Salted Flakes

[JisKing98]

Can I get a TL;DR please, thanks.

[Theodric]

I've also found that the FFXIV community has a lot of flaky individuals within it. My partner and I wanted to raid, though we'd prefer not to do stuff through the party finder in favour of a static we can bond with over time.

Generally speaking, it appears pretty difficult to find one if you're not in a static already. I used to raid in WoW and didn't have much trouble finding people to raid with who were punctual and reliable. Here, though? Even getting a group together for POTD or HOH can be very hit or miss. Which is a shame.

[DrWho2010]

flaky ppl in game tend to be flaky people in real life.

[ReynTime]

FFXIV community is mature, nice and friendly according to that other topic. Here are a few examples, with the first getting 10+ likes btw:

Honestly bro, nobody cares.

Can I get a TL;DR please, thanks.

[Vyrerus]

Can I get a TL;DR please, thanks.

TL;DR

Have you had experience with flaky people in your time raiding, whether it be with PUGs or with statics?

[Vyrerus]

1. Getting sick isn't being a flake. Whoever told you that needs to chill out and stop to smell the roses once in a while. That's not a healthy mentality. People get sick and things happen that are out of their control and no one should be punished for that. This isn't a real life job and also why some statics have alternate players to take over if someone can't make it.

2. Correct, we are real people but this is a game. This is not real life outside of how we choose to control our character and the friendships we make along the way. I have issues separating from the game because I do view it as an extension of myself, but a lot of people don't look at it like that at the same time. People put on personas and fake who they are so it doesn't have to be real to them. There's nothing you or I or anyone can do about that. Just have to brush it off and move along onto the next thing. This is the internet, get ready to meet a lot of people who ultimately won't care about you or your feelings.

1. People often lie. No one is obligated to believe what you tell them without proof. From their perception you're taking an easy out, lying, so they'll go lenient on you. That was their perception of me.

2. I've been on the internet since 1997. I'm aware. That's honestly more just a facet of life, but it doesn't mean I have to accept, endorse, or enjoy it. Be the change you want to see in the world or some shit.

[Rilifane]

I've also found that the FFXIV community has a lot of flaky individuals within it. My partner and I wanted to raid, though we'd prefer not to do stuff through the party finder in favour of a static we can bond with over time.

Generally speaking, it appears pretty difficult to find one if you're not in a static already. I used to raid in WoW and didn't have much trouble finding people to raid with who were punctual and reliable. Here, though? Even getting a group together for POTD or HOH can be very hit or miss. Which is a shame.

After three raid tiers of being in different statics and constantly filling in and helping out other statics I've noticed that many casual and midcore statics lack longevity (can't speak for hardcore because I've never been part of one). They stay together for maybe one raid tier and even then there are often switches. One or two people leaving often spells doom for a static if they don't get replaced within 1-2 weeks, kind of mirroring the "one person leaves, party disbands" in PF.
And the reasons why someone left weren't even lack of time, new work schedule, moving to a different place etc. but things like bottled up unhappiness, fairly minor disagreements that turned into a permanent dislike for someone, someone doing something and the static taking different sides, general immaturity and so on. Things that could get resolved by talking and just letting it go afterwards but it often escalated to a huge conflict, dooming the static. Almost as if either everything is always 100% sunshine and rainbows or static disbands.
Not something I've seen this frequently in other MMOs where statics would often stay together for multiple expansions with the occasional person leaving and getting replaced because of RL stuff. Not everyone always liked everyone but it wasn't a big deal either. There were disagreements but it wasn't generally a reason to leave.

I don't know if that's an EU or even Light thing but keeping a static together or finding one seems pretty difficult. The statics recruiting often give off the feeling that whoever is filling the spot next is never going to be as good and welcomed as their former member or they badmouth them collectively as if whatever happened was their fault alone. Both things that are a huge turn off for me.

[Nethereal]

I've noticed that many casual and midcore statics lack longevity (can't speak for hardcore because I've never been part of one).

Depends on what type of "hardcore" group you're with. Many people will group for week 1 clear and then disband after the first clear. Ultimate cohesiveness is very dependent on overall player skill, prog time, and what type of group you wanted to join.
I'm still in the same group I got my first tea clear with granted only 3 of the originals are in it, second tea clear we added two people to the original group. Ucob group we added 1 person from that group to the original group. Clear 12 lost 1 person from the original group and filled with someone's friend and now we're progging tea again.

It's very much trial by fire with static groups.

[Provoke]

FFXIV community is mature, nice and friendly according to that other topic. Here are a few examples, with the first getting 10+ likes btw:

Lmfao
10char

[WhiteArchmage]

I... think my experience is dramatically opposite of anyone's here. I've been in the same static since Heavensward. Granted, my first static didn't survive a few months because Nael kicked our butts; but my current group has stayed pretty much the same except our shield healer dipped in HW because we weren't making much progress back then.

They picked me up around Gordias because my then-boyfriend was their MT, and it's even kind of funny that we've been together as a group longer than I was together with him, and still neither of us got replaced after breaking up! (helps that it was amicable and we're still good friends, I guess)

I guess it helps if you're actually friends with the people you're raiding with. You can understand when real life gets in the way, you can reschedule more easily or when someone is taking a holiday. If your relationship to your raidmates is basically "strangers on the internet" it's easier to just piss off when there are more important things going on; in our case we had a hard time most of last year because some people started new jobs and the schedules left us with around one hour of raidtime per day, making us take weeks to clear what should have been straighforward fights. Plus, we're adults, we end up having more responsibilities and are aware of that.

It helps a lot that we actually communicate well within the group: if someone's having a hard time, has a family emergency, is having problems with mechanics, or needs to step up on something, we talk it out no hard feelings. It's harder to get that when you're JUST building a group, that's stuff that needs to get fostered. Which is the problem with making new statics, it ends up feeling like a 2nd (or 3rd) job if you don't luck out and are in synch with the others.