Request: I don't want to solo the main scenario

[mbncd]

I like being able to play at my own pace. Being a slow reader means I have to skip through entire stories if I'm in a group because otherwise I hold others up. I was with someone for the GC quest that has Cid explaining about what Dalamud is but I missed the whole thing because the many, many pages of dialogue was just something I couldn't get through in time. I didn't even know what he talked about until someone mentioned the quest to me later. If the books in the inn rooms allowed us to view those sorts of scenes again then it would be fine, I could just fly through it without reading a word and then go back to the privacy of my room to see what I missed. As it stands though, we don't really have that option. I've tried watching YouTube videos too but they often have kids speaking over it and difficult to read text.

I agree with the many in this thread who say that choice is paramount. Don't lock soloists OR party-goers alike out of what should be a basic experience for all.

There are many challenges in games that are single player, the number of players does not equate difficulty. Followers can take the place of fellow players if their AI is spiced up a little (my follower was useless, a tank standing still while squishy me got ganged up on and pummelled, the followers should have at least a basic target>heal/attack AI based on their own class) and there are other types of challenges than simply fighting. Speed, accuracy, manipulating outside objects and scenery (like cannons and cave ins), harder parley (yes, I actually like that game, I just wish the NPC's provided more of a challenge), monsters that can be confused into fighting each other, etc, all of those things and many more can make for much more varied and difficult gameplay, and even for non combat classes.

As has already been suggested many times, those who wish to party may be able to accomplish more. When defeating an enemy solo, it may run away, but when fighting as a party it may be surrounded so forced to fight to the death, thus providing awesome drops or unlocking triggers for other things like deeper chambers.

We've had scalable difficulty since day 1 with leves, I can see no reason not to have scalable difficulty in quests too. In a party with your friends but no one cares about drops and they all just want to steam roll through it just to get to the next part of the quest? Fine, they choose 1 star and lose out on both rewards and possibly more depth to the quest. Soloing but want a hard core battle that could make you scream with rage and joy? Select the hardest setting and succeed for a fancy death dodging achievement and title.

There are so many ways to present different options, difficulties and party sizes AND solo content and I really can't see any reason not to. Sure, the more options and variations there are, the longer it will take to develop, but if the core content is still generally the same across all versions (locations the same, mobs the same or with locked/unlocked specials, basic dialogue the same, etc) then the variations should take minimum time to design and implement.

What I'm saying might come across as an ideal "give us everything!" scenario, and I suppose it is, but the real point I'm trying to get across is that locking one type of player out of basic content is not a good way to go about it, regardless of whether that player prefers solo or party play.



TL;DR version: many different types of players in this game, don't lock any of them out, please allow both party and solo play for basic elements like central story lines, thank you.