Content geared towards FCs

[caffe_macchiato]

They don't seem to have any problems at all.

Try joining one of them and see how it is when, out of 150+ people, only <10 are online at primetime.

It's time for us to realize that we've been living in an echo chamber. It's not normal for the game director to tell us to play a different game. It's not normal for an MMO to struggle in social activities. It's not normal for FFXIV players to genuinely loathe having to play their own game. Most of us have very, very low standards. The player base just doesn't seem to enjoy FFXIV like they do other games. And while one can certainly opt to play old content, or make do with what we have, players just simply aren't in the mood for that. That's why they take breaks for months at a time. It's time for Square Enix to fix that by providing more incentives for group content instead of making everything single-player like the shareholders tell them.

Or you can play other games, your choice. I'm sticking with FFXIV.

[Jeeqbit]

Try joining one of them and see how it is when, out of 150+ people, only <10 are online at primetime.

And while one can certainly opt to play old content, or make do with what we have, players just simply aren't in the mood for that. That's why they take breaks for months at a time.

All of this is a symptom of the truth, which is that if you ever used Steam, you would notice that all of the people on a friends list usually play a game or DLC that just came out for a few days, then they finish it and stop playing. When an MMO releases a new patch, they are usually playing it for a few days, then they play something else. This is so easy to see on Steam that once you've seen it, you understand exactly why SE makes patch content that can be finished within a few days. Because most gamers will only consume it for a few days and move onto the next game.

We might as well also ask the question why a lot of content only lasts 20 minutes. That's really simple as well. People come home and have 2 hours to play in the evening. They don't want to be asked to be in a raid for 8 hours as if they don't have other things in their life. That's unfortunate for people that actually don't have other things in their life, but as far as I can tell most people do.

Playing just one game like this all of the time is not something most people do but if we really want to, this is what all the achievements and lengthy grinds are for. As I showed in my previous post, all these free companies have no trouble setting up events to do this short but farmable content and the scheduling can help people with limited time get the content done.

It's not normal for the game director to tell us to play a different game.

Maybe not, but because Yoshi-P has designed the game around most people's casual gaming habits, he knows that every patch will get people to login for a few days and that he won't lose those players forever because he's designed it to work for them.

It's time for Square Enix to fix that by providing more incentives for group content instead of making everything single-player like the shareholders tell them.

Last time I checked, most of the content in the game was designed for a party except quests.

[Vidu]

Try joining one of them and see how it is when, out of 150+ people, only <10 are online at primetime.

It's time for us to realize that we've been living in an echo chamber. It's not normal for the game director to tell us to play a different game. It's not normal for an MMO to struggle in social activities. It's not normal for FFXIV players to genuinely loathe having to play their own game. Most of us have very, very low standards. The player base just doesn't seem to enjoy FFXIV like they do other games. And while one can certainly opt to play old content, or make do with what we have, players just simply aren't in the mood for that. That's why they take breaks for months at a time. It's time for Square Enix to fix that by providing more incentives for group content instead of making everything single-player like the shareholders tell them.

Or you can play other games, your choice. I'm sticking with FFXIV.

You mention wanting more group content - fine, I can get behind that idea (though I do believe that adding as much flexiability to content as possible when it comes the amount of people needed is a good thing, since it allows you to actually play the game when you want to play it, not sit around and wait for other people...).
But what would be the benefit to limit that group content artificial to only the FC you're in? Assuming this mysterious content needs somewhat fixed numbers of people (and if its only a soft-cap like "With less than 4 of us we dont need to attempt it, it wont work") you've now limited the pool of potential people to group with to your FC - so from a few thousand on your datacenter to a few houndred (max) in your FC. If one person misses the date you set for some reason you cant just recruit a replacement from your friendslist or through PF, you potentially dont get to do that content for that day, great! I dont know if you can relate to this experience but on occassions people in my static bailed with very short notice or no notice at all - from PCs breaking down to family emergencies to forgetting the time and oversleeping. Most of the time we've been able to find a replacement, usually drawing from our friendslists. Had we been limited to just people from our FC, this would not have been possible and quite a few evenings would have ended with 7 people not playing the game.

So sure, lets have more group content - but you're not doing anyone a favor, not even yourself, if you lock this content behind or for FCs. Organising scheduldes with people who have jobs, families, different timezones is difficult as it is... Limiting the pool of people to draw from to FCs wont do the social aspect much good, I believe - now you get requirements like "must be playing between 8 and 11pm on at least three weekdays and a whole day every weekend or you'll be removed from the FC".

