I think I'm finished; a new player's final thoughts

[Xantavia]

It's almost as if the people commenting in this thread haven't even read the original post.

This isn't about one player, one job, one mission, or even a wiki.

It's about the fact that recruiting friends to play this game is a lost cause in the current state of the game. The average player will probably spend at most a month here, because, as Crevox pointed out, they will be expected to jump through multiple months worth of hoops to even have a shot at joining the worst possible shout group of players that will have almost no chance of success anyway.

Why would recruiting friends be a detriment to enjoying the game? I suppose it can feel like a slog if as a brand new player your only goal is to do the current endgame. But there is 11 years worth of content, so what is the rush for new players. Find a few friends, make your own shell, and enjoy the game on your terms. Finish Zilart with them and get some gear from the sky gods. Is it outdated in terms of Aldouin content? Yes it is. But it can be great gear when you guys decide to knock out CoP. Get your rajas ring, supponomi, and brutal earring, then look into WotG. Abyssea will open up new gear options and let fight all kinds of mobs.

Just because the content isn't new for the existing playerbase, it is still new for new players.

[Bukota]

Why would recruiting friends be a detriment to enjoying the game? I suppose it can feel like a slog if as a brand new player your only goal is to do the current endgame. But there is 11 years worth of content, so what is the rush for new players. Find a few friends, make your own shell, and enjoy the game on your terms. Finish Zilart with them and get some gear from the sky gods. Is it outdated in terms of Aldouin content? Yes it is. But it can be great gear when you guys decide to knock out CoP. Get your rajas ring, supponomi, and brutal earring, then look into WotG. Abyssea will open up new gear options and let fight all kinds of mobs.

Just because the content isn't new for the existing playerbase, it is still new for new players.

Because it's an MMO?

Because I like to have shared experiences with real life friends like the OP?

It's hard to welcome them to a game that often feels like an uphill battle.

Also, in case you aren't aware, there has been a lot of accounts on here of attempting to put together a linkshell as you mentioned.

The abysmal new player retention rate pretty much makes this impossible.

[Bukota]

But they can't experience the same game you did, because the population isn't there to support it. If COP were still the same as it was in 2004 no new players would be able to complete it. The requirements HAD to change or it would be an insurmountable roadblock no matter how dedicated the new player was.

Thank you so much.

At least some one gets it.

[Olor]

I get it too. The funny thing is I have been working on CoP here and there when nothing else is going on for awhile. BUT, it just makes me angry that I can't get my upgraded AF until I finish. It actually has stopped me from logging in the past few days. Not sure if I am going on another sub break. Depends on if relic reforging is similarly roadblocked.

[Demonjustin]

Well Olor, expect it to be, since that NPC is the cause for it and not the armor itself, and since the menu has a selection for Artifact rather than simply the options involving Artifact, it likely means they are just using that NPC for all 3 Reforged Gear sets, which also means it is highly likely all 3 will need that exact same requirement.

[Xantavia]

Because it's an MMO?

Because I like to have shared experiences with real life friends like the OP?

It's hard to welcome them to a game that often feels like an uphill battle.

Thats the point I'm trying to make. Get your friends playing and there is plenty of stuff to do. Unless your goal is to get friends to join and try to have reforged AF+1 within a month. Its a question of what you are looking for out of the game. I see those of us posting here have two drastically different visions on what we want out of the game.

I subscribe to the idea that the journey to the end is the best part of the game. Start a new character, participate in content as I'm able to do it, then get involved in endgame because there is nothing else to do.

The impression I get from the OP and others swaps the last too parts. Start a new character, get involved in endgame, then maybe do the rest of the content in the game. They are unhappy because to them, they are forced to do the last step before they can do the second step.

I don't understand that mentality myself. I've tried, but it still doesn't make sense. All I hear is that the other stuff is outdated and the rewards aren't worth anything. I see it as a viable rewards if you aren't focused on rushing to the end.

[Crevox]

they are forced to do the last step before they can do the second step.

Because the majority of the last step is a solo endeavor. Even if I get my friends in game, all those CoP missions and stuff are solo content. I've already explained why in the main post.

