Well, they actually did it, the absolute madmen

[SugarPuff]

That should be great for my parents. With me, my sister, my husband and our FC we're able to help them make it through everything aside from the solo content but around level seventy is where they've started to really struggle with some of that and although they're in the minority they can't be the only ones. I think it's nice that everyone in that boat won't be left behind, which is what I saw coming for awhile now.

[yasmo]

Do I think they are meant to be a measure of competency?

Well, kinda, but more no than yes.

I don't think it should be used as a deliberate gate for players, but at the same time, I would expect it to be a kind of "test" of the abilities and skills that are NOT directly related to roles.

Like, avoiding certain AoEs, acting appropriately to certain mechanics, that kind of thing.

A deliberate yardstick? No. A refresher test, based on what you have been experiencing so far? Yeah, maybe.

But is lowering an already low floor the answer to this?

How about instead having rewards for Stone, Sea, Sky? Expanding the Hall Of Novices and giving rewards based on how well you do?

Work at improving the experience for everyone, not lowering the bar.

I can meet you halfway on that point. I'd love an expanded Hall of the Novice-- I think a problem the playerbase has with competency is less based on being inherently "bad" and more ignorance. Job quests teach you absolutely nothing about how to play your class, and a lot of rotations aren't exactly intuitive (especially if you're new to the game or MMOs in general)-- plus they didn't really homogenize markers until around 3.X content IIRC so you can get all the way to Heavensward without knowing what the heck a stack marker is.

While I'll agree to disagree about solo duties, I do see the need for something to help raise the skill floor.

[Oichi]

I can meet you halfway on that point. I'd love an expanded Hall of the Novice-- I think a problem the playerbase has with competency is less based on being inherently "bad" and more ignorance. Job quests teach you absolutely nothing about how to play your class, and a lot of rotations aren't exactly intuitive (especially if you're new to the game or MMOs in general)-- plus they didn't really homogenize markers until around 3.X content IIRC so you can get all the way to Heavensward without knowing what the heck a stack marker is.

While I'll agree to disagree about solo duties, I do see the need for something to help raise the skill floor.

Totally agree with you there.

[DevilsDontFly]

Believe it or not there's a lot of people in this game that play it solely for housing, crafting, gathering and roleplaying. Some couldn't care less about combat, but they have to go through it if they want to unlock the maps, flying, swimming and etc to make their gameplay possible. I would complain if easy mode was a forced. But it's optional, and nobody's losing anything by other people being allowed to "easy mode" through solo content that doesn't even tailor itself to your job of choice. Doing MSQ as a healer? Well too bad, you'll still be required to tank and spank like everyone else with your amazing one-damage-button spam.

[Crushnight]

You know what i find worse about this they decided easier difficulty can be a thing for these instances but harder ones are no go, could even go the lazy route of increased speed/dmg by 25%/50% for enemies etc.

Also failure needs to happen at points it is the a way you have a chance to improve yourself, the game just giving it to you robs you of that chance, if you can only do solo instances on very easy i'd advise avoiding df with me(and my legion of alts) as i will hold anyone that dfs to the standard of Normal instance duty difficulty from here on out.

Single player games have roadblocks(walls) especially final fantasy games, Seymour Flux from FFX, Midgar Zolom from FFVII, Barthandalus from FFXIII, you did not get the story until you got past them either kill(Seymour/Barthy) or find alternate route(Zolom) so why can't FFXIV have them with solo instances. In fact they weren't seen as anything remotely difficult by anyone until "Will of the Moon" which said more about the player than the game, but SE caved it seems so i just hold you to Normal difficulty if you can't meet that i will offer any help/advice needed until you do.

[HyoMinPark]

I really don't think that a bunch of solo duties during the msq, in many of which you are role playing with 3 or 4 buttons a class you never touched before, is what teaches anyone interested in anything besides the story to be a "competent" player. In short, I see this as a tiny change that will help some people and not affect anyone's else game play... let's not take it out of proportion, please :/

Only replying to the bolded part—there’s not that many RP Solo Instances in this game. Outside of the ShB role quests, you have Alphinaud in 4.3, Y’shtola in 4.4, and Hien in 4.5. There were none in ARR, HW, or SB’s main MSQ (only 4.x patches), and I do not recall any so far in ShB outside of the role quests. So that’s 3 RP solo instances out of all the solo instances in the game. Most you are playing as the class you choose to be on.

[KageTokage]

I can't help but wonder how badly they neutered the fights that previously gave people trouble considering that the lower difficulties actually affect the mechanics.

[Oichi]

Only replying to the bolded part—there’s not that many RP Solo Instances in this game. Outside of the ShB role quests, you have Alphinaud in 4.3, Y’shtola in 4.4, and Hien in 4.5. That’s 3 RP solo instances out of all the solo instances in the game. Most you are playing as the class you choose to be on.

Okay, I will correct that, fair enough.

[MariaArvana]

Only replying to the bolded part—there’s not that many RP Solo Instances in this game. Outside of the ShB role quests, you have Alphinaud in 4.3, Y’shtola in 4.4, and Hien in 4.5. There were none in ARR, HW, or SB’s main MSQ (only 4.x patches), and I do not recall any so far in ShB outside of the role quests. So that’s 3 RP solo instances out of all the solo instances in the game. Most you are playing as the class you choose to be on.

Just to slightly correct you,

Thancred is a RP instance in SHB, but he's the only one in the SHB MSQ

[Penthea]

There are people that play solely for the story. I don't see the problem in making easy for them to do the MSQ SOLO duties, if they have issues with it. Remember that we do have people of all ages, people with disabilities, etc, playing FFXIV because they do love the storyline.

Sorry but I do see a problem with this. A lot of MSQ group content can be quite challenging if you're not used to more difficult content like savage, and currently the harder solo duties force you to become better prepared for them. By being able to choose easier modes players will end up unwittingly shafting themselves by depriving themselves of learning experiences they will need for MSQ group content.

And I say this as a person with a disability that does affect how well I can play.