Can't make a full premade for Crystal Tower...

[YuriRamona]

Here are my suggestions about how SE can fix this very troubling problem.

-- Allow parties to queue together before entering (it is not necessary to implement alliance support, just group the parties together in the instance server); possibly integrate this into the party board. This requires serious programming legwork.
-- Filter the duty finder so that full parties will only be matched with other full parties. The bonus to this is that it puts less stress on the duty finder servers, which would otherwise have to manage 24 random players jumping in and out of the queue.
-- Filter the duty finder so that it will prioritize Free Company, Linkshell, Friend List, or Server full parties before moving on to other servers and solo players This requires a little programming legwork.

Hopefully this thread is indicative of the implications of this lack of functionality.

Currently, much of the endgame content does not facilitate intermingling within groups, such as Free Companies, Linkshells, Friend Lists/groups and other alliances.
Groups for Hard Mode Primals allow for 8 people that can be mixed and matched, but is not currently a very popular activity outside of requirements for relics.
Groups for the Binding Coil of Bahamut work best when an 8-person team is static.
Other dungeons are 4-person and are actually much more restrictive on jobs than HM Primals.

This current situation encourages and incentivizes cliques and the restriction of friend groups. Crystal Tower was meant to bridge that gap and allow static Coil groups, as well as smaller 4-person teams, to join together in casual and fun content meant to promote bonding and camaraderie.

As we know, a strong social community is vital to FFXIV's success. Without functionality that lets players choose who to party with in a larger size than current 4-8-player content, much of the current social networks in the game will slowly fizzle out and die. There needs to be dynamic activities in the game that allow for members in different social circles and groups, especially across the casual/dedicated player boundary, to mingle and meet.

This shortcoming can not be overlooked.

[duceTRE]

Now I am just going out on a limb here. Which mostly everyone else here has as well so far. But what if you were able to "hone" your search for other 8man groups on your server, kind of like the player search option works, but could carry over in the duty finder

[jObEfiSH]

The WHOLE point of systems like Duty Finder is a alternative way for people to solo experience dungeons and meet new people. When it becomes the ONLY way of running dungeons (which for 3 months will be the main life cycle of that new content) then you have a serious problem.

[Divinemight]

Interesting, I just checked Japanse General fourm. While you guys are enraging about CT, there is not much reaction from Japanse community.

[Eekiki]

Interesting, I just checked Japanse General fourm. While you guys are enraging about CT, there is not much reaction from Japanse community.

It's almost as if they aren't a bunch of closed-minded, spoiled little crybabies who think that this is the way it is and will be forever! Imagine that!

[Invz]

It's almost as if they aren't a bunch of closed-minded, spoiled little crybabies who think that this is the way it is and will be forever! Imagine that!

Or its almost as if its 3 AM in Japan and most are not awake to post.

[Tupsi]

Or its almost as if its 3 AM in Japan and most are not awake to post.

Fyi that's still a time frame people actually are up in Japan given a lot of people's work schedules. Prime time in Japan is pretty late.

[Thriar]

It's almost as if they aren't a bunch of closed-minded, spoiled little crybabies who think that this is the way it is and will be forever! Imagine that!

pot calling the kettle black.

[KrenianKandos]

Interesting, I just checked Japanse General fourm. While you guys are enraging about CT, there is not much reaction from Japanse community.

I don't know the JPN side of things, but it feels to me that their focus is less endgame and more generally with the game itself. They seem to be a lot more easy going.

We on the US/EU side tend to be a lot more GOGOGO.

[Invz]

Interesting, I just checked Japanse General fourm. While you guys are enraging about CT, there is not much reaction from Japanse community.

Your point is?