It gets difficult to find things you CAN do together besides exp until end game.

[bungiefanNA]

It doesn't have to be solo content. My LS has been doing Zilart and Promathia missions as a group. With the new Trust NPC from Aht Urhgan, I can see us doing that as a group really soon. I've gone out several times to help people with the key in Sacrarium, and stuck around for several more missions until they decided they wanted a break. We're also looking to do things like Garrison and some other uncommon events to just get a change of pace and do something for fun.

[AppropriateName5786]

Thats the point I'm trying to make. Get your friends playing and there is plenty of stuff to do. Unless your goal is to get friends to join and try to have reforged AF+1 within a month. Its a question of what you are looking for out of the game. I see those of us posting here have two drastically different visions on what we want out of the game.

Get your friends to play? Isn't the difficulty/impossibility of doing that exactly what has been explained to bits in this thread? It is shocking how we go in circles and never make any progress with those unwilling to be open-minded, even when every counter-argument they make is broken down and refuted to them clearly.

I subscribe to the idea that the journey to the end is the best part of the game. Start a new character, participate in content as I'm able to do it, then get involved in endgame because there is nothing else to do.

You must have been obsessed with WotG's journey, then, because it took 3 years to finish, and the multiple hours of content was worth the wait? Your second sentence makes no sense. New players cannot experience content as you do, because (once again): 1) the population is not the same as before, 2) you have more resources and connections to do what you want to do, 3) the gear you have is most likely better and makes soloing old content much easier, 4) you've seen SoA content already (so of course you're not in any hurry), 5) you understand the systems in place already and don't have to do a fraction of the research to get to your goal, and 6) you have already cleared the roadblocks and are not excluded from content you want to access. Those are just off the top of my head, but there are plenty more reasons.

I know it takes some people a while to realize things, but SoA was released in March 2013 and if you haven't realized this 11 months on, I'll do you a favor and just state it to you. SoA is not "end game." It is "the game." No one does anything outside of SoA unless they have very niche interests (such as building a mythic), and even then they are making it to participate in SoA events. The core game for everyone standing in Jeuno/Adoulin camping shouts all day is centered around SoA content. Furthermore, the devs work on ilevel 119 content only, and any quality of life changes made are only to facilitate getting to 99 and then ilevel 119 (e.g. SoE, FoV, GoV, Trust). You can go back and do the rest of the expansions/old irrelevant content when you have experienced all the current SoA content. I'm sure when a new player joins, it's not because he somehow saw RoZ in isolation and said "I must play FFXI for this expansion!"

I don't understand that mentality myself. I've tried, but it still doesn't make sense. All I hear is that the other stuff is outdated and the rewards aren't worth anything. I see it as a viable rewards if you aren't focused on rushing to the end.

This is really a personal view/issue and has no bearing on the OP's interests. You can try doing Delve, WKR, Skirmish, SKCNM, or AA II in full thaumas/empy/relic +2 gear as a blu, holding a level 99 Almace and Isador, while rocking your (easily replaceable) Suppanomimi and (easily replaceable) Rajas Ring. No one will stop you. But it's obvious that all these pre-SoA rewards/gear are not crucial, and are not vital to you having a fulfilling game experience while playing with 99% of the players left in FFXI.

I apologize for all the bold-faced words, but I've come to realize that certain people have trouble with deduction and getting the main point of a post and I'm trying to help them out.

[Bukota]

You must have been obsessed with WotG's journey, then, because it took 3 years to finish, and the multiple hours of content was worth the wait? Your second sentence makes no sense. New players cannot experience content as you do, because (once again): 1) the population is not the same as before, 2) you have more resources and connections to do what you want to do, 3) the gear you have is most likely better and makes soloing old content much easier, 4) you've seen SoA content already (so of course you're not in any hurry), 5) you understand the systems in place already and don't have to do a fraction of the research to get to your goal, and 6) you have already cleared the roadblocks and are not excluded from content you want to access. Those are just off the top of my head, but there are plenty more reasons.

Perfect summation of the theme being expressed in this thread, and the major roadblocks to new players making a bid for longevity in the current state of the game.