[Suggestion] Can we get a “Hide All Players” option?

It doesn't matter what fabulous glam someone is wearing when they were part of the crowd blocking the view of my character and the NPCs. No, I'm not talking about issues with targeting, I can target term just fine. I want to see the NPCs and my character.

So donut shaped draw distance would also work for me.

If I grinded enough to get a Hrothgar in a thong and hooker boots I feel like it should be expected everyone else will see it.

There are other Final Fantasy games without other players in them, just in case you wanted to check those out.

https://i.imgur.com/goCmZqp.gif

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MagicPeanut

I’ve always wanted a feature like this. Sometimes, I just want to feel like I’m questing alone (Especially during MSQ /Side Story Quests when people are crowding around NPC’s.) It’s absolutely infuriating to try and talk to every NPC for extra character dialogue, only to have a big stupid Chocobo with bright butterfly wings standing on them. Not to mention the fact that I hate when someone runs in and stands exactly where I’m standing and my lala is suddenly sniffing their butt. Gross. Other things like giant whale mounts that obscure vision or a motorcycle's engine hum can be pretty annoying too. Also, I play this game primarily for the MSQ, which of course sets us up like we’re each the main character of the story. While this is a bit nitpicky, it is a bit immersion breaking to see so many WoL’s running around while I’m doing the MSQ.

To clarify, I’m not asking for a whole separate instance/server where I can be alone. Just a box to check in one of the Option menus to turn off other PCs on-screen. An even better option would be to allow the player to hide individual players outside of the option for “Hide All,” where it would persist even if you turn off “Hide All.” Some RP-AFKers genuinely get on my nerves, and I’d LOVE having the option to never see them again.

Of course, hiding players wouldn’t affect dungeons or other instances that require seeing other players in combat related areas. (Such as Eureka or Bozja.) It would also not affect party members. Just the overworld. (Which would include zones, city-states, and Gold Saucer, of course.) Maybe it’d be wonky when doing FATEs, but I still think it’d be worth it. I’m sure players on lower end PCs and older models of the PS4 on Hunt Trains would be at least somewhat appreciative of a feature like this.

I manage to somewhat improve the experience of having so many players on screen by turning off names for both them and all minions and muting performance, as well as disabling other PC's battle effects in the options, but it's no substitute for actually having a feature like this.

And of course, I get it. “It’s an MMO,” a lot of people might say. But I’m already a solo player. I would just like the option to remove everyone from my sight to feel even more alone than I already do. :D Okay well, in all seriousness, it’s just a feature that wouldn’t affect anybody outside of those using it. So why not?

---

I know your pain...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Zanarkand-Ronso

Yes Actually.
Ive played the Tales of Games Series. So Im pretty used to Battle Effects littering the entire screen and sometimes not being able to see a quarter if not half the things happening.

---

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXJPzlN1pqw

I had too!! XD Everytime I se someone mention those games all I picture is an omega raid in XIV and everyone going crazy with voices like in tales LOL.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gameovers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXJPzlN1pqw

I had too!! XD Everytime I se someone mention those games all I picture is an omega raid in XIV and everyone going crazy with voices like in tales LOL.

---

That Law & Shionne Boost Strike is still Awesome.
I need to Finish Arise, it took way to long to get a good Tales of Game Again

But man...imagining 24 Characters constantly screaming Commentary, Riffs, and yelling their attack names would be Madness out of this world XD

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Zanarkand-Ronso

That Law & Shionne Boost Strike is still Awesome.
I need to Finish Arise, it took way to long to get a good Tales of Game Again

But man...imagining 24 Characters constantly screaming Commentary, Riffs, and yelling their attack names would be Madness out of this world XD

---

You're seeing it aren't you? Feeling the sunshine? I want this so much now LOL

In another game I played a Hobbit Minstrel. Before I even got out of the starting area I had a human male character pushing his crotch up in my face no matter where I went or what I did. I even put my nose to a wall when I had to get up from the computer for a minute and when I came back there he was again. I spent weeks even out in the world trying to avoid him. Every time I logged in he found me and started that crap again. I'd have killed for this option. No nothing was done when I reported the jerk.

There are reason the option to hide others or even hide a specific character could be a good thing.

