Question regarding progression (1st time MSQ)

Hello, I have a quesiton if anyone's able to help.

Is story progression actually gated with group content, or is there a way to do these things solo? eg.: Ramuh/Striking Tree, etc.

I've tried finding a party a few times now, waiting 30+ minutes with zero people joining for Striking tree, but understandably it seems nobody wants to queue the old content, yet people doing story for the first time can't continue without a group to do the old content.

Feels like I'm missing something - am I missing something?

Yeah, some content are gated behind some group content. There is no way to do trials and (alliance) raids solo before reaching somewhere between lvl 70 and 80 (for the one you want to do). Yet it's not abandonned. People do still run it, because of the roulettes. But yeah, right now, the game kinda is in one of its less active period, and it makes some content harder to do. Not sure if it's usefull on NA server, but you could activate all the language in Duty Finder option. I know it works on European servers, it makes the queue shrink, by searching to queue with people having any language, not only the ones with the same as you.

Another solution would be to ask someone in the NN to unsync it with you, a lvl 90 can run the thing in around a min solo. Downside is that you would miss the fight, but would be able to continue the story.

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Originally Posted by Toxy

Is story progression actually gated with group content, or is there a way to do these things solo? eg.: Ramuh/Striking Tree, etc.

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The only way to do them solo is by being a higher level than them (using higher level gear from the market board). Then you can use the Unrestricted settings to prevent it from syncing your level, allowing you to destroy the content as a higher level.

We expect these trials will be able to be done solo with NPCs in the next expansion's patches, but that process will most likely begin in 2024 and take 2 years for the developers to complete through the sequence of patches.

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I've tried finding a party a few times now, waiting 30+ minutes with zero people joining for Striking tree, but understandably it seems nobody wants to queue the old content, yet people doing story for the first time can't continue without a group to do the old content.

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These trials are served by something called the Trial Roulette (which people queue for to get experience for alt classes, as well as tomestones to upgrade their gear, or gil). These roulettes match them with people who queue directly for trials (which is almost always new players doing them for the first time). It is also served by the Mentor Roulette, which a much smaller portion of veteran players have access to.

When I used to do the story, it would take about 40 minutes for the queue to work. If it takes longer, you might be trying to queue when everyone is asleep in the server's region.

Note that if a trial name contains (Extreme), Minstrel's Ballad, Savage or Coil, then they are either not served by a roulette or are only served by mentor roulette and direct queues and rarely work. You are not asked to do any of these for the Main Scenario quests though. These are only unlocked through sidequests.

Thank you for the information, guess I'll just try and wait longer and hope a Roulette comes my way.

The other good suggestion i dont see mentioned is the Party Finder, so i guess ill offer that. Party Finder is an alternative tool to the Duty Finder youve primarily used to this point. Using the tool, you designate the content you want to run(like "Striking Tree(Hard)" for instance) and it creates an open party that anyone can join to help you clear that content. Other people who need the same content can join, along with anyone who wants to help. And believe me, there are people who would join to help. The game gives bonuses for helping new players complete instances for the first time, not to mention those who might join for a chance at the drops from a fight, or those who just happen to like a certain fight and run it whenever they can.

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Originally Posted by Frizze

The other good suggestion i dont see mentioned is the Party Finder, so i guess ill offer that. Party Finder is an alternative tool to the Duty Finder youve primarily used to this point. Using the tool, you designate the content you want to run(like "Striking Tree(Hard)" for instance) and it creates an open party that anyone can join to help you clear that content. Other people who need the same content can join, along with anyone who wants to help. And believe me, there are people who would join to help. The game gives bonuses for helping new players complete instances for the first time, not to mention those who might join for a chance at the drops from a fight, or those who just happen to like a certain fight and run it whenever they can.

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Great advice here.

I do tend to join any Party Finder where the text says something along the lines of "New player looking for help". From experience, those instances often end up being quite fun, possibly due to the enthusiasm of the new player, and its nice to wish a new player good luck with what you know comes next.

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Originally Posted by Carin-Eri

I do tend to join any Party Finder where the text says something along the lines of "New player looking for help". From experience, those instances often end up being quite fun, possibly due to the enthusiasm of the new player, and its nice to wish a new player good luck with what you know comes next.

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Im much the same. If im not currently engaged with a task, i find myself randomly pulling up the PF list several times a night to see what groups are out there. Something on my to do list? Someone about to run a fun instance? Im in need of more bonuses for my Khloe book and anyone is doing a first time run of anything? Sign me up!