Who Thought Adding Difficulty Levels To Instanced Quests Was A Good Idea?

[linay]

I had a friend, ex-military, who passed away several years ago. He loved playing MMOs and video games in general. However, he'd taken some pretty nasty nerve damage to his hands while in the service; some days it was hard for him to even type coherently at a reasonable speed. (He was a professional artist, too, which did not help; it took him time and pain to continue to make things.)

After much frustration, he'd accepted that he had reached a point where due to this, he needed to turn down the difficulty on most games he played; in easy modes he could still generally play quite well, but normal mode—much less harder settings—tended to become very problematic for him. So in MMOs, he'd run content with friends who knew him because of this; he'd never go into instanced content with random folks, he didn't try for high-end content, he'd party up for open-world questing with friends who could help if his hands suddenly messed up on him—he'd adapted. MMOs were great because friends could be there alongside him and help, and he could still enjoy a game! But any place he had to do something solo in a multiplayer game and none of us could go in with him? Well, that could get rough.

So this change, to support 'very easy' mode for solo instanced content? He would've loved it. It would've opened up a whole level of independence for him to play an MMO without struggling in places like that; he could've gone through, and then resumed doing things with friends.

Whether or not this option was designed for situations like his, it sure as heck can benefit them.

That's great for your friend, but as I said in an earlier post, if they want to make it easier to do, then just make it easier to do. There is no need for a difficulty setting on the easiest (your friend's personal situation notwithstanding) instanced PVE content in the game.

I have no problem with the game being easy to do. I just don't think it's necessary for the easiest content to have a mechanic that could encourage anyone to fail intentionally in order to clear.

[SieyaM]

Does it really take maximum effort to complete these solo duties in normal difficulty?

I disagree. I think, if it ever comes to that point, then the expectation has already been set, so why should anyone be upset if people want to not put in the effort?

No, because everything has been made easier, that's why the usual complaint now is that everything is too easy (except for those who think it's still too difficult).

So clearly you are too skilled for this game then, might want to consider playing something else.

[BlitzAceRush]

That's great for your friend, but as I said in an earlier post, if they want to make it easier to do, then just make it easier to do. There is no need for a difficulty setting on the easiest (your friend's personal situation notwithstanding) instanced PVE content in the game.

I have no problem with the game being easy to do. I just don't think it's necessary for the easiest content to have a mechanic that could encourage anyone to fail intentionally in order to clear.

Except that was already the case, you could just fail a bunch for the Echo, now you only have to fail once.

[Raven2014]

There is no need for a difficulty setting on the easiest (your friend's personal situation notwithstanding) instanced PVE content in the game.

Say who?

I have no problem with the game being easy to do.

Then why you're taking issue with it?

I just don't think it's necessary for the easiest content to have a mechanic that could encourage anyone to fail intentionally in order to clear.

Again, say who? You keep saying "there is no need" and "it's not necessary". The fact those settings are introduced and used (I'm using them) for whatever reason suggest otherwise. Especially it's an "option", you don't have to do it, why are you taking issue with people have the option to do it while it doesn't have an impact on you even when you yourself claiming you have no problem with it being easy?


And like I said a few page back, the difficulty or skill level is just one of the point. Again I'm someone who cleared savage and ultimate, but I will always opt for the least painful/fastest way out of story/solo instances. These fights are so brain death and unnecessary slog that I get no skill-gain nor satisfaction from completion, rather the only things I gain from completing them are time wasting and death braincell, both of which the easiest option help to minimize.

[FoxyAreku]

Feels a bit insulting to the playerbase's intelligence more than anything.

If they were adding a harder difficulty, it'd be pretty cool, but an easier one? To content that is already braindead easy and almost impossible to fail? That's weird. Makes it seem like they think their playerbase is just a bunch of toddlers that don't know how to move and attack at the same time.

[Shurrikhan]

So clearly you are too skilled for this game then, might want to consider playing something else.

Being "too skilled" for the game's easiest 1% of content means there isn't, say, 99% left to potentially enjoy?

Except that was already the case, you could just fail a bunch for the Echo, now you only have to fail once.

Honestly, this. Either the Echo stacks for solo content should go, or the difficulty levels are not a problem, either.

[Raven2014]

Feels a bit insulting to the playerbase's intelligence more than anything.

If they were adding a harder difficulty, it'd be pretty cool, but an easier one? To content that is already braindead easy and almost impossible to fail? That's weird. Makes it seem like they think their playerbase is just a bunch of toddlers that don't know how to move and attack at the same time.

Hum, this is a good one.

I mean ... it's not like if YOU are capable they would still force YOU to pick the easier route right? In fact they also provide a harder option for YOU, shouldn't YOU also be praising them for value YOU more? I mean ... gotta be fair man, they provide two often, while cherry pick on one and not the other.

So with that out of the way, why YOU would still feel insulted when it's obviously not targeting YOU? I'm guessing YOU are getting insulted on OTHERS' behalf? Like I said I'm someone who slam that easiest option with no shame and regret and I LOVE it, so please, I insist, there is no need for YOU to trouble YOURSELF and feel insulted on MY behalf.

[linay]

So clearly you are too skilled for this game then, might want to consider playing something else.

That's not my complaint.

Except that was already the case, you could just fail a bunch for the Echo, now you only have to fail once.

For certain group content, and maybe some time after release, not the easiest content in the game, and you actually have to spend some time before failing for the echo to take affect, at least in some cases. Actually, if it already exists for solo content as well, then even less reason to have this change.

Say who?

Says me. It's my opinion.

Then why you're taking issue with it?

Because of what I've already stated in my earlier posts in this thread. Feel free to read through them if you really want to know.

[Mahoukenshi]

Lol, I can't believe the amount of people actually defending the difficulty options... it's sad.
If you use the easier difficulty options, you're not a casual player, you're an entitled one.

Then.Don't.Use.The.Easier.Difficulty.Options. It's not that hard to comprehend. Narrow-minded dismissive remarks like yours are sad.

The reason why one chooses a certain difficulty is not relevant as that's their own choice to make. What's more important is that, by having that option on the easiest content, the game sets its own expectation that is not necessarily followed through with the rest of the game.

The reason is partially important as it promotes otherwise cheap prejudices. Player A could be the most l33t No. 1 Parser on FFXIV but doesn't care about the MSQ and the forced solo duties, hence he may choose to die once and roflstomp on Very Easy afterwards to get it done with. Did you never notice the many complaints about solo duties? Sure, some were about how "hard" they were but also from the more skilled crowd for being a slog, tedious, uninteresting and so on.

Would it have been better if SQuenix provided difficulty options above "Normal" as well? Sure. Always better to include both spectra than only one, but that would be an entirely different subject.

[Wildsprite]

I just think it's sad that some of you believe we shouldn't have the difficulty setting because you think it will make players better without it. I got news for you, good players don't get worse by taking advantage of the easy setting of a solo instance and bad players aren't going to get better by doing the normal setting. your argument is moot.

some people play this game for enjoyment and don't find the solo instance content enjoyable at all. while others just do better when in a group regardless of the content. your inability to see past your own wants makes you believe this feature is a bad thing, it isn't.