While I do not really mind crowded areas and they do not affect my immersion personally, I do agree that increasing visibility on NPCs would be a nice thing to have. Especially optional dialogues can easily be missed, because nearby NPCs are hard to see sometimes. They have no indicator whatsoever, since they are not required for advancing any quest steps, but I like talking to them anyways, because those dialogues flesh out their character, can be hints to stuff on their mind or just be something funny in general. Bottom line is, they are nice to read but sometimes challenging to access or even see on patch day.

I feel like it wouldnt be that hard to implement, given we already have the setting for how many NPCs/players are on screen in the settings screen, even thought theres no "no players" option. Id also like a setting to prioritize NPCs loading in over player characters. I know some amount of pop in kinda unavoidable in MMOs, however id like to be able to keep my player character settings low while allowing NPCs to be loaded in at longer distances so I dont notice them popping in as much. But currently both seem to be tied to the same setting.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Treesus

I feel like it wouldnt be that hard to implement, given we already have the setting for how many NPCs/players are on screen in the settings screen, even thought theres no "no players" option. Id also like a setting to prioritize NPCs loading in over player characters. I know some amount of pop in kinda unavoidable in MMOs, however id like to be able to keep my player character settings low while allowing NPCs to be loaded in at longer distances so I dont notice them popping in as much. But currently both seem to be tied to the same setting.

---

The game’s /gpose feature has all the functions.
Hide NPC, other PCs, minions, pets, companion, etc.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rein_eon_Osborne

The game’s /gpose feature has all the functions.
Hide NPC, other PCs, minions, pets, companion, etc.

---

True, which would make me think that it shouldnt be impossible to give players that option outside of gpose, but then again im not knowledgeable about it to say a definitive yea or nay. Plus even with that ability, I dont know how it would work with render distance. Id like a feature to not hide ALL players, but moreso change priority of render. Given the settings of low/normal/high seem to effect how far off other models render, id like a setting to make all NPCs have say, a maxed out render so they do alot less pop in, while having players set to normal/low so they can kinda pop in and out as needed. In all honesty, its not like its a huge issue. Just a little thing id enjoy personally.

Can't believe this is still even a discussion.

There are literally no downsides to this while there are plenty of actually valid reasons for wanting it and people are still throwing around entitled comments like "You need to see my character, my character is sooooooooooo important that you shouldn't be able to hide it." Or better yet, the "Go play a single player game," cause hiding other characters in the overworld obviously turns this into a single player game, doesn't it?

I'd at least like it to prioritize NPCs over players, especially quest givers. Would probably help alleviate some congestion at quest spots if people weren't waiting to actually be able to find the NPCs to continue the quest.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by NekoMataMata

There are literally no downsides to this

---

Actually there are. Showing off your newest glamour to an unwitting and often unwilling audience is a core driver of mogstation sales. Having a blanket option to hide all other players goes directly against that.

Social interactions both good and bad are a core concept of the MMO, offering players an easy way to strip that out is going to be a net loss in player retention as many players will miss out on the social links and binds that end up in longer play times and slowing the rate at which they chew through expensive to develop content.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sebazy

Actually there are. Showing off your newest glamour to an unwitting and often unwilling audience is a core driver of mogstation sales. Having a blanket option to hide all other players goes directly against that.

Social interactions both good and bad are a core concept of the MMO, offering players an easy way to strip that out is going to be a net loss in player retention as many players will miss out on the social links and binds that end up in longer play times and slowing the rate at which they chew through expensive to develop content.

---

You've got to be kidding me right? It's a toggle. Not everyone is even going to use it, and very few people are going to use it 100% of the time.

There are going to be plenty of people that want to see your latest glam or see other people's glams in the open world. Even if they don't, they're still contributing to the overworld themselves because it's not like they can make themselves go invisible. This would also likely operate like how blacklists work in that you wouldn't be able to hide people in dungeons/trials, so those people would always see it too.

And it's not going to kill social interactions in MMOs any more than you know certain other things we allow(you know like how for instance you can do duty roulettes with a full party of friends and completely ignore its purpose while reaping the rewards and not having to deal with any "outsiders"). People who want to be social will be social. People who don't want to be or don't feel like it at any given moment in time will not be. It will change absolutely nothing. Having this option is not going to magically kill any social interactions happening in-game.

I don't normally like to absolutely throw people's ideas or theories out like this, but when are all so pointless. It's nothing but fear mongering. "OMG you're going to kill the MMO. You're turning my game into a single player game!" Quit throwing a hissy fit.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by NekoMataMata

I don't normally like to absolutely throw people's ideas or theories out like this, but when are all so pointless. It's nothing but fear mongering. "OMG you're going to kill the MMO. You're turning my game into a single player game!" Quit throwing a hissy fit.

