Humble Request: Add Story (a.k.a. Easy) Mode

[Penthea]

Not necessarily. There is a minimum ilevel tickbox, and an undersized party tickbox

There are some mechanics in msq dungeon bosses that require multiple players to do in order to succeed. Adjusting for these wouldn't be as simple as a flat damage decrease unless the damage is reduced so much that no mechanics matter. Reducing to that degree would make every boss feel the same, which would actually take away from the story.

there can just as easily be a "god mode" tickbox that sets the echo to 100,000%.

If someone wants a god mode but wants to experience a story, I suggest they read a book or watch a film instead. Clearly games are not for them if they don't want the burden of mechanics forcing them to try new things or improve.

Neither does it say one should always be forced to group. there should be plenty of content for both playstyles.

But there is.

You can solo loads of game content, some of it is even designed for solo. And on the flip side there is content intended for groups.

[KisaiTenshi]

There are some mechanics in msq dungeon bosses that require multiple players to do in order to succeed. Adjusting for these wouldn't be as simple as a flat damage decrease unless the damage is reduced so much that no mechanics matter. Reducing to that degree would make every boss feel the same, which would actually take away from the story.

The only mechanic in the entire game that doesn't allow any solo play are mechanics that are essentially exclusive to the 24-player content where the group is separated into two or three paths. You can not do Labyrinth of the Ancients or Weeping City of Mhach solo because there are mechanics that require a minimum of 4 players per party ("pads!")

Fetter/bind/frozen/paralysis/petrified all time out, except for a few cases like the one in Shiva extreme (Akh Afah Amphitheatre (Extreme)) which doesn't, thus you just sit there until you die, which can be a long time.

Yes, there are mechanics that probably need a time-out that currently do not for them to be 100% solo-able, but on the list of "what isn't soloable" only "The Aery" comes up, and that is again, due to a fetter mechanic. Yet like in Amdapor Keep Hard, you can push past it eventually if you can do enough damage, but that isn't really any fun if you can skip the mechanics entirely. Having a fetter timeout is required for those mechanics, because those mechanics should otherwise kill you if you were at the gear level that was released when the content was released, but with the level 70 gear on level 50/60 content, it should just knock you down for 90% of the HP (which is what Titan Extreme does) and you either heal or get knocked out by the next attack.

Like just to point back to the OP, the intent may be to "play everything solo" but one should not be rewarded for playing solo. At best, I'd only agree with allowing solo play of group content that was completed without undersized party ever been used. Because undersized party options already accomplish this. If you want "easy mode, solo play" it would have to be done with content that was already completed, otherwise -everyone- would just pick it to complete the content, and have no reason to ever play it as designed without a greater reward. It's the marshmallow effect. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanfo...low_experiment

[Penthea]

The only mechanic in the entire game that doesn't allow any solo play are mechanics that are essentially exclusive to the 24-player content

There are group stack markers in several msq dungeons. In the Great Gubul Library you need to have several people stand on the circles to prevent adds from spawning on the last boss. In Haukke Manor on the last boss you can't deactivate all the lanterns on your own before they cause considerable damage. You can't tank the second boss in Stone Vigil and interact with the canon at the same time because damage from the boss interrupts you. On the last boss of the Anti-Tower you get turned into a doll and you can't get turned back unless you're dpsed down by other players. Both Titan and Susano trap players in a rock that need to be dpsed down by other players.

All the above are in the msq.

For the msq to be able to be soloed in its entirety, boss mechanics would either have to be tweaked to not require groups or they would have to be nerfed so much for them to be meaningless.

[KisaiTenshi]

There are group stack markers in several msq dungeons. In the Great Gubul Library you need to have several people stand on the circles to prevent adds from spawning on the last boss. In Haukke Manor on the last boss you can't deactivate all the lanterns on your own before they cause considerable damage. You can't tank the second boss in Stone Vigil and interact with the canon at the same time because damage from the boss interrupts you. On the last boss of the Anti-Tower you get turned into a doll and you can't get turned back unless you're dpsed down by other players. Both Titan and Susano trap players in a rock that need to be dpsed down by other players.

All the above are in the msq.

For the msq to be able to be soloed in its entirety, boss mechanics would either have to be tweaked to not require groups or they would have to be nerfed so much for them to be meaningless.

And none of those would kill you in a "easy mode" because they don't in solo undersized party mode. The only things I've run into to date that prevent progress are fetters, and the fetters all time out except the one in Shiva Extreme. Given I've not tried every single thing because you can't presently solo everything as all jobs. My best guess is that Susano probably would be a blocker because the tank is tied up at a certain phase of the fight.

In fact here's proof that the Antitower Calca mechanics are irrelevant
https://youtu.be/6XKnTe1_8nI?t=1889

It times out after 25 seconds.

That player has a whole bunch of other content Solo'd as PLD.