What is it like to be unable to clear all of the content?

[Maye]

Thank you for not spoiling! I actually haven't watched anything from Coil, I'm waiting for the Echo buff to be available for turns 1-5 so I can go in and try it under less pressure

As far as your wording, the way I read it, you were very sincere with what you were asking, and nothing you said struck me as offensive or in any way demeaning or boastful. With regard to feeling abandoned, nah, I knew the post was long, and knew that if you were as sincere as I thought you were, you'd read it. I didn't expect an individual reply because you're looking for multiple points of view and feedback, but thanks for thinking of me

Honestly, outside of fresh content for me -- I really hope that 2.2 changes coil over to CT's lockout system. Especially in 2.0 there was a large gap between high-end no lockout content (essentially HM titan, and to a much lesser extent -- Amdapor Keep) and coil. Since I can only do coil with 7 other FC members at a time (rotations can be made, etc... but all of these are more like work arounds than they are solutions) -- 2.1 alleviate this a bit with extreme primals , but I still want to be able to help more of my FC with coil.

[Gardes]

Might as well chime in.

What content has gated you, and for how long?
T5 but my group has barely started on it. Titan EX, have not tried it more than a couple times.

Why are you stuck here?
I absolutely cannot dodge weights on reaction due to my latency, even with vpn on. On titan HM alone I have to memorize all the patterns and then run far far ahead of the plumes alone as a dps. Titan EX looks to be even worse and the go to strategy seems to be stacking for plumes, which i might not be able to deal with (I need to run free for this). I've been avoiding the fight because I dont need any accessories from titan and ifrit ex and the weapons would just be for my alts. It's an incredibly unfun fight for me compared to just about every other fight in the game.

Are you upset about this? (if so - why? and how can content be added for more hardcore players such as myself without upsetting you.)
Dejected, more like. I can clear titan hm with much more ease now, due to being overpowered for the content and can focus on just not dying from dodge mechanics but it looks like I'm gonna experience those days again.

Should any changes be made to the content to accomodate you and players like yourself?
Uhhh.. reduction in weight plume size by 10-15%?

What kind of content would you like to see added in future patches for you to enjoy?
Less titan-likes. Coil mechanics on t1-t4 isnt so focused and punishing on latencies so I'm fine with that. CT's difficulty is a bit too easy for 4-8 man. But for some reason the dodge timings in CT is perfect for me though. I can dodge the last boss's aoe attacks as melee or ranged by reaction just fine.

[Moirear]

What content has gated you, and for how long?
Each turn of Coil. The entire lockout system of Coil is a chore and I've been playing since closed beta, but it hasn't been since the end of last year that I started getting into groups either as PUG or semi-regular member of a static.

Why are you stuck here?
Organization. Perfection demanded not only from me, but the rest of the group. The lockout system making it hard for people to group up and train each other, then the same issue in gearing up with it for BiS items needed from it, making it a bit of a catch-22. The artificial rarity that makes it so inaccessible.

Are you upset about this?
Yes. I play Final Fantasy games for the story first, for the gameplay second. Coil extends the story, and I don't want to watch videos on YouTube or read re-caps of what happens here, story-wise. I want to experience it.

Should any changes be made to the content to accomodate you and players like yourself?
There should be "easy mode" versions of everything so almost anybody can complete it for the story, like in the main numbered solo games. The real rewards, item drops, achievements and all that should be reserved for the actual content that is difficult. I'd still stick around for the harder stuff long-term, just like optional content in the singleplayer games kept me entertained beyond having gone through the complete story.

What kind of content would you like to see added in future patches for you to enjoy?
More story material. More substance. A good example are HM versions of dungeons that actually have a background to them as to why they're harder and our characters are revisiting them, or further Coil turns or Crystal Tower installments, or Hildibrand sidequests. A bad example with poor substance are Extreme mode primals, or even Ultima's Bane (which, while the idea behind it is cute, is not very compelling).

[Goodberry]

Ok, I'll bite.

What content has gated you, and for how long?
HM Garuda, from about 2 weeks ago when I did HM Ifrit.

Why are you stuck here?
I never tried, because am an "older" player and hate all these horribly and unfairly designed "twitch" fights. Bad for my blood pressure too. So I don't want to do them.