---

Where am I throwing a hissy fit or proclaiming that this would kill the MMO? I suspect you might be misunderstanding what I'm saying.

I'm a raid logger these days, I couldn't care less about my own glamour, let alone anyone else so I don't have a horse of my own in this race. I'm simply putting forward how coorporate at SE will view this. It's an addition that just isn't in their interests to add.

Edit:

Perhaps a better way of looking at this from SE's perspective would be this:

Look at dead hubs areas in older MMO: They are a bad look and make even successful MMOs feel dead and lifeless. SoE accidentally stumbled upon the solution by keeping PoK and the Nexus relevant across a sequence of expansions. SE clearly care about keeping obsolete content relevant to avoid the same dead look in old areas and you can see it across multiple systems. Everything from various Relic steps to the firmament is designed to ensure that old hubs and regions still have players actively running around them.

This button goes against all of that.

It's not fear mongering, it's simple logic.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sebazy

Where am I throwing a hissy fit or proclaiming that this would kill the MMO? I suspect you might be misunderstanding what I'm saying.

I'm a raid logger these days, I couldn't care less about my own glamour, let alone anyone else so I don't have a horse of my own in this race. I'm simply putting forward how coorporate at SE will view this. It's an addition that just isn't in their interests to add.

---

And yet corporate SE have allowed the Trust system to grow beyond its original stint in ShB to encompass EW along with most of ARR and have plans on increasing it further to allow for newer players to essentially solo the MSQ. Now that's a bit odd in comparison to what you're suggesting here. There are numerous features in-game that conflict with your idea of what think corporate SE is pushing towards.

Also if you really wanted to point out how you felt SE would feel about the situation, shouldn't you have done so in a much more neutral way, rather than presenting it as your own thoughts and feelings? I've posted on threads where I really didn't really have a side before and I'm usually pretty clear about it when I do.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by NekoMataMata

And yet corporate SE have allowed the Trust system to grow beyond its original stint in ShB to encompass EW along with most of ARR and have plans on increasing it further to allow for newer players to essentially solo the MSQ. Now that's a bit odd in comparison to what you're suggesting here.

Also if you really wanted to point out how you felt SE would feel about the situation, shouldn't you have done so in a much more neutral way, rather than presenting it as your own thoughts and feelings? I've posted on threads where I really didn't really have a side before and I'm usually pretty clear about it when I do.

---

I'm not really sure how I could have posted my response in a more neutral way? You proclaimed that there were 'literally no downsides'. I begged to differ. I'm sorry if you find my disagreement offensive /shrug

And sure, the trust system is a fair point towards making more content soloable. I'd argue that it's as much a system to allow players to get over group content and role anxiety as it is allowing players to simply avoid ever interacting with anyone else. The comparatively slow pace that Trusts clear at (and Squadron's were nerfed to with Barrage spam getting fixed) is there to make it preferable to run content with other players vs entirely relying on trusts.

However I'd counter that point by highlighting just how many systems SE have put in place pushing the opposite with plenty of carrots in place to encourage players to use older content and interact with other players in the process. The Firmament was an absolute master class in keeping a dead hub alive whilst also pushing it as a social experience.

The average user isn't going to find the hide other players button. The people who are bothered by it are.

There are many QoL things in the game people don't know about. You already have several new people each patch who find out about target nearest npc to and other tricks to help combat the crowds, but there are very few people who stumble across those features without need.

The newbie is very unlikely to accidentally hide you from their view.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sebazy

I'm not really sure how I could have posted my response in a more neutral way? You proclaimed that there were 'literally no downsides'. I begged to differ. I'm sorry if you find my disagreement offensive /shrug

And sure, the trust system is a fair point towards making more content soloable. I'd argue that it's as much a system to allow players to get over group content and role anxiety as it is allowing players to simply avoid ever interacting with anyone else. The comparatively slow pace that Trusts clear at (and Squadron's were nerfed to with Barrage spam getting fixed) is there to make it preferable to run content with other players vs entirely relying on trusts.

However I'd counter that point by highlighting just how many systems SE have put in to encourage precisely the opposite with plenty of carrots in place to encourage players use older content and interact with other players in the process. The Firmament was an absolute master class in keeping a dead hub alive whilst also pushing it as a social experience.

