FFXIV multiplayer game?

I'm just wondering if other people seem to have the same view about this game as I am having. I've been a final fantasy player for a while now, since 11 came out basically, so I thought I'd try out how 14 was. I understand it's going through a lot of changes now but when I compare the game play to what I'm used to in 11 it feels like something vital is missing, the multiplayer aspect. I've soloed and duoed a character up to the 40's now but the only person I've been able to really seem to play with is my girlfriend on a separate computer. It seems that whenever we try to interact with other gamers we are met with the same distant cold responses "No thanks, I'm soloing now." Even within linkshells you can usually hear a pin drop from the silence. The only usual talk is about either pling or an occasional ifrit run. Maybe It's just me but I remember my old FF11 days where you could join up in a party, make friendships, and have adventures very easily. To me the real issue is for new players who don't have a chance but to solo until 50 to be invited into the occasional high level party or ifrit battle. And by then what's the point of playing any longer.

it's possible in the right linkshells to group up alot, best bet is probably joining the largest ones or basically join every linkshell social you can so you can spam for a group in all of them. probably get a full group going for grinds pretty easy that way. least till next patch we will get search functions again and maybe finally see how many people are still playing on our servers again. :)

but i do agree, linkshells got much more silent(for sure gonna go twice as quite when they start to charge), events aren't really needed, no dkp needed, most players in linkshells are pugs themselves where a few static players in the ls and rest get swapped in and out like baseball cards till they are done/board or next dungeon is patched. the game is a total 360 of what ffxi was in these things like you stated. it's what happens when theres low population and only small man content.

also people depend on there linkshells for the simplest of things in this game, where as in ffxi you can make a party in like 10-30mins for anything usually, exp/quests/mission or 6man stuff. i think i had different people in 90% of my exp grinds and 89% of the time wasn't even with linkshell members just from the search functions in ffxi. it's one of my favorite things, grouping up, 6-8man stuff is pretty much all i want out of mmo's grind wise, and all i want is large scale full linkshell stuff for my endgame. solo is for non mmo games in my opinion. but i think at 2.0 things will change, at worse they will merge servers together and the auto grouping will fix a lot of the problems.

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Originally Posted by Nymia

I'm just wondering if other people seem to have the same view about this game as I am having. I've been a final fantasy player for a while now, since 11 came out basically, so I thought I'd try out how 14 was. I understand it's going through a lot of changes now but when I compare the game play to what I'm used to in 11 it feels like something vital is missing, the multiplayer aspect. I've soloed and duoed a character up to the 40's now but the only person I've been able to really seem to play with is my girlfriend on a separate computer. It seems that whenever we try to interact with other gamers we are met with the same distant cold responses "No thanks, I'm soloing now." Even within linkshells you can usually hear a pin drop from the silence. The only usual talk is about either pling or an occasional ifrit run. Maybe It's just me but I remember my old FF11 days where you could join up in a party, make friendships, and have adventures very easily. To me the real issue is for new players who don't have a chance but to solo until 50 to be invited into the occasional high level party or ifrit battle. And by then what's the point of playing any longer.

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Sorry to say but I think you have the wrong ls, I have had parties at all level ranges from 20-50, DH runs, ifrit runs, random killing things, NMs, SH farming etc etc with my ls, I have been in pickups for some exp, SH runs and ifrit runs, when the PC search and lfp system comes out I can imagine there will be more pickups.

Yeah, I think having a search function is almost a necessity when it comes to online games as massive as this. I do hope when they release it the game will be more social.

I think the issue is with the current pl-ing as it is easier to get 1 ls member to pl you rather than spam local for a 8 man party. If you are in a quiet ls either move on to a more active one or start some events yourself. My ls did this a couple of weeks back and we do HMN/Ifrit/DH/coffers runs almost daily now. Was in Kobald camp last night, good times!

Partying atm it almost fully dependent on a good active linkshell.

My linkshell groups nightly for around 4-5hrs usually.

