How do people calling themselves casual feel about the difficulty level?

[Cherie]

I guess it's just that. I mean, i would never call myself hardcore. But it seems if maybe you've cleared all available content and leveled most if not all jobs, then people say you are hardcore. I don't agree, but ok, so that means I'm not allowed to say this game isn't that hard.

What about people that don't play this game as much (not even saying I play it much anymore)?

The reason I ask is, it just seems people that would call themselves a casual player (I.E. the majority) are also kind of bored. Sure, I know there are people that go: "Ermagerd, Titan hard mode is still sooo hard!" And truthfully, at one point, for many of us, it was kinda hard, until, we well, did it to death and realized it's the same pattern every time.

After reading the forums, people tend to say that since "hardcore" people are in the minority that it makes sense that "casual" people should be the ones mostly catered to. Ok, sure, they have a point, but it just seems that the "casual" majority are kind of bored too.

Sure there is content like the EX Primals. And, honestly, those were kind of hard for everyone for a little bit. They were fun to learn. But now, how many "casual" players have not completed them? I mean, yes there are some people that have not, but I would interject that they are a minority of the "casual" majority. Really the only difference in players is the amount of time they put in, in my opinion. So really, while a "hardcore" player might defeat something sooner (and it's not a race so I don't see why this matters to anyone), the "casual" player does in fact beat the same content, but just a bit later.

In the end, both groups ("casual" and "hardcore") run out of stuff to do in time. So I guess my point I was asking about was, shouldn't there be more difficult content to work on? It's not like "casual" players will never do it. I think the EX Primals proved that the majority can get content down eventually. I would even suggest that the "casual" majority liked having something difficult to work on... Sure, the "hardcore" minority maybe downed it in a week or two, but everyone else? They worked hard at it until they got it, making it all the more meaningful and satisfying to them.

What do you all think? Yes to more stuff like that? The reason I ask is it seems that people bemoan there being more of it. We really aren't looking for more nerfs to current content as a community I don't think. I'm quite confident to say that people requesting easier content and nerfs aren't a "casual" majority, but in this case are some minority that even "casual" players would think are even playing less than them.

[Mhaeric]

I think you're greatly over estimating the number of people who have cleared harder content like the extreme primals.

Just thought I'd point that out before the hardcore vs. casual flame war begins.

[Cherie]

I think you're greatly over estimating the number of people who have cleared harder content like the extreme primals.

I mean maybe you have a point there, I won't say you don't. If you were to walk around the main cities or mor dhona though, wouldn't you say that a majority are walking around with a primal ex weapon or maybe even a allagan weapon? It could be just my server Leviathan though. Maybe I just notice them. One thing I can say that I am *not* seeing as much are the Zenith weapons.

[Mogi]

As a casual i don't care how long it takes me to get something or how fast i can get to 50 i just play at my own pace but yea there are some boring parts to this game sure. it be nice to see more ppl talking and less standing around like a stone or yea a fight that feels like omg we just made it but idk that's just me

[Nuinn]

-snip- it be nice to see more ppl talking and less standing around like a stone -snip-

^ This. So much this.

I'm aware it's completely individual and is something the playerbase is responsible for etc. but, for a MMO the social factor in ARR feels very, very flat. No, I don't consider mere bundling of people in parties of 8 to be much social, especially when most don't say "Hello" (cause, why bother?)

It's not even the usual pre-patch death in the open world (aka giant hub you do trivial stuff in - as opposed to the only important part for progression: the instances). I'm a big talker and I miss the banter in /sh or /s. Even I feel discouraged at times to discuss things that are not battle related cause they're borderline trivial (who wants to listen to you talk about melded stuff when gear drops like crazy.... stuff like that).

[Kuwagami]

I mean maybe you have a point there, I won't say you don't. If you were to walk around the main cities or mor dhona though, wouldn't you say that a majority are walking around with a primal ex weapon or maybe even a allagan weapon? It could be just my server Leviathan though. Maybe I just notice them. One thing I can say that I am *not* seeing as much are the Zenith weapons.

That's because a part of the minority which had zenith weapons now have primal weapons (wich are for the majority better than relics, let's be honest). Also, no wonder people downing T5 (their number is slowly growning, I think I read something about 5% of playerbase) have their allagan weapons you know? ^^

[Noahlimits]

That's because a part of the minority which had zenith weapons now have primal weapons (wich are for the majority better than relics, let's be honest). Also, no wonder people downing T5 (their number is slowly growning, I think I read something about 5% of playerbase) have their allagan weapons you know? ^^

The majority of the EX weapons are NOT better than Zenith. Most of them don't give the required accuracy needed for T4-5 or of the primary stat, so way less than half are actually BIS (not counting i95, of course) for i90.

The main reason people use EX weapons so often for alt classes is the mentality of: "I'm not going to spend 900 philo and 900 myth for an alt weapon."

I personally have all the EX weapons (even though I don't have everything at 50). It basically comes down to (for alts at least), do I want to spend 6300 philo and 6300 myth on 7 alt classes? Or get a comparable item for free once a week for 30 minutes of time investment?

[SirSaber]

^_^

Kudos to your excellent answer Kuwagami.

[Rhysati]

I mean maybe you have a point there, I won't say you don't. If you were to walk around the main cities or mor dhona though, wouldn't you say that a majority are walking around with a primal ex weapon or maybe even a allagan weapon? It could be just my server Leviathan though. Maybe I just notice them. One thing I can say that I am *not* seeing as much are the Zenith weapons.

I play all the time, run dungeons and everything pretty much constantly. My main has PLD and WHM at 50 as well as a third class on the way. I have a second character at 46ish. I don't have anything other than one Relic and the rest stuff from tomes or CT.

But...think about this: When you are in Mor Dhona...you are in the 'dungeon grinding' area. It would be surprising if you didn't see a lot of people decked out. But that is still the MINORITY of the playerbase.

[Cherie]

I play all the time, run dungeons and everything pretty much constantly. My main has PLD and WHM at 50 as well as a third class on the way. I have a second character at 46ish. I don't have anything other than one Relic and the rest stuff from tomes or CT.

But...think about this: When you are in Mor Dhona...you are in the 'dungeon grinding' area. It would be surprising if you didn't see a lot of people decked out. But that is still the MINORITY of the playerbase.

Ok, but where do the rest of people hang out?
You did say you have a relic and more than one class geared up with myth tomes and ct stuff right? So do I really. I don't think I'm special. I have bard with some coil gear and myth gear mixed together. I have a paladin in totally ct gear. My scholar is mostly myth geared. I do have most other jobs, but they are all in philo gear.

I did say I don't see many zenith weapons, but to clarify, I do see plenty of normal relics. There are people that don't "grind" dungeons? What else is there to do? When I played rift, I played on faeblight which was their role play server. There was other stuff to do besides trying to gear up if you chose to. I didn't partake in role play, but I knew many that did. You could walk around the main town and see people acting out little "improv skits" as i might call them. But while there are some people that role play in ffxiv, there isn't a role play server, so they are much more spread out than what I had experienced before. What else do people do in this game? I spend most of my time these days just socializing in ffxiv. And maybe not everyone has a relic or even a ex primal weapon yet, if they keep at it, they could do it. Why would I be special or lucky? I don't think I am. Most people I play with would say I'm "average" and not spectacular.

Instead of nerfing content to increase the number of players that can clear it, personally I think they could improve the social networks in this game. For instance, Party Finder was a good improvement. If any of you saying that you are unable to clear Titan Ex were on my server. I'd actually be willing to help. I like running it. I might end up floor hugging a attempt and then you could laugh at me and realize I'm not unique after all. :P