Colliseum/Solo Instances

[kikix12]

This game really lacks actual solo content. Most is either doable easier with a group (Palace of the Dead, FATE's etc.) or outright group-only (dungeons, if you want experience). There was added the squadron content now, but that is not only very early phase (the squadron cannot even properly, as in, fundamentally, do their job on the lvl50 dungeon), but it also demands other skills than individual progress.

The lack of solo content is part of the problem as to why the players skill level on average is so low. Without anything to challenge, make a player learn their class properly, they are not very likely to learn. Throwing easy content at them will just make them think they are "good". Throwing group content will pair them with good players (making the run smooth and them think it was thanks to them too) or with bad (making the run a tragedy, making them think that the others couldn't keep up).

Hence, why I'd like to see more solo content that would not be made vastly easier with a group, that would put to the test the players individual, actual skills.

The game have some interesting instances. Plenty of duels that require some individual proficiency. Then there is the mock-up battle between Ishgard and the three Grand Companies that was a wonderful mini-game (alas, a joke as a healer). Then there is another "group battle" with that war over the steppes in Stormblood. The latter two would be great content to add (solo with NPC's, as it would take ages to make sure that one could actually complete the bonding in the steppe war, at least).

The former brings to mind...a coliseum. There is already one, in Ul-Dah. But players cannot participate in it (except as part of Paladins job quests). I think it would be a great content to add however. How would I want it to work?

Battles:
Duels: Player would fight against an enemy one on one. The enemy could be selected from a list (with varying classes, difficulties etc.) and depending on the selection, the rewards would differ. Make some really challenging foes that give good rewards (experience, really), and players will really want to get better at their class. However, please...Don't think that "Bigger HP = Bigger challenge". Use mechanics for controlling the difficulty, not the enemies health pool.
A random mode where the duel takes place against a random foe would be nice bonus.
Team Battles: Since there is this coliseum, why not? The more players there are, the more NPC's they fight against, making for the content properly scaling in difficulty with party. If the gladiators will actually focus on one target instead of going through enmity list as normal, that is. Meaning, people will probably die, but their goal is to kill all the opponents before they all get downed first. It's a fair game for either side. Again, opponent selection or random.
Tournament: Well, self-explanatory. Could have either or both of two ways it's calculated. Elimination, where you lose, you're out, or point-based, where you gain point for draw, two for win and naught for loss, and you'd have to fight against every opponent once (so seven/fifteen duels). The further the player goes/the higher position they end up as the higher the reward.
Adding extra player teams could be available, with the teams being as far apart as possible with the amount of people (if in elimination tournament), so that if there are two teams, they can only meet in the finals.
This could also include a way for players to organize tournaments, putting an item as reward and inviting others to participate or making it open for anyone, though NPC's would still fill-in the blanks. What happens with the reward if NPC's win? Well, details...
And yes, duels or team battles are fair game.


The important part is making these duels a challenge. Not a roflstomp that the bottom-skill players can defeat, but something one needs to be at least decent for the weakest NPC, or a "real pro" for the highest-difficulty match-up of highest difficulty NPC. If they are not a challenge, there would be no improvement in individual player skills, and it's just become another good or bad but way to get experience.

[SerLuke]

There's also a level 50 side quest that uses the Coliseum but yeah its always bothered me there's not much we can actually do there I thought they would have added more content for it.

Anyways I agree I would love to see more challenging solo content.

[Soupa]

Tournament sounds a lot like the current PvP features we have currently (Custom matches, feast). The others sound like interesting ideas but its not much different then say a trial roulette at that point. (Min ilv sync, level sync, etc). The main problem I see is this is supposed to be geared toward solo content which is not exactly the first thing you think of when you're playing an MMO. Nice ideas though.

[kikix12]

The others sound like interesting ideas but its not much different then say a trial roulette at that point. (Min ilv sync, level sync, etc).

The difference is massive. Group content does not promote individual performance growth (the more difficult it is the better it is at that, but there's always a limit). How many times have I seen people do everything bad in a trial (like, getting thrown out by Titan the very first time it's possible, of course, at times I was guilty of that myself) and still clear? Just cause the content can be cleared with a handicap of multiple people in the party being sub-par. And they have little in-game reasons to get better, unless they want to do the really difficult content (which most of these players do not).

