Anyone get the feeling "duty support" will be "for quest only?"

[Omedon]

So I bit the bullet and made an alt purely for experiencing a game that does some form of trust-level AI dungeoning from level 15 on, because trusts were literally a key reason I abandoned WoW for FFXIV. As someone who started MMORPGs with EverQuest, therefore having a first impression of dungeons as being "for connected players only" (which I was not always), and then experiencing various communities who took automatic group assembly and thus their fellow players for granted, the novelty of being able to run dungeons at will on my own is euphoria. But that's not what this thread is about.

From what it looks like, "duty support" is just "scenario mode" (which became an immediate unlock per dungeon completion as of Endwalker) renamed. As an immediate unlock, and as we all know and appreciate now for the level 87 dungeon in particular, that makes it an infinitely repeatable and enjoyable leveling path for job after job for the levels where that dungeon is the most relevant. As someone who literally levels every job with some form of trusts as of level 71 right now, reveling in this status quo starting at level 15 is worth making another alt for...

...*IF* duty support is infinitely repeatable.

I rolled an alt under this assumption, but did anyone perhaps pick up anything between screenshots and interview/liveletter minutia that might suggest anything to the contrary? I didn't look as close as some of you might, but before I go all in taking this new alt's entire class spectrum to level 15, I figured I'd ask if there was a detail I missed. I don't *think* duty support will only be active when one has a quest, particularly now that scenario mode gets unlocked on dungeon completion, but... did I miss something? Or can I likely safely assume it's infinitely repeatable?

Thanks in advance for any and all helpful replies!

[Jeeqbit]

The Duty Support system is the Trust system, it's just being named "Duty Support" because a lot of casual players won't understand what "Trusts" are and that it's a term from FF11.

The Trust system is only made for Main Story dungeons, not for sidequests dungeons. You still need to form a party or undersize for sidequest content. It will probably work the same as the Trust system does now.

Since you are someone that likes to be able to run dungeons alone, you can also solo old dungeons as a Blue Mage (with Basic Instinct) or at a higher level on other classes.

[Asari5]

you cant lvl the npcs for the new duty support thats why it has another name

[Ronduwil]

From what it looks like, "duty support" is just "scenario mode" (which became an immediate unlock per dungeon completion as of Endwalker) renamed. As an immediate unlock, and as we all know and appreciate now for the level 87 dungeon in particular, that makes it an infinitely repeatable and enjoyable leveling path for job after job for the levels where that dungeon is the most relevant. As someone who literally levels every job with some form of trusts as of level 71 right now, reveling in this status quo starting at level 15 is worth making another alt for...

...*IF* duty support is infinitely repeatable.

I think you're misunderstanding what they mean by "scenario mode." The other mode in trusts is "avatar mode," which is the mode in which you level your trust companions. "Scenario mode" just means that your companions' level is fixed, and they won't accrue XP. I'm pretty sure that you'll still be able to run duty support as much as you want. The only difference is that only your character will gain XP in there. That should suit your purposes just fine.

[DBriggs304]

Trusts in general will have a negative impact and push the game further into single player territory.

[TaleraRistain]

Trusts in general will have a negative impact and push the game further into single player territory.

We've had them in two expansions now but the roulettes are still active and populated and that's where we'd see an effect. Someone who just wanted to get through them for story wasn't going to be contributing to keeping roulettes going anyway. And the only thing that changes for those who would go on to do roulettes is that they can do the story dungeons their first time with NPCs. Or run it a few times to practice before going into Duty Finder. There's really no downside to letting the MSQ be a solo experience since it mostly is now, and there is plenty of optional content that only those who want to group will take part in.

[Omedon]

Trusts in general will [somethingsomething] push the game further into single player territory.

And thank every god of every pantheon for that, amen!

[Jeeqbit]

Someone who just wanted to get through them for story wasn't going to be contributing to keeping roulettes going anyway.

That's not the least bit true. Roulettes essentially exist to supply first-timers with people to help them clear. It is very rare to get any content in a roulette that is not helping someone clear something.

Knowing that you are helping people clear content is one of the joys that we all get out of it, whether we realize it or not. We have an extra reason to justify why we are doing them and we get a bonus from it to make it worth our while.

It won't entirely prevent the system from working. Most people seemed to do the Shadowbringers dungeons with Trusts because it was very rare to get the final 5.0 dungeon in the expert roulette, but there are definitely people who choose not to use Trusts "because it's an MMO" and we will still be helping those people clear. We will also still be helping people clear side content (when they bother to do it).

We may have to accept that the "first time bonus" is seen much less frequently, compared to now where there is almost always one.

[DanielNegreanu_Adamantoise]

Trusts in general will have a negative impact and push the game further into single player territory.

I agree. Players will always always ask for more convenience, fast food, order in.

I've played mmos off and on for a while, back since DAoC first launched, and honestly, its the convenience that ultimately makes the game less social, make the game seem like less of a world.

Its the stuff you'd never suspect that saps the blood out of these "social" games, until theres nothing social about them anymore.

[Reinhardt_Azureheim]

I agree. Players will always always ask for more convenience, fast food, order in.

I've played mmos off and on for a while, back since DAoC first launched, and honestly, its the convenience that ultimately makes the game less social, make the game seem like less of a world.

Its the stuff you'd never suspect that saps the blood out of these "social" games, until theres nothing social about them anymore.

I'd argue people who never liked being social to begin with just put on a mask and play a game of pretend while they force themselves to interact with other players, because that is what the majority of content in this game currently asks you to do.

Those who prefer having social interaction will still continue having that. Those who seek faster runs than NPC-hosted runs will still play with regular players.

All Trust + Duty Support enables is giving players of a lesser skill level an option to take it easy without forcing their lesser skills on other players or god forbid ask them to slow down. Really, it benefits everyone, so I am not sure why we see an option to single-player a fair bit of questlines as something bad. It is an RPG first and an MMO second and I honestly like that.