Serious problems with the Duty Finder

[Poringing]

Let's look at this from a bigger point of view.

How long people (DPS classes) wait in line to enter a dungeon, is related to how many dungeons is cleared per unit time in a particular server/ data center. Do you agree?

500 DPS queued and 1 hour later 50 dungeons are cleared (as there are only 50 angelic tanks). 400 DPS are left in line.
- will be using this as comparison later

500 DPS queued and 1 hour later 100 dungeons are cleared. 300 DPS are left in line.

Simple enough? So to reduce everyone's wait time, we just have to increase the dungeons cleared per unit time. The obvious way to do this is the alleviate the bottleneck, tanks.

So, lets say all the incentives attracted 50 nasty tanks (quit on one wipe or projected to be not speed-running fast enough or just hates humanity in general). They wreck havoc in the duty roulette, but they do get dungeons done eventually. Thus, increasing dungeons cleared per unit time. Returning to the number example I gave:

500 DPS queued, of which 30 became tanks (20 healers became tanks) leaving us at 470 DPS queued. 50 dungeons were cleared by the existing angelic tanks and 15 dungeons are cleared by the new tanks (35 dungeons failed due to "bad apples"). Leaving 340 DPS in line, of which 70 of them are somewhat angry; also 35 tanks and/ or healers who are riding the penalty. Is this better than the leaving 400 DPS in line (but a guaranteed chance of clearing a dungeon when you enter it, someday)? Of course! This means average DPS queue time has gone down, although variance in queue time has gone up. The unfortunate DPSes whose party failed will have to wait double or more <this can be reduced by your suggestion of placing them ahead of queue, somehow>. These unfortunate DPSes are yes, punished due to the action of others; but it is luck of the draw; tomorrow you may be able to one-shot whatever it is.

And there you have it, if you, a DPS became a tank, you will cut everyone's waiting time! And, if you became a tank that leaves dungeons for fun (when you enter duty finder, you have a dungeon clear rate of 10%), you will still be cutting everyone's waiting time, while worsening the community. So from Square Enix's point of view, if they manage to even convince one decent person (or 3 guys having the combined efficiency of one) to change class into tank through mounts and gil, they successfully reduced queue times for DPS. As for increasing penalties, they have to somehow reach a numerical conclusion themselves (they do have a psychologist in the staff lineup, right? right?), if this scares away new tanks or worse, dissuaded existing tanks from using the duty finder, then DPS wait time will increase.

[Poringing]

Lets beat this dead horse to beyond death.

Increasing penalties may serve to mend player's behaviors. In theory, this can greatly improve dungeon clear rates and consequently, DPS wait times. However, determining how much penalty can often be tricky.

Lets take this to the extreme. We'll talk about rape.

If penalty for raping is 1 year, it will become a terrible town to live in. If the penalty is raised to 50 years, the number of rape cases should decline greatly. Good. But any rape victims will also probably be murdered due to the penalties being unfair (penalty being too similar to murder). So, we need to find the right number. (Too much SVU)

Back to FF14, is 30 minutes too little? Too much? Or just right? There no way we (the player) will know as Square Enix holds all the data. In fact, they have two data points to assess duty finder leave rates (the previously 15 minute lockout time).

Is Square Enix incompetant? Uncaring? That's what I thought too until the Atma quest line came out. We specifically mentioned no more FATEs. And what we got is well, more FATEs! I thought they did this just to pad game length until I realised what they made me do. Slightly past midnight, I was grinding FATEs for my Atma in Central Thanalan. There was only one person with me, a legit stranger new player. Then it made me realise, Square Enix made me level him 2x faster without telling anyone (FATEs are cleared 2x faster with 2 people compared to one). Since then, I'm convinced Square Enix is a sly, calculative bunch. Why had they not increased the penalty for duty finder leavers when they clearly did it once in an attempt to alleviate the problem? Is it because their data shows that it doesn't work? Or is it because they overlooked this? Only time will tell.

[velric42]

What about joining a FC?? I do dungeon runs all the time in mine as a DPS. I guess it would help if your FC is a helping one which mine is.

[KingOfAbyss]

And there you have it, if you, a DPS became a tank, you will cut everyone's waiting time! And, if you became a tank that leaves dungeons for fun (when you enter duty finder, you have a dungeon clear rate of 10%), you will still be cutting everyone's waiting time, while worsening the community. So from Square Enix's point of view, if they manage to even convince one decent person (or 3 guys having the combined efficiency of one) to change class into tank through mounts and gil, they successfully reduced queue times for DPS. As for increasing penalties, they have to somehow reach a numerical conclusion themselves (they do have a psychologist in the staff lineup, right? right?), if this scares away new tanks or worse, dissuaded existing tanks from using the duty finder, then DPS wait time will increase.

People goes into a game, wanting to play what they love: DPS.

Comes to realize in order to get faster queue and to help the community, has to jump to TANK.

Don't like playing TANK. Quit the game as if going back to DPS, will still encounters unbearable issues.

We lost not only a DPS, but a subscription.

I am one of those, that felt forced into that role. Mind you, I don't hate Tanking, even if I'm not one of the best. Still we get the job done. Luckily for me, other FC mates did the same, so that I can ENJOY what the game offers to me as fun: DPS. (can't wait for NINJAAAAAA!)

Point of it all, perhaps SE could do a lockout feature that until 2/3 of a trial/dungeon is complete, everyone is blocked from leaving.

It won't stop the selfish ones, which a modem is only a plug away.. sigh..

So OP, I feel you, but playing with others, like in real life situations, you will encounter good and bad seeds.

*but please roll a tank, we (SE) need you! ^^

CKB and ASTRALOS pointed out some good stuff..