The Trust system will always remain a failure and garbage to me

[GeminiReed]

And talking about boredom, what about solo instances and their difficulty? Normal is already easy and then we have easy and ... very easy?

You can pry "very easy" from my cold dead hands.

By and large these solo instances are utter chores and I could not care less if I don't beat them on Normal. My sense of self-worth is not governed by beating single player instances or topping certain metrics. In fact there are some so annoying that I insta-fail them to trigger v.easy so that I can get on with my life.

Group instances are different story. Savage and EX are completely optional so I know what I've signed up for and approach with the appropriate attitude and preparation.

[Yencat]

That's an entirely different conversation to have. Nobody is forcing anyone to type but it should definitely be encouraged. Something XIV doesn't do enough. The game pretty much trains you to not talk for the first 50+ levels since you don't need to strategise. That's just not good design for an MMO.

I'm not the biggest fan of wall to wall pulls but we do them since dungeons are just boring. But instead of giving us meaningful encounters SE erected walls to hinder progress artificially. Again, bad design.

And talking about boredom, what about solo instances and their difficulty? Normal is already easy and then we have easy and ... very easy? And the community is surprised we have such a skill gap? Or that jobs get dumbed down? I really like what they did in SB instance-wise where you get taught through gameplay, but it's too little too late I'd say.

But, to bring it back to trusts, I think it sends the wrong message to players in a world were DF exists. By all means, keep it if you have to but how about you give the other side of the coin something too outside of savage?
Would be a nice compromise, wouldn't it?

I kind of agree, but I think that's a "problem" (in quotes because I suppose it's subjective) with the game at large and way beyond anything Trusts caused or encourage.

If dungeons are boring then that's a problem with dungeons, it doesn't really matter if you run them through DF, with your friends, or with Trusts.

[Payadopa]

You can pry "very easy" from my cold dead hands.

By and large these solo instances are utter chores and I could not care less if I don't beat them on Normal. My sense of self-worth is not governed by beating single player instances or topping certain metrics. In fact there are some so annoying that I insta-fail them to trigger v.easy so that I can get on with my life.

Group instances are different story. Savage and EX are completely optional so I know what I've signed up for and approach with the appropriate attitude and preparation.

In the end it comes down to preference. I play games not to increase my self-worth but to be challenged. That's also why I do sports or learn my third foreign language. That's just what I strive for. Otherwise I just get bored. I don't see games as this relaxing thing where I can tune out. And a boss is a boss because it is supposed to be threatening. I don't see the harm in giving players the option to have a higher difficulty without making it savage. Sastasha and savage are polar opposites but there is so much more in between that SE just isn't really utilising.

[Raikai]

I feel that Trusts shouldn't have dps on par with real players, to still make incentive to run with people for a much faster run... But I agree that seldom AoEing is terrible.

But imo their biggest flaw is the fact that you need to level them. It's weird that you actually have them ready to do every dungeon as you go leveling up, but suddenly they instantly de-level to 70 as you complete the MSQ... And a huge disparity as the last trust that joins you permanenty is level 80.

If leveling them should be an actual necessity, they at the bare minimum should all get experience together.

[Reinha]

Leveling Trusts was the most boring thing I did this whole expansion and that includes me farming enough bicolor gemstones to buy all the rewards. So sloooooow.

[Iscah]

You can pry "very easy" from my cold dead hands.

While I prefer to genuinely clear a solo instance on normal difficulty, especially the first time around, I agree that the lower difficulties are useful and no reflection on how you approach group content.

I've only used it a few times but it was generally for clearing Lv70 job quest battles for alts where my gear was a bit underlevelled and there was no point going away to upgrade it just so I could get through a battle that would reward me with free Lv70 gear. Also for clearing multi-stage battles if they were long and annoying and I'd stuffed up near the end of it.

[SturmChurro]

isn't the game already in "very easy" though?

[KageTokage]

I honestly kind of wish they'd make it even less appealing then running the instance with actual players by removing the tomestone drops because it's helped contribute towards the economy reaching a new level of stagnancy thanks to people setting up squads of farm bots that spam trusts to accumulate allegory mats (Who you typically see popping in and out of instances right in front of the Eulmore tomestone vendor).

[Kuroka]

You can pry "very easy" from my cold dead hands.

By and large these solo instances are utter chores and I could not care less if I don't beat them on Normal. My sense of self-worth is not governed by beating single player instances or topping certain metrics. In fact there are some so annoying that I insta-fail them to trigger v.easy so that I can get on with my life.

Group instances are different story. Savage and EX are completely optional so I know what I've signed up for and approach with the appropriate attitude and preparation.

But the problem is we need some "gates" as players who dont even manage normal mode will drag everyone else down, until overgear will make things easier.

I recall after shinryu or back then after nidhogg or Tsukuyomi when players got stock for weeks... lol i knew ppl flat out stating "fine ill wait till 4.0/5.0!" xD

[Deceptus]

While I prefer to genuinely clear a solo instance on normal difficulty, especially the first time around, I agree that the lower difficulties are useful and no reflection on how you approach group content.

I've only used it a few times but it was generally for clearing Lv70 job quest battles for alts where my gear was a bit underlevelled and there was no point going away to upgrade it just so I could get through a battle that would reward me with free Lv70 gear. Also for clearing multi-stage battles if they were long and annoying and I'd stuffed up near the end of it.

As someone who likes to go through the story as a healer I can understand the value of Easy Mode MSQ battles.

Because I don't want to have to spend 20 minutes on a fight spamming glare at Ranjit just because glare hits like a we noodle.

No the fight isn't hard, easy makes it less tedious. I haven't used it, but can see it's place.