What does the community need?

[Zojha]

Error 301, Faulty Premise.

"The community" is a conglomerate of individuals, each and every with their own 'needs' and desires, many of which are incompatible with each other. The only thing connecting them is that they're playing the same game, but as soon as you look at how or why they're playing it, the results differ drastically from person to person.

The only thing it needs to grow thus is more people playing the game. And if given the tools to do so, they just might cluster into groups with semi-homogenous interests in order to enhance their experience by keeping a close company of like-minded people. And if one such cluster becomes too big, we blame Balmung. Such is life.

[KaivaC]

Error 301, Faulty Premise.

"The community" is a conglomerate of individuals, each and every with their own 'needs' and desires, many of which are incompatible with each other. The only thing connecting them is that they're playing the same game, but as soon as you look at how or why they're playing it, the results differ drastically from person to person.

The only thing it needs to grow thus is more people playing the game. And if given the tools to do so, they just might cluster into groups with semi-homogenous interests in order to enhance their experience by keeping a close company of like-minded people. And if one such cluster becomes too big, we blame Balmung. Such is life.

True, and to be honest, I am not the right person to have even brought up this thread...but I couldn't help but bring it up because I've seen the good folks on reddit start up those two things that I mentioned (min ilvl runs and PVP restoration). Limsa Lominsa is seemingly the accepted hangout spot for most of the big Aether servers (dunno about the other datacenters), which I think it pretty nice. I'd love to see more of this within the game - not really to improve the game, per se, but just to foster something bigger than just a conglomerate of individuals coming together.

[Theodric]

What does the community need? It's pretty simple, really - we need Hien, Magnai and the Warrior of Light to engage in mud wrestling. Naturally given the nature of such a sport, their clothes would get dirty...so they'd have to make do without!

[DeaconMoore]

Cowbell. The community needs more cowbell.

[LeoLupinos]

It needs a boost to the social aspect.

Comunication is clunky. Many MMO already have voiced chat for nearby players, party etc...

I would like them to implement it. I like the way "GTA 5" or "VR Chat" allow voiced chat for nearby players, it helps to feel more like real life, where we can gather together, show emotes, dance etc...
It would help for roulette. It's clunky to need to give acces to a discord server, to wait the strange players join, just to have the fight done, and leave. Isn't much easier if the game had it?
It would help console players that don't have a easy time tapping the chat.

Many times I try to communicate via chat, and it seems that they don't even read it, I need to send a tell to get attention.

Don't come to me to say "oh, but the people without microphone..." stop, are you saying that people are playing a paid game with subscription yet they don't have money for a cheap headphone? yeah, yeah...

If them implement it, I imagine a lot of options for self configuration, the range for hearing, mute player, mute self, roulette: prioritize voiced players...

Anyway, I see a lot of fun with it, a lot of easier RP. I see some RP using a lot of chat, this would allow voiced scenes.

They could even add it to the app if they want things expanded.

[Lunalepsy]

A sense of belonging and some virtual purpose.

[KaivaC]

Yeah, I mean that's really the issue: "solo" group players have taken over MMOs. They want nothing to do with the staple game structures of MMORPGs, but won't go find another game.

I think this right here is part of it. I think another contributing factor is that a lot of content is locked to FCs, so it's a bit hard to do community things because more often than not, there's more benefit with either friends or linkshells. For me, there are things I'd love to do as a community, but I have a bad reputation, so I just hope there are other like minded individuals who will start it up. FATES, for example, I know there was a pretty significant one on Siren before I left that server, but there are achievements, lore, and mounts that myself and others did want.

I dunno if Cactuar has one like it, or if anybody is even interested in doing FATES for this reason. I remember other servers had a get together for pictures to share. I dunno about other servers. But I think something more widespread like that would be nice.

[HyoMinPark]

I dunno if Cactuar has one like it, or if anybody is even interested in doing FATES for this reason. I remember other servers had a get together for pictures to share. I dunno about other servers. But I think something more widespread like that would be nice.

