I'm a mid-core player. I choose to not play end game. (What's the incentive?)

[Xiao_]

I always thought the definition of "mid-core" were people who dabble in endgame and will eventually clear, but aren't pushing it hard. I guess my no-clear scrub butt is hardcore after all?

[Gemina]

The term "casual" indicates the player does not have a lot of time. There are many players who have LOTS of time to devote to the game, that is not very "casual". There is no casual content in FFXIV if you want to gear your character up either, if you have no time to grind dungeons then you are not gearing up or you are getting one piece a month.

I am the 'casual' player. I have lots of time to devote to the game, but only so much of that time is actually devoted to the game. I have things outside the game that are either obligatory, mandatory, or desired to attend to. I am separated from the hardcore player because I don't devote every ounce of my free time into the game.

I am the 'casual' player because I am perfectly ok with roaming around in casual content. I don't care much for raids/EX content, or getting my iLv to the maximum. Glamour is endgame for me, and you will find me kicking ass in your raids if there is something there I wish to have.

I am the 'casual' player because I don't demand optimal play from those I group with. I am ok with 45+ minute dungeon runs if everyone is having fun, learning, and communicating. I'll take those over the robotic 15-20 minute dungeon runs any day of the week.

I am the 'casual' player for no other reason than playing casually. No rush to get 'here'. No pressure to do 'that'. I just want to enjoy the game as much possible with whatever it is I have chosen to do.

[Terrini]

Amen Gemina. The only care I have for raids is story and the only care I have for EX content is achievements and special items - which do not have the highest priority.

[Belhi]

My primary incentive is to see the story of the FF14 world and experience the encounters. That's why I did coil and that's why I did my Zeta and Anima weapons. I rarely worry about ilvl beyond what I need to do said content, though since I have had a friend ask for me to fill in a gap in his static that has changed somewhat in the last couple of days. Regardless, gear, for me, is always a means to an end beyond its appearance and likewise, beyond appearance, transitory.

Horizontal progression I generally find tiresome. It tends to be a lot of grind for little real progress in my experience. Progression, after all, tends to be simply a gating mechanism, which is why the ease of acquiring gear gets easier as time goes on. Horizontal progression tends to suffer from grindiness because while in Vertical Progression rewards devalue, in Horizontal progression they generally don't. That sounds good until it becomes necessary to get all those rewards to progress meaning if your late to the game you have a massive mountain to climb before you can be on par with the endgame players.

In the end neither system is perfect but I like the system FF14 uses.

Oh by the way I think you misunderstand what a mid-core player is. I mid-core player is interested in content that is challenging but not unforgivingly so. They don't want it to be too easy because that's boring but they don't want it to be too hard because that can just be frustrating and stressful. That's why its called mid-core, because its halfway between casual easy content and Hardcore highly challenging content.

[Cherub]

What is deciding being a Casual/Mid/Hard-core player? Playtime or content played?

[Eul]

Well I don't know what kind of player I am since I currently done A9S (The only alex savage I've cleared), done Sophia (Or any kind or primal), done meld crafter to 4 stars minimum (But still need seafood stew because control material is so expensive), love frontline, and really into glamour.

[cammi]

What is deciding being a Casual/Mid/Hard-core player? Playtime or content played?

I dunno. It changes depending on who you ask, when you ask it and when they were born to what games they play and don't play.

[Violyre]

Okay, check it.

The incentive is e-peen. You need to get better gear to make it bigger. Once it's as big as possible, you whack filthy plebians across the face with it.

Of course, since both you and I are generally in the same category, both being filthy plebians, we get whacked across the face a lot. You get used to it after awhile.

[Gaddes]

I'm a mid-core player. That's what i am. I come and i go from the game. When i do play it, i focus on things that will still be valuable after i disappear for a couple months.

You're a casual player, not really a mid-core. I believe general consensus is that someone mid-core would've at least dabbled in raiding or EX fights for a fair chunk of time at some point. Yes, you may grind jobs or dungeons etc, but those are usually regarded as easier things, thus the casual level.

But apart from that, it's funny that you say you focus on things that'll be valuable after several months, when in reality pretty much nothing is valuable in this game even maybe 2-3 months down the line since there is far too much continual upping of iLvls and how quickly gear becomes obsolete, whether it's easy weekly tome gear or raiding gear or whatever. I think that's really the thing that hurts this game the most, and actually something that made me stop doing dedicated raiding as well...

[Niqote]

I always thought the definition of "mid-core" were people who dabble in endgame and will eventually clear, but aren't pushing it hard. I guess my no-clear scrub butt is hardcore after all?

I think you are accurate.

-Super Casual, doesn't optomize, can't/wont play often, might only sub once a major patch is out, never does anything they cant be carried through.

-Casual players play casually, this is not an indication of time only, but of the difficulty, might dabble in mid core stuff but mostly once its nerfed. (Fun is whatever I feel like at the time)

-Mid cores try out the harder stuff (Raids, Extremes) maybe they are not set into a hard static, or the static can only play once a week? (Fun is a mild challenge, I don't mind working for it)

-Hard core, adhere to rules, strict log in times and play to win, always challenge themselves (can I do this in lower gear? Can I DPS this whole phase instead of heal? Solo Deep Dungeon.) (Fun is pushing my limits)