The cycle of disbanding that keep casuals from doing content

[Aana]

Shouting, Putting up PF, joining PF, isn't networking. It's a billboard that gives nothing but some visibility. The question is what do you do with that visibility tool. Networking is about person to person communication and connection. The question isn't how many shouts you make or PF you join. It's what do you do to cultivate a relationship with those you meet. If you have a terrible PF group but one person you notice that is kinda decent, you need to make inroads with that individual. Not just disband and say "another 3 hours wasted". You make a connection with that individual. Team up. See if he has any friends in the same boat he can vouche for. Start up the next PF with him. In the words of bat man:

Gordon: "but you're just 1 man."
Batman: "Now we're two"

If no one helps you then help yourself. This isn't some circle of nobility you must be born into to participate and no one is forcibly holding you out of it. Endgame is a SOCIAL endeavor. You must needs create individual relationships with like minded individuals. Shouts, pf, ls, fc are but tools to help identify people. It is still up to you to make connections. The idea that endgamers are somehow restricting access is, bluntly, wrong. That's is scapegoating the blame for personal failure onto a system of oppression that is imagined. What many do not understand is that their lack of success is a direct reflection of their ability to socially connect. And that is a hard pill to swallow.

PF and df are last resort options that require zero social bonds but still give you a CHANCE to win. There was no pf for months and people still raided. PF is a great tool, but its convenience has led some to become completely reliant on it. This obsessive reliance on PF might be doing more harm than good to this game. Their proper use is as a wide fishing net to catch people and then you decide to keep them or throw then back.

[NyarukoW]

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Gordon: "but you're just 1 man."
Batman: "Now we're two"
..

Guess what, both Batman and Gordon will gladly invite anyone that are honestly looking to help into their circle. They have an outlook that look to be inclusive, they even bent over backwards to protect a flawed character like Harvey Dent. Batman even gladly picks up the noob Robin John Blake.

But here in Eorzea, you have people looking to exclude people. They even have been as shameless as asking for the "no newbies wanted" checkbox on the PF. Bottom line there is this catch-22: how do you form connections with people that do NOT even want to give you the time of day? And stuff like SCoB, if the average player need 50 wipes to learn T7, and a quick learned needs 25, they will never even get the chance to do the reps to learn and show what they can do to contribute or make connections.

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The idea that endgamers are somehow restricting access is, bluntly, wrong. too obvious
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That is actually a fact that is very easy to see and very obvious. If they are nice about they all say they don't have the time, which you really can't fault them for too much, but I would encourage them make some time once in a while. If they are mean about it, they come call everyone else names, saying things like lazy, or do not take initiative, don't learn, don't listen, spoonfed etc. or worse, all of which is blatantly false for the vast majority of players. You only need to look in this thread to see all that false accusations. And it is well known that there are many FC's, not even statics, that insist on T9 clears. And then you have the clear sellers who are deliberately looking to proudly exploit the newer players and newbies while treating them with contempt and disdain.