FFXIV needs to stop accommodating Solo Players

[Suniva]

I'm talking about whether it feels like I'm running it with other people. Modern dungeons and fights have lost all those little moments where I'm reminded that people are variable and make choices -- moments that existed independent of tanks knowing how to old aggro, healers knowing how to push a heal button, and DPS knowing how to push a damage button.

For bread-and-butter Duty Finder-able content, I would aim to make it feel like you're playing with other players without necessarily requiring any more communication than running in a direction and jumping up and down.

One way we get there is with a return of mechanics where somebody needs to act, but it doesn't matter exactly who. For example, picking up fire sand and hitting the detonator in Copperbell Mines. Or swatting away the bombs in A5N. Moments where I wonder how the party will self-organize.

Another way we get there is with a return to mechanics where you notice the effects of another player's choice. Where is someone going to drop that AoE, or take that flare? Where is that other alliance going to aim the death laser? Moments where someone else's choice might make my life… interesting.

Sounds like you want fights to be more dynamic. What instance did I run the other day, I believe it was vanaspati. At the end where you have the disruption move that blows up the platform and you have to dodge the opposite shape that appears on your screen and the circle attack. I was healing and we had a sprout that refused to spread out and their lack of awareness ended up causing me to die. So, is that what you're talking about, more fights like that where player agency actually matters? (Unless you have a warrior tank since they are incredibly broken right now).

[ty_taurus]

Sounds like you want fights to be more dynamic. What instance did I run the other day, I believe it was vanaspati. At the end where you have the disruption move that blows up the platform and you have to dodge the opposite shape that appears on your screen and the circle attack. I was healing and we had a sprout that refused to spread out and their lack of awareness ended up causing me to die. So, is that what you're talking about, more fights like that where player agency actually matters? (Unless you have a warrior tank since they are incredibly broken right now).

Here are some examples of mechanics that he's talking about in regards to wanting to feel like you are working with other people:

- Two role orbs spawn and hunt down either the DPS or the supports (tank and healer). If they reach that player, they explode, deal a decent chunk of damage to the whole party, and paralyze the entire party which can be Esuna'd. If a player of the opposite role (DPS or Support) pops the orb before it reaches the target, only they take the damage and there is no paralysis.

- Two adds spawn on each side of the arena. Both cannot be damaged and will stick around for 30 seconds before going away. Each will cast Disease 4 times, cycling through each member of the party, hitting them twice. Disease will make the other mechanic much harder do to the reduction in movement speed and healing. Both these adds can be put to Sleep by Repose or Sleep, which will last long enough to prevent them from debuffing the party during that mechanic. You need a healer or caster DPS to sleep them, or you'll take a lot of extra damage during the rest of the mechanic.

- A boss fills the room with toxic gas and there's a force field generator that creates a small safe zone from the heavy DOT around the arena. Adds will spawn to try and destroy it, but one party member can pick it up and keep it away from the adds, but this also causes the safe zone to move with them. (Hi there, Crystal Chronicles)

[Valence]

Here are some examples of mechanics that he's talking about in regards to wanting to feel like you are working with other people:

- Two role orbs spawn and hunt down either the DPS or the supports (tank and healer). If they reach that player, they explode, deal a decent chunk of damage to the whole party, and paralyze the entire party which can be Esuna'd. If a player of the opposite role (DPS or Support) pops the orb before it reaches the target, only they take the damage and there is no paralysis.

- Two adds spawn on each side of the arena. Both cannot be damaged and will stick around for 30 seconds before going away. Each will cast Disease 4 times, cycling through each member of the party, hitting them twice. Disease will make the other mechanic much harder do to the reduction in movement speed and healing. Both these adds can be put to Sleep by Repose or Sleep, which will last long enough to prevent them from debuffing the party during that mechanic. You need a healer or caster DPS to sleep them, or you'll take a lot of extra damage during the rest of the mechanic.

- A boss fills the room with toxic gas and there's a force field generator that creates a small safe zone from the heavy DOT around the arena. Adds will spawn to try and destroy it, but one party member can pick it up and keep it away from the adds, but this also causes the safe zone to move with them. (Hi there, Crystal Chronicles)

But imagine, this would bring so much stress and friction onto players when their team mate fails to prevent them the debuff by failing the mechanic or not doing it. *gasp*

Maybe that's why we should also remove the stress of running the risk of not being healed by the healer so that we cannot feel frustrated at the performance of someone else...- owait, they already made healers irrelevant in dungeons.