Almost everyone wants to "skip" having to raid!

[Logistical]

The real question is, why is FF14 the only MMO with this issue?

With the issue about people complaining about the basic standard of a lock out? Orrr? Elaborate.

[EmeraldAres]

I usually don't reply on the forums because most of the topics seem to attract flame wars, but this seems like a worthwhile topic where I should share my experiences with statics and raid groups.

I spent a lot of time raiding with the same core of people in WoW. The other members of our raid would change, but the same 10-15 people played with me for most of the original game and three expansions. We weren't hardcore, but we cleared all of the normal raid content by raiding 2-3 evenings a week. It felt highly rewarding to raid with them because it didn't just feel like business, it felt like I was sharing something with friends.

I originally stumbled on them because I ran a dungeon with a few of their members. This doesn't exactly happen in FF14 because all content up to level 50 is commonly queued for in the duty finder. It isn't until 50 where party finder starts to play a constant role, and it is most commonly used for the latest raid content. While it's possible to meet people that way, it isn't the best environment for establishing friendships and bonds.

I'm not saying it isn't possible to get a good static in recent games like FF14, but the problem is more with me. I'm picky, and my circumstances have changed. I have an FC that has many static groups available, and my server has many opportunities. But many of the statics focus on maximum performance and clearing the content over getting to know people and playing with the same group for an extended period of time. There is nothing wrong with this if that is what the entire group is looking for, but I don't want to join a static purely for progression purposes. If there is nothing else holding the group together, the static could fragment for a variety of justified or stupid reasons. Being in a static or a raid group takes a large (or at least consistent) time investment, and I have commitments in my life now. If I am going to plan my evenings around a game again, I want to be with a group that I will be investing in for an extended period of time.

Since I have not found that group, I have made my own somewhat-solo endgame. FF14 is built well for that. I queue into roulettes to gather tomes, gil, and help strangers. I level my chocobo (Rank 8 or so as of this post), and I help people that want anything from Sastasha to Titan HM in my FC and LSes sometimes. But the other content? Random parties are impatient and hate getting people who are not experts on the fights, so I stay out of their way. I would consider tackling this content with a party, but it has to be the right kind of group as I outlined above. I don't want to cast my lot with a bunch of jerks, or a static likely to dissolve for petty reasons. So for the time being, I focus on solo progression and help new players with easier content. That way, I can play on my own terms on my own schedule.

TLDR: I do solo/low level content to help others and play on my own schedule because I have not found a static that works for my schedule and needs.

[Dyvid]

I hope that the next update finally adds alliances and the ability to make full 18 person parties. This is a key feature missing from the game right now.

[givemeraptors]

I will echo what people have been saying about statics making endgame content hard to get into. Look at how many people jumped into the First Coil of Bahamut (turns 1-5) the minute the lockout was removed! And I'm talking about the two weeks BEFORE the Echo buff was added. I cleared the first three turns almost immediately during those three weeks and would have started on four but focused on the first two for the caster drops and began learning T5. People aren't being lazy, they just want to be able to play when they want or are able. Lockout does more to harm endgame than help, but I understand SE not wanting to burn people out as well. I don't know what solution is.

Sidenote: If you were really concerned with keeping the BEST loot in coil than every single BiS piece should be obtained from endgame battles. As it is, if you want the optimal gear you NEED to do a mix of casual and hardcore content. Honestly that is how it should be so that no single area of the game becomes a wasteland. Just look at the state of PvP for an extreme example of what happens when a large majority of players avoid an entire section of the game. Dungeons and easier content aren't in danger of that, but it's nice to see the world alive with people doing beast quests and dungeons instead of afk'ing in Mor Dohna or running circles around the Aetheryte in Fallguard Float (whyy??).

[IveraIvalice]

I would love to do new coil but like others have said, I don't want to be in a static. I just want to log in every day and be free to do what I want. I'm not trying to feel like I have another job, oh it's Tuesday, I gotta log on and do my hours. It's not a matter of playing with ransoms, it's just the lock out.

