Are we as players afraid of a challenge?

[Mraj]

I also think a lot of the trepidation that players have towards challenge in MMOs, especially this game, has to do with playing with other people. There is always that one guy in every group who has done the content 20-30 times already by the time they hit the run with you, and if you haven't watched all the guides and perform all the moves perfectly, they go full man-child on you and throw a tantrum of legendary proportions in party chat.

That can get under the skin of even the more seasoned MMO players, and is not particularly enjoyable.

So, in a game like this where random parties are a crux of the game for many people, a lot of them are not going to be happy with the idea of an extremely challenging duty... not because of the challenge, but because of what it brings out in the more "hardcore" players.

I think that attitude stems from the content being more of a dance with specific steps that must be done a certain way to ensure the party doesn't wipe. Naturally, people will have to practice more ( or less ) depending on skill level, and finding consistent groups at the same level can be difficult, as we've seen over the years. Again, I'd just like to stress that content difficulty should not mean "more phases" in trials, but instead content that can be considered difficult while being able to be handled dynamically.

For instance, going back to "dangerous" zones - there can be ways to avoid mob heavy areas, or there may be better times of day ( or night ) to move through an area. Sure, you can try to charge through solo, or with a full party to back you up, but your chances of success go down - but are never 0%.

Or let's take an example that is already in the game. So you're in Diadem, and someone shouts that they have tracks, then activates them....Boom. All of a sudden you have a Brachiosaurus stomping around the island ( you'd best hope it's a spacious one ). Tanks immediately have to grab aggro and turn away his long-necked cleave of death. Healers have to reposition as best they can ( while being mindful of other mobs that may be in area ) and prepare for Meteor. But you also have options: you have elevation and proximity damage that you can use or exploit. You have numbers, or a lack of numbers, that determines how hard the mob is. Ignoring the whole implementation of rewards and various other Diadem gripes, it's a fair attempt at more interesting mob types.

My thinking is we can keep EX trials and Savage Raids but also have content that encourages people to explore these dangerous areas and band together to accomplish objectives.