[Suggestion] Can we get a “Hide All Players” option?

[MagicPeanut]

I’ve always wanted a feature like this. Sometimes, I just want to feel like I’m questing alone (Especially during MSQ /Side Story Quests when people are crowding around NPC’s.) It’s absolutely infuriating to try and talk to every NPC for extra character dialogue, only to have a big stupid Chocobo with bright butterfly wings standing on them. Not to mention the fact that I hate when someone runs in and stands exactly where I’m standing and my lala is suddenly sniffing their butt. Gross. Other things like giant whale mounts that obscure vision or a motorcycle's engine hum can be pretty annoying too. Also, I play this game primarily for the MSQ, which of course sets us up like we’re each the main character of the story. While this is a bit nitpicky, it is a bit immersion breaking to see so many WoL’s running around while I’m doing the MSQ.

To clarify, I’m not asking for a whole separate instance/server where I can be alone. Just a box to check in one of the Option menus to turn off other PCs on-screen. An even better option would be to allow the player to hide individual players outside of the option for “Hide All,” where it would persist even if you turn off “Hide All.” Some RP-AFKers genuinely get on my nerves, and I’d LOVE having the option to never see them again.

Of course, hiding players wouldn’t affect dungeons or other instances that require seeing other players in combat related areas. (Such as Eureka or Bozja.) It would also not affect party members. Just the overworld. (Which would include zones, city-states, and Gold Saucer, of course.) Maybe it’d be wonky when doing FATEs, but I still think it’d be worth it. I’m sure players on lower end PCs and older models of the PS4 on Hunt Trains would be at least somewhat appreciative of a feature like this.

I manage to somewhat improve the experience of having so many players on screen by turning off names for both them and all minions and muting performance, as well as disabling other PC's battle effects in the options, but it's no substitute for actually having a feature like this.

And of course, I get it. “It’s an MMO,” a lot of people might say. But I’m already a solo player. I would just like the option to remove everyone from my sight to feel even more alone than I already do. Okay well, in all seriousness, it’s just a feature that wouldn’t affect anybody outside of those using it. So why not?

[Kuritzkale]

Why even play an MMO?

[Kranel_San]

Why even play an MMO?

Hide all players is nearly the only option remaining which is standing between the borders of online and offline
If it became a thing then I'd ask myself: "Is this an offline game now?"

[MagicPeanut]

Why even play an MMO?

For me, it's a Final Fantasy first, MMO second. I'm not a social person in general, so I'd just like the RPG part of MMORPG to be available as an option to me. I don't believe this request is that out there or unreasonable.

[Zanarkand-Ronso]

For me, it's a Final Fantasy first, MMO second. I'm not a social person in general, so I'd just like the RPG part of MMORPG to be available as an option to me. I don't believe this request is that out there or unreasonable.

For the Most Part, this is a Final Fantasy JRPG 1st, and an MMO 2nd. For anybody that has seriously been playing this game and not just trying to Jump to Raiding and LITERALLY ignore everything else.....this is true.
But, I honestly dont agree with Hiding other Players from existence. Sure you can say its annoying and Immersion Breaking to try to talk to an NPC thats surrounded by people and they get cut off from the screen by a Chocobo in Bright Barding, or say a guy in a Frog Costume. But, its because you are in a Large Breathing World. There will be other people around doing their own thing, just like the real world.

Also all of these other random people are Recognized as other Adventurers. People just exploring, taking on jobs and the like.
These same Adventurers are who you recruit as extra muscle to explore Dungeons, take down a Giant Dragon on a High Bridge, and Fight Gods.
Completely removing them from existence in your view I think would take away from the game.

[MagicPeanut]

For the Most Part, this is a Final Fantasy JRPG 1st, and an MMO 2nd. For anybody that has seriously been playing this game and not just trying to Jump to Raiding and LITERALLY ignore everything else.....this is true.
But, I honestly dont agree with Hiding other Players from existence. Sure you can say its annoying and Immersion Breaking to try to talk to an NPC thats surrounded by people and they get cut off from the screen by a Chocobo in Bright Barding, or say a guy in a Frog Costume. But, its because you are in a Large Breathing World. There will be other people around doing their own thing, just like the real world.

Also all of these other random people are Recognized as other Adventurers. People just exploring, taking on jobs and the like.
These same Adventurers are who you recruit as extra muscle to explore Dungeons, take down a Giant Dragon on a High Bridge, and Fight Gods.
Completely removing them from existence in your view I think would take away from the game.

I get that everyone else is meant to be "Other Adventurers," but are you telling me, in lore, that your average everyday adventurer would somehow find themselves in some of the later zones in EW? I honestly find that hard to believe.

And as I said before, players would STILL be displayed in Trials, Raids, etc. Only in the overworld zones would they be disabled if "Hide All" was turned on.

