Why is SE promoting Solo-Players so much??

[quantumsaint]

They need to have combined attacks, like in the intro video, where the Lalafell sets the Archer's arrow on fire to defeat the Malboro. Marlboro. Morbol. However they're spelling it this time. In my idea for a MMO, I pretty much envision a dual-tech and triple-tech system (like CT) where you obtain your abilities from equipment (like in FFIX and Tactics). I love how S-E strives to innovate but (to beat a dead analogy) always trying to reinvent the wheel isn't always a good thing.

[viion]

Problem: People complain how it takes so long to do things in XI due to needing lots of people to play together
Old Team Solution: Make it all solo!
New Team Solution: Base content around 4 players, 4 is standard, most COOP games provide 4.

I think this is how events turned out lol new team thought it through, old team did not.

If you applied old teams solution to something like XI in its current stage, sure it works. But XIV was BRAND new, everyone is going to be on it and during the first couple months it was not hard to find people, hell you all remember the 15man raptor pt, when did you ever get 18 people on XI to "level" lol. Why SE didnt think about this I dont know but finding friends to play with is not hard in this game!!

[Nephera]

i know avoiding that ppl cant play because they, for example, need other players to level up is a good thing, but ruining the good old party experience for everyone else is really the wrong way (if its not going to be fixed with the next patches anyways, u know the dungeon stuff...)

I dont know why people think that its magic, rainbows and unicorns for solo players, they're doing the same thing everyone else is doing. :V

and grouping= kill harder mobs faster=more sp, up to eight players.

[Rentahamster]

As long as they give enough options for solo, duo, 4-man, and 8-man parties, then everything will be fine. The more playstyles they can cater to (WITHOUT detrimentally impacting the enjoyment of the game for people with other preferred playstyles), the better off we all are.

[vax]

4 or 5 years ago i'll be up the "party only wagon" because i had a lot of free time and could play 5 hours/day or more, but now i can't play a game that need me for a long time. So i'm really nice to have this game on this way, anyways i think both, party and solo are very important, depend on the player want.

[Fabijansven]

I dont know why people think that its magic, rainbows and unicorns for solo players, they're doing the same thing everyone else is doing. :V

and grouping= kill harder mobs faster=more sp, up to eight players.

thats what i ment, there is no everyone else atm for the most part... (anyway lets wait for patch 1.17 and the following ones)

and @vax, this is no party only wagon , same thing as above, at the moment i really miss party play thats all im up to... lol

[Morphemes]

You can't cater to a group dynamic without first understanding the individual. Shortcuts in this regard produce bad results. This goes both ways.

Also, I don't know if you get out in the virtual social scene much, but the layout of the world lends itself to group play. Its difficult to see if you're used to every other mmo out there, but the game only seems to focus on solo players, but in actuality, it is story based content that you are likely misjudging as 'solo' candy. And yet, in a way it really is solo appeasement... but, if you didn't like playing the game alone by your computer (aka solo) then you wouldn't like the game.

[Kilta_Firelotus]

i played ffxi and only played 2 hrs a day, I still got parties and had fun. All you had to do was make sure the person you in advance. It also helps to log on and be ready to party. Like going to known party location for your level and asking leaders. It helps to have more time, and obviousely it will take you a bit longer. But I never cared about how much I got done. I was just happy to play the game.

[Fabijansven]

You can't cater to a group dynamic without first understanding the individual. Shortcuts in this regard produce bad results. This goes both ways.

guess youre right, even though i doubt SE planned that way lol

[Vesper]

sry that might sound weird but i think if u do it right there is no need for solo play...

Edit: but i dont think FFXIV will ever be that way

Wrong there are many reasons for needing solo play.

Why should a solo player not have content designed for them if they are willing to pay the money? MMO developers need all the money they can get and supporting solo play is a smart for many reasons. The original generation of MMOers are getting older now, many have kids and more responsibilities nowadays and only can get in short play sessions. MMOs nowadays that do not support a wide range of play styles are destined for failure. Most people have lives and there needs to be quick in and out content as well as content to be done solo. There is nothing wrong with supporting solo content. The issue here is SE needs to get a proper balance going. There need to be more reasons to group, while making solo viable and rewarding as well.

Solo does not equate to "I never want to group". It's there because sometimes you don't have the time to commit to a party, believe me the vast majority of the population still playing would go find another game if you couldn't have content to solo when you were in need of it.

Solo Play, Group Play, Raid/NM, an MMO needs all these to survive in more than a small hardcore niche.