Since Stormblood is bringing new players: can we please get a warning on Castrum/Prae

[Masekase_Hurricane]

Very easy to fix both Castrums and no need to rework them:
Main issue is what - time waste for older characters. Time waste is approximately 2x to 3x. Lets be generous and say 3x. So we multiply all rewards there by 3x, add group lock for all cutscenes (like the one on dungeon start) and add agressive downscaling to ilvl 42-50 for matched parties (random DF essentially). So one fixed run would count exactly like 3 speedruns, have same rewards and same time to complete. Also block votekick for these 2 duties and add RMT-like ability report aggressive guys from chat.
That's like 1 weeks work for two developers and 1 QA. Only apparently SE is not interested at all in fixing older content, especially with addition of MSQ skip potions. What is the point of fixing stuff that is intended to be skipped.

Could be 10x the reward and I still wouldn't want to wait 35 mins every time I go in there. I would rather go do something fun for 50min (35 mins CS 15 mins killing).

[JCharms]

Could be 10x the reward and I still wouldn't want to wait 35 mins every time I go in there. I would rather go do something fun for 50min (35 mins CS 15 mins killing).

Just because you wouldn't, doesn't mean there's not plenty out there that would... Never underestimate the power of shineys!
A more apt question is, are you doing the MSQ roulette daily now? and if so, why? and if not, why not?

[Masekase_Hurricane]

Just because you wouldn't, doesn't mean there's not plenty out there that would... Never underestimate the power of shineys!
A more apt question is, are you doing the MSQ roulette daily now? and if so, why? and if not, why not?

Not doing any of the roulettes I cap them via a slower method albeit fun pvp,dun scaith, ex primals etc. Although I may pop in to them if a friend/FC member needs help. Only thing you will find happen is a lot of players will go afk and not return after the first CS. People are not afraid of actually doing the dungeon over and over again it's the cutscenes thats the issue. For some people that could be 2 runs of Aetherchemical - 300 lore (pre made/good parties).

[Serilda]

Not doing any of the roulettes I cap them via a slower method albeit fun pvp,dun scaith, ex primals etc.

Main Scenario roulette's rewards are junk though (poetics and cash, IIRC). Yet people are still turning it into a grindfest which is actually worse than using it as a way to teach newbies to seek parties themselves when DF queues won't fill, since being dragged through a parade of stressful cutscenes is the opposite of fun. Remove the poetic reward entirely in my opinion; if the queues are long the game needs to communicate the alternatives to the new player and encourage them to use Party Finder as the OP suggests. As it is I just camp Party Finder to find the actual new players to help instead of the grinders, because who really needs poetics that badly?

If someone doesn't want to actually help with the main story, they shouldn't be joining the main story roulette. Direct them elsewhere for their desperate speedruns.

[Zojha]

If someone doesn't want to actually help with the main story, they shouldn't be joining the main story roulette.

And that's easy to facilitate: Remove the XP and tome bonus from it. The only motivation why someone might be queuing for it left is to help newbies.

The issue, then, has been that not enough people are willing to do that to facilitate decent queue times. Same reason why they tacked rewards onto mentor roulette. And the same thing would happen if you forcefully kept people back.

There's no fix to this issue other than to turn it into a solo duty like that aetherochemical research facility part. And then watch as people cry bloody tears when they get wiped by the second Ultima weapon and have to go through 40 minutes of dungeon again >_>

[Serilda]

And that's easy to facilitate: Remove the XP and tome bonus from it. The only motivation why someone might be queuing for it left is to help newbies.

The issue, then, has been that not enough people are willing to do that to facilitate decent queue times. Same reason why they tacked rewards onto mentor roulette. And the same thing would happen if you forcefully kept people back.

I feel like this is why the OP's suggestion has merit. If those newbies are directed to Party Finder they can connect with the more eager-to-help people, and at least we can take matters into our own hands now and undersize it with a couple of FC buddies if we want to get people through in a less soul-destroying way than speedrunning. I don't queue Main Scenario roulette because I hate being part of these speedruns, but I'm more than happy to run through Castrum casting Holy and giving someone encouragement as they try to save the world.

It only takes a couple of insane people with no life per datacenter - I'm reasonably confident this can be achieved given the playerbase - to cater to most of the incoming newbies without a problem. And newbies can also flock together (and heaven forbid, ask in the NN) to pad their numbers and make it feel more worthwhile.