To me, other players don't solely make the world in this game feel real. A big portion of that world belongs to the NPCs/AI. Every once in a while, I'd just prefer to only see that specific portion alone. It'd only affect me personally. Why should other players be offended that I can't see them?

[Zanarkand-Ronso]

You would be on the wrong game if you know, there weren't activities for people to take part in on their own.

Seriously, do you realize how many people at some point or another feel like relaxing in-game without being bothered? They don't feel like that 100% of the time, hence why they play the game but if you told them to up and quit, you'd be looking at a dead game.

It removes absolutely nothing from your own experience to allow others to have this too, so I don't see any issue.

How are you being bothered exactly?
And who told anybody to Up and Quit?

Dont make this about me, I haven't argued anything about it effecting me, I questioned why you or anybody would play an MMO, and want to get rid of the MMO part.
Its not hurting you in any way. And you are literally in the wrong game if you want other players to be invisible and nonexistant.

I get that everyone else is meant to be "Other Adventurers," but are you telling me, in lore, that your average everyday adventurer would somehow find themselves in some of the later zones in EW? I honestly find that hard to believe.

And as I said before, players would STILL be displayed in Trials, Raids, etc. Only in the overworld zones would they be disabled if "Hide All" was turned on.

To me, other players don't solely make the world in this game feel real. A big portion of that world belongs to the NPCs/AI. Every once in a while, I'd just prefer to only see that specific portion alone. It'd only affect me personally. Why should other players be offended that I can't see them?

Yes
Are you telling me there is no chance that if there was a way or a means to do extraterrestrial travel, that "Adventurers" wouldn't take it up? If there are untapped Mineral Pockets that Gatheres with a means to get there WOULDNT take it up? If these materials could be used to make new items, that crafters Wouldnt want to get their hands on it themselves? I dont find that hard to believe At, ALL.
Before anybody mentions not everyone would use a ship...there is also an Alt means of traveling to different Aetherytes. And even places like Ultima have Aetheryte.
Also consider the Azem Crystal. You can literally summon companions with it.

And please, nobody is Offended by you wanting to hide their existence.
Its just being called into question why you would play an MMO, but want to be rid of the MMO. If you dont want to be in a social space, why not just play a Single Player Game?
Its fine that you like and want to play FFXIV. But wanting to get rid of a core part of what makes an MMO is a little silly.

[FoxyAreku]

For me, it's a Final Fantasy first, MMO second. I'm not a social person in general, so I'd just like the RPG part of MMORPG to be available as an option to me. I don't believe this request is that out there or unreasonable.

It is entirely unreasonable. It's an MMO. A social genre. One of the points of it is talking to people, removing that from the equation so people can't even attempt to talk to others is the most ridiculous idea I've ever heard.

[Ardyvald]

It is entirely unreasonable. It's an MMO. A social genre. One of the points of it is talking to people, removing that from the equation so people can't even attempt to talk to others is the most ridiculous idea I've ever heard.

My two cent on this topic :

Indeed it's a social genre, but bear in mind that it doesn't enforce you to be social (or only the bare minimum). Just you hang out with people from time to time (dungeons etc) or on the overworld, and you can talk to them, not have to (with some exceptions, aye). At best, it encourages social interaction.

I understand all too well why this request seems confusing and contrary to the genre. I feel the same.

But I also understand that some people playing the game for the gameplay, story and universe would want to avoid contact with other people because they are not comfortable around them.

Never hurts to ask if one feature could be implemented to ease ones experience, without impeding the others ?
I understand that some of us might feel like "some players just want to erase me from their experience" by rendering you invisible to them. Being ignore, or knowing that some people can ignore you completely, can be unpleasant, and I feel like this might be one cause of refusing this request (along with the "but it's MMO, not Solo")

In any case, I think it only boils down to "how many players will actually use this feature ? for how long ? and how much time and effort will we have to put in to implement it? and compared to the other features, is this a priority ?"

[Kuritzkale]

For me, it's a Final Fantasy first, MMO second. I'm not a social person in general, so I'd just like the RPG part of MMORPG to be available as an option to me. I don't believe this request is that out there or unreasonable.

Out there? No. Unreasonable? I mean, not really, but I do think it's a little bit stupid to play an MMO and then ask for a feature to take away what is literally the entire point of an MMO, exploring a world with other players. FFXIV does this whole MMO aspect pretty poorly imo, but it is still undeniably an MMO and you do agree to play the game with other people every time you log in. There is solo content, that's true, but it's all still within the larger context of an MMORPG. Also, like, seeing other people running around in a VIDEOGAME isn't you somehow being forced into being "social" lol. It's like, the absolute lowest form of social interaction possible. Not to be rude, but I really feel like it says something about you if you consider that to be too social