Accessibility Matters - Content Needs To Be Playable For Disabled Players

[Zhalar]

Framing accessibility as pitting "disabled players" vs. "hardcore players" is a tragic misunderstanding of what "accessibility" is.



Vertigo, nausea, headaches… these sound like things caused by Dawntrail's VFX, for which I've seen no serious defense. Tweaking them would likely benefit everyone. For example, VFX that are unpleasant in the normal version of a trial are probably just as unpleasant in the extreme version, if not actually worse.

Hand cramping/numbness/tingling… I don't actually know what changed in Dawntrail that would make these more of a concern now. So, what is the cause here?

I play with my visual effects turned down as much as I possibly can.

Otherwise, it's just the basic mechanics of the new dungeons. Having to quickly spin around and navigate mazes in seconds while my character is given a dizzy effect (which triggers my real life vertigo, too) has me CLENCHING the mouse for dear life. As much as I want to tell myself to NOT strangle it, it's just a natural reaction and I can't help it and the rest all follows. Trying to make mad dashes here, there, and everywhere when mechanics are happening at a pace that seems far more rapid than previous expansions coupled with extreme VFX is also very hard on my hands (and my vertigo). It's not just ONE thing that is causing it—it's multiple effects in the content which combined trigger several of my disability functions. And this is happening in almost every dungeon in Dawntrail, especially the end game content.

Compare some of the end game ShB and EW dungeons with some of the end game DT dungeons, and there's a marked difference in pace, style, and VFX of mechanics.

[Zhalar]

While I absolutely empathize with people who are struggling with the difficulty spike in Dawntrail, I feel like there has to be better solutions to that than just 'make the dungeons easier for everyone'?

For example, I think they could make dungeons feel a lot less punishing in Duty Support if they gave you a few auto-raises per dungeon/boss, like they do in trials. That way, people would have a chance to process what killed them (like they would if they were playing with real people!), rather than immediately getting booted back to the start.

I would LOVE if they gave us some rez in Duty Support instead of booting us all the way back to the beginning. Alisae is not a very good rezmage! LOL

[AmiableApkallu]

Compare some of the end game ShB and EW dungeons with some of the end game DT dungeons, and there's a marked difference in pace, style, and VFX of mechanics.

I've said as much elsewhere:

Dawntrail's difficulty comes entirely from precision and speed of execution. That's what makes Meso Terminal's second boss a challenge. The safe spots for the falling maces are relatively small. The overlapping mechanics leave no time for hesitation.

All of the so-called "difficulty" in Dawntrail comes from shortened reaction times -- which has nothing to do with the core responsibilities of being a tank, healer, or DPS in this game.

So, yes, SE has made content more difficult, but not in any sort of way that actually adds to meaningful gameplay.

A different approach to making dungeons engaging and interesting than "make things go fast" would benefit everyone I think.

+++

Which gets back to my original point: "Accessibility" isn't, a priori, about being disabled vs. abled vs. hardcore vs. casual vs. whatever. Done well, it improves things for everyone.

Those buttons you find by doors to automatically open them, often labeled with a wheelchair, are useful for those of us in wheelchairs… and those of us who can normally walk but one day find our hands full of boxes or having to use crutches for a few weeks.

[Masekase_Hurricane]

Ok out of curiosity why is Disability coming up more this expansion than it ever has done in it's whole lifespan? from someone who plays with cramping hands and Ulnar nerve entrapment. Graphic upgrade aside (eye strain) every "disability" excuse seems to come out since the difficulty was raised.

[Zhalar]

Yeah I was thinking the same thing, why does it have to be such an us-vs-them mentality, OP? Shouldn't the vast vast vast majority of players be between those two extremes?

I think the "vast vast vast majority" of players are quite capable of playing the game as it is. But there's also a decent population of older and disabled players who struggle. I've especially noticed the remarkable difference in mechanics in DT compared to the previous expacs and base game. I've never found any of the content boring, but then again, maybe I'm not an "average" player due to my disabilities always making content more challenging for me?

