This game has serious free-rider problems and it's getting worse. A suggestion.

[Ronduwil]

There are people in this game who get offended for "teaching" sprouts and will say "you are the reason people don't like to tank" when explaining to sprouts that pulling mobs until you die isn't a bad thing, you won't know your limits unless you try, proceed troll your run by pulling mobs for the tank when they don't get their way and then not see the hypocrisy of their statements.

The sprout already knows that it's possible to pull beyond their comfort level. They just don't want to do it. No one's "teaching" anybody anything here. They're trying to impose their preferences on the tank. Some people like running the instance at a breakneck speed as if their queue popped a moment before they realized they urgently had to use the restroom, and others like to take their time and relax through their gaming experience. I agreed with Zepla when she said something to the effect of, "If you don't like the tank's pace, then play as a tank next time." I personally hate it when tanks rush through instances, but I grin and bear it because I realize that their preferences are what they are.

[Nethereal]

The sprout already knows that it's possible to pull beyond their comfort level. They just don't want to do it. No one's "teaching" anybody anything here. They're trying to impose their preferences on the tank. Some people like running the instance at a breakneck speed as if their queue popped a moment before they realized they urgently had to use the restroom, and others like to take their time and relax through their gaming experience. I agreed with Zepla when she said something to the effect of, "If you don't like the tank's pace, then play as a tank next time." I personally hate it when tanks rush through instances, but I grin and bear it because I realize that their preferences are what they are.

Comfort level =/= your limit.

Your comfort level or your comfort zone is safe, plenty of people like to stay in their comfort zone and plenty of people leave it but you need to teach newbies that their comfort level/zone does not equate to their limits.
You need to desensitize them early before they start getting healer/tank anxiety because of one bad pull.
They need to be taught to not be afraid of experimenting, not coddled like children who can't tell people when they're uncomfortable.

[Ronduwil]

It sounds like you're playing with the intent to push your limits. Assuming that everyone is playing with that goal in mind is a big mistake. Many of us are playing to relax at the end of a long workday, not to push our limits. A comfortable run is a relaxing one. I know that there are guilds who share a common goal of constantly pushing their limits, and that's perfectly fine. More power to them and to you. In duty roulette, though, you need to realize that you're going to be playing with a wide variety of players.

As far as "teaching" and "coddling," I don't think it's the game's place to "teach" players to experiment. I think it's great that the game enables players who want to experiment in their own groups, but I don't want it forced on anyone. When I see your posts, I'm reading, "Everyone needs to be taught to play my way, and I'm frustrated that the game isn't forcing everyone to do so." It's kind of ironic for you to critically use the phrase, "coddled like children," when describing a game that's rated T for teen. You're playing a kid's game. I don't know what more you're expecting out of it.

[Nethereal]

It sounds like you're playing with the intent to push your limits. Assuming that everyone is playing with that goal in mind is a big mistake. Many of us are playing to relax at the end of a long workday, not to push our limits. A comfortable run is a relaxing one. I know that there are guilds who share a common goal of constantly pushing their limits, and that's perfectly fine. More power to them and to you. In duty roulette, though, you need to realize that you're going to be playing with a wide variety of players.

As far as "teaching" and "coddling," I don't think it's the game's place to "teach" players to experiment. I think it's great that the game enables players who want to experiment in their own groups, but I don't want it forced on anyone. When I see your posts, I'm reading, "Everyone needs to be taught to play my way, and I'm frustrated that the game isn't forcing everyone to do so." It's kind of ironic for you to critically use the phrase, "coddled like children," when describing a game that's rated T for teen. You're playing a kid's game. I don't know what more you're expecting out of it.

Outside of out right intentional disrespect I respect most forms of alternative play, what frustrates me is contrarians who say the only valid way to play is to be inside your comfort zone always, never trying to get better.
Especially when in a hypothetical situation if it were to be a solo game they would not be able to complete content. But I digress.

It's fairly disingenuous to use the phrase "You're playing a kid's game." when there are games in the world rated E - For everyone, despite having gambling in them.
As a person you should base your expectations on the reality of the situation around you.
Most players are at least 16 years or older, they're only 2 years off from being legally considered adults, I should at least be able to expect basic communication.

[TaleraRistain]

Outside of out right intentional disrespect I respect most forms of alternative play, what frustrates me is contrarians who say the only valid way to play is to be inside your comfort zone always, never trying to get better.

What about people who think they get to be the arbiter for perfect strangers on when they are ready/willing to play outside their comfort zone? If you like to test your limits, that's fine. You don't get to decide for anyone else.

[Awha]

What about people who think they get to be the arbiter for perfect strangers on when they are ready/willing to play outside their comfort zone? If you like to test your limits, that's fine. You don't get to decide for anyone else.

