Almost everyone wants to "skip" having to raid!

[skaterger]

That's true but it's all about the individual. While there are definetly people who have other things scheduled like tennis lessons and it wouldn't be much different then that. I'm not one of those people. I never have any appointments for anything unless I know I need to, but not for hobbies. I don't play any other mmos. This is the one I stuck with since 1.0.
The difference here is that you mentioned doing those scheduled things with friends. I can't make a static with friends and I don't want to make one with random people.
It's not hard to find a static but it is if I want to play with people I know. I want to make friends with new people just by meeting them, not because I'm forced to like a group because their static schedule matches my free time.

The whole thing just feels like a chore. You must interact with people you don't know, you must make friends with them or tolerate them just to get the raid done, you must be good or you'll make them mad and might get kicked, and often times you must have a mic.
None of that seems fun to me. Again there's nothing wrong with that. I'm sure it's all just efficiency for those that do it, but it doesn't work for me

Maybe I'm missing something, but why can't you make friends with the other 7 people in your static? They're real people too, and just because you are forced to interact with them in an "arranged" situation does not make them any less of a person. It's like saying that real love can never possibly exist between two people that meet through matchmaking or online dating. Personally I met many friends through raid groups (both pugs and statics) and it usually occurs from banter in between wipes. I don't think raiding is just srz business where its just killing bosses that matters, but having fun and joking around are actually more important for many groups.

[Skull_Angel]

Maybe I'm missing something, but why can't you make friends with the other 7 people in your static? They're real people too, and just because you are forced to interact with them in an "arranged" situation does not make them any less of a person. It's like saying that real love can never possibly exist between two people that meet through matchmaking or online dating. Personally I met many friends through raid groups (both pugs and statics) and it usually occurs from banter in between wipes. I don't think raiding is just srz business where its just killing bosses that matters, but having fun and joking around are actually more important for many groups.

It takes two to make it (friendship) happen and some people just don't seem to like to interact. When I run full party events with my friends and we pick up some randoms we tend to goof off during down time, most of the pick-ups just seem to sit there and wait or start going elitest (not many, but happens often enough) while may be 1/20 join in; it's those ones that we ask to join our LS/FC, but sadly only half end up accepting.

[Logistical]

Maybe I'm missing something, but why can't you make friends with the other 7 people in your static? They're real people too, and just because you are forced to interact with them in an "arranged" situation does not make them any less of a person. It's like saying that real love can never possibly exist between two people that meet through matchmaking or online dating. Personally I met many friends through raid groups (both pugs and statics) and it usually occurs from banter in between wipes. I don't think raiding is just srz business where its just killing bosses that matters, but having fun and joking around are actually more important for many groups.

Best Line!

[IveraIvalice]

Maybe I'm missing something, but why can't you make friends with the other 7 people in your static? They're real people too, and just because you are forced to interact with them in an "arranged" situation does not make them any less of a person. It's like saying that real love can never possibly exist between two people that meet through matchmaking or online dating. Personally I met many friends through raid groups (both pugs and statics) and it usually occurs from banter in between wipes. I don't think raiding is just srz business where its just killing bosses that matters, but having fun and joking around are actually more important for many groups.

I usually make friends with people I DF with by joking around and helping people out. I usually don't see those people again but at least I helped and that's just enjoyment to me.
Dont take this the wrong way to any in statics and prefer that method of playing, but I always felt like the people who do that are elitist that want the best people and are constantly judging how others play so that they can tell you how to do it better.
I know that's not all of them but I think that if I was gonna meet some elitists, it would be in a static. They are certainly people that deserve to make friends but they don't seem like the kind of friends I want to make. Im sure they would make friends with people who have the same goals as them. But I usually don't. Again not all of them. At least if I find an elitist in a DF they are the first ones to leave and then the rest of us are happy to go along with the dungeon.

When I would do some very rare coil pug groups when first coil was still lock out, I very rarely found anyone who was about having a good time. It was always just trying to get it done as fast as possible and anyone who gets in the way of that (new people) they would just replace. Because they knew what to do and expected everyone else to also.
That's just not enjoyable, especially when I'm the one getting kicked because I haven't done the dungeon before.

[jars]

why would you want to raid with random people all the time? that doesn't sound too great. it's also very difficult to get things done that way. that's not SE's fault, that's just the way things are in all activities.

[Logistical]

-snip-

I can agree with you, in a sense. Elitists are everywhere though. Inside and Outside Statics.

[Kinseykinz]

Without this coming off elitist. This is nobodies fault.

I wasn't really doing the 'woe is me' thing. I am fully capable of making a static.

The bigger point is 'expecting everyone to pace themselves to be on top of content in order to experience it at it's most challenging' is unreasonable.

