Difficulty hiearchy (PvE)

[tinythinker]

So, there are "regular roulettes" up to expert dungeons, but how would you rank the other content in the game in terms of what would be the next step up? Like the next step up from expert roulette, then the next one above that step, etc.

Is there a general consensus on the increasing level of difficulty as a player progresses in skill? I know what the content is, just not how it stacks up if you see what I mean. Are there any big jumps along that path?

[Antanias]

I would say from easiest to hardest:

Expert Roulette
Normal raids
Alliance raids
Extreme trials
Savage raids
Ultimate trials

Hope this helps

[Fynlar]

It isn't so much an increasing level of difficulty, more like an increasing expected item level.

Increase in item level requirement alone doesn't necessarily indicate a more difficult player experience, just an increase in how well it expects you to be geared.

[Derio]

From easiest to hardest. For me with the lower stuff its more of the players who make it harder rather than the actual mechanics.
Expert Roulette
Trial Roulette
Alliance Raid Roulette
Leveling Roulette
Normal raids
Alliance raids
Extreme trials
Mentor Roulette
Savage raids
Ultimate trials

[TheMightyMollusk]

It's hard to rate difficulty of roulettes because the real challenge is the rest of the party. That said, personally....

Main Scenario
POTD/HoH
Guildhest
Expert
70
Trial
50-60
Leveling (mostly due to being an enormous mixed bag of level ranges)
Normal Raid
Alliance Raid

Leaving out PVP, Savage, and Ultimate, because I don't do 'em. I'd like to, but my FC's pretty dead and I have social anxiety issues.

[kikix12]

Extreme trials
Savage raids
Ultimate trials

I'd say these are pretty set in stone as the last three in that order as far as the community at large appears to grade them on these forums and on YouTube, so far as I can see. However, I would think that it's not as clear-cut for Alliance Raid and Normal Raid.

Those seem to be on a somewhat similar "difficulty" in design, but due to high dependency on teamwork across three parties, alliance raids are pretty "hit or miss". There are ones that will be easier than normal raid, there are those that will be harder than normal raid ("Wiping City" speaks for itself). Then of course add the natural variable of players on top of that.

[Frizze]

I'd say these are pretty set in stone as the last three in that order as far as the community at large appears to grade them on these forums and on YouTube, so far as I can see. However, I would think that it's not as clear-cut for Alliance Raid and Normal Raid.

Those seem to be on a somewhat similar "difficulty" in design, but due to high dependency on teamwork across three parties, alliance raids are pretty "hit or miss". There are ones that will be easier than normal raid, there are those that will be harder than normal raid ("Wiping City" speaks for itself). Then of course add the natural variable of players on top of that.

A normal raid takes 4-6 players playing well for approx 10 mins. An alliance raid takes probly 10-12 players doing well for 40-60 mins. Players being significantly better or worse then the "playing well" standard(as well as how many beyond the minimum number needed to pass mechanics and DPS checks) either make the runs faster/easier or harder/slower/wipefest. So needing more people to play well for longer would mean that the alliance runs probly should be considered harder then normal raids, but all the extra bodies also means theres even more room for variation caused by exceptional people(on both sides of the fence - exceptionally good people making everything easier and exceptionally bad people dragging the world down closer to their level).

[Nora_of_Mira]

I would say from easiest to hardest:

Expert Roulette
Normal raids
Alliance raids
Extreme trials
Savage raids
Ultimate trials

Hope this helps

this this this.

if you want more challenging content than expert roulette, start with the Omega raids (delta-, sigma-, and Alphascape).

This is when the content of FFxiv takes a significant "jump" in difficulty. If you conquered the entire Omega Normal Raids and you're still itching for harder content, start the Extreme primals and join a learning party. Imo, the biggest difference between expert roulette/Omega raids and Extreme Trials, is that the Extreme trials will have mechanics so confusing at first you may need to look online to figure out whats going on. There are TONS of guides out there and a ton on Youtube if you prefer that. Or you can go blind, just depends on your own level of patience. do not expect to clear extreme content on the first pull, or even the first several hours of trying unless you're being carried by experienced players. It can take days or weeks of wiping for new starts to Extreme content, but its hard for a reason.

MY personal experience below leaving casual content:

I started learning extreme trials in HW, learning Bizmark and Ravana after I had cleared the story mode of Alexander. During HW, I think i cleared every extreme primal except for Nidhogg and Zurvan.

In SB, I made it a goal to get every primal mount. So I started joining learning parties for each primal as they came out (im caught up on mounts, currently). Once that was done, I felt like giving Savage raids (Sigmascsape) a try. This is where everyone's experience varies, but i applied to a static via PF and we set a schedule to learn each fight, every week and we managed to beat 3 savage fights before disbanding.

Then when Alphascape savage came out, I applied to a new static via friends in-game and we did the same thing: schedule times to fight each raid a couple times a week. After 6-8 weeks (i lost count) we managed to take down the final Omega fight and it was amazing. It's the first Savage weapon I earned in a current raid tier, and my first savage mount. It's pretty exciting! And the people I met along the way are still valuable in-game friends, which is a huge plus.

tl;dr; try it out, be patient, get humbled by the ridiculous fights, use that to hone your skills and try not to get discouraged. oh, and try to have fun. :0

[MoroMurasaki]

A normal raid takes 4-6 players playing well for approx 10 mins. An alliance raid takes probly 10-12 players doing well for 40-60 mins. Players being significantly better or worse then the "playing well" standard(as well as how many beyond the minimum number needed to pass mechanics and DPS checks) either make the runs faster/easier or harder/slower/wipefest. So needing more people to play well for longer would mean that the alliance runs probly should be considered harder then normal raids, but all the extra bodies also means theres even more room for variation caused by exceptional people(on both sides of the fence - exceptionally good people making everything easier and exceptionally bad people dragging the world down closer to their level).

This is a really great comparison. I've been in Ridorana runs where I am the top dps on RDM by like a 2k margin and everything dies agonizingly slowly and then I've been there where I had a party comprised mostly of people with the Ultimate title and we swept through like it was nothing and skipped half the mechanics in the place.

I think ultimately the Alliance raids are more difficult than normal ones at least as a healer while it's likely the reverse for tanks and dps. The amount of distance people can travel can make keeping them alive through multiple stupid mistakes a real chore. Overall I think the requisite skill level for both kinds of content are tuned the same though.

[MistakeNot]

[QUOTE=kikix12;4837545However, I would think that it's not as clear-cut for Alliance Raid and Normal Raid.[/QUOTE]

Indeed not. There you can't simply say that one is easier than the other since it varies so much between individual raids.
For example, Labyrinth of the Ancients and Syrcus Tower are very easy as long as you have a half-decent group. Dun Scaith on the other hand is not all that easy.
Same with the Normal raids - some are easy, and some are anything but easy. And then we have Coils, which doesn't appear in roulettes, which is hard when done synced.