Forced to Raid?

[Midareyukki]

This is something I've noticed a lot of players aren't always ready to learn, that the game teaches via killing you and dying and full raid wipes aren't bad. They're learning moments.

All it taught me by killing me is that people love screwing up the scales in Aglaia on purpose T_T

[AwesomeJr44]

All it taught me by killing me is that people love screwing up the scales in Aglaia on purpose T_T

So what you mean to tell me is that because the scales are balanced, the boss is gonna get a buff, and thus I should cross sides to unbalance them?

[Axxion]

This is something I've noticed a lot of players aren't always ready to learn, that the game teaches via killing you and dying and full raid wipes aren't bad. They're learning moments.

this is not souls style game /s

[Nicodemus_Mercy]

I keep seeing posts and discussions about content you must complete before Endwalker. One of these being the raids. I'm not a raider. I didn't even want to do the Syrcus tower series and it annoyed me that I had to do it. I'm not particularly fond of the forced dungeons to get through the MSQ either but dungeons are short and fun so that's ok.

Do we actually have to complete the raids (that have thus far been optional) for Endwalker or is this just one of those recommended so you get the story (which I could get from watching Youtube vidoes) kind of thing?

The anxiety of having to complete all these raids is just mentally exhausting.

Crystal tower is the only raid required for MSQ and isn't too difficult considering most players can probably do it in their sleep.

The first thing I can suggest though is not equate any of the story "raids" with progression raiding in other games like say, World of Warcraft. It's not really like that. The raids you do for story clears (and weekly loot if you want it), are side-story/optional queue-able experiences, that have little if any trash, are often separated by "wing" much like WoW's LFR, and require little in the way of experience or coordination. I go into every raid the first time blind. I don't watch vids or read up on it. The basics you learn in dungeons is usually enough to get you through most mechanics and unique mechanics being relatively easy to figure out after seeing them once or twice. If you're worried, just stay with the pack in general so you have a good shot of being where you need to be to avoid bad mechanics.

As someone who gave up raiding in WoW for the most part, I'd put the story based raids on par with WoW's LFR... and perhaps even a bit easier than that if only because the visual queues for mechanics are clear in nearly all cases, most are seen in 4 man dungeons, and any that aren't you'll pick up quickly after seeing them a time or two. Most importantly, wipes aren't common after the first week or two. By then people generally have it figured out, and from then on you tend to get through them with little if any pain. If you can do 4 man dungeons, you can do the 8 man raids and it's not much different. The 24 man raids are closer to a "normal" difficulty WoW raid, but after 2-3 weeks of it being out, most players have it down pat and it's generally not a bad time.

Now if you want a more normal/heroic WoW-like raid experience, then you're talking Savage difficulty raids. And if you want something in the neighborhood of Wow's Mythic raids, then you have Ultimate encounters.

TLDR, if you can handle doing 4 man dungeons and the story trials, you can handle the side-story 8 man raids. The optional 24 man raids may be slightly more challenging, but can still be done blind without ever seeing a vid or reading a guide and are still queue-able content that's not overly difficult to clear after the first few weeks once everyone gets a grasp on them. They can actually be a lot of fun, and this is coming from a bona fide "path of least resistance", "low-effort" player here. I have no time or patience to waste on multiple wipes on a regular basis and yet I have no issues with the regular "raids" in FFXIV.

[Raikai]

OP, I don't know if you actually went for it so far, but the Crystal Tower raids are pretty much braindead at this point, if the difficulty is what concerns you. You barely need to do your rotation and the bosses are going to melt regardless.

[Syln]

no need to be a raider to do FF14 normal and alliance raid, see them as big dungeon with more people in your team.

The bar is really low in term of difficulty.

[Lieri]

Correction :
Play to raid, forced to wipe.

[FireMage]

The anxiety of having to complete all these raids is just mentally exhausting.

It's just a 24 man...

[Jojoya]

It's just a 24 man...

A lot of players have social anxiety. Triggers can be different for each though. Some will be more uncomfortable in a 24 man surrounded by lots of other player but okay in a light party where they're only dealing with 3 others. Others will be the opposite and feel safer in the 24 man as a random face lost in the crowd compared to being in the light party where they might feel that there's more attention paid directly to them and their actions.