The issue with FATEs as a whole is that they are thoroughly uninteresting. Coupled with how often they are thrown in people’s faces during various content (e.g., Relic steps, Events, Diadem, Eureka), people have gotten sick of them — personally speaking, I am burnt out on them after Anima Aspected Crystal step and the Yokai event, despite both being “optional”. I know of others that still get triggered by them because of Atma farming in 2.x. The Stormblood changes (EXP bonus FATEs) hasn’t seemed to have done much; at least, not on Cactuar. I don’t see a lot of individuals doing FATEs in any of the areas, Stormblood included, that often.

That’s what I think is wrong with FATEs, anyways. Unengaging content that is overly used, in some instances with different coats of paint. The difference between them and the other Discords that you have brought up (PvP, Min iLvl content, etc.) is that those types of content can at least be made engaging in some shape or form. For me, personally, I don’t think there’s any way to make FATEs engaging.


As for what the community wants, it’s difficult to say or to even know where to start. I have some thoughts, but I’m not sure how productive they would actually be to put a voice to.

[KaivaC]

The issue with FATEs as a whole is that they are thoroughly uninteresting. Coupled with how often they are thrown in people’s faces during various content (e.g., Relic steps, Events, Diadem, Eureka), people have gotten sick of them — personally speaking, I am burnt out on them after Anima Aspect Crystal step and the Yokai event, despite both being “optional”. I know of others that still get triggered thinking about Atma farming in 2.x. The Stormblood changes (EXP bonus FATEs) hasn’t seemed to have done much; at least, not on Cactuar. I don’t see a lot of individuals doing FATEs in any of the areas, Stormblood included, that often.

That’s what I think is wrong with FATEs, anyways. Unengaging content that is overly used, in some instances with different coats of paint. The difference between them and the other Discords that you have brought up (PvP, Min iLvl content, etc.) is that those types of content can at least be made engaging in some shape or form. For me, personally, I don’t think there’s any way to make FATEs engaging.

That still holds true on Cactuar - nobody at present is interested in doing them. I got lucky when I asked the NN for some help and plenty of folks came to help me - it was the Cancer FATE in Costa de Sol. But you have a point - most FATEs just aren't that interesting and a lot of folks were burnt out by Atma. I still don't know how HoH is, but I imagine that most with alts or desire to challenge the highest floors are busy doing that, if they aren't crafting, raiding, or just hanging around Limsa. I do wish I had some insight on JPN servers (and was capable of reading Japanese) so I could gather some ideas myself and try something, at least on Cactuar, if not through Aether.

FATEs just have no impact. IF we take GW2 which actually implemented them well, failing succeeding a dynamic event actually has an effect on the map/surrounding. Maybe a town will be taken over/liberated, maybe a path will be swarming with enemies instead of being guarded by allies. Hell a chain of those even affects the entrance to a dungeon! FATEs in this game have no consequence and give barely any reward of worthwhile importance, so why care?

Agreed for the most part. Most FATEs are uninteresting. I dunno if the devs would even consider spicing up the FATE system like that, because it runs the risk of boring players. If the level sync would go away, or be raised a little higher in ARR/HW areas to enable solo play, maybe...but we'd have to make a whole lot of noise, and while I may personally want this, I don't think there'd be enough support between here and reddit for it.

[HyoMinPark]

That still holds true on Cactuar - nobody at present is interested in doing them.

I know. I said as such. The only FATEs that people will call out on Cactuar are the large boss FATEs that give rewards; NN calls them out and the Hunt LS I’m in call them out. But, the turn-out always varies. The last time I did the Coeurlregina FATE, I think there was maybe 8 people there total. I don’t think many do Ixion or Foxy Lady that often on Cactuar anymore; I haven’t done them in a while because all the rewards it offered with the tokens I got within the first 2 weeks of the expansion.