Why do people avoid getting better at the game?

[Gemina]

Alright, alright - But you can't skew the results by using the exceptions of each expansion. That's pretty weak. lol

If we were being genuine about this, we should take WAR + 3 DPS and run through all dungeons, in every expansion. I would honestly be curious to see the results of that, and could even be convinced to participate. It could take weeks, or months.

Now I'm more on the side of science, this is a weird competition.

Also, if people do this - We should make a new thread for it and write results and struggles.

Again, it cannot be 3 DPS/1 tank. It has to be a normal light party and cannot be ran undersized. If you want the results to be genuine and not skewed this is exactly how it has to be. Don't claim I'm being weak by using exceptions when that's what you're trying to do by trying to accomplish this with an undersized party comp. If I was trying to use exceptions, I would be tossing out silly rules like the WAR can't use self heals, or excluding WAR completely. Although tempting, I won't go that far. However, a different tank such as DRK would definitely make things a lot more interesting.

[Vahlnir]

Some people can get better and do. Some people can get better, but they don't really want or care to. Then there are some who simply can't. With how casual this game is, our player base is pretty diverse in this regard. The barrier for entry is incredibly low, but the skill ceiling is pretty much what players choose to make of it. For 99% of the game, there's no real worry or concern about player skill, and that is by design. This obviously has some pros and cons, but ultimately this was meant to be a super casual MMO experience for most players, making this topic largely a non-issue. Higher end content like Extremes, Savage and Ultimate allows players to sort themselves out.

[Shinkuno]

So what the average player encounters average content, which is what they signed up for, therefore, there is no need for elitism outside of hard content. The debate about why people don't strive to improve is illogical. It's like asking why someone doesn't try to be better when they have chosen an easy difficulty level. They are simply not interested in a harder challenge. Going above that is what I described before an annoying task that serves no purpose when they have no intention to go down that road anyway.

those people WOULD FAIL the content they queue up for if others wouldnt put up their slack. Ever been in a trial or dungeon where 3 out of 4 / 7 out of 8 are potatoes? its a shitshow

[Carin-Eri]

As someone who followed your initial thread/journey into the game I would say this: you are the target audience- you aren’t expected to be the best and have been able to clear a lot of the games content by doing your best. Sometimes you got frustrated, but you could get through it.

I would even argue you are above average because you have put a lot of effort into being better and trying harder content. So from me to you, in my humblest opinion, I think you are doing fantastic.

Remember: the devs collaborated to make a TV drama about an older man playing this game and essentially being carried through binding coil by his son. They appreciate effort, gumption and individual accomplishments over actual big-picture player-wide skill levels.

Wow - thank you so much!

[NekoMataMata]

Because they really don't have to.

The bar is so incredibly low, but at the same time there's so much overwhelming positive reinforcement in this game, that it doesn't make sense to reach for that bar. The majority of the playerbase will tell you that your "playstyle" is perfect the way it is.

[Valkyrie_Lenneth]

Because they really don't have to.

The bar is so incredibly low, but at the same time there's so much overwhelming positive reinforcement in this game, that it doesn't make sense to reach for that bar. The majority of the playerbase will tell you that your "playstyle" is perfect the way it is.

I don't think I ever hear this.... I mostly see people giving advice on how to improve. No one ever says someone doing almost nothing is "perfect just the way it is"

[TaleraRistain]

That's why I was saying it'd be fine if they made a specific 'Story Mode', and sure if you're going to use Trust alright fine, maybe also let the Trust cheat in some way and always keep your HP topped off or something..

They already have this. This is what Duty Support is. I don't know if you've gone and done the dungeons they modified again but in most they didn't really change much. And in a couple like Sohr Khai they even made some good modifications that make things more consistent with visuals but added some spicy mechs to make things rather fun. For MSQ, Duty Support is the Story Mode. You can follow the NPCs if you don't quite get the mechs and they do a good job of keeping you healed.

