[ffxiv-future] A request for "Player-Selectable Difficulty Scaling"

[SilvertearRen]

Greetings.

This is a repeat of one of my old threads, but I'd like to bring it up again - and preferably without the trolls, as the world is a fairly diverse place, and there are people of every different stripe imaginable.

I have friends who have difficulties handling stress and anxiety, and they also want to be able to participate in the Lv50 content in Final Fantasy XIV. As it exists now, Dzemael Darkhold and the Hyper Ifrit Fight are too stress-inducing for these people, and their personal health can suffer as a result.

However, they want to experience this content on their terms. Think of it like guildleves. Guildleves have a star system in place that allows you to decide the difficulty level, and with 1.19, it now spells out exactly how many levels above you the leve can be set to.

This is precisely what we need for the endgame content. Don't make everything arbitrarily difficult, it's too restrictive in that manner. Instead, have rewards scale according to difficulty settings. For the endgame content, let's use a three-star difficulty system as an example.

1-Star: Easy Mode, 14 Levels Below Original Difficulty (Grants NG equipment)
2-Star: Average Mode, 7 Levels Below Original Difficulty (Grants +1 equipment)
3-Star: Hardcore Mode, Original Difficulty (Grants Dungeon-Specific Equipment, like the Canopus Guisarme)

I strongly encourage Yoshi-P to examine the feasibility of such a system, because my friends have been telling me that if they can't be given the choice to decide how difficult they want the endgame content to be, they would not remain with Final Fantasy XIV. This is their ONLY major gripe.

Choice matters. Being able to complete all of the content the game has to offer on your own terms is important.

It's not fun when you look at the content, and realize: "Oh geez. If I do this, I'll get an anxiety attack and have to chuff all of my meds - and that's gonna cost me several times more than the subscription fee alone. This sucks."

So I would appreciate it if the FFXIV developers would be considerate in regards to these unique situations.

I ask the thread's respondents to please be thoughtful and polite before replying. Responses such as "Then they shouldn't play this game", are terribly rude and inconsiderate - and consequently, reflects badly on the community as a whole. Also, saying that "Ifrit has an easy mode", is not applicable in this situation as that can only be completed once, and repeated if someone in your party has the quest. It is a very limited option.

MMORPGs are meant to be inclusive. If you want to be rude or trollish, I suggest you go to EVE Online's forums.

Thank you for reading.

[Xatsh]

if people doing it on easy mode can never get what drops form the hard mode version I am completely fine with this method for everything.

I honestly think players have been spoiled by scalable content in WoW and the clones, it does not exist anywhere outside mmos for the most part with a few exceptions here and there. But to make everyone happy, as long as the drops are segregated where easy mode can never get good endgame gear I am all for it.

[Frein]

if people doing it on easy mode can never get what drops form the hard mode version I am completely fine with this method for everything.

I honestly think players have been spoiled by scalable content in WoW and the clones, it does not exist anywhere outside mmos for the most part with a few exceptions here and there. But to make everyone happy, as long as the drops are segregated where easy mode can never get good endgame gear I am all for it.

This, though I admit I'm very amused by the thought of people not being able to handle stress from a game like FFXIV. This isn't exactly Amnesia: The Dark Descent.

But still, -17 levels? Is this intended for your L50 friends? Can they not handle anything that doesn't just drop dead as soon as they look at it?

[SilvertearRen]

This, though I admit I'm very amused by the thought of people not being able to handle stress from a game like FFXIV. This isn't exactly Amnesia: The Dark Descent.

But still, -17 levels? Is this intended for your L50 friends? Can they not handle anything that doesn't just drop dead as soon as they look at it?

Let me propose a scenario: Let's think of it as a training mode for the dungeon for players to practice strategies in. They develop ideas, strategies and acclimate themselves to the unique setting the dungeon offers. When they feel ready, they bump up the difficulty. And so on. Bear in mind that each dungeon is unique, and has their own quirks and characteristics. Such a function would help more casual players to "learn" the dungeon prior to doing the Hardcore run.

Some people have unique types of stress and anxiety disorders that can be randomly triggered by as little as one player's HP going yellow, or being overwhelmed by enemies. Yes, they exist.

