Request: Remove the light party requirement from FC workshop projects

[MistakeNot]

Even I, a predominately solo player, understands that FC Workshop projects are supposed to be a group effort thing, thus needs a group of people to complete. It defeats the purpose of it being a group project if a single person can do it all alone. If you dont want to deal with social issues then you shouldnt have the perks of a social system. Do some leg work, find another person or two that will join your free company, make more friends who will help with the group project.

Thing is - it isn't a group effort and never was.
The light party requirement just means that one person clicks a few buttons while the other three stand around in the workshop twiddling their thumbs.

The preparations (where the real effort lies) may or may not involve several people - but does not require any grouping.

[ErryK]

The only reason the light party requirement is there, is because it takes a light party to petition for an FC to be created in the first place.

But the light party restriction is irrelevant in the long run, because 1 person can prepare all the materials and crafts for an FC craft.

[silverlunarfox]

I think something that might help is changing the requirement that everyone needs to be in the FC workshop. People don't want to drop what they are doing to get there. Maybe implement some type of remote device you can carry with you to help with FC projects anywhere. Or even just have to be in a major city. It's easier to get to Kugane from Azim Steppes than to have to go to Mist.

This. Our FC has no issues pulling people together for group projects but man sometimes its a pain when youre out in the middle of nowhere doing gathering, quests etc. I'd like for them to only drop the have to be in a workshop requirement aside from the person who has to hit the button....

[Mrydeen]

They just need to make it possible to submit all materials at one go.

[Masekase_Hurricane]

The system is fine as it is, if anything I would rather they worked on improving the system so the other 3 have to actively join in. An example of this would be to make it like synergy was in 11.

[HyoMinPark]

Even I, a predominately solo player, understands that FC Workshop projects are supposed to be a group effort thing, thus needs a group of people to complete. It defeats the purpose of it being a group project if a single person can do it all alone. If you dont want to deal with social issues then you shouldnt have the perks of a social system. Do some leg work, find another person or two that will join your free company, make more friends who will help with the group project.

I feel like this argument would have merit if the actual process that requires a Light Party isn’t just 1 person contributing materials while the other 3 stand around semi-AFK.

[Airget]

Even I, a predominately solo player, understands that FC Workshop projects are supposed to be a group effort thing, thus needs a group of people to complete. It defeats the purpose of it being a group project if a single person can do it all alone. If you dont want to deal with social issues then you shouldnt have the perks of a social system. Do some leg work, find another person or two that will join your free company, make more friends who will help with the group project.

Ya, and this has been on the Housing sub forum I think, I know there is a topic like this on another area of the site but basically I think people need to stop looking at "make it single" and suggest way to make it more interactive for players.

Like each crafter can do something while the process is going on to have influence over the end results, whether it be HQing the object in question, doubling the quantity recieved or even reducing the materials used to 1/3 what they normally would be.

If FC workshops had this level of dynamic interaction with it then at least there would be a need for players to be there rather than it's current design where you are suppose to imagine the 4 players are all adding to the materials for the item being worked on.

[Keridwyn]

The poster above me gets it. Instead of removing the requirements, involve the other three more. Heck what about giving out XP for the crafts if you have non-max crafters involved. Make the other three folks useful instead of just 'one to work, three to supervise'.

What if different crafters could proc different bonuses? Or, if it really is a case of being unable to find folks, you could charge 'craft mammots' like buff wheels to use in a pinch?

[Doki]

It's a dumb requirement. They should either handle it one of 2 ways:

1. Abolish the requirement entirely. Small FCs circumvent the requirement by just shouting for 3 random warm body helpers as it is. Large/regular FCs just get 3 helpers to stand around bored for 10 minutes.

2. Actually change it to require the light party to be all FC members, with max level in at least one craft relevant to the item crafted. Require each step to be completed by a different person in some way, or otherwie require everyone to actively participate somehow. This too could be easily circumvented by small/single person FCs but at least it would be a start.

None of the currently available recipes are difficult for a single person to gather/craft materials for in 3 hours or less, so it isn't like it ever requires a team effort at the moment.

[Raldo]

I would very much love for this requirement to be abolished. I'd also be fine with the idea of making the process a more active one. In both my current and previous FC, I was the only guy who seemed to care enough about the airship to put in materials and send it out, and even in my previous FC (~40 people) it was always a pain to get 4 people to sit and stay in the basement long enough to accomplish anything useful. "So you need me in the basement, sure I can do that." Yes, but I need you to STAY THERE for a while so I can do multiple steps. "Nah."

The last time I got 4 FC members in the workshop was when we first created the FC, and I spent over an hour with them afk while I gathered up the materials to make the basic airship parts. That was shortly after Stormblood release. That airship is now rank 50 (for a few weeks now), still using the same garbage tier-1 airship parts, and I can't get 4 people online to help me. I haven't bothered shouting for randos to help, because the effort isn't worth it.

SE has made it quite clear that they have no intention of making FCs have any functional purpose, so there's no reason for this limitation to exist. I can't even get some of my own friends to join my FC because there's literally no benefit to them doing so. As a smaller FC, I just get the old "my current FC keeps double-buffs up" excuse. Well, yeah I can't compete with that.