[Gember]

All I can say from a healer POV:

Savage content forces you to play completely different from normal content.
Like healers want to avoid their GCDs like its the plague in savage so they can do the most dps in their position.
We try to utilize this style of playing for current dungeons and extremes too, but at times that mixes up with the casual playerbase and yeah... sometimes it feels like a carry run as a healer.
I am sure its the same for other roles too, but I can't speak much for them.

All I am saying is that once a player gets efficient with savage or even some extremes; everything else in the game (aside from ultimate) is a cakewalk. Then we have people complaining on the forums asking why players are not doing so well in normal content. The answer is simple; you are a player that has leveled up on higher end content. Regardless if you are good or bad at the higher end content; its only natural to think the rest of the content is easy, and it baffles you why players aren't doing well in that. And its because they haven't tapped into the harder content.

Its too hard to mentor people in the game because they are too sensitive to advice.
Its why I suggest the game itself throw out some tutorials sprinkled across the MSQ. I know they are already trying to do that, but I think it needs to be more straight forward at times. Like send the main character through a training session in order to progress to the next expansion or something. I don't know a smooth way to put it in so its not a huge chore; but it would be good. (honestly, the best way to get good at your job is to simply play it a lot. Like... a lot a lot.)

Though I do have to give them props for putting in tank buster signals, and other mechanic tellings in the new revamped ARR dungeons. That is a great step to learning about game mechanics.

[Shinkuno]

All I can say from a healer POV:

Savage content forces you to play completely different from normal content.
Like healers want to avoid their GCDs like its the plague in savage so they can do the most dps in their position.
We try to utilize this style of playing for current dungeons and extremes too, but at times that mixes up with the casual playerbase and yeah... sometimes it feels like a carry run as a healer.
I am sure its the same for other roles too, but I can't speak much for them.

All I am saying is that once a player gets efficient with savage or even some extremes; everything else in the game (aside from ultimate) is a cakewalk. Then we have people complaining on the forums asking why players are not doing so well in normal content. The answer is simple; you are a player that has leveled up on higher end content. Regardless if you are good or bad at the higher end content; its only natural to think the rest of the content is easy, and it baffles you why players aren't doing well in that. And its because they haven't tapped into the harder content.

Its too hard to mentor people in the game because they are too sensitive to advice.
Its why I suggest the game itself throw out some tutorials sprinkled across the MSQ. I know they are already trying to do that, but I think it needs to be more straight forward at times. Like send the main character through a training session in order to progress to the next expansion or something. I don't know a smooth way to put it in so its not a huge chore; but it would be good.

Though I do have to give them props for putting in tank buster signals, and other mechanic tellings in the new revamped ARR dungeons. That is a great step to learning about game mechanics.

For that they have to remove the difficulty selection. Currently you can fail all the mechanics on any solo instance cause once you fail and select the easy difficulty you just burn through in a minute anyway

[MaxCarnage]

I don't think I ever hear this.... I mostly see people giving advice on how to improve. No one ever says someone doing almost nothing is "perfect just the way it is"

Oh, I have. I've had a handful of times where someone has given advice in a duty (in a friendly manner, mind you) and other people will jump in and say "You're doing fine, don't listen to them". It hasn't been as common now that a lot people are afraid to give advice, but when ShB was current, I saw it in at least one duty a day.

But to add my own two cents, I feel like when the game does add something that challenges players (take In From The Cold, for example), people were complaining left and right that they were struggling with it and couldn't beat it within the first few tries, so the devs nerfed it.

I'm not saying the game has to be horrendously hard, but when pushed to challenge themselves, people just get frustrated, give up, and complain until it gets nerfed. I personally just find that at least in the current generation, Gen Z, and even younger millennials, people give up if they don't get instant gratification. But yet they are made to believe thatthey have the skills and aptitude to beat a challenge so the content at hand must be the problem.