Quote Originally Posted by Krotoan View Post
I'm not worried about who benefits though, I'm concerned with who gets excluded. How many players lose access to this game because a few players on the higher end can't stand an occasional "slow" DF or have to kick someone?
That's a solid question. The way I would like to see such implemented -- and other proponents may disagree with me -- would not cost anyone access.

Let's take an extreme but basic example to start. Let's say there's someone who actually needs the Very Easy mode in MSQ -- rather than simply entering, getting the laundry while they die and then returning on the reduced difficulty to fight the mob at lower HP and no longer need to dodge most attacks, saving actual time at the computer to clear that fight.

Rather than immediately offering a Very Easy mode that merely trivializes the mechanics through rescaling, I would offer an Echo variant by which a secondary level of telegraphs, perhaps with more explicit hints, are given to provide a bit more time and clarity for the intended action. It might even outright pause the fight until one has activated their Duty Action key as intended, or slow time until one starts moving.

Such would be easier for those who were confused by what wasn't quite intuitive enough, or were fumbling with keys or trying to access their Duty Action, but it'd still draw your attention to the mechanic. These symbols you saw earlier and still see now (amid a bit more indication) mean this. If one fails even then, the game will tell you what killed you and what to do, explicitly, again calling attention to the symbols being introduced or given reminder of.

That's it. It's taking the less lazy and careless road in design. Rather than just turning the knob, you actually further scaffold the intent, and set your solo content with long-term intent in mind rather than just means of filling out /played hours.

Does that mean more effort required on the devs part to let more players fully into their game? Yes. Not significantly, but yes, of course. But look at who primarily benefits from the Easy and Very Easy modes as given, and what benefits were lost to the alleged beneficiaries, and you'll see that the policies implemented are not working as intended.

Don't expect people who feel you're trying to kick them out of the entire game to take it well though and I'm pretty sure you can kick people without telling them they suck first.
This is actually the pivotal point. Given XIV's CM policies, it is safer to kick a person without having said anything, thus giving no context at all that could be construed one way or another that might give rise to action against the kicker, than to have attempted to help a person and kick them only after they start cursing out everyone in the party and refuse to move for having been asked to use their AoE. Anyone offering advice to someone who is falling behind is taking a risk because they do not want to exclude that person or just generally want to see the playerbase improve. But how possible is that if any comment whatsoever, however tactful, however earnest, however good-humored, is treated inherently as an attack?

That is the trench being increasingly dug for those players, to whom Yoshi-P's policies and adjustments just keep handing fresh shovels.