The main problem I see is this is supposed to be geared toward solo content which is not exactly the first thing you think of when you're playing an MMO. Nice ideas though.

I'm afraid that in order to have one, individual player get better, that one individual player needs to be given a challenge. I'm not a proponent of a challenge in main story, hence why I suggest an optional content that can provide it.

Really, even an MMO cannot make-do without some solo content. I didn't propose anything but experience as reward (there may or may not be anything beyond) so as to not make players feel bad when they just cannot clear it at all. Experience can be gotten in many other places, of varied difficulty. Just look at other MMO's. Any, really. The more difficult solo-content there was (even just actually difficult "world" mobs), the better the average players skills. But FFXIV is so focused on party content, and making what little solo content there is laughably easy, that there is just no way to get better without going out of ones way.

[Enkidoh]

There's also a level 50 side quest that uses the Coliseum but yeah its always bothered me there's not much we can actually do there I thought they would have added more content for it.

The level 60-70 PLD Job quests also feature solo instanced battles in the Ul'dah Colosseum as part of the quests (as the OP noted), as did the old version 1.0 GLA class quests (fittingly, as the Colosseum is part of the GLA's Guild). The reason though why we don't have more content using it (such as PvP) is SE are mindful about how players would tend to idle around there between matches and thus, given how players idling broke Ul'dah in 1.0, they clearly want to avoid a repeat of that happening again.

Personally though, the OP's idea of a solo-orientated battle arena is still something I would love to see, and Gold Saucer would be perfect for it instead of Ul'dah, given the original Gold Saucer in FFVII had something similar there. I disagree about using it for group content though, as there is already plenty of team-based PvP and PvE in the game anyway.

[NephthysVasudan]

The lack of solo content is part of the problem as to why the players skill level on average is so low. Without anything to challenge, make a player learn their class properly, they are not very likely to learn. Throwing easy content at them will just make them think they are "good". Throwing group content will pair them with good players (making the run smooth and them think it was thanks to them too) or with bad (making the run a tragedy, making them think that the others couldn't keep up).

Let me get this straight.

You're complaining there's a lack of solo-able content.
Yet you propose group content via duels and such?

Duels: Already exists.... its called POTD, Overworld - Those simulation fields at at the Fringes and Dravanian Hinterlands.
Team Battles: PVP???? Huh? (Looks at the Wolfs Pier)
Tournament: Isn't that what the Feast is? And the new PVP stuff they launched? sure a more formal ladder could be formed...but...wait....isn't there already something like that?

With all due respect...I think you kinda missed the part where this is an MMORPG (Massive Multi-player Online Role playing Game)

Now yes...it would be nice to solo most content...but the content was specifically designed to be done in a group environment...aside from the main scenario quests and such.
I get where your coming from..but your foundation is very....weak.

The best way for players to get better...is to play with other players...always.
Yes its a mixed bag and randoms tend to be nasty for me....but its also how you meet good people too.

If you walked into this thinking its solo and don't want to be around people..your going to have a hard time getting anywhere.

*TRYING to be helpful here*

[SerLuke]

The level 60-70 PLD Job quests also feature solo instanced battles in the Ul'dah Colosseum as part of the quests, as did the old version 1.0 GLA class quests (fittingly, as the Colosseum is part of the GLA's Guild). The reason though why we don't have more content using it (such as PvP) is SE are mindful about how players would tend to idle around there between matches and thus, given how players idling broke Ul'dah in 1.0, they clearly want to avoid a repeat of that happening again.

Personally though, the OP's idea of a solo-orientated battle arena is still something I would love to see, and Gold Saucer would be perfect for it instead of Ul'dah, given the original Gold Saucer in FFVII had something similar there. I disagree about using it for group content though, as there is already plenty of team-based PvP and PvE in the game anyway.

That makes sense, I wasn't around for 1.0.

[Cakekizyy]

I would love that, except for the challenge part.

[kikix12]

Yet you propose group content via duels and such?

Eh...why make a content purely for solo when it can be for both solo and party?! Seriously, wasting money for artificial reasons like that is not what I am a fan of.

Duels: Already exists.... its called POTD, Overworld - Those simulation fields at at the Fringes and Dravanian Hinterlands.

