Define a good player

[CainCrimson]

A good FFXIV player in my opinion:

1. They pay attention the the environment and the group equally. No "I'm the (insert role) and this is my world"
2. They are open to learn, whether a new player or a veteran player. everyone can improve and nothing is perfect.
3. They think outside the box, and don't simply min/max. There is more to playing this game than the popular YouTube methods deemed as "good".

[duvvvv]

I didn't read every reply yet, but are we defining the term objectively or subjectively? because if the former, obviously there are stats for that. the way OP was expressed it seems TS wants to know how to measure skill in FFXIV. if the latter, the rest of the replies seem to answer that. I'd like to contribute a subjective take on it as well. as a longtime MMO player, "good" in my experience has a connotation of not being the best, just above average. mostly a softcore player--spends enough time to be updated with gear, content, etc. but not part of the "first in the world" clique. maybe because they don't have a static, a lone hunter, the guild crafter etc.. could be a hardcore, but not part of the upper percentile with the rarest stuff skill and time can buy. good player =/= good person. they can be as elitist as they come, but unlike other arrogant know-it-alls, they have the skills to back it up. also, statistically the older gaming generation because science says competitive e-gaming peaks around the mid-20s (the best player age I guess) so if you're older than that, optimal APMs may not be as easy for you. that said I'm just in the decent/average category.

[Darric]

-snip-

I dunno if late 20's already counts as older gaming generation already, but i can pretty much see my type of player in the majority of your description above. I didn't think anyone could put it into words. Big thumbs up for accomplishing this and thanks.

[Veliena]

I have always loved this kind of question. Most players seem to think only the top 1% are "good"players. But honestly those are exceptional players. A good player is harder to define. Some will say its if their damage is good, other will say if they can do mechanics.
IMO, a good player understands their job, has a decent grasp on their combos/priorities with abilities, and can do mechanics. Good damage will come, for example, if you do the other.

[duvvvv]

I have always loved this kind of question. Most players seem to think only the top 1% are "good"players. But honestly those are exceptional players.

agree. kudos to TS for throwing this question out there for people to discuss.

I dunno if late 20's already counts as older gaming generation already, but i can pretty much see my type of player in the majority of your description above. I didn't think anyone could put it into words. Big thumbs up for accomplishing this and thanks.

not at all I think I've simply echoed what longtime MMO players already understand. as for the age, here are some references that also say why some pro-gamers retire at 26. it's not just the physical but also social factors that weigh in. a favorite Chinese animated series "The King's Avatar" touches on this as well.

[Zeonx]

Nobody.

Everyone is great in their own way after hard work and practice.

everyone messes up until they get the hang of things.

[Sebazy]

I think I've simply echoed what longtime MMO players already understand. as for the age, here are references that also say why some pro-gamers retire at 26. it's not just the physical but also social factors that weigh in.

Depressingly, I can agree with this both in terms of reactions and social lingo. My own raid group is a bit of a retirement home for the most part, but half of the time when I cover and help other groups I'm pretty much sat there nodding and smiling without half a clue what they are going on about

[MaloraYuki]

I guess my idea of a good player is a little strange. I think a good player is someone who is pleasant to group with and takes and gives advice. Someone who helps people improve and strives to improve themselves. Rather than just shitting on players and refusing to improve because “you don’t pay my sub”

[BluexBird]

I think it's not just a matter of being able to clear something or not. You have to take into account that every single person that manages to clear ANY Savage raid, had to spend a considerable amount of time learning the mechanics, how avoid dying, etc. Watching a video helps, but things like timing and muscle memory can only be obtained by messing up.

I'd say the difference between good and bad players might lie in how long it takes for them to be able to successfully reach that stage of "encounter mastery", where they know every little detail of the fight. Beyond that, I'd say doing whatever it takes to maximize your damage will set you apart from most other players as well. But obviously, before you're able to do that, you first need to learn the fight.

[Baingoleth]

I am not concerned with the difficulty of content that a player can clear when I consider attributes that a good player displays. Players who make the effort to work as a team are good players. There is more involved with teamwork than just skill.

Skill is important and players who don't make the attempt to know their jobs are difficult to have in a party. I think it shows a lack of respect to not make the effort to understand how your skills work. In the same way, players who don't know what their role should be in a party or who refuse to do their role in a party are not good players. Dps players who consistently run ahead of the tank and pull mobs come to mind. That said, I am very patient with players who are learning their job or their role in a party. I'll happily run the same content wipe after wipe with players who are making the effort to learn. You never know; the player who is struggling but getting better in your party might turn out to be the next great raid leader after some practice. The important part here is that a good player is making the effort to improve because they want to contribute their fair share to the party.

Another important element to being a good player is being able to play well with others. Some people treat group content like single player content and that mentality makes for frustrating and difficult runs for the whole group. Some other very skilled players expect all random duty finder players to be as skilled as they are and get rude when party members are still learning their jobs or are familiarizing themselves with some new content. I don't like to be in parties with either of these two types of players. I love being in parties with players who treat the other party members as people and not as NPCs and with players who allow for the less experienced to learn.

There are good and bad players at all skill levels. To me, what matters more is teamwork and a willingness to grow as a player. A friendly demeanor goes a long way also.

Good players are excellent to each other.