Self-Destructing Community?

[Welsper59]

You're gonna encounter the worst of people from any argument side when you're playing a game with other people. New players accepting advice. New players taking advice very harshly. Vets providing friendly advice. Vets providing rude criticism as a form of advice (oblivious to the fact that calling someone the N-word is not kosher). So on and so forth. I encounter enough stupidity IRL and in other forms of online socialization... *cough*...

It's partly why I don't really bother with group activity. I'm fortunate enough to experience the hardships of older online games and the comradery that results from it. So, after all these years, I had enough experience to enjoy that form of content to not bother anymore... enough so that I just do my own thing and am very happy about it, even if it's not the standard way to play. Made some very good friends as a result, which after over 10 years, most of us still chat or play games together from time to time. Even back then, I was mostly a solo player and all about the crafting/gathering and doing the things that shouldn't be doable (soloing mobs/dungeons/raids using whatever means to do it). XIV doesn't have too much of that, but whatever. I like the crafting system and such. FC is fun to chat with, at least during the rare occasions I bother saying anything lol.

[Ninster]

This kind of thing is why I'm glad I have friends that play this game, so I can run through the content with them together, prior to a solo experience. If I have to run through something solo, though, I do try to mention that I'm new. I like to think I'm okay at figuring some mechanics out, but an explanation never hurts.

Regarding "look it up on YouTube", everyone learns best in their own way. I myself learn okay visually, but best from experience. Some people might watch videos but get nothing out of it until they try it. "Look it up on YouTube" only works so well, people. Regardless, patience is something that is really going to make or break people when it comes to new content. If you don't have the time or patience to explain to new people, bring your own group, and please talk to the Smith again to ask for your mentorship to be revoked. If you don't have the time to speak up about being new to content or learning new content, then by all means pass on it until you do. It's a two-way street, and people HAVE to meet each other part of the way.

[Yasuhiro]

- See a group of arrows pointing at a character? How about stacking with the group to take the damage. You're taught this in Thordan and VA.
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To be fair this game loves its inconsistent icons the arrows pointing inwards is the best stack together icon so far and I hope they keep using it. There's no need to keep changing icons or keep reusing ones you've seen before but all of a sudden they do different mechanics. Like Void Arks first boss, Dive Bomb icon appears on your character you expect a charging attack that also causes knockback, it instead drops puddles just like a boss in KoTL boss 2 so for the first time doing void ark you're gonna be confused why it didn't charge. I guess the icon however teaches you to stay away from people.

[Mykll]

It's partly why I don't really bother with group activity. I'm fortunate enough to experience the hardships of older online games and the comradery that results from it. So, after all these years, I had enough experience to enjoy that form of content to not bother anymore... enough so that I just do my own thing and am very happy about it, even if it's not the standard way to play. Made some very good friends as a result, which after over 10 years, most of us still chat or play games together from time to time. Even back then, I was mostly a solo player and all about the crafting/gathering and doing the things that shouldn't be doable (soloing mobs/dungeons/raids using whatever means to do it). XIV doesn't have too much of that, but whatever. I like the crafting system and such. FC is fun to chat with, at least during the rare occasions I bother saying anything lol.

I sometimes wonder why in this game I am such a lone wolf, when I never have before. And could never quite put my finger on it. I think you just gave the best reasoning that I could never come up with myself.

Yeah good old EQ days, me on my Enchanter Crackalot and a buddy Necromancer, both with Dire Charms, duo'ing dungeons you should not be able to. Fun times. Which I guess to be fair to him he could solo them, but I was still slightly useful.

[Colorful]

I have to admit that I got quite frustrated last night with Midas 3 after running it 15 times successfully with over 9 wipes, I know the mechanics like the back of my hand but I can't speak a lick of Japanese to communicate with my party. Google Translate didn't help in the slightest, luckily I occasionally play with a Japanese friend who can translate what I say so that helps.

If you're in an NA/EU data centre and see the someone is new message, ask if anyone doesn't know the fight, no response? Well it's safe to assume they've read or watched a guide, otherwise go ahead and call them out for not speaking up when you asked. Might be an unpopular opinion, but if someone asks if you know the mechanics and you don't but you don't say anything, you could potentially be a hindrance to the entire party. I understand not watching a video not to spoil the fight, but text explanations of mechanics can hardly be called "spoilers". If you consider them spoilers, run with your FC or create a PF group, don't go to DF if you're not willing to ask for and take advice.

[IndigoHawk]

The community has definitely grown worse over time. Fewer people play for fun; most people have been taught to grind and get cranky at anyone who is playing instead of farming.

When Titan HM was the barrier, I remember people trying for the whole hour often. Now people rage quit Sephirot NM after a couple tries within the first week.

I think it's just what happens as a game ages. The nice relaxed people move on, and the grinders are left. Fewer people return for each patch, and there's a shorter window of time when new content can be experienced with people who know how to have fun gaming.

However it's not impossible. I got a couple nice groups this week. Also I never tell people I'm new. Either everything will be overexplained or people will be rude. People in DF have zero expectations of others knowing the fight, so just try the fight and see how it goes.

[Naraku_Diabolos]

One statement: Go to the FFXI forums (if your account is valid on there), and people will complain and yell at you to go back here because they think FFXI is better than FFXIV. They even act like that on the Facebook groups. Trust me, they are way more toxic than the FFXIV community. We are literally like children at church compared to them.

[luciferbelmont]

Going in blind patch day with sephirot was one of the best things i've experienced. The moment we figured out what to do to avoid his triple fist full of 9999 damage swipe, everyone was happy, and the chat was filled with Awesome and a lot of positivity. We figured out that fight by ourselves without using a video. I also tried looking up guides patch day for the 2 new dungeons and their weren't any videos up. I don't know why people expect to watch videos that don't even exist on patch day.

all that video hand holding is getting people edgy. Even when they aren't around.

[Ayuhra]

From what I can see there aren't even that many guides on 3.2 yet. Most videos I've seen on Sephirot for example are people recording their EX clears with no explanation about what's going on and that's not abundantly helpful.

I, as a mediocre to poor player where this game is concerned, try to watch or read guides to reduce my own margin of error but there is no learning experience like just trying an encounter. People will mess up their first time, usually, but once they get messing up out of their system they can get the mechanics down well.

Try to brush off the people who rage.

There are undoubtedly lazy players who do put minimal effort into learning anything but there are players new to content too and I think veterans forget at times what the biggest and most important step is in any learning process: Fail faster.

[Jim_Berry]

I've found that if someones new and that they actually speak up and ask for help, they get it. Every time.
I've found that if someones new and they don't ask for help, the expectation is that they know what's coming.

Generally speaking, in dungeons, it's not much new. Dodge aoes. Deal damage. If something you can click on, click on it. It's mechanic heavy raids that may require some assistance to some, so don't be afraid to ask!

Was in A8 earlier. Had 3 new dps and one new tank. I offered to help. I was typing, but the other tank Triggered his pull macro while I was explaining the basic mechanics outside of what's learned in A7.