At the end of the day, I find FFXIV very much enjoyable without being forced into social activities - for me this is a game, that I want to play when I want to play, first. While I enjoy the social interactions and have made quite a few friends I'm not paying my subscribtion for those, I'm paying to play a game. And that means actually getting to play it - not having google docs to figure out when everyone would be available to do stuff.

[MonteCristo]

Try joining one of them and see how it is when, out of 150+ people, only <10 are online at primetime.

It's time for us to realize that we've been living in an echo chamber. It's not normal for the game director to tell us to play a different game. It's not normal for an MMO to struggle in social activities. It's not normal for FFXIV players to genuinely loathe having to play their own game. Most of us have very, very low standards. The player base just doesn't seem to enjoy FFXIV like they do other games. And while one can certainly opt to play old content, or make do with what we have, players just simply aren't in the mood for that. That's why they take breaks for months at a time. It's time for Square Enix to fix that by providing more incentives for group content instead of making everything single-player like the shareholders tell them.

Or you can play other games, your choice. I'm sticking with FFXIV.

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[Deveryn]

Try joining one of them and see how it is when, out of 150+ people, only <10 are online at primetime.

It's time for us to realize that we've been living in an echo chamber. It's not normal for the game director to tell us to play a different game. It's not normal for an MMO to struggle in social activities. It's not normal for FFXIV players to genuinely loathe having to play their own game. Most of us have very, very low standards. The player base just doesn't seem to enjoy FFXIV like they do other games. And while one can certainly opt to play old content, or make do with what we have, players just simply aren't in the mood for that. That's why they take breaks for months at a time. It's time for Square Enix to fix that by providing more incentives for group content instead of making everything single-player like the shareholders tell them.

Or you can play other games, your choice. I'm sticking with FFXIV.

Nothing here is normal and that's probably the best thing about this game and why I choose to stick around. I've been more social here and made more connections than other MMOs because there's more freedom to do so. I'm not wasting energy sitting around in a glorified chatroom hoping someone will see me advertising my class in the sea of LFG messages.

It's great to have the option to play at one's leisure and not just be forced into unsubbing because no one's around to do anything, especially the older content. What to farm old EX or savage content for a mount? You can find people to do that. Nothing feels forced, but that's exactly where we would be headed if they re-introduced the idea of FC activities. People can already to plenty if they put their minds to it.

At the end of the day, folks like you have nothing concrete to offer in the way of ideas, only complaints about how things are. Maybe you should channel that energy into improving the social situation in your neck of the woods.

[Jojoya]

Try joining one of them and see how it is when, out of 150+ people, only <10 are online at primetime.

It's called people have lives with varying schedules. It's unrealistic for everyone to be online at the same time.

I also wouldn't be surprised if 2/3s of those 150+ members are alts. People who are happy with their FCs and also enjoy playing alts tend to move their alts into the same FC.

It's time for us to realize that we've been living in an echo chamber.

It's not an echo chamber when there are dissenting opinions, as is clearly happening in this thread.

It's not normal for the game director to tell us to play a different game.

You're right. It's not normal behavior for a Game Director. It's refreshingly different to have a Game Producer and Director that is grounded in the reality of what it is to be someone who plays games instead of a MBA that only understands log in statistics.

You know what else isn't normal? Expecting people to play a single game and no others.

It's not normal for an MMO to struggle in social activities.

How on earth do you think this game is struggling in social activities when the forum is littered with complaints about players advertising their social activities in PF?

Social activities are player generated, not game generated.

It's not normal for FFXIV players to genuinely loathe having to play their own game.

1) I'm a FFXIV player. I don't loathe playing the game. I'm enjoying it.
2) No one is forced to play the game.
3) Only idiots continue to play a game they no longer enjoy. Sounds like you've surrounded yourself with idiots if you don't know anyone who is enjoying the game.

Most of us have very, very low standards.

Stop thinking that "standards" are standard. Players are looking for different things. It's up to the individual to find the game that provides what they're looking for. It's not up to the game to tailor itself to each individual player's "standards".

The player base just doesn't seem to enjoy FFXIV like they do other games.

This is no different from any other game. Go into other game forums and you'll find just as many of its players complaining about their game (assuming the moderation team doesn't remove negative feedback which is done in some forums).

Once again it sounds like you're surrounding yourself with idiots who are forcing themselves to play