Are you upset about this?
Yes, not so much for personal reasons (SE can keep their relic weapon), but because I hate bad design, particularly when it's not caused by mistakes but by a totally wrong approach, i.e. choosing to forget that these games are played by people of all ages.

Should any changes be made to the content to accomodate you and players like yourself?
Yes, separating "normal" and "hardcore" content much more than they are now. One should have the right to play, enjoy the game and see most of the story without ever doing a damn Primal fight, which is only stressful and adds no real content. Primal fights etc. should be for the hardcore minority and, granted, offer the best gear. But there should be a clear progression path for common mortals, too. In other words: such fights should not be ever part of main story lines, nor gate access to decent weapons (I'm saying decent, not BiS).

What kind of content would you like to see added in future patches for you to enjoy?
More open world zones. Followup to main story line(s). Long quest chains involving all the Beast Tribes and granting reputation with them. More level 50 dungeons, with varying difficulty levels. Personal housing. A "wardrobe" system for gear. Swimming and climbing. Sleeping anywhere. Fishing rods with VISIBLE lines. Merry music in taverns.

[Maye]

Ok, I'll bite.

What content has gated you, and for how long?
HM Garuda, from about 2 weeks ago when I did HM Ifrit.

Why are you stuck here?
I never tried, because am an "older" player and hate all these horribly and unfairly designed "twitch" fights. Bad for my blood pressure too. So I don't want to do them.

What kind of skill would you prefer they focus on? Were there any encounters you ran into that made you think "this is just right" ?

Are you upset about this?
Yes, not so much for personal reasons (SE can keep their relic weapon), but because I hate bad design, particularly when it's not caused by mistakes but by a totally wrong approach, i.e. choosing to forget that these games are played by people of all ages.

Should any changes be made to the content to accomodate you and players like yourself?
Yes, separating "normal" and "hardcore" content much more than they are now. One should have the right to play, enjoy the game and see most of the story without ever doing a damn Primal fight, which is only stressful and adds no real content. Primal fights etc. should be for the hardcore minority and, granted, offer the best gear. But there should be a clear progression path for common mortals, too. In other words: such fights should not be ever part of main story lines, nor gate access to decent weapons (I'm saying decent, not BiS).

A lot of people seem to loathe the idea of WoW's "LFR" difficulty level... but it seems like there's a pretty high demand for easier versions of story related content. For players who can't/don't want to overcome higher difficulties I can understand the appeal.

What kind of content would you like to see added in future patches for you to enjoy?
More open world zones. Followup to main story line(s). Long quest chains involving all the Beast Tribes and granting reputation with them. More level 50 dungeons, with varying difficulty levels. Personal housing. A "wardrobe" system for gear. Swimming and climbing. Sleeping anywhere. Fishing rods with VISIBLE lines. Merry music in taverns.

How do you like the current beast tribe daily quests? I haven't played with them too much, but I'm not sure they'll be my flavor. Luckily vanity will be coming soon. I do wish it came during the days I had to wear my Darklight tanking armor! I hated that stuff.

[Goodberry]

Thanks for the interesting questions and thread, Maye.

What kind of skill would you prefer they focus on? Were there any encounters you ran into that made you think "this is just right" ?

The focused-on skill should be simply that of knowing well the class you are playing and making good use of its abilities. The almost exclusive reliance on fast reflexes, which many young players call "skill", should be greatly "nerfed".
Apart from that, I don't think fights should focus on a single skill. I like a mix and match: my ideal fight is part DPS check, part tank check, part healing check and alternates phases where you can concentrate on doing your best rotation with phases where you have to concentrate on surviving. Mechanics should be present and what you should naturally expect from that kind of boss, without the ton of artificial contrived gimmicks that abound nowadays. So, no tank-and-spank and, on the other hand, no Titan please. Also, a good fight is when you wipe several items until you have learned it, then you get a working chance of winning it, then you win it (possibly by trial and error as opposed to watching a guide on Youtube). So, no one-shot and no weeks of frustration please. Life is already too short.
An encounter I think is "just right" in this game would be Isgebind in Stone Vigil. My opinion may be biased because I love fights vs dragons with flying phases, but it keeps you on your toes without being unduly stressful.

