Partying in FFXIV needs Goals:

People want to party in FFXIV but partying just isnt all that interesting. Partying for EXP/SP would be more fun (or addicting) with some sort of smaller goals added to the party. What I will call "Small Reward Systems".

Examples:

1) FFXI - Experience Points Chains: If a party kills monsters fast enough they are rewarded with increased experience points.

Kill one monster and receive 180exp
Kill a second (equivalent) monster in a short time span and receive 200exp
Third 220exp
Fourth 250exp
And so on...

I recall on several occasions while playing FFXI everyone in the party got all excited and rall'd up because we could keep a chain going into the 200's. I also remember a cross-server photo competition where people posted pics of their exp chains that went into the 1000's.

Exp Chains were a good way to encourage party cooperation, excite players, challenge player skill and motivate leveling up.

2) Call of Duty - Killstreaks: If you kill a certian number of players without dieing you receive a bonus item that will help you kill faster and more efficently.

I realize this is a First Person Shooter game. But there is merit in its Small Reward System. It is extreemly fun (and addictive) to try to get to that next kill so that you can acquire that attack helicopter and mow down your opponents.

3) Anyone have any examples from another game?

Final Thoughts:

Im not saying to Copy and Paste either of these systems. Please don't take this post as saying Id like to see exactly the same systems in FFXIV. (I mean really.. does an attack chopper really fit the lore of Eorzea..)

The point is that Small Reward Systems should be implemented in some way in FFXIV.