Is there any reason to focus on 'solo' players..?

[Janglo]

Actually this SE never said this will be a solo friendly mmo. A casual less time consuming one yes. Solo... no. And dub is right no ff game or SE game really was "solo" you played groups have 3-4 characters. Or controled one but had npc with you. Even crystal chronicals it was much better to play with other instead of solo. Unless you like that dust ball moogle :3 i loved it.

I feel mmo are loosing their point in trying to please the solo crowd too much. Point is look how they treat the community. Calling anyone who play longer then they do fat men who life with mom. And think the typical mmo player was the fat guy from Make love not warcraft. Which is irritating.

I'm pretty sure you didn't read everything then lol. They have stated multiple times that they are keeping the solo player in mind including the last letter from the producer.

[Kilta_Firelotus]

I'm pretty sure you didn't read everything then lol. They have stated multiple times that they are keeping the solo player in mind including the last letter from the producer.

thats yoshi-p I'm talking well before this game was launched. And infact I read every letter from the producer and not once he said solo.. casual don"t always mean solo.

[Rowyne]

Actually this SE never said this will be a solo friendly mmo. A casual less time consuming one yes. Solo... no.

Actually, Kilta, I'm afraid you're incorrect.

http://ffxiv.zam.com/story.html?story=21974

ZAM translated a Japanese article back in March 2010.

Interesting to note is this paragraph:

-Going it Solo Being able to solo will factor big into the world of Eorzea, and the developers reveal that they are working hard to make a game that does not impede the solo player. Naturally, since enemies can appear in parties, there will be difficult, or even insurmountable challenges out there. However, Iwao in particular finds a certain romantic image in the lone adventurer, and hopes to accomodate that playing style to the fullest.

So, yes, from the very beginning they specifically said solo and meant solo.

[Janglo]

thats yoshi-p I'm talking well before this game was launched. And infact I read every letter from the producer and not once he said solo.. casual don"t always mean solo.

He talks about keeping casual player in mind you are correct.

[Janglo]

He talks about keeping casual player in mind you are correct.

At first glance, Question 3's results look to be an overwhelming desire for party-based play, but looking closely at the regional breakdown, Japan in particular has a strong showing of players who prefer rolling solo. I imagine for many people it might go something like this: real life obligations at school or work → can't play for prolonged periods of time → log into a game with mostly party-based content → spend time looking for a party → end up losing actual game time. I'm well aware of these issues, and promise not to let vicious cycles like this dominate FFXIV's gameplay. I'm on it. ☺

Though we're revising the battle system with a focus on making it fun for parties, the solo/party orientation and recommended ranks of game content will be clearly defined, and future adjustments and additions will take all types of player lifestyles into account. To take guildleves as an example, there is a certain comfort in knowing that if I go to this aetheryte or that counter, there is something to do. I'm of the opinion that there is nothing better than the ability to pick up the game and play even when you only have a little bit of time to do so, and this will continue to be an important element in the future. Of course, to make party play as enjoyable as possible, we're going to be coming up with some new specs and begin implementing them when possible.

In case you missed that part of the letter, it seems pretty obvious they working on casual/hardcore/solo/pt development.

[weeble]

all this talk bout solo and party play and right now party play is almost absolete in the game, no one wants to party with more then 3-4people outside of leves, and getting 3-4people usually takes forever and almost not worth trying. if the game is gonna be solo and party play they need to make party play the 8players kind not some dinky 3-4people, or at the very least not make it so 8people isn't better then solo or 3-4people or no one will want to do it. if u don't think u'll get bored solo'ing everything for 3-5years? u must share what drugs u taking while playing with me. by the time everyone gets one max class they will be ready for a new game, it takes long time to hit max on a ff mmo. took over year for my first in ffxi, and though i hit 50 on con and almost on thm, it has been 6months, but we are not at max this is probably a half way point with all the updates and raising our caps. i can't imagin solo'ing all that or even tiny group grinding and not wanting to be leveling another after. it was always the party play that kept me going like probably alot of players.

[Janglo]

all this talk bout solo and party play and right now party play is almost absolete in the game, no one wants to party with more then 3-4people outside of leves, and getting 3-4people usually takes forever and almost not worth trying. if the game is gonna be solo and party play they need to make party play the 8players kind not some dinky 3-4people, or at the very least not make it so 8people isn't better then solo or 3-4people or no one will want to do it. if u don't think u'll get bored solo'ing everything for 3-5years? u must share what drugs u taking while playing with me. by the time everyone gets one max class they will be ready for a new game, it takes long time to hit max on a ff mmo. took over year for my first in ffxi, and though i hit 50 on con and almost on thm, it has been 6months, but we are not at max this is probably a half way point with all the updates and raising our caps. i can't imagin solo'ing all that or even tiny group grinding and not wanting to be leveling another after. it was always the party play that kept me going like probably alot of players.

I appreciate that you think it takes drugs to solo....but i dont see that as reason to not let us solo.

[weeble]

also being in a ls that speaks u'r language doesn't help, i'm in a very large ls, pretty much full and it is still hard to put together more then a few people to grind, we are all different ranks. in ffxi the population took care of it all, was very easy to put a party together, if u was lfg for hours u probably should of took 5seconds to make one cause it always had players seeking. besides that and all love to my linkshell but i don't want to party with the same group for years, i'll get to know them threw the years, and i'll happily party with them, but the concept that i am gonna be party'ing with the same 6-10people for years is obserd. i don't think in a full ls in ffxi i party with my ls in 5years more then 5% of the time, and most of that time they were probably half afk, and leechers in them cause they think its ok to waist ls members time cause we all friends. this might be a notch for the solo, but i doubt half the players on our servers would get half the sp without there parties lmao.

[weeble]

to janglo, the answer is no. there is an account to having full 8man link leves or the very least enough people to make full links for bonus.

but for regular grind it don't seem enough to make people want to do it, less is more sp. and the mobs are still dobs and small mobs rather then the big ones. i've had a problems getting more then a few players everyday, and 8people = way less sp then same spot with 3-4people and hourly sp is way more with the lesser.

[Janglo]

to janglo, the answer is no. there is an account to having full 8man link leves or the very least enough people to make full links for bonus.

but for regular grind it don't seem enough to make people want to do it, less is more sp. and the mobs are still dobs and small mobs rather then the big ones. i've had a problems getting more then a few players everyday, and 8people = way less sp then same spot with 3-4people and hourly sp is way more with the lesser.

Ya the levelinking does allow for pt players to get better sp than a solo can still though right? I was hoping for a balance or closer to it. Also I'm not a solo player that expects to go as fast as pt just to be able to not feel like im grinding to death.