A lot of people seem to loathe the idea of WoW's "LFR" difficulty level... but it seems like there's a pretty high demand for easier versions of story related content. For players who can't/don't want to overcome higher difficulties I can understand the appeal.

LFR? It's a blessing for players who don't do "real" raids" or, like me, don't do them any more, but care about story and lore. You get to see good content and often to have fun. LFR is not always so easy as many people think: it depends all on the quality of the group you find yourself in. You have a good chance of finding a bad group, embark on a wipefest and waste a lot of time and a lot of gold on repairs. On the other hand, if you get lucky you can find a fantastic group where all goes like clockwork.

How do you like the current beast tribe daily quests? I haven't played with them too much, but I'm not sure they'll be my flavor. Luckily vanity will be coming soon. I do wish it came during the days I had to wear my Darklight tanking armor! I hated that stuff.

I like some of the dailies enough, but there should be more variety. Dailies are good things to do while you are queued in Duty Finder. But... NO DAILY should be of the usual "Kill ten rats" or "Fetch five stones" type. No quest should be of that type, much less a daily!
Darklight armor? Yes, it's horrible. Really looking forward to vanity, hoping it's implemented well. In this game you never know, some things are done extremely well and some extremely bad. :P

[ImDingDing]

T5 and EX primals. But I am not rush for them anyway. Even a single player game can have some really hard/unbeatable content for 90% of the player pool. (I never beat DMD mode in any Devil May Cry series)

[valho]

What content has gated you, and for how long?
Turn 5, not sure how long

Why are you stuck here?
My coil group only really start to practice Turn 5 this month.
With other members of my FC I have got to Twister phase in Turn 5 consistently though I will be practicing with my own coil group now

Are you upset about this? (if so - why? and how can content be added for more hardcore players such as myself without upsetting you.)
Not really, I like challenging contents and with enough practice I know I can beat it with my group. We spend a few days learning and finally beating all primals extreme and it was fun even with all the wipe and late night runs.

Should any changes be made to the content to accommodate you and players like yourself?
Nope not at all, I like things as it is now

What kind of content would you like to see added in future patches for you to enjoy?
Jumping puzzles with rewards, battleground type PVP, more raid content, more interesting and massive treasure hunting, soloable dungeons.
Add more stuff for the Primal Ex, I have 2 weeks worth of Primal Ex token with nothing to change for.

[Marael]

I've got three reasons I avoid certain content in this game. I have other, real life obligations to see to first, my internet blows, and I've had enough endgame drama in other MMOs to last ten lifetimes.

I have a job, a spouse, children, and other hobbies that are more important to me than being on a videogame all the time. I've been playing two or three hours a week when I can find a free minute or two since early access, but honestly, seeing my kids' faces light up when I do silly voices while reading them stories is a lot more fulfilling to me than finally getting into a group that beats friggen titan. I also live in the middle of nowhere and there are two choices for internet here, slow as an old man taking a piss, or dialup, and this severely limits my ability to do anything that requires any amount of frequent dodging. For the moment I'm content to keep doing what I'm doing, slowly leveling and gearing up all of the classes to ilvl 70 or so. I've had some really bad experiences with endgame drama in the past before I was married and had more time to play, and it really has just put me off of endgame in any game in general. I'll be perfectly happy if I never see Coil, I may try out CT once or twice to see if my internet can handle it, but I don't feel the need to spam it for hours on end and put up with all the random assholes I may or may not be paired with who think there is nothing more important in life than having a perfect CT run and god damn anyone who gets in the way of it to a dark oblivion. I can live without that BS in my life. And don't tell me it doesn't happen, because I've seen crap like that firsthand in this game already on other content. I play games to relax and unwind, not to get yelled at by psychos who take it too seriously and have no patience for anyone that has the game on somewhat lower priorities than they do. That's stressful and exhausting, and really, no one enjoys being treated like a doormat for any reason, least of all for not taking a freaking video game seriously enough.

[Goodberry]

<...a lot of good stuff...>

Marael, yours is one of the BEST posts I have ever read in a game forum. Some days ago I was "yelled at by psychos", as you aptly say, and kicked just before last fight in Castrum Meridianum, because I fired a cannon at that Imperial gal at the wrong time, without causing any problem whatsoever...