Even right now, after having completed the trial from 7.3 MSQ a few hours ago, my hands are still having waves of numbness and tingling. This is a usual reaction for me after doing PvE (and PvP) content. What was really miserable for me was the spinning bits on the platform (wee vertigo), but I survived it and completed it with only one wipe. (Compared to the dungeon with over a dozen wipes on the second boss for my Duty Support run.) I just feel DT content is "overtuned" for difficulty and leaving disabled players struggling with effects and mechanics we simply can't overcome due to accessibility issues.

There has to be a suitable middle ground to make everyone happy.

[Zhalar]

I've said as much elsewhere:





A different approach to making dungeons engaging and interesting than "make things go fast" would benefit everyone I think.

+++

Which gets back to my original point: "Accessibility" isn't, a priori, about being disabled vs. abled vs. hardcore vs. casual vs. whatever. Done well, it improves things for everyone.

Those buttons you find by doors to automatically open them, often labeled with a wheelchair, are useful for those of us in wheelchairs… and those of us who can normally walk but one day find our hands full of boxes or having to use crutches for a few weeks.

And sadly, there's no automatic button to push to get into JUST the right spot at JUST the right time. And when you have hand tremors or numbness and tingling, getting into JUST the right spot at JUST the right time when there's blinding or vertigo inducing VFX going on can be impossible. I walk on a cane. Nobody is going to expect me to run the 50 yard dash. (Well, maybe if a dinosaur started chasing me I'd try...) My visual and physical disabilities which affect my game play are just as limiting as the ones which affect my ability to walk unassisted.

[Zhalar]

Ok out of curiosity why is Disability coming up more this expansion than it ever has done in it's whole lifespan? from someone who plays with cramping hands and Ulnar nerve entrapment. Graphic upgrade aside (eye strain) every "disability" excuse seems to come out since the difficulty was raised.

Where there's smoke there's fire.

It's not an "excuse" and stop using ableist language. Would you tell someone on crutches that not walking is an "excuse?"

Just because your experience is different from my (and other people's) experience, does not invalidate my (and other people's) experience.

Disability is coming up a lot this expac because there are a lot of accessibility issues in DT PvE content that SE needs to address. To say the game is "difficult" for a variety of disabled players is being polite. When I almost reach the time limit or just give up in a dungeon because I can't get past a mechanic due to my disabilities, and this is happening in multiple dungeons, it's a pattern. I've had to have carries in several dungeons this expac because of my disabilities making it impossible for me to overcome various game/boss mechanics. I've never encountered this before in MSQ nor raid content in FFXIV (or WoW). Basic MSQ content shouldn't be physically debilitating to me to get through.

Accessibility matters and if you're privileged enough to not be so disabled that you can get through it, good for you. Don't belittle those of us who are disabled to the point that we're not able to get through the content and are not enjoying the game because the base required MSQ PvE content is unplayable due to lack of accessibility.

[Espon]

This level of difficulty in the MSQ is nothing new, it's just Endwalker was a little too easy with most of its dungeons. I still see more people dying to the bosses in The Dead Ends than I have in any Dawntrail dungeons and that was an Endwalker dungeon, yet hardly anyone complained about that. I remember having horrible experiences in Pharos Sirius when it was first released.

I rather not see the game become even more easy. I think if they were to change anything, it would be to allow Duty Support NPCs to revive you if you fall, even if it was like a 1 or 2 res limit per boss.

[Masekase_Hurricane]

This level of difficulty in the MSQ is nothing new, it's just Endwalker was a little too easy with most of its dungeons. I still see more people dying to the bosses in The Dead Ends than I have in any Dawntrail dungeons and that was an Endwalker dungeon, yet hardly anyone complained about that. I remember having horrible experiences in Pharos Sirius when it was first released.

I rather not see the game become even more easy. I think if they were to change anything, it would be to allow Duty Support NPCs to revive you if you fall, even if it was like a 1 or 2 res limit per boss.

That's what i'm seeing. The difficulty doesnt seem any more difficult than pre Endwalker expansion. I also agree changing the Duty support would be a nice idea, but they would have to do it very carefully because if it became too easy ppl might choose that over doing it with others just for speed.

[Valence]

Ok out of curiosity why is Disability coming up more this expansion than it ever has done in it's whole lifespan? from someone who plays with cramping hands and Ulnar nerve entrapment. Graphic upgrade aside (eye strain) every "disability" excuse seems to come out since the difficulty was raised.

People with disabilities also play FF14, shockers. Who would have thought