A way to keep both casual and hardcore players happy

[ShinigamiB06]

I have put a lot of thought into what it would take to keep both types of players in an MMO happy. Giving serious consideration to what it is both types of players want, I have come up with an idea I feel is a solid one.

Here is the deal:
Casuals want to be able to experience the full game without having to spend too much time on things like grind.
Hardcores, want things like grind because they extend the amount of time they can spend on the game while feeling progression.

At first glance, both types of players want complete opposite things so it's impossible to keep both happy. But thats not necessarily true. Here is my suggestion:

Make grinding content happen AFTER all playable content.

Let me explain. As the game is designed right now, things like extreme primals and coil are very challenging, while also having relatively high ilvl requirements. That means that you have to do some grinding in order to upgrade your gear to so much as attempt them. This is what pushes casuals away. Casuals don't want to have to grind for amazing gear in order to experience the primals and/or coil. Therefor, I suggest that the gear be acquired faster and easier for all players so casuals can be happy and experience all the content without having to spend too much time.

Hardcores, as I said, want extended playability. Which is why I suggest that the game implement much much more content like the relic atma/animus quest. *BUT* i suggest that this extensive quest can not even be started until you have beaten all primals and coil turns. This way, casuals are happy because they experienced all the content, and hardcores are happy because they still have plenty to aim for even after clearing everything.

Now, I understand that some will criticize this idea because they would be aiming for the best gear,but they have already beaten all the content. I can't speak for hardcore players, but I don't think this would matter to them. Again, I *think* that for them it's more about having goals than it is about facing primals or turns with the best gear. To further reinforce this theory, hardcores are always rushing to beat content so you just know for a fact that they aren't doing it with the best gear. And to expand even more on that, coil is the hardest content and it drops the best gear. And hardcores don't seem to mind that they obtained the best gear but they don't really have anything to "use" it against.

And lastly, IF hardcores wanted to use the gear they obtained post playable content and through grind, I suggest the devs implement time trials for primals and coil. Casuals generally don't care much for things like time trials. They just want to beat the content. But this would be amazing for the hardcores because there will always be a record to beat. Even tanks and healers would enjoy the added challenge of timed trials as they would be forced to contribute to DPS in order for best results.

Hope you all like and support my suggestion

EDIT: It seems like many people have misconstrued my suggestion so I want to explicitly state, I am not suggesting/asking for any type of content like primals or turns to be made easier. I am simply suggesting that gear is easier to obtain. Better gear does not mean you don't have to clear content like all other players.

Here is an awesome explanation of my point since so many people are still posting about things that are far off from topic. Kudos to Aura_Shurifon!

The more I read this thread, the more I'm laughing on the number of person that can't read/understand...
I'll talk objectively because i don't care if OP is right or wrong.

The subject is NOT about difficulty, it's about GRIND like doing the same thing over and over in order to be able to take the next step. And he said that again without people understanding and them repeating the same argument (which are right, but out of subject)...

If we compare to standard RPG, OP want a progress so that you can advance smoothly through the story (content) without the need to stop before one boss because it will smash you unless you GRIND 10+ hours doing the same previous content (one you have already done) in order to be able to have a chance to win.

If we look at what we have right now, you can go up to praetorium and see the "ending" of the main story without the need to GRIND. But then, you start to grind for philo/myth/soldiery, seals, gils, atma, in order to progress. You need to grind 50 brayflox HM, Halatali HM, Amdapor City (thx stupid RNG for drop) just to have i70 equipement before you can do primal HM and Coil 1 etc...
THAT IS what OP doesn't want. He talk about the point where you have to repeat the same thing in order to advance, where those things could be faster with the SAME difficulty we have right now.

I laugh too because it's exactly what people were angry about ATMA when other counter with "you just want it to be handed" when in fact players wanted boss fight (like hard one) or anything else than GRINDING hour of EASY (and stupid) FATE for the same result (without visibility on progress).

What he propose is to add grind after that, Grind that would serve for time attack (good idea) Higher difficulty dunjon/primal (same mecanics, but higher damage output/defense etc...)

Thx for reading...