[Frein]

Some people have unique types of stress and anxiety disorders that can be randomly triggered by as little as one player's HP going yellow, or being overwhelmed by enemies. Yes, they exist.

I don't want to be rude, but how do these people get by in their everyday lives? I'd imagine they're constantly in a state of complete nervous breakdown.

[Preypacer]

I don't want to be rude, but how do these people get by in their everyday lives? I'd imagine they're constantly in a state of complete nervous breakdown.

I also don't intend to sound rude or apathetic, but if someone has stress issues with things that happen as a course of normal gameplay in most any game out there, they really should be reconsidering their choice of entertainment.

@the OP:
Certainly there are going to be situations outside of end-game/raid content that could possibly stress friend out. How are they going to deal with that? You can't keep asking SE to create an "easier, stress-free version" of every single type of content that your friend happens to find is stressful to them.

Also, the idea that MMOs are supposed to be inclusive is certainly true... but to say "that obviously includes people with stress disorders that are triggered by playing intense content" is a bit of a stretch. If you're going to cross that bridge, then what's to stop people with other disorders from doing the same?

I'm sure there are a number of things in your friend's life that they've had to come to terms with, or find other ways to engage in or enjoy due to their condition. I doubt your friend asks everyone they deal with to please alter things or do things differently so they don't get stressed out.

Again... I empathize with your friend's condition and I'm not just saying "pffft... screw them". However, at the same time... it just seems something that could be a can of worms.

Let's say SE does that. They say "Okay, in order to better accommodate people with stress disorders, we are going to introduce easier versions of all content for people to do".

How much would people like to bet that, "overnight", a whole bunch more people who never complained of it before, suddenly start popping up with a variety of disorders of their own, and who require special consideration by having SE change some aspect of the gameplay to suit them? I can definitely see people abusing such a thing, given the behavior already demonstrated by many of them.

What's to stop other people from claiming they have issues that requires them to avoid "this" or "that" and so SE needs to change some aspect of the game to suit them? What is SE going to do, check the medical records of everyone who claims they have an issue to see who's lying and who's being honest?

How does SE say 'Okay, we'll accommodate the people with "List A" disorders... but not those with "List B" disorders". Then they're going to be accused of favoring some players over others.

And further, how long do you think it will be before some of those same people are demanding the same rewards as those doing the toughest version of the content in question, arguing that "I'm being punished for having a medical condition! SE is punishing people with legitimate medical conditions by refusing them access to the best gear in the game!!! SE doesn't care about their customers!!"

FFS people without any kind of medical condition are already making those claims. Could you imagine the less honest folks out there having access to such ammunition as saying "I have a medical condition"?. They'd be all over that.

It's a potentially slippery slope, to be honest and I can't see how SE could reasonably handle it without painting themselves into a corner or coming out looking like the bad guy at some point down the road where they finally have to draw a line.

I'm not saying "it shouldn't be done". I just don't know how realistic a thing it is to expect, given the time/work involved, and the potential consequences of it.

[Sephr]

Some people have unique types of stress and anxiety disorders that can be randomly triggered by as little as one player's HP going yellow, or being overwhelmed by enemies. Yes, they exist.

Honestly, this probably isn't the game for them then. At the very least they should probably stick to DPS, playing the healer would probably make their heads explode.

Anyway, I'm all for 'normal' modes on the higher rank dungeons, if anything so that you can acquire some lower gear that lets you tackle the 'hard mode' dungeons more effectively, although you could probably just get some crafted as an alternative.

[Tanoshii]

if people doing it on easy mode can never get what drops form the hard mode version I am completely fine with this method for everything.

I honestly think players have been spoiled by scalable content in WoW and the clones, it does not exist anywhere outside mmos for the most part with a few exceptions here and there. But to make everyone happy, as long as the drops are segregated where easy mode can never get good endgame gear I am all for it.

Have you ever played a console game, ever? Most console games have multiple difficulty settings, hell most PC games have multiple difficulty settings.

[Belial]

Have you ever played a console game, ever? Most console games have multiple difficulty settings, hell most PC games have multiple difficulty settings.

The obvious answer to this is: Not the good ones.

Edit: Before you get in a huff, this was a joke.