The general player base needs to improve

[Metalwrath]

Which is sad considering my experiences with Byakko ex. The last time I ran it my co tank messed up his timing for one of the tank swaps and a sam ended up being grabbed and died. The sam just constantly started shit talking both my co tank and I after that saying we couldn't do our jobs and whatnot...the best part being that even when he didn't die to tank mistakes he still was doing less damage than either of us...as a sam. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

So im just curious about this comment.Because how Byako works is he grabs whoever has main agro.So how if the Samurai was doing less dps than both tanks did he have priority agro?The story doesnt make any sense.

[HoodRat]

So im just curious about this comment.Because how Byako works is he grabs whoever has main agro.So how if the Samurai was doing less dps than both tanks did he have priority agro?The story doesnt make any sense.

Pld provoked late, so after my enmity was reset, and the sam was the only dps in the party not using enmity reduction cds.

[SannaR]

Novice hall teaches a few bad things and you only have to do one of the lessons before being able to go into the 1st dungeon. Like not aoeing, dps being taught to grab adds, and to always be healing. I swear when doing the healer stuff the game would yell at you for not toping the tank off just because they got hit twice. Also I swear Squadrons are part of the problem. If you've ever ran with a rog or a lancer squad mate they are known to randomly aoe even on single monsters and use their ranged attack 1st. Yes i've seen actual people employ these types of things in various things. Then there's the whole other mess when doing guildhests. I've had people kill the turtle, not understand killing all the void mobs near the same time even when you tell them to.

[silverlunarfox]

There will always be good players.

There will always be bad players.

There will always be people who fall in the middle.

There's nothing anyone can do to make that change. It's how all online gaming is. Youll always have those people who aren't good at the game but are playing it because they find it fun. And so be it! I think overall perhaps the community needs to develop more understanding and patience perhaps. *shrug*

[Penthea]

Bad players exist everywhere in every game and honestly I don't think the player base is that bad. I find most players are at least average to good, more than enough to complete DF content. I rarely come across a player I genuinely think is terrible.

Savage is a different story of course but that content isn't designed to be done with random groups. It can be done but it's obvious you get a much more rewarding experience with a static team because the content often demands a lot of coordination.

[Lord_Zlatan]

Gunna add my .02, and some recent examples as well.

First and foremost, I strongly feel that preparation for higher end content is an absolute must. Being generous, lets qualify high end content as Susano, Lakshmi, Shinryu, Byakko, Deltascape Savage, Sigmascape Savage, and Ultimate Coil.

I cannot tell you how many farm parties I have joined in the last 2 weeks alone (for everything above except Sigma/O4s/Ultimate) where the Party Finder is called a farm party, and we struggle to get one clear. Yes, even on Lakshmi. Yes, even on Byakko. I find that sometimes, the excuses people come up with are ridiculous. Ninja died repeatedly on one Byakko run last night "because he was tired"... why not just go to bed then? If you are going to play so horribly in your present state... dont hold the rest of us back. Before you queue up for/join a party for certain content, evaluate your present mental and physical state. Are you focused? Are you watching netflix because you were just crafting? Have you been in PotD for the last 9 hrs? Overall, I find that a lot of the playerbase "think" that they can get something done but arent being honest with themselves over their mental preparedness at a given moment to actually participate in a meaningful way.

2nd, and arguably most importantly, you have to be honest with people about your experience level with a given encounter. My static (recently formed, and still on O5s) was supposed to raid last night but we had multiple people unable to join. So the remainder of us decided to do Byakko farming. 3 of us (static members) have cleared the fight together about 40 times and probably even more without each other. The other members of the team stated they had cleared it. Then, the PF fills. We go in, and its a complete shit show. Come to find out one of my static members "got carried" through it, and didnt want to not be able to join us. No one was mad, and no one harassed this player, but I think it is only fair that you are completely 100% up front about your experience in an encounter before you waste other peoples time. I think the reason people dont do that is because they are afraid they wont be able to be in a party. I have news for you... I would much rather have you say "ive cleared it twice, but Im still confused about X mechanic" so I can give you my discord info and call out mechaincs/tell you about them. I think most rational people will be willing to help, if it means a smoother overall experience.

As to what can be done about it, sadly... I feel it is completely on the individual to acknowledge their shortcomings but it is also on other members to NOT BE COMPLETE CLOWNS and actually help people out.

[ThirdChild_ZKI]

In the name of "simplifying" and making things "more accessible", we've seen the bar get repeatedly lowered while the rewards don't lower proportionally. A week's worth of sub-Savage level efforts can still put you roughly on par with a Savage raider, and while I understand the necessity for daily grinds, the challenges within said grinds are low impact (for convenience) yet the fastest road to the top, just below Savage level content.

This isn't really a criticism of the formula set up by SE, but so long as players aren't pushed to get better, they just won't. Some will have that fire in them to do it anyways, and I love them for it, but using my old mountain metaphor again: If climbing the mountain or walking the trail will grant you the same reward, you're not likely to find many climbers.

I will say however I'd like to see Alliance Raids provide a legit challenge as Weeping City and Rabanastre seem to be doing (and even then from my perspective they're less a challenge, but more that they have penalties if mechanics are failed). Dungeons as well. I haven't enjoyed dungeons anymore ever since it all started to feel like the samey "pull it all and aoe for the next minute, maybe move out of the way of that thing that won't kill or even hurt you much" routine.

[Lord_Zlatan]

This isn't really a criticism of the formula set up by SE, but so long as players aren't pushed to get better, they just won't. Some will have that fire in them to do it anyways, and I love them for it, but using my old mountain metaphor again: If climbing the mountain or walking the trail will grant you the same reward, you're not likely to find many climbers.

I agree with you mostly, except that once you do get to the top of the mountain (and actually try to do savage) you will be completely exposed. So yes, the reward is somewhat there, but in reality its only half of it. Its like you climbed or walked the trail, but when you get to the top, its a cloudy/gray/rainy day... you dont get the reward of that beautiful sunrise/sunset

[fumofu]

I think we need more easier content. It's not fun wiping at ex primals and 24 raids. And wipes happens, because it's too hard.

[Lilseph]

I think we need more easier content. It's not fun wiping at ex primals and 24 raids. And wipes happens, because it's too hard.

We have easier content: Dungeons and NM primals, FATEs, overworld hunts and monsters. However, wipes happen because people don't pay attention or don't know how the mechanics work. Not because it's "too hard". Either people don't bother to teach them, they don't bother to learn, they pull the "I learn by doing" card. The game does a poor job when it comes to teach the basics and, at this point, the Hall of the Novice isn't enough.

With the introduction of the jumping potions, players should have the option to get in a training ground to get a grasp of the basic mechanics that this game can offer, along with their rotation and whatnot. Moving backwards, introducing easier content instead of gradually increasing it, will make the situation worse, imo.