---

I don't find it offensive, I just find it pointless. I also feel that in addition to your lack of neutrality for someone with no sides on this you seem to definitely have a heavy interest here or else you wouldn't have invested this much time in responses. I'm not against people offering opposing viewpoints either as long as they're meaningful. Your responses are barely a step up from the people that drop a "lolno" because everything you state has already been argued against. The faults of what you're trying to suggest have already been shown. You're being unnecessarily obstinate for no reason.

You don't even understand the concept of players being in the same spot does not mean the same as players being social. I got my crafters to 80 via firmament, and I crafted in the firmament zone itself. I did a large portion of my gathering in the diadem. Do you know how many times it was dead quiet?

A hide all other players toggle button would not change anything here. Your player will still be visible to others who don't have it on. You're still going to see shouts, yells and tells. You will still exist in game. It's honestly the best of both worlds.

Again, take yourself and your fear mongering elsewhere. Adding this option to the game is not going to harm the social aspect of it. Your multiplayer game is safe.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by NekoMataMata

I don't find it offensive, I just find it pointless.

---

Because I don't agree with you? I just like a good discussion as much as the next person. If I see someone posting something that I think is incorrect, I'll be tempted to respond to it, it's just that simple.

It doesn't matter one bit if you were talking or stone dead silent whilst doing your crafting. What matters is that you were a body doing things. You're still a part of the scenery. Remove all the bodies and you've got one lifeless sad looking zone on your hands. Even if no one's actively talking, a hub area mid patch still gives off a vibrant feel compared to the same area in the depths of pre patch blues.

I'll flip with a question of my own: If my point is so faulty, why isn't this a feature available in other big budget MMOs on the scale of Everquest, FFXI, WoW or such? The only thing I'm aware of that comes close was a bug in Rift.

Spoiler: Because it's a counterproductive feature when viewed from a purely commercial perspective and sadly, given the money that goes into developing and maintaining these MMOs at their peak, commercial perspectives will always win in the grand scheme of things.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sebazy

Because I don't agree with you? I just like a good discussion as much as the next person. If I see someone posting something that I think is incorrect, I'll be tempted to respond to it, it's just that simple.

---

Funny how earlier you said you weren't taking sides. Now you're stating that you felt my posts were incorrect. My posts are opinionated though and when it comes to opinions, there really isn't anything that's 100% correct. So by default here, you're acknowledging that you take sides, that you came here to push your perspective. Also I read your forum history and you do this all the time apparently.

Quote:

---

It doesn't matter one bit if you were talking or stone dead silent whilst doing your crafting. What matters is that you were a body doing things. You're still a part of the scenery. Remove all the bodies and you've got one lifeless sad looking zone on your hands. Even if no one's actively talking, a hub area mid patch still gives off a vibrant feel compared to the same area in the depths of pre patch blues.

---

And adding this option to the game does absolutely nothing to detract from that. Only the people with this toggle turned on will have emptier areas with less bodies. This is the point I keep trying to hammer into your head. It's a toggle, if you want to see people then you will see them. It's not taking away from anything. A new player is not going to enter the game and see a complete ghost town, because even if players with the option toggled on can't see the new player, the new player can see them.

Quote:

---

I'll flip with a question of my own: If my point is so faulty, why isn't this a feature available in other big budget MMOs on the scale of Everquest, FFXI, WoW or such? The only thing I'm aware of that comes close was a bug in Rift.

Spoiler: Because it's a counterproductive feature when viewed from a purely commercial perspective and sadly, given the money that goes into developing and maintaining these MMOs at their peak, commercial perspectives will always win in the grand scheme of things.

---

Nice. Resulting to whataboutism. Just because WoW or FFXI(seriously do you expect FFXIV to have features that FFXI doesn't have considering FFXI is its predecessor) doesn't have these features doesn't mean it's not a good idea. If we all took that mentality then we'd be stuck in the stone ages. You have to innovate sometimes. Those who fail to innovate fall behind.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by NekoMataMata

Funny how earlier you said you weren't taking sides. Now you're stating that you felt my posts were incorrect. My posts are opinionated though and when it comes to opinions, there really isn't anything that's 100% correct. So by default here, you're acknowledging that you take sides, that you came here to push your perspective. Also I read your forum history and you do this all the time apparently.

