The cycle of disbanding that keep casuals from doing content

[NefarioCall]

I just focus on the horizontal progression things.
Like getting my jobs to 50.
I've no interest in the current endgame stuff that'll take me 100 hours today and 1 hour tomorrow when there's something stronger out there.
Haven't even touched coil or any of the 2.3 and 2.4 dungeons yet or any of that.

[razzgrizz3]

you sound entitled as hell.
bohoo i cant commit 3 days a week give me content!!!!!!!!
everybody who cleared this has put in that time. this is the way of mmo end game raiding.
if you cant pay the price its noones fault but your own.

[MrSigy]

From a player that is still randomly joining t5 groups(learning/kill).
I still enjoy t5, I just do not enjoy wiping on the same thing without progression.
I'm usually not the first one to leave out of respect for the group, but eventually I will because I got other things to do.
This is amplified on older content and this is happening as well on the less older content.

My alt who has just hit 50 has had a hard time clearing past garuda extreme in df.
This same alt however got a t5 one tank group up (with 2 new people who hadn't killed it) and nearly one shotted it,
in PF with the simple line "Are you bored?"

When using Party Finder there are a few things you need to know:
- Time & Day (raid times usually are a big nono, unless you know certain statics are not raiding) ; small server
- Attractiveness of the group (what classes, what composition)
- Short & Motivational comment
- Play with everyone, even the people you hate. Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. They usually are the opposite of you in which you could learn a lot from them and they from you.
- Not everyone wants easy-mode old content, try making it a bit more challenging (one tank, one healer, etc)*

ps: the last one is very important.

[Animarelic]

The 8-man coil raids were designed for people who can invest in Skill-gated challenges for gear. Time-gated Tomes and 24-man raids were designed for people to get the same level of gear without the commitment. Seems like the issue is Time-gated players want to do Skill-Gated challenges and are upset because they can't.

I don't understand the argument here, Do you want the content dumbed down more with higher Echo so you can burn through it and still be bored? or Do you want the Skill-gated players to carry you through it? The problem I see is that no matter how much SE bends to give "Casuals" content they will just run through it in hours and claim boredom. If they make it slightly challenging it "casuals" will complain about the time to adjust to the difficulty example: Threads about Sas HM.

Face of Fact: This game will never make enough soft content to keep anyone satisfied because a games longevity is determinant on it's level of difficulty.

[Vhailor]

So, my question for the community is... Is that it, then? If you can't go into Coil 3 nights or more a week, you're shut out? Nobody understands the meaning of "learning party" anymore, and we're thrown to the side, unable to do the content cuz lack of will? do ALL tanks have it so easily to the point that not a single one is still chasing content? what is happening? Do we have any hope to clear SCoB, or our only choice is to wait for 2.5 and go in there on the DF?

This is a pretty sad reality, if there are no solutions...

In short, until SE makes a few adjustments, yes - this is how it's going to be.

The problem with FFXIV's end-game situation centers around two key issues, in my estimation.

Firstly, there's the issue of fights requiring exactly 8 people. This makes finding a group more difficult, in my experience, because groups tend to size themselves at "exactly" 8 - so even if you're inclined to find a static, it's far easier said than done. Maintaining a group of precisely 8 people who can keep schedules aligned and such is very challenging, nigh impossible in many cases. Now it is certainly an option to replace a member or two via PF if someone's absent, which makes the situation a bit easier, but this can frequently be a stressful experience (personalities not meshing, a replacement leaves, etc.). Particularly for those who don't play every night of the week, this is a more significant barrier than for a hardcore player.

Secondly, and far more damaging, is the "team jump rope" type of setup for fights. If a single person goes down, then failure is almost always an immediate result. This is in stark contrast to FFXI, where victory despite deaths was routine. It also has the nasty side effect of turning players against each other, which makes PF a far more toxic environment than it otherwise would be. Obviously this sort of design makes end-game fights more "challenging" for those with time (though it's still just extended memorization), but it ruins a lot of the content for others. It's why I've consistently been opposed to SE's entire philosophy in regards to difficulty in ARR. This of course isn't intended as a tirade against those who want a challenge - but more difficult gameplay is best suited for single-player titles or competitive multiplayer, not cooperative MMOs (unless it's self-imposed challenge).

