Stories that focus on the individual should never require parties.

[Goufunaki]

Because I hate resorting to /shouts for hours or even days just to progress in a plot. I enjoyed running through the main scenario's plot because I could go at my own pace if I was leveled high enough to do it. Job quests, and the latest grand company quest in castrum novum, however, give me headaches.

I'm not really in a position to have a full LS ready to help me whenever I need it (they have lives), and at times I feel like more of an annoyance when shouting for random people to come help me. I even used the search/party options, but it seems like no one ever really uses them on my server, even after the merge.

CC/AV/Primal (hard) raids for rare kick ass loot when beating them I am more than fine with having a full party. If I don't finish those, all I miss out on are some rare items.

I realize the job quests, mini primal runs, and a few GC missions are promoting party play, but when it deals with a story line centering on only one person, and no one else is interested in doing them because they already rushed through them after an update, it turns fun into frustration because now my progress is forced to a halt.

I'm not asking for everything to be spoon fed to me, things should be challenging, but I just mainly want my character to experience what happens next in his story whenever I have time to do it myself.

[Dzian]

Really? I hated the main scenario to be honest. I finished it and thought to myself "Is that it???" No epic shadowlord fights. No real challenges. Just a lot of run to A run to B run to C done.

Add to that we choose a path companion who does bugger all through all of it. There's never really any fights in the main story in which they save your ass like a hero or whatever, most of the time they just run along side between A, B and C doing nothing. they could have done so much more with the path companions I think. let you take them with you on levequests level them etc sorta like xi. Make a whole story around them. with some decent fights and challenges. ala "Blessed Radiance" (been so long I can't remember)

I want a main scenario story I can take my friends with and say "Wow that was epic" much as I did in the recent Castrum Novum. United We Stand. That was great fun. I want a whole story line on that level. Hopefully come 2.0 the main scenario's will be more wow and less meh.

[Goufunaki]

Well, yeah, main scenario is lacking in quality. Won't argue that.

I've been loving the GC quests. I want fights, and awesome cut scenes that I can take a friend or two with if they're around.

I'm confident my problem won't be a big deal once 2.0 rolls out the content finder for parties. But right now I'm still stuck sitting in Ul'Dah with no replies what so ever when asking for help.

[Zezlar]

I disagree strongly.

[Jynx]

MMO games should require groups to do most things. Why are so many people wanting to relegate party play to nothing other than instanced raids? bleh.

[DarthTaru]

Don't expect many thumbs up to reach your OP.
They tried what you're suggesting at launch. If you don't remember, it was a disaster. This is now and is developing even further into a party-play MMO, as XI was and as XIV should have been from the start.

Most people play with parties and if content and quests and missions are designed around `Guofunaki who doesn't want to play with anyone` it'll all be back to being boringly and pathetically gimp for the rest of us.
My advice to you is to go do a leve.

That or go play a single player game.

[Goufunaki]

MMO games should require groups to do most things. Why are so many people wanting to relegate party play to nothing other than instanced raids? bleh.

Because the goal was to make the game more casual friendly? Yoshi-P himself even talked about how people these days don't have the time to play for extended hours.

Right now, aside from helping your friends out, there's no incentive to replaying certain quests if you already finished them.

Most people play with parties and if content and quests and missions are designed around `Guofunaki who doesn't want to play with anyone` it'll all be back to being boringly and pathetically gimp for the rest of us.
My advice to you is to go do a leve.

But right now I'm still stuck sitting in Ul'Dah with no replies what so ever when asking for help.

[Xatsh]

I disagree with the OP 100%. A mmo is all about working with others, it is one of the great things in XI. Coming together and beating things you cannot do alone is one of the pillars of a good mmo.

If you want a Solo focused story go play a solo player game. Not saying keep things large scale partys but the story SHOULD force you to play with others.

[Andrien]

PSB: Being players of Final Fantasy XI as well, we know the game was really party-based, and that was a problem with some audiences. Can you also play solo on Final Fantasy XIV?
Yoshida-san: Definitely, you’ll be able to play the content solo too – it won’t be as party-based as Final Fantasy XI. But, on the other hand, we believe that in this current generation there are a lot of people with time constraints, and it’s hard for them to spend time finding a party. So we’re going to make sure that, for party-based contents, we make it easier to recruit a party. With the Content Finder tool, you’re going to be able to decide “Okay, I want to do this today”, then simply press the button and you’ll be joined by other people with similar goals. So you’ll be able to decide if you’re making a party and, if you don’t have the time, just press the button on Content Finder and you’re automatically in a party.

Source: US PlayStation Blog

I believe this answers your plea OP. And I also believe this is the right direction.

[Chardrizard]

You can see videos at youtube is you really want to know the story.