many things/aspects in the game soloable. there are many other things like dyna, salvage, sky, sea etc that would be wonderful to be able to solo for the reason that no one really wants to help anyone anymore. many of the players are all centered around the end game content, and now that you can jump from 30-90 in an extremely small amount of time, there's even less people that will help bc they're focused on the aby items. in my opinion, SE should make a large amount of the game solo friendly for that reason, but at the same time, to keep the aspect of grouping, lower the drop rates on anything you solo. like lets take kirin, used to be it would take larger numbers to kill, and now with the cap at 90, and all the OP gear/weapons, you can low man it, but what about the people that can't spend the time to gather up 6 people to kill him? or better yet, the mythic weapons, what if someone can't get a handful of people to spend months on end to dedicate themselves to getting it? SE should imploy a method of taking kirin, or mythic weapon aquiring, and base the drop rates on how many people are fighting/engaged in the enemy. if 1 person takes action against the monster then drop rate will be lowered, and difficulty will be lowered to match the 1 person, but if lets say 2 or more take action, then the drop rate increase and the monsters difficulty will increase to match...just things like that would make it much easier on the people that love the game, but lack the time to dedicate to an end game ls

[Sleven]

This may have been said previously on this thread but I am tired and really don't feel like reading all of the pages of posts.

I have experienced the same thing with the "Go solo It" fever. I noticed some ppl that said "Get a linkshell that will help." This is an excellent idea. Although most ls are interested in the goals of the majority. Not each individual member. Unless of course you could get some friends inside the ls. However, more often than not the people who consider your "ls friends" are only there to get you to help them and then bail w/o helping you.

The sad fact is that. In order for you to get help you will have to pay for it. Unless, as said in the begining post, SE offers some kind of incentive program to get other to help out.

That being said. My name is Slevenkelevra, I play on Phoenix and if you need any help with stuff and are tired of shitheads saying "Go solo it" drop me a tell. I WILL HELP you out on w/e you need most day. I only ask that you are around to help me out when I need it.

Maybe with 1 person like me helping out someone it will catch on and we will make a better game experience for all.

[Krystal]

To the posters who gave advice. /applaud +2
There's almost nothing that can't be wiki'd when it comes to FFXIclopedia.com. Once you know how to use the search engine, finding answers is as easy as following clues on what you're trying to accomplish. Want to know how to get your Atma of the Voracious Violet? Search "Atma" or "Atma of the Voracious Violet." Clicking where it comes from, then how to get to that monster and how to kill it are filled with tons of information. I don't recommend "Googling It" when there's something so much more precise than the internet as a whole.

"wiki it" is the new "Google it" when it comes to FFXI......wow...that's sad.....>.>;

[Superbeast]

i like SE's idea of making many things/aspects in the game soloable. there are many other things like dyna, salvage, sky, sea etc that would be wonderful to be able to solo for the reason that no one really wants to help anyone anymore. many of the players are all centered around the end game content, and now that you can jump from 30-90 in an extremely small amount of time, there's even less people that will help bc they're focused on the aby items. in my opinion, SE should make a large amount of the game solo friendly for that reason, but at the same time, to keep the aspect of grouping, lower the drop rates on anything you solo. like lets take kirin, used to be it would take larger numbers to kill, and now with the cap at 90, and all the OP gear/weapons, you can low man it, but what about the people that can't spend the time to gather up 6 people to kill him? or better yet, the mythic weapons, what if someone can't get a handful of people to spend months on end to dedicate themselves to getting it? SE should imploy a method of taking kirin, or mythic weapon aquiring, and base the drop rates on how many people are fighting/engaged in the enemy. if 1 person takes action against the monster then drop rate will be lowered, and difficulty will be lowered to match the 1 person, but if lets say 2 or more take action, then the drop rate increase and the monsters difficulty will increase to match...just things like that would make it much easier on the people that love the game, but lack the time to dedicate to an end game ls

Agreed, I love the making it solo-able and just simply lowering the drop rate, something along these lines accompanied with a help point system or how many it took to do it of proper proportion would be a excellent idea, I hope SE is paying attention to these forums, some good stuff going on here.

[Nattack]

I am a man of very many solo's, and poor luck at the casino. and I can safely say lowering the droprate will cause me to go insane.

[Glamdring]

The usual advice I would give the new player who wants help with stuff is to "pay it forward"; a little help from you can get alot in return. Unfortunately, with most people having a 90 now it's kinda hard TO help anyone as a noob, even if you are a good player. The best bet is to join a good social LS and be loyal! If you show up as a noob, but have some decent conversation and a genuine interest in the other people in the LS good things will come, and the help will be there when you are ready for it. On the other hand, if you just show yourself to be a lazy jag I'll ask the leader (in /tell) to just boot this guy because he has no interest in being a decent player, and as far as I'm concerned might as well be an RMT asking me for a PL.

As to telling someone to "wiki it" I'm guilty of this alot. HOWEVER, it's not out of a desire to not answer your question, it's because I can't do it in 60 characters! So I'll tell you to "wiki skill caps" if you want to know what your skill cap is at 47 blue, I'll tell you to check the sandworm FAMILY page if you want to know what regurgitation does, and I'll tell you to check the guides section at the bottom of the blue page if you want to know what spells to hang at 53 to get auto-refresh because I know the guide is there and I don't actually know the answer.

I think the Help points system could work. Players can give other players help points if they actually received any, and those points can be redeemed for consumables (food/meds) or some special R/EX items. To prevent abuse, they can only be given by players below level 45 (or whatever the current sub-job level cap is) after being in a party or alliance for at least 45 minutes with the other player, or after a title change (unless done via the title changer or the smuggling and airship NPC quests) and at least a 2 hour party/alliance at levels above the sub-job level limit.

[Henihhi]

The "go solo it" fever as you like to call it is a direct result of players past having done the shit w/o nerfs and having no pity on the people that can manage to solo at 50 stuff we did at 30. If you don't like it or cant move on, please go to another game. SE has already nerfed stuff so much most of your cries for help fall on deaf ears.

[Beowolf]

Agreed, I love the making it solo-able and just simply lowering the drop rate, something along these lines accompanied with a help point system or how many it took to do it of proper proportion would be a excellent idea, I hope SE is paying attention to these forums, some good stuff going on here.

this doesnt realy bother me as a returning veteran, just makes it better for me to complete the things i got left off on back when i "quit" few more ToAu, and WoG stuff to complete, as well as the other 2 original add ons, and abyssea. bring it on ill "solo" it :P with my friends too! we will solo it together the way FFxi intended us too o.O;... in all seriousness i like the idea!