So, I sympathize with your plight, but I wouldn't expect any fundamental changes unless SE significantly addresses the above problems (which are also linked, obviously). It's one of the main reasons I have long since retired from ARR, and it's also a central source of frustration for several of my friends who were active in FFXI's end-game. Hopefully this situation is remedied in Heavensward, but I have my doubts.

PS - I want to make clear that the main problems I see with XIV's end-game have nothing to do with the difficulty levels (though I think they're a smaller issue). The concern I have is with how the difficulty is created. The challenging part of an MMO in 2014, in my mind, should be on how well you can play your character - not how well you can find 7 other people who can also play theirs. Right now, the latter is vastly more difficult than any other component of an end-game raid. SE needs to adjust that somehow for the end-game situation to work.

[Animarelic]

Firstly, there's the issue of fights requiring exactly 8 people. This makes finding a group more difficult, in my experience, because groups tend to size themselves at "exactly" 8 - so even if you're inclined to find a static, it's far easier said than done. Maintaining a group of precisely 8 people who can keep schedules aligned and such is very challenging, nigh impossible in many cases.

This is one of the ONLY MMO games where endgame is possible with 8 players and people still can't manage that? I can't blame SE on that one, these issues are based on the server you choose, some servers are severely time zone oriented and Your social activity like having friends you actively party with or if you have a negative rep. I think all of this can be fixed if ppl use the FF social sites & or spend a bit of cash and Xfer to somewhere more compatible.

TLDR; there is allegedly 2 +Mil ppl subscribed if you can't find 8 to mesh with maybe it's you.

[Edli]

I too think this might be a served issue. Never had a problem finding learning parties. The only fight which was scarce on learning pt before patch has been t9.

[Kyri]

Made worse by the fact no ones going to help you beat it because they would rather sell you the win for a ridiculous price. I do wish SE would find a way to help fix that or make win selling a suspendable offense

[Fornix]

I am sure people like the OP has already tried many times. A static does NOT just magically show up on demand.

Worse yet you find people selling T6-T9 for 60 mil or so. And still you will be stuck without a static to do T10.

Having aided in the formation of 5 statics in my FC, and currently forming our 6th static I can assure you that it's not impossible to form a static either. It does take time, yes. And during the wait for a full static, some may leave. Considering as to how I'm in my own static already as well, I can't drag them into runs with PUGs myself either. Making it additionally challenging to get things moving at times as there's an apparent lack of incentive with many players in this game.

Take the time however, and you will get there. Expect roughly 6 - 10 weeks, and you can be going on regular basis with a static. Don't expect to get any rapid kills on FCoB right now. But if the formation of a static starts now you may still very well clear it prior to the expansion.

[BreathlessTao]

Endgame content requires hours of practice, team synergy and more. It's simply not designed for the casual or PUG in mind. SE has put casual options into the game so that casual players can gear up and enjoy some content, without completing the more challenging content. Yoshi always launches content saying "We only expect a very small % of players can win." It is planned that way.

That in itself is quite alright too, personally I have nothing against it. That's just how it should be. I think the problem with Coil lies in the fact that it's so integral to the game's story, too much such content, too much lore is buried in it - and when there is a "main scenario" questline, as well as there should be, people who can't do it feel like they're left out and missing important things. Quite rightfully so, if you ask me. Once Coil is over, as in it's put in DF and nerfed enough that it can be downed via DF, I believe we'll see a lot less frustration in players who can't clear it (like myself).

I think SE missed the mark on this one a little. Had Crystal Tower been the hardcore-endgame-raid content that requires such dedication and commitment, and Coil the more casual-focused (as everything else that pertains to the game's story is), there would have been a generally more laid-back attitude to the whole "divide", in my opinion. In short: stuffs related to main plotline should not be put in hardcore dungeons.