Why I Decided to Become an Elitist

[Lemuria]

Meh, people cry over difficult content.

While I agree to an extent, there is also plenty of content where small errors can grow wildly out of control. The margin for error grows much narrower, and even if only one team member makes a mistake the entire team can suffer as a result. Coil is a good example of this, and a good example of why there needs to be a selection of lower difficulty content.

It's not really the difficulty that everyone has problems with. It's the teamwork aspect. In virtually every area of the game, you're encouraged to be independent. Story quests are solo affairs, dungeons don't require a great deal of coordination and DPS largely just have to hit things as hard as they can. When you take those players and put them into content where everyone has to coordinate with each other it becomes 8 people doing their own solo play and simply trying not to die themselves.

The problem is information overload. There's just too much to keep track of, and it's very hard to get into a mindset where you can do your role properly AND focus on everything else going on. If you're a healer, you're trying to cure 7 other people whilst dodging a billion AoE's, and remembering to pass on that Allagan Rot or that [insert mechanic here]. If you're a DPS you're focusing on getting the right rotation out, despite all the dodging you need to do, since it's critical to deal X amount of damage in Y amount of time or the team will fail.

The problem, in my opinion, isn't that the players want things to be easy, it's simply because there's no progressive means of reaching that plateau. The two types of content available are wildly different in how they play overall. Still don't believe me? Take a look at Crystal Tower.

Crystal Tower is a good example because of how things changed drastically after the first raid. In it, your job is to split parties into individual roles. Each party relies more heavily on the others and each one has their own tasks to perform. Because of this, it was a disaster at launch with people decrying how difficult it was. Look at Syrcus Tower, the subsequent follow-up. Streamlined, easier content. Less teamwork heavy, so that if someone screws up the entire raid can still manage fine. There are very few instant-kill mechanics, and those that do exist are heavily telegraphed.

Now, finally, look at World of Darkness. Very much similar to Syrcus Tower, it's a very streamlined raid. It gently introduces some new mechanics, such as revisiting the Atomos and Cerberus' belly. However, neither one of those is particularly difficult and missing out on Cerberus' belly won't prevent you winning, even if it does greatly increase the time taken to win. It's far more progressive overall.

The point I'm making is that when the content is so different to everything else you've played, it takes time for players to get used to the idea. Some learn faster than others, but others will always have difficulty with the sheer number of things they have to remember to do. Or not to do. It's far too easy to label a player as terrible when they were so focused on avoiding that ONE thing that they triggered another. And unfortunately, that's virtually every coil ever.

[Jamein]

Coil is a good example of this, and a good example of why there needs to be a selection of lower difficulty content.

Honestly, I just don't agree. 90% of the game is easy content, dungeons/towers/trials (even extremes to be honest) is relatively low - mid level difficulty. Even first and second coil has been reduced to mid range content and FCOB is on its way their now with overgearing and echo.

As for the whole relying on 7 other people thing, I agree it can be a pain when one person insta wipes you, but for me the main issue comes down to people just not thinking.
T9 is a prime example of this, mechanically it is harder than t13, granted its now a little faceroll due to overgearing and echo but still the mechanics are there, this can be done in PF, hell its been done in DF. So if people can do it, the only excuse others have, is that they are not trying to improve or pulling their weight. I'm sorry if that sounds harsh but it's just true there is no special skill set required in this game, nothing requires you to have lightning quick reflexes, everything can be learned and you can improve with some thought and effort and knowledge of both your class and the mechanics.

Playing your class to its maximum and knowing the mechanics and the most optimum way to heal/DPS/position the boss/adds and to continue your role is what end game raiding is all about.

The main reason I think people fail at end game, is they have ZERO raid awareness, they are so focused on dodging that next mechanic that they don't see what the hell is going on around them, if everyone had better raid awareness then DF groups would be fantastic, people could adjust on the fly to a bad meteor placement. Double ice about to hit you? No worries just gonna chase down that fire out. Instead people just tunnel vision trying to do their classes role which is not how it should be, you should know your class inside out, that should just be muscle memory and second nature to you.

It sounds like I'm being an ass and just telling people to get better, and in a way I guess I am but my point is, end game raiders or 'elitists' are not some sort of super genius, they're not some sort of athlete with lightning fast reflexes, average people who have just put the time and effort in to know the game, that's ALL it takes. So in other words...anyone can do it. Unfortunately some people would rather come and ask for nerfs/echo in end game, and then they ask for nerfs in steps, and then they pull 200 DPS in WOD, and still wonder why they can't down T5.

Being an elitist and an asshole are not the same thing, but sometimes I can see how end game raiders get a little annoyed when they go back to do old content and people are wiping left and right. On the flip side, people getting annoyed at end game raiders because they say everythings easy, take a step back and ask yourself why you haven't cleared X content, is it REALLY because of the 7 other people, or do you need to go back to basics and get better.

[Skeith-Adeline]

The main reason I think people fail at end game, is they have ZERO raid awareness, they are so focused on dodging that next mechanic that they don't see what the hell is going on around them, if everyone had better raid awareness then DF groups would be fantastic, people could adjust on the fly to a bad meteor placement. Double ice about to hit you? No worries just gonna chase down that fire out. Instead people just tunnel vision trying to do their classes role which is not how it should be, you should know your class inside out, that should just be muscle memory and second nature to you.

I agree and disagree. The errors you noted shouldn't be there in the first place, and if we don't correct the source, it'll happen again. Babying doesn't create skill. Placed a meteor bad? Call the person out. Make sure that doesn't happen again.

[Jamein]

I agree and disagree. The errors you noted shouldn't be there in the first place, and if we don't correct the source, it'll happen again. Babying doesn't create skill. Placed a meteor bad? Call the person out. Make sure that doesn't happen again.

I think you mis-understood, I wasn't saying we should babysit anyone, or not call them out.
What I was trying to get across in that, was that good players can adjust on the fly, sometimes shit does happen and something gets a little off, but if you know what you are doing you can adjust on the go and compensate.

[Skeith-Adeline]

but if you know what you are doing

If they knew what they were doing, the issue wouldn't be an issue.

[Jamein]

If they knew what they were doing, the issue wouldn't be an issue.

Debatable, even those of us who have done the raid 100's of times still have that lapse in judgement once in a while. No one is perfect, you can know something inside and out and on the odd occasion still make a mistake, like I said, as long as everyone knows what they are doing, its easily recoverable.

I forgot to cover the monk in t13 during earthshakers the other night, he assumed I would cover him and we got a nice little puddle next to bahamut, it happens, but we just adjusted the megaflare positions and carried on, no big deal.