Are you serious?! I specifically mentioned palace of the dead as worthless, since whatever you can do solo, you can do a lot better with a party. Not to mention, there are many mobs that have barely any mechanics (except for the bosses every ten floors), with somewhat low life and somewhat high attack to compensate...Overworld is a laughingstock. Have you ever died on the overworld?! I haven't. Even if I was disconnected in the middle of a field, I still didn't die. Except to fates, but those aren't even reliable, not to mention, they are once again easier to do in a party and often have multitude of simple mobs.

And SSS...is just an unmoving dummy. That's not even a "content" per see. How much challenge is there in hitting something that does literally nothing, that you will defeat in the two minutes whatever you do, so long as you actually do something and so long as you have proper level gear?

Team Battles: PVP???? Huh? (Looks at the Wolfs Pier)

Um...Since when do you go with a party member and fight against NPC's in Wolf's Pier?! At least read carefully when you make such a big thing of a response trying to show how ridiculous the poster is.

Tournament: Isn't that what the Feast is? And the new PVP stuff they launched? sure a more formal ladder could be formed...but...wait....isn't there already something like that?

No. That is not what the Feast is. Feast is a ranking ladder that spans over a long time. You can fight once, you can fight seven times, you can fight a thousand times. Feast is also strictly PvP, so you play against other players and, again, it is strictly group content, so you play it only WITH other players.

Also, now, the PvP is even LESS of an argument, as getting better at PvP does nothing for getting better at PvE, since the skills used are different.

With all due respect...I think you kinda missed the part where this is an MMORPG (Massive Multi-player Online Role playing Game)

You have missed nearly every point I was making in my post.
And I cannot understand people that use that ridiculous argument. MMO stands for "massive multiplayer online", not for "only group content". It just means that players connect the game to an outside server and utilize the same "zones" as each other, with means of interaction. It does not say anything about having them interact, and really, a strictly-solo game that would only have a "hub" city where you can talk with players would STILL be an MMO game.

Now yes...it would be nice to solo most content...but the content was specifically designed to be done in a group environment...aside from the main scenario quests and such.

Where have I said anything about soloing most or, really, any content that is actually there? I suggest an entire new type of content. One that can be done solo...or in a group. And not fixed group, either, so you can play as one, as two, as three, as five...Show me any content that have such freedom, not counting undersized parties for the obvious reason of it either being impossible or roflstomp?

I get where your coming from..but your foundation is very....weak.

You don't get where I'm coming from at all. You missed every single argument I made. Heck, you even contradicted yourself. Your first post was making an argument against me due to the team part of my suggestion, and then you went and talked about how this is an MMO...

The best way for players to get better...is to play with other players...always.

Go ahead and give counterarguments to what arguments I made as to why this is NOT the best way. Then I may actually consider this as more than a wish upon a star.

Yes its a mixed bag and randoms tend to be nasty for me....but its also how you meet good people too.

Being better player have nothing to do with whether you meet good or bad people, or any people at all. So can't really say I care about that. I do party content, I wouldn't be playing this game if I had no interest in that, whether small or large, but that's besides the point.

*TRYING to be helpful here*

I'm sorry, but trying doesn't cut it. You didn't put any effort into trying to read my first post and your response had nothing to do with anything that I wrote in it.

Don't get me wrong. I have no issues with constructive criticism per see, but it's not that if it talks about entirely different thing. And things like sarcasm, irony and similar are never helpful and are always used to put down the other side, and they are surefire way to tick me off.

Team Battles: PVP???? Huh? (Looks at the Wolfs Pier)

Such phrases are not generally used unless you want to show disdain for the other person, or at least, that you think they said something truly idiotic. It have nothing to do with being helpful. Trying to be helpful in this case would be "How does this differ from wolves pier?", to which I could actually respond properly (which, one way or another, I did...not like I should have to granted the difference is in the original post).

[Soupa]

Really, even an MMO cannot make-do without some solo content. I didn't propose anything but experience as reward (there may or may not be anything beyond) so as to not make players feel bad when they just cannot clear it at all.

If we want someone to get better then there needs to be more gatekeeping content like before things like Steps of Faith, Vault, and Nidhogg before they were nerfed. A recent example is Shinryu which everyone was complaining to be nerfed but they didn't which forced players to "get good". This games battle content is almost entirely group based so I don't see how solo content would help anyone really improve outside of their rotation which can be done at a training dummy. Healers especially would get barely anything out of this because they're supposed to be taking care of a party. Again good ideas(I like the team battles) but not much practical use.