---

Actually I said I don't have a horse in the race - https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/no_horse_in_this_race

To be clear, a feature like this makes no difference to me personally because if I'm not in a duty I'm probably not logged in, I'm simply trying to explain to you why it doesn't make sense for SE to add it. If you want to take offence over simple development insight as to why your comment was incorrect then so be it.

GLHF++

This thread is proof enough why we need a hide all player option or at the very least a blacklist that actually blacklists players, lol.

It's a fair request in all honesty. Even Yoshi himself had said they want to make the game more solo friendly, granted you can take that to just mean duties (doing them with NPCs), but if the solo aspect can be controlled in instances then perhaps they can be extended to other areas of the game as well.

There may also be hardware reasons why you want to limit what is on the screen. Sure that's the player's issue if their computer isn't up to stratch, but alas some still play on potatoes.

Just bumping to add this Josh Strife Hayes video he uploaded a few days ago about why people choose to play solo. Personally, this is a response to those who say I shouldn't even be playing an MMO in the first place if I don't want to see other players.

You can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcGe...oshStrifeHayes

I still think this is an important issue so I just wanted to add more to this conversation. Sorry if you rolled your eyes seeing it pop up again. >.<

I've found that disabling player names helps alot with immersion, that's something isn't it? ^^

Would a hide all option work during hunt trains? I mean I know the bodies are still in the map so it can't help congestion but what about rendering? Asking because it's disappointing that server natives can lose out on a hunt to wanderers when really, it should be the other way around.

Cut n Dry.
A QoL that should be, and frankly is standard in many mmos, or known mmos..,

No one cares for the false equivalency of "Its an MMO"(Just like hub/session based Multi-player games arent mmos), or The anti-social and social nonsense. Let alone the Pointless, it takes resources that i, know nothing about how theyre even used/spread out anyways, but heres my man in the ring line to strawman.

How I see it, it simply can be tied in to the status system. or a option that toggles a buff.
How itd work.
If its a status, it adds a ghost symbol, or wraith or what have you, and so those who do see you know.
if Buff, it either has, or doesnt have a timer, that can easily be disabled by the player.

When in cities, its full, and you wont see anyone.<though tbh, the whole generic npc looks, and nameless, could be a happy middle for some, but there would need to be a way to reduce numbers. so I guess no players. in the end.>
when out in the world, sadly itll have to be ghost/nin level stealth. or increased visibility when in proximity to mobs/fate/etc when in the overworld<but this one is unlikely, and kinda ridiculous>
So itll have to be party members, overworld alliance, Participants<those who had progess in a fate, or are close to it, or close to a hunt mob>

<which frankly at that point, youd probably have to adjust the option in settings, be it invisible or ghosted.>

other effects would have to be, unable to emote at, or emoted on.<people can still examine you, and you them, depending if visible. but names are hidden, and youll need to toggle with x on keyboard, or etc on console. since itll prioritize the world always, unlike how it is normally where players are prioritized, over npcs. so you aint losing ease of access to npcs you wanted in the first place.


Simply put, a no loss, gain outcome.
There will always be a time someone wants to interact with the world, but not have to seclude or deal with anything.
and the majority WILL appreciate it when that time comes, asides from frequent users.

personally, Id only use it late night/long into my play time, when Im winding down, or just happened to be "off" that day. and most likely "tone" people out literally, despite them being there.

There are many options in how it could work out. and none of them have to tap people out completely.
<we already have the option to basically disable chat, and chat would still exist. simply put, the visuals would be accessible, and tone out unwanted interactions, yet still exist in the MMO world, at times when we want it.>

[Instances, Duties, and Social Zones wont have the option. like the repeating Saints Wake zones.]
This QoL would only affect the overworld, and cities.[but will not affect visually players who dont have it toggled.]

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by GTK0HLK

...

---

I like this as a good compromise that would most likely save development time/costs considering this type of effect already exists in-game. It's neat that it would also still somewhat show other players as well, for those who wouldn't want to completely ignore everyone at all times. I'd still personally want to just toggle them either completely invisible or visible, but I think your idea is a perfect starting point!

I don't play other MMOs but I know of at least one game that has the option to hide players from sight if toggled on. Glad to hear there are more that have the feature. It really is strange to me that FFXIV has nothing of the sort, considering it emphasizes you as the main character and encourages solo play now more than ever.

Numpad 0 will target the thing you need to interact with so you can right click it's name. Not sure if there's a console equivalent though.