Why?

[EdgeFayth]

It is possible to get gold on solo Ixion (just hope the map is not full of players, cause it is super hard on high population servers during peak time), you just need to know how to generate aggro, because as said before, the reward on FATEs and hunts are aggro based.
Here is my receipe for a 99% MTing on everything in my server as a war (the 1% is when another war using more or less the same rotation got a crit on a BB and I didnt...):

Preparation: pull a small mob around in order to fill your Beast gauge and apply your Storm's Eye bonus.

Pulling: Onslaught (if necessary), Heavy Swing (Berserk), Skull Sunder (Unchained, Infusion of Strenght), Butcher's Block (Thrill of Battle), Heavy Swing (Equilibrium, Upheaval), Skull Sunder , Butcher's Block, Heavy Swing, Skull Sunder , Butcher's Block.
Renew your Storm's Eye bonus after this (and before each coming berserk window). Do not care about placing the slashing debuff on the target (by using Maim) at the beginning: with lots of people around, it is sure the debuff will be here before your first Butcher's Block hits.

By doing this, you are the king of aggro. Equilibrium under Berserk and Unchained generates lots of aggro (people tends to forget this), and Upheaval under Thrill of Battle does the same. Remember to get a bit of gear and to summon your chocobo in order to heal you (with this rotation, you are sure to MT the target, so you are going to be hit pretty hard).

Have fun.

[Malzian]

Allagans. It's always Allagans.

ALSO... Contribution is a finicky thing and acts sort of like enmity generation. This is why healers can just heal in a party and get full credit. The way it works for FATEs, though, is that you get contribution for your actions AND that of your party.

-Disclaimer: hypothetical situation below, numbers are examples and are certainly not accurate-

Let's say that you have a FATE that needs 1000 points in contribution to get gold on, but you as a solo player can only generate 2 point per second. That means you would need the fight to last 1000 seconds to get gold... That's a 8 minute fight, which most FATEs (even World FATES) don't last that long if there's a reasonable amount of people there. However, say you join a party that has a normal comp, put tanks at 3 points and healers at 1. 2 tanks is 6, 4 DPS is 8 and 2 healers so you're now getting 16 points per second. That means you get gold in a little over a minute.

It's a numbers game and FATEs were never intended to do solo.

[KarstenS]

The formula of Ixion is really strange.

One time I got within the very last seconds of his life in range. I was Darkknight. I did 1 hit. FATE done. I got Gold.

Othertime I was the entire fight there as Summoner. Got only bronze.

[Vstarstruck]

The formula of Ixion is really strange.

One time I got within the very last seconds of his life in range. I was Darkknight. I did 1 hit. FATE done. I got Gold.

Othertime I was the entire fight there as Summoner. Got only bronze.

If you where in a party both times that is possible because of what people explained here already.

[KarstenS]

If you where in a party both times that is possible because of what people explained here already.

Both times no party.

[Cakekizyy]

Both times no party.

Did you use provoke?

[Malzian]

Did you use provoke?

Provoke has no effect on FATE mobs or hunt marks.

[Okamimaru]

Stygian ash does seem to help... never gotten under silver even solo when using it on ixion

[hynaku]

Not sure why you didn't get 3 horns. When did Ixion fate once use the item to remove his shield and was never in a party just had my chocobo out and my summoner pet out and still got 3 horns from it.

[Gemina]

Haven't read the whole thread, but did see it was pointed out to you that in a party doing a FATE, everyone's contributions are added to your own. As such, being in a full party is the easiest way to get the rating you need to get the spoils.

If you are a DPS, you can perform perfect rotations for the entire duration of the fight and it still won't be enough because it is registered as individual. You're not healing or raising anyone. You're not holding enmity from any enemies. All your doing is adding a VERY marginal amount of DPS to what is required to bring Ixion down on your own. Think about it? How much are you really contributing by yourself? It would take parser's to truly know, but I am guessing your best effort would probably contribute to reducing Ixion's total HP by maybe 2-3%. Hardly a silver or gold in my book.

I totally get preferring the solo life in an MMO, but for FATEs like Ixion, they are designed with grouping in mind. There is nothing wrong with asking for an invite, and you may very well meet someone who will help you obtain goals that also require grouping. You're only limiting yourself in this MMO by staying away from grouping.