Quote Originally Posted by IvoryBadge View Post
Duty support is just right there to help you clear dungeons and trials without having to worry about other people. Despite it being a good system I personally think it will kill a huge aspect of the MMO part FF14 has which is socialising and communication within the said content.
Ah, it's interesting that you mention that, because Duty Support as it is currently is having the opposite effect I think. Yes, it is meant for people to enjoy FFXIV as a solo experience, without the pressure of other people. But if you, the player, die because you didn't know how the mechanic worked or because you weren't paying attention, you automatically wipe the entire boss fight, whereas with a normal party someone could rez you. Not to mention how the NPCs don't use aoes, or can be very, very late with healing sometimes. This makes fights a little more punishing and I think frustrating for newer, casual players... And paradoxically, I'm enjoying the raised stakes! The Dead Ends' 2 first bosses were really fun for me because of Duty Support! That's also why I've been running and farming all variant dungeons solo lol

So I'm not sure it's really "filtering out" the people who might benefit the most from a solo, pressure-free experience. I've raised an eyebrow whenever my roulette put me into a Hydaelyn trial with only one new player, and I think this is the reason why people would still rather queue and wait and suffer the wrath of other players rather than get an instant access to the duty with NPCs.