SE stop doing the "norm"

[Jynx]

You realize all you have mentioned here took 10 years to be added?

Sorry, I could list a large ammount of stuff that was available in the first year of the game if you want. The game still had a large variety of things to do for solo or group players. You would be hard pressed to log on and find yourself with nothing to do even if your friends were not online.

Better than a game that's been out for 2 years and everyone just sits around town waiting for the next raid.

[Xmbei]

Sorry, I could list a large ammount of stuff that was available in the first year of the game if you want. The game still had a large variety of things to do for solo or group players. You would be hard pressed to log on and find yourself with nothing to do even if your friends were not online.

Better than a game that's been out for 2 years and everyone just sits around town waiting for the next raid.

Sorry my fond memories of FFXI, were sitting around in Jueno/Aht Ur all day waiting for a party or shout for a storyline quest, or anything for that matter. I sat for 2 years on FFXI doing exactly that because there is NO solo content. You say there is but half the things you listed is just there in all games I mean come on map exploration is solo play? no, that isn't solo play thats just experience, yes you can do it solo, but I don't consider that solo content in a game, I just consider it asthetic atmosphere to enjoy.

[Jynx]

but I don't consider that solo content in a game.

It's a shame you don't consider it content because it is. Plain and simple being able to explore the open world freely with few restrictions on where you can go asides from your own skill at evading monsters was rewarded with you learning the lay of the land, locations of enemies.

Just because you sat in town and did nothing doesn't mean everyone else did. Beastmaster came out fairly early in the games lifecycle I believe it was released with Rize of the Zillart (When NA players got to touch the game) and Black-mages have always existed. Crafting and gathering always existed as well, quests were always around, as well as map quests that all effected your gameplay experience.

If that's not considered content...I'm not sure what you consider content.