Request: I don't want to solo the main scenario

[Biggs]

This is going to sound snarkier than I mean it, but it's a genuine bit of advice: if you really "want to suffer" you should pick up a Devil May Cry or Ninja Gaiden or Civilization and crank up the difficulty to full, because those are real, desirable challenges. When "challenge" is simply reliant on "hoping others don't screw up the strategy", it becomes a bit less so. When triumphing over a challenge is not reliant on your skill, it becomes, to a degree, "fake difficulty", partly defined as "The outcome is not reasonably determined by the player's actions."

Your compatriots are, essentially, fulfilling the roles of intelligent AI, and the outcome is not reasonably determined by your actions.

There is no reason your skills should not be able to be put to the test solo, if it different fashions. Yes, proper strategy can a test of skill, but so is handling yourself when the odds are significantly against you.

Besides all this, your premise is flawed: the idea of "more people = more challenge" isn't quite accurate, because it's all based on the inherent programming and balance of a game. Many games, more people = far less challenge. If you do simply desire challenge, and not an artificial means of forcing people to play together because you prefer to play together, then "more people" doesn't necessarily even come into play.

If your cry for "challenge" is indeed more along the lines of "I want more reasons for people to play together because I prefer to play together and not so much the challenge because I can get challenge solo properly tweaked", then that's fine too! Multiplayer content should be a rewarding experience in itself, and it can be without nerfing or limiting the experiences of those who wish to solo.

There were CoP runs in Xi that were way to complicated to run through with AI. There is every possibility that some of us want the combined challenge of finding a group of people and then overcoming something very challenging with them. I mean, I COULD play basketball with myself in real life, but I find it more challenging and enjoyable to do it with a team, since, you know, its a TEAM sport. THose of you that want to play a solo MMO go jump on the Star Wars bandwagon, thats pretty much who they designed that game for. The rest of us WANT to overcome difficult things in a group so that when we finally do overcome them and are rewarded for it, we have someone to hi-five. Instead of what you proposing, which seems to include just hi-fiving myself or an npc that follows me around and only fakes elation for my benefit. I like forming bonds and friendships, not sitting around playing with myself :P

Edit: A *short* list of aallllllllllll the things you can already do solo in this game:

Craft (forced solo)
Local leves (forced solo)
Gathering DoL (forced solo)
Gathering DoL leves (forced solo)
GC leves (forced solo)
Regular leves
Solo XP
90% of the Side quests


And you want to add another thing to this list?

[Skies]

I really, really hope that the Main Quest is forced solo, personally. I think this game is almost completely group stuff already, we need so hard and challenging solo content as well, not a LOT but a little, and the main scenario is exactly the right spot for that.

AND, also, I really do wish there is a 'DoL/DoH Main Quest' as well. Despite not beign a crafter myself I think that one of the greatest addition to the MMO genre that XIV has done is all the focus it gives to the crafting and gathering classes, and it would be incredible to see them have their own questlines, as in, full-blown questlines.

[Roaran]

It would be interesting if SE incorporated some kind of single player story line if it was actually comparable to other Final Fantasy games. That is probably unlikely... but it would be fun to just casually advance the story line for the sole reason of seeing the story.

I remember skipping lots of dialogue and cutscenes in FFXI simply for expedience as groups often have time constraints. It sometimes was not about the story but more about progression through story to get to some reward... usually unlocking a zone or some ring or whatever.

If they had a Solo Story line, with optional group content along the way, I think that would be awesome. Like... say in FFXIV we advance through a plot that leads us into Ala Mhigo. Through the story we get background, cutscenes, and info that help us understand what's going on in Ala Mhigo, and then by doing those missions/quests, we unlock raids/dungeons/areas to group in. These raids/dungeons/areas could have their own sidestory that tell more parts of the main story line.. or even enhance it.

Say you had the option of progressing through the story line solo, or obtaining some special quest item in one of the group dungeons along the way. Turns out the quest item would could save the life of one of the main characters in the story... so you would have 2 outcomes to the main story... either do the group dungeon and save the character's life or.. skip it, progress through the story and the character dies.

[ArngrimValeth]

[...] and the main scenario is exactly the right spot for that.

Oh I see, having to fight Garlean officers, uncover great secrets and save the world can only be done by one person in Eorzea. One person whose ass is always saved by his/her companion or the Circle of Knowing...

I think the issue is the staging of the main scenario quests. First, you feel like being the ONLY one using the echo and moving your ass for the great good of Eorzea (In my opinion you should be one of the people trying to save the world and not The One).

