FFXIV challenging the inner Introvert in me. Forced grouping.

[Krotoan]

Glad it turned out better than you expected!
Dungeon runs are pretty low key for the entire game. People want to get them done regardless if you talk or not, so as long as you can play well enough , nobody will really say anything if you just don't respond.
That being said, I have to wonder what the appeal of an MMO is to someone who doesn't want to interact with people at all?
Sure the story in this game is awesome, but it is first and foremost an online game advertised to be populated with your fellow gamers.

[Avatre]

That being said, I have to wonder what the appeal of an MMO is to someone who doesn't want to interact with people at all?

As an introvert myself, I find it harder to meet and make friends offline considering how much I keep to myself(always watching, rarely interacting with people in my surroundings). It's nice to meet people online who can coax me out of my shell, and actually take the time to get to know me. I've met some of my best friends online, some who we are actually planning on getting together(we all live in different cities across North America) at some point when we can all afford it. To me, that's the appeal of a MMO, the possibility of meeting new and interesting people(though sometimes they turn out to be negatively interesting....).

It also helps that everyone has been so friendly in game.

For the majority, I found people to be nice while playing the game. There are definitely the rude/elitist people out there, and you will eventually run into some of them, but don't let them scare you. It is rare that you will ever encounter them again after the first meeting. If it gets to be too much when you do originally run into them, the worst that happens is you leave a dungeon before it finishes and need to wait out the 30min lockout timer.

[Straynge]

You make an excellent point & it's something I wonder all the time. What is the appeal of mmo for someone who doesn't necessarily want to socialize? Part of it is the fact that you can do a lot by yourself & yet not feel so alone. Even the most introverted people get lonely at times. But for a lot of us I think sometimes we do want to interact & hang out with people but we have a unique set of circumstances (gifts? flaws?) that at times prevents that. It's like having that opportunity available if we want to grasp it but with the added security of knowing we don't have to. I was extremely shy growing up. Not so much anymore but I do prefer to be alone most of the time. I guess it's just a habit...but it's nice to know that there's others out there willing to give you a hand if you are willing to accept it. It's just a way to safely bridge that gap a little more until finally someday you cross that bridge completely & join a guild and make good friends. Plus it's freaking Final Fantasy.

[Delily]

I am going to step on a soapbox here. This is not introversion; introversion is only when being around people in a social setting tires you out. I've read that this is because as an introvert, you spend time scanning people for emotional cues so that you know how to react to them. The key thing, however, is that you need to be able to directly interact with these people, not virtually. I know several introverts who are great public speakers and are able to handle large crowds, up until they run out of steam

What you're describing is shyness, lack of confidence, or a form of social anxiety. In all cases, I recommend playing a tank. One you get over the expectations that are formed in your head, you actually build confidence in playing with other people and you're level of concern as to whether you're making people happy drops.

There's been a few times when I've done a dungeon or a trial blind. That's because I'm confident in my ability to tank, and I know that the devs have spent considerable time teaching us the signals they use to indicate something is going to happen and how to react. There should be no reason to have to watch a video to learn a dungeon, you should be able to walk in, blind, and using the signals the game gives you, be able to finish it with minimal issue.