Without that it is extremely hard to get a group, and until the community mind set changes I am not sure the new party search will fix it. Outside the occasional shout people seem to just stick to themselves and very few people use the group function that is in the game atm outside the Japaneses players.

The game is designed for group play atm, issue is most people do not do it. Try to get a linkshell that schedules group at night or one that has a lot of people who where from XI. I haven't soloed any fighting classes past level 10 since I started this game. Groups exist you just have to find them.

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Originally Posted by Nymia

I'm just wondering if other people seem to have the same view about this game as I am having. I've been a final fantasy player for a while now, since 11 came out basically, so I thought I'd try out how 14 was. I understand it's going through a lot of changes now but when I compare the game play to what I'm used to in 11 it feels like something vital is missing, the multiplayer aspect. I've soloed and duoed a character up to the 40's now but the only person I've been able to really seem to play with is my girlfriend on a separate computer. It seems that whenever we try to interact with other gamers we are met with the same distant cold responses "No thanks, I'm soloing now." Even within linkshells you can usually hear a pin drop from the silence. The only usual talk is about either pling or an occasional ifrit run. Maybe It's just me but I remember my old FF11 days where you could join up in a party, make friendships, and have adventures very easily. To me the real issue is for new players who don't have a chance but to solo until 50 to be invited into the occasional high level party or ifrit battle. And by then what's the point of playing any longer.

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I don't know man, I experienced what you talked about but in XI. I think it just comes from being an outsider for whatever reason. What shells are you in? Besaid has some great shells but you must be in the wrong ones.

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Originally Posted by Nymia

And by then what's the point of playing any longer.

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To kill time until Tera or Diablo launches? It's all I'm doing...then I'm ditchin this junk....

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Originally Posted by Nymia

Yeah, I think having a search function is almost a necessity when it comes to online games as massive as this. I do hope when they release it the game will be more social.

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I think this will help the social aspect, as I'll head out to run leves or whatever and miss any shouts for parties in Ul'dah. As for the link shells I have one that's pretty busy, and others that come and go.

I also think the class rebalance will help parties and the social aspect. So I'm looking forward to 1.20. :)

Wait for the search system to be implemented on 1.20

Don't listen to the wrong linkshell argument, as its flawed. You shouldn't have to join a linkshell in order to enjoy a mmorpg.

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Originally Posted by Majidah

Wait for the search system to be implemented on 1.20

Don't listen to the wrong linkshell argument, as its flawed. You shouldn't have to join a linkshell in order to enjoy a mmorpg.

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I agree you shouldnt have to join a linkshell to enjoy a MMO, however until the PC search is added (and hopefully a decent LFP system) its how it goes because of the community, whenever I check the party search there is only Japanese people or linkshell events in there, which is what really kills the social aspect, half the time if I see a shout in uldah I will reply with my class and level, and get an instant invite, I dont know what the differance between this and setting recruit in the party search where you can set what classes you want.

Lack of parties is mainly a community issue, the facilities are there if you want to use them.

Its hard to break the ice sometimes, There so much limited benefit in alot of situations for groups in this game that it causes isues. I say that based on a few small things. For example, when you got great XP in a full group of leve links like you used to, I builtmy friends list up bigtime with all the folks I met while leveling my classes. That was also, in my opinion, the best way to get good LS hook ups as well.

OP mentions alot of people point out they are soloing or doing this or that when he speaks to them. Again, I say its all about getting the ice broke. Alot of the solid player base thats been here for a while has a few LS, and a built friends list. The have a full plate, so they aren't really on the look out for new friends. I say that to emply that its not always players being cold to you personally.

As well, the discussion about a search function is dead on. I was baffled by SEs discission to slack in that area when I started. This day in the MMO era, its not just a good idea, Is a MUST HAVE, to have a search function for groups and what not. I your going to build an MMO, you really need to have everything out there you can offer that helps players connect. A good start for that, and what should be a foundation in any MMO is a player search and registry system.