-Not everyone started playing at launch
-Not everyone has the same amount of time to play
-Not everyone cares to spend x amount of each new patch on 'new raid' content. Some prefer to do other new content in each patch first. That doesn't make them 'lesser' skilled. It makes them 'focused on other content atm'. This doesn't mean they wish for content to be gimped before they can even challenge it.

Heck, I don't even think the PS4 audience had the chance to attempt BC1 pre-nerf.

So to my first point, I simply meant, it's fine that content outpaces players, but nerfing it just because there's new stuff is unnecessary and semi-insulting to folk behind the content curve. It implies they aren't skilled enough to beat it...even if the soul reason for that is they never entered it. And when you factor in how over-geared players can be now when entering Binding Coil 1 or even Crystal Tower, it is seemingly even less necessary to lower the challenge....the gear options you can get outside Coil already do that.

As to the rest:
Not every FC is large, or filled with members that can dedicate 2-3 Hours across 2-4 nights a week at the same time. Sure these FC's, if built on solid core members will grow, but once again, that growth might cost them to be behind by a patch or two. So once again, they are being punished for moving as a group, forming their own FC and/or just being behind Patches progression-wise. And while some folk will say 'well, this is WHY they make the old content easier....so folk can catch up.' I am saying, that is silly, why would you want everyone to be at the cutting edge of development, that is a very slippery slope from a development standpoint (having more people able to out-burn content before you develop more). Instead, it would seem more prudent to keep content at it's 'challenge' level and let people clear it at a pace that best suits them....now having an 'easy button option' on truely old (like 1yr+ content) is fine, but right now, it's an automatic thing.

Also the 'just recruit more people!' option even if it happens, will still mean for a while, some FC mates will be siting on the sidelines/pugging it until that happens. And if left out, you run the risk of losing them to another FC that is also in the same boat...I mean your new members came from somewhere right? Even in larger FC's it is very rare for everyone who wants to be in a static clearing the 'current' top content to have that chance...someone gets left out. Furthermore, just the creation of 'static' teams within FC's can lead to turmoil....what do you mean I'm on team B??!!....why do I have to wait on the 3rd static to form??!!...etc.

Still, by not allowing players to go back and do weekly content (without a reward since that is the real hamster wheel SE is trying to protect), they are destabilizing the social aspects of the game...a MMO, which is supposed to be a social game. Being in a 'Static' 2-3 nights a week not only means I can't do other content, but it typically means I am shut out from hanging out with non-static friends/socializations. It would be nice to be able to also do the same content with those friends during 'non-static' times.

For as much of a hell-scape CT was, even if I had my item for the week, if someone in my FC wanted company, I'd join them....I'd just like the same luxury in ALL content.

I'd also like the freedom to 'help' friends and FC mates through content I cleared as it's current, instead of having to wait until the content is 'unlocked' and no longer a once a week entry.

Oh and by only still allowing you to roll on drops the first time you enter and clear each week on BC2, but allowing you to still re-enter and clear as often as you desire you aren't making it so people 'farm' each turn for the drop they want, using other players, but instead, making it so friends could go back and help other friends. If they are worried about groups selling runs, they could make it even that only x (1-4 at a time maybe) amount of players could enter the run if they already cleared for the week...making it much less likely people would be able to successfully carry/sell raids.

This is why I wish they wouldn't 'gimp' the content simply because it's old....and why I wish they would just lockout your chance to roll on each turn to 1x week, not your actual character.
-better, more united FC's
-more sociable
-no rush to 'clear it now' or be deemed 'less good'
-more flexible with real life issues/concerns.

[IveraIvalice]

I can agree with you, in a sense. Elitists are everywhere though. Inside and Outside Statics.

Yeah, I just think if I wanted to find some I know where to look. But most times if I find then at random, they are the first to rage quit

[Titor]

In every other game I've played (WoW, Rift, Tera, SWTOR) people have always been clamoring to get into new raids.

I think that this is why I did not like those games, but do like this one. Personally I am a PvPer, I do not really like PvE, and in these other games the really cool looking new gear always felt out of reach, and I always felt kind of 'meh' that all I ever did was old content, becuase that was not the cool thing to do.

Here I feel like the cool new gear is within my reach if I put in the time and effort (which I do) without having to put in the annoying part of finding a static and trying to schedule around a game (my RL is so sporadic that sometimes I can be on for entire days, and othertimes I cannot get on at all, but I do not know when on what day) so it is near impossible for me to have a static right now in my life.

[IveraIvalice]

why would you want to raid with random people all the time? that doesn't sound too great. it's also very difficult to get things done that way. that's not SE's fault, that's just the way things are in all activities.

It's not a matter of running with randoms but just wanting to run with people you know. If I got 6 people I know that can be in my static and I got 10 others already in there own then I'm kinda out of luck. I just want to run it with however many friends I have in my LS at any given time and not have to be the same people everytime. It's all people I know but it's not like a set schedule. I also don't want to be forced to have a mic or /kick. Which is what most statics require
The issue is the lock out