This is not an mmo...

[Freakiie]

snip

He has a point though. What content (when you're in the progress of lvling) actually benefits from socialising? Nothing.

Quests? You don't need a party for 3-5 mobs.
Duties? Yeah those things that force you to solo them, highly social those.
Fates? I've easily gotten gold on 99% of the fates solo. So no need here either.
Dungeons/Trials? Just DF them.

There's a very big difference between being forced into socialising (like having to join a FC to progress the story as an example) or socialising being beneficial, like when quests actually require some effort, so partying up would speed up the process. As it is now everyone is just out there doing their own thing and trying to find people to party with generally just wastes your time since everything is so damn easy you get it done in less than 60 seconds.

[ErBear]

He has a point though. What content (when you're in the progress of lvling) actually benefits from socialising? Nothing.

Quests? You don't need a party for 3-5 mobs.
Duties? Yeah those things that force you to solo them, highly social those.
Fates? I've easily gotten gold on 99% of the fates solo. So no need here either.
Dungeons/Trials? Just DF them.

There's a very big difference between being forced into socialising (like having to join a FC to progress the story as an example) or socialising being beneficial, like when quests actually require some effort, so partying up would speed up the process. As it is now everyone is just out there doing their own thing and trying to find people to party with generally just wastes your time since everything is so damn easy you get it done in less than 60 seconds.

This is exactly where I'm coming from.

[PallasLloyd]

The mechanics of the game content 1-50 are highly anti social.

This so much.

It drives me absolutely crazy playing through the storyline in this game. I tend to be in a party pretty often when I play. We're most of the time not actually "playing" together, since the game stupidly forces you to "unlock" access to everything through ONLY the storyline (I would love to run dungeons with my friends who are father ahead of me, but can't) but just using /p to chat and hang out while I'm trying to catch up. Then I'll get to an instanced storyline battle, be FORCED to drop party (WHY?) and THEN get stuck with a retarded NPC ally. This makes NO SENSE. I don't see how anyone couldn't realize that this kind of ass-backwards design is COMPLETELY missing the mark of what playing an MMO should be like. WHY NOT let me do this fight with an actual friend or another player if you designed it around having an NPC ANYWAY? You SUPPOSEDLY have scaling algorithm in place for FATEs, why not have the bright idea to implement this into instanced fights too? I am honestly TRYING to play this "MMO" with my friends and the game is literally not letting me. It's incredible how clueless and / or incompetent you'd have to be to design an MMO this way.

[Shikiseki]

it's just they don't really have many ways to socialize to begin with.
The atmosphere in this game is quite tense/serious most of the time and many don't talk at all ( might be because they are PS3 players, i can tolerate that)
But god should have mercy with your little soul if you make a small joke and try to keep the mood up at difficult dungeon runs with some wipes... or even make a mistake

There are Linkshells which is a good start but we should have social spots with a lounge or something where you can hang out/party and interact with people (maybe specific emotes or mini games a la Rock-Paper-Scissors for little fun). The Vanity System would help with event gear.
Maybe it will get better if they introduce a card game or the golden saucer... I have hope

[Freakiie]

Pallas, make a linkshell. That way you can actually stay in contact with your friends, even during dungeons.

[Soulscare]

...Okay. Well I like this single player game

[EmiliM]

He has a point though. What content (when you're in the progress of lvling) actually benefits from socialising? Nothing.

Yes, that is a valid point. But I'm looking at this from the other direction. Why must people feel that they deserve some kind of payment (as in benefits) before they are willing to talk to each other? In my experience, socializing only works when all parties involved actually want to do it, rather than because they have to so they can get some random reward/benefit/progression (again, see CM for example). The game provides plenty of opportunities to socialize, it just doesn't force people to do it. If people don't choose to talk because it's faster/more efficient, that's their choice. The most the devs can do is prod people a long a bit through the planned MVP system, but they can't force people to become friends.

IMO, socializing and making friends in games like these is in itself a reward, and to expect the game to somehow reward or punish you for having or not having friends is silly.

And Pallas complaint is already addressed by the devs. They are looking into allowing people to keep their parties when engaged in story instances.

[Selyndria]

Just because you have the choice to do things by yourself in the game does not mean it is not an MMO. You also have the choice to do things with other people so that completly counters your argument. You can run solo or with friends. The fact that it is not forced upon you is great. FFXI you had to party to level and spend hours doing it. FFXIV you can do it by yourself (which means no more spending hours in town with your flag up) or you can do it with friends. Choice is a wonderful thing. Sounds like you need to make some friends. You CAN'T play with friends in a single player game.

[ErBear]

Just because you have the choice to do things by yourself in the game does not mean it is not an MMO. You also have the choice to do things with other people so that completly counters your argument. You can run solo or with friends. The fact that it is not forced upon you is great. FFXI you had to party to level and spend hours doing it. FFXIV you can do it by yourself (which means no more spending hours in town with your flag up) or you can do it with friends.e.

Let me go ahead and do those party quest with people.........., fates? Let me go ahead and strategize and work with people to beat em. Oh wait let me just get a group to aoe mindlessly spam. Dungeons? Dont even need any sort of thinking or group effort, that's why you hear people all and trying to come up with a solution to the fight ahead.... You don't, might as well be running the dungeons with npcs. Yeah great choices.

[Aldwin]

Who here can honestly say they have added many new people to their friends list? I know mine is completely made up of people I was friends with before the game was even released. When I played xi, I made a ton of friends. When I played wow pre-dungeon finder, I made tons of friends. Yes I am sure some of you have huge fc's and social linkshells that you might do a few things with a few of the members from time to time. Maybe even a few of you do stuff with them exclusively. But nothing in the game (maybe coil, but I haven't done that yet) really forces you to spend much time with other players.

Personally I think DF is largely to blame. Remember when people used to have to actually shout, search friends lists and guilds/linkshells ect.. to make parties, and then you had to actually walk to the camp/dungeon, and you had to know where it was at (its funny how many people have no clue where a dungeon is, no reason when you can insta-que).