Isn't that life though expecting one to conform to the overall group?

[Nethereal]

What about people who think they get to be the arbiter for perfect strangers on when they are ready/willing to play outside their comfort zone? If you like to test your limits, that's fine. You don't get to decide for anyone else.

I'm fine with that if you communicate that to me or the group.
What I'm not fine with are other strangers making assumptions and speaking on behalf of said stranger when they're right there perfectly able to communicate and they have either said nothing, stayed the same way they were, or shifted in a certain direction in terms of gameplay.

Especially ones that hold it against you the entire time you're there, like one simple question has somehow ruined the entire run.
A simple "No." or "K" would do me just fine but you don't get to get all uppity and upset on someone's behalf because of a simple question like, "Can you pull bigger?" "Do you mind If I give you advice {t}?"
People like the above are honestly why I don't bother communicating with pugs unless absolutely necessary.

[TaleraRistain]

I'm fine with that if you communicate that to me or the group.
What I'm not fine with are other strangers making assumptions and speaking on behalf of said stranger when they're right there perfectly able to communicate and they have either said nothing, stayed the same way they were, or shifted in a certain direction in terms of gameplay.

Especially ones that hold it against you the entire time you're there, like one simple question has somehow ruined the entire run.
A simple "No." or "K" would do me just fine but you don't get to get all uppity and upset on someone's behalf because of a simple question like, "Can you pull bigger?" "Do you mind If I give you advice {t}?"
People like the above are honestly why I don't bother communicating with pugs unless absolutely necessary.

Why do you think random mooks you let the game match you with owe you an explanation for not doing something you want?

[iVolke]

It sounds like you're playing with the intent to push your limits. Assuming that everyone is playing with that goal in mind is a big mistake. Many of us are playing to relax at the end of a long workday, not to push our limits. A comfortable run is a relaxing one. I know that there are guilds who share a common goal of constantly pushing their limits, and that's perfectly fine. More power to them and to you. In duty roulette, though, you need to realize that you're going to be playing with a wide variety of players.

As far as "teaching" and "coddling," I don't think it's the game's place to "teach" players to experiment. I think it's great that the game enables players who want to experiment in their own groups, but I don't want it forced on anyone. When I see your posts, I'm reading, "Everyone needs to be taught to play my way, and I'm frustrated that the game isn't forcing everyone to do so." It's kind of ironic for you to critically use the phrase, "coddled like children," when describing a game that's rated T for teen. You're playing a kid's game. I don't know what more you're expecting out of it.

Not afking, using essences in bozja, and pulling more than one group of mobs is not "pushing your limits." You've gotta be kidding me.

You call this a kids game, when the majority of the playerbase is 18+? And how is that even relevant? Being under 18 doesn't mean you don't know how to press buttons or use items that the game literally tells you to use.

FFXIV has a culture of doing the bare minimum. Every game has freeloaders/afkers/leeches, but FFXIV is the only game I know where if someone calls another player out on it, people will actively come to their defense and deny kicking them. It's incredibly strange.

[Ronduwil]

Not afking, using essences in bozja, and pulling more than one group of mobs is not "pushing your limits." You've gotta be kidding me.

I'm impressed with how easily you dispatch those strawmen. Please show me a single post where I've indicated that refraining from AFKing was anything but the bare minimum expectation for someone in a group. Please show me a single post where I so much as mentioned Bozja or essences. I'm not even the one who defined pulling more than one group of mobs as "pushing your limits." That honor goes to this fellow, who responded to this:

The sprout already knows that it's possible to pull beyond their comfort level. They just don't want to do it. No one's "teaching" anybody anything here. They're trying to impose their preferences on the tank. Some people like running the instance at a breakneck speed as if their queue popped a moment before they realized they urgently had to use the restroom, and others like to take their time and relax through their gaming experience. I agreed with Zepla when she said something to the effect of, "If you don't like the tank's pace, then play as a tank next time."

With this:

Comfort level =/= your limit.
Your comfort level or your comfort zone is safe, plenty of people like to stay in their comfort zone and plenty of people leave it but you need to teach newbies that their comfort level/zone does not equate to their limits.

You call this a kids game, when the majority of the playerbase is 18+? And how is that even relevant?

Again, this was a direct response to this quote:

They need to be taught to not be afraid of experimenting, not coddled like children who can't tell people when they're uncomfortable.

I was simply pointing out the silliness of criticizing a children's game for coddling players "like children."

I seriously can't understand why you guys keep morphing a statement to the effect of "Allowing a tank in the duty roulette to pull at their own pace is common courtesy," into an impassioned defense of AFKing and disregarding mechanics.