I tried to form a static with my buddies when first coil was still lock out and we could only get 6 people max, and most times 1 or 2 people couldn't make it and there was only a 2-3 hour time frame on Sunday that we could even attempt because of work schedules, time zone issues, you name it. Everytime I asked all my others friends if they wanted to join it's the same response, "sorry I already did it for the week with my static". So that didn't happen.

Now that old coil isn't lock out anymore there's plenty of people I know who can help out and we can form full parties whenever we want, not on a set schedule every week like a doctors appointment. My FC is even having T5 learning parties for those that didn't do it during the lock out. Stuff like that just isn't possible with the new stuff anymore.

Forming statics isn't how I like to play games. It works for some but not everyone. People have real lives outside the game and even though I play for hours a day, that doesn't mean all my friends schedules sync up with mine. Ill do new coil when they remove the lock out, not kuz I want to wait that long but because I have to. Sure I can join a static with a bunch elitists that I don't know and do my time with a group that has the same schedule as mine but that's not appealing to me. That doesn't sound like fun and why would I do something that makes me unhappy?

Having explained all that, I still need to get the best gear I can and that means soldiery gear. So I spend a lot of my time grinding tomes for gear or for atma books.
See it's not a matter of "now in this game everything's changed from when I used to play mmos". I don't prefer tome grinding because it's fun. It's the only other option for getting good gear since coil lock out doesn't work for me. I'm sure there's a lot of people in the same situation

[Massterchef]

For me it's the fact I am expected to have a static. I do the raids like Crystal Tower and the first Coil currently because no one expects you to have a static. I don't want to have a set schedule where I meet up with 7+ other players to do a dungeon. I want to be able to just go "Hmm... I feel like doing blank today, so I will!"

Raiding isn't exactly a 24/7 thing and its pretty common for casual even hardcore statics to meet twice a week for 2~ hours a night. You seriously can't make time for 4 hours in a week, and do whatever you need to do prior to raid time on days that you aren't working?

Unless you have a job which has fairly unreasonable hours or raid during off peak hours and can't find a group that can sync with your time, I can't really see how joining a static is such a 'restraint' on your schedule.

[Malamasala]

...

I also have a hard time to understand how they think, and how it actually works.

(D) Let's make a dungeon that give you strong equipment.
(P) And what happens when you have collected them?
(D) You do the same dungeon again, but it is easier.
(P) So it is only hard first, and then it gets easy and boring?
(D) Err, yea.
(P) So people who think it is hard will quit instantly, and people who beat it will quit when it gets too easy?
(D) Exactly!

[Cherie]

I can totally appreciate the idea of a static as feeling like a "doctor's appointment". But then again, what about people that do things outside of games on their computer?

Maybe it's just my age talking, but I can remember things like, well having tennis lessons that were on a certain time and date... Or going swimming every Tuesday with friends. Maybe some of you play a tabletop game like Warhammer with friends on Wednesdays. Is a online "static" really that different than a activity like that? It's actually a lot less involved than those really, considering you could eat a sandwich while doing it and no one would know (Unless you leave you mic open!). Also you could play your static group without wearing pants (Pants only slow down raiders anyway, it's a fact!)!

[Corfish]

snip

I'm sure I could probably make it, but I don't want to. What if I don't want to focus on raiding that night? If I back out I just look like someone who can't commit, and if I go raiding, I'll just be bored because I want to do something else. This game isn't my life, I don't want a schedule for it of any sort. I want the complete freedom to get on when I wish and do whatever I want. I don't see anything wrong with that. I don't go to statics demanding they work around me, I wait for the raids to open up and enjoy them then.

[givemeraptors]

I can totally appreciate the idea of a static as feeling like a "doctor's appointment". But then again, what about people that do things outside of games on their computer?

Maybe it's just my age talking, but I can remember things like, well having tennis lessons that were on a certain time and date... Or going swimming every Tuesday with friends. Maybe some of you play a tabletop game like Warhammer with friends on Wednesdays. Is a online "static" really that different than a activity like that?

The problem is the way the fights are tuned and how they're unlocked. A missing member or two can potentially screw over 6-7 other people. Missing a tennis appointment or a Warhammer game doesn't totally ruin the plans of a whole group.