Sure, they should put main quests that you can achieve alone... But with content meant to be done solo (story-wise). And have group quests as conclusion of the story arc for exemple or you could do a parallel quest if you're in a party.

As long as we have the option to choose and logical events in those quests I guess it should be alright. I'm not fond of paying monthly for a great story, solo, in a MMORPG.

[Majidah]

There were CoP runs in Xi that were way to complicated to run through with AI. There is every possibility that some of us want the combined challenge of finding a group of people and then overcoming something very challenging with them. I mean, I COULD play basketball with myself in real life, but I find it more challenging and enjoyable to do it with a team, since, you know, its a TEAM sport. THose of you that want to play a solo MMO go jump on the Star Wars bandwagon, thats pretty much who they designed that game for. The rest of us WANT to overcome difficult things in a group so that when we finally do overcome them and are rewarded for it, we have someone to hi-five. Instead of what you proposing, which seems to include just hi-fiving myself or an npc that follows me around and only fakes elation for my benefit. I like forming bonds and friendships, not sitting around playing with myself :P

Edit: A *short* list of aallllllllllll the things you can already do solo in this game:

Craft (forced solo)
Local leves (forced solo)
Gathering DoL (forced solo)
Gathering DoL leves (forced solo)
GC leves (forced solo)
Regular leves
Solo XP
90% of the Side quests


And you want to add another thing to this list?

^^^^^^

This, a thousand times.

By turning a battle into single player fight you lose strategic elements.

Not to mention that having partners doesn't equal an AI. Its completely different. It opens room for more dynamic battles, more elaborate strategies and clockwork coordinated teamwork.

Meanwhile a single player battle on XIV equals to standing in one spot hitting skills. Oh yes. How challenging. How fun.

[Duelle]

Considering I had to wait until I hit lv99 to actually see the end of the windurst story because I was never able to get anyone to help with the fights that led to getting rank 10 back when I was 75, no.

[Noir]

I know the plot has been put on hold but I believe this needs to reach Yoshi's ears now.

I don't know about you guys, but I'm playing a MMORPG. I don't want to be able to solo the main scenario. I want to have to put a party together, to really struggle to get it cleared. To buy potions and items and have to use them at the precise moment of the battle.

To enter capped areas and have to deal with having close to no abilities.

I don't want just the avatars to be difficult. I want every single main scenario mission to be like that. I want to have to climb this huge 20 floors tower with my group having to avoid the enemies because otherwise we're all dead.

I want to reach that one elevator on the top that goes down to the bottom making coming back much easier after you cleared it.

I want enemies that change forms and attack modes through the battle.

I want to have to desginate this one guy to kite one of the bosses around while we kill the other one.

I want to suffer through promyvions. Through airship battles. I want the challenge.

No, the companion NPC isn't a fellow player. I want to play with actual people. Coordinate a real strategy. Celebrate a real win. Not something you just clear by default.

I understand the main scenario and the NPC companion were designed in a manner so that anyone can clear it without the help of anyone, including DoL and DoH. I'm against this. I feel that if you choose to play the butcher from the butcher shop you shouldn't expect to be able to defeat the Legatus of the Garlean empire that can fight on his own the entire circle of knowing.

No. We already have lots of party content. Leave the main scenario solo!

[Elexia]

Aren't we getting a NEW main scenario anyways?

They did state the new/revised main scenario won't be soloable, just viewed from different perspectives. The only reason you can basically solo the one now is because of trying to make every class equal, which Yoshida himself said he doesn't want done especially in regards to this. People that want to solo everything needs to invest in a game console and play single player games.

Can we have a MULTIPLAYER MMO for once? Sure kids these days are anti-social and "omg no time to play with people!" but seriously, MUDs and MMOs were designed to be played together, and no, chatting while soloing is not playing together.

[Majidah]

No. We already have lots of party content. Leave the main scenario solo!

Edit: A *short* list of aallllllllllll the things you can already do solo in this game:

Craft (forced solo)
Local leves (forced solo)
Gathering DoL (forced solo)
Gathering DoL leves (forced solo)
GC leves (forced solo)
Regular leves
Solo XP
90% of the Side quests


And you want to add another thing to this list?

+task board
+spirit bonding
+materia melding
+a bunch of nms

/10characters

[Noir]

+task board
+spirit bonding
+materia melding
+a bunch of nms

/10characters

Half os this list isn't accurate. Local leves solo? Lol I stopped there.

Second, you can list the available things you can do party only. Let's see which list stands out. Plus it's all endgame.

Leave main scenario solo! With a great story. Let us appreciate the cutscenes and story. If you want to rush skip everything., you get all the af's story for that..