The cycle of disbanding that keep casuals from doing content

[Vhailor]

So, my question for the community is... Is that it, then? If you can't go into Coil 3 nights or more a week, you're shut out? Nobody understands the meaning of "learning party" anymore, and we're thrown to the side, unable to do the content cuz lack of will? do ALL tanks have it so easily to the point that not a single one is still chasing content? what is happening? Do we have any hope to clear SCoB, or our only choice is to wait for 2.5 and go in there on the DF?

This is a pretty sad reality, if there are no solutions...

In short, until SE makes a few adjustments, yes - this is how it's going to be.

The problem with FFXIV's end-game situation centers around two key issues, in my estimation.

Firstly, there's the issue of fights requiring exactly 8 people. This makes finding a group more difficult, in my experience, because groups tend to size themselves at "exactly" 8 - so even if you're inclined to find a static, it's far easier said than done. Maintaining a group of precisely 8 people who can keep schedules aligned and such is very challenging, nigh impossible in many cases. Now it is certainly an option to replace a member or two via PF if someone's absent, which makes the situation a bit easier, but this can frequently be a stressful experience (personalities not meshing, a replacement leaves, etc.). Particularly for those who don't play every night of the week, this is a more significant barrier than for a hardcore player.

Secondly, and far more damaging, is the "team jump rope" type of setup for fights. If a single person goes down, then failure is almost always an immediate result. This is in stark contrast to FFXI, where victory despite deaths was routine. It also has the nasty side effect of turning players against each other, which makes PF a far more toxic environment than it otherwise would be. Obviously this sort of design makes end-game fights more "challenging" for those with time (though it's still just extended memorization), but it ruins a lot of the content for others. It's why I've consistently been opposed to SE's entire philosophy in regards to difficulty in ARR. This of course isn't intended as a tirade against those who want a challenge - but more difficult gameplay is best suited for single-player titles or competitive multiplayer, not cooperative MMOs (unless it's self-imposed challenge).

So, I sympathize with your plight, but I wouldn't expect any fundamental changes unless SE significantly addresses the above problems (which are also linked, obviously). It's one of the main reasons I have long since retired from ARR, and it's also a central source of frustration for several of my friends who were active in FFXI's end-game. Hopefully this situation is remedied in Heavensward, but I have my doubts.

PS - I want to make clear that the main problems I see with XIV's end-game have nothing to do with the difficulty levels (though I think they're a smaller issue). The concern I have is with how the difficulty is created. The challenging part of an MMO in 2014, in my mind, should be on how well you can play your character - not how well you can find 7 other people who can also play theirs. Right now, the latter is vastly more difficult than any other component of an end-game raid. SE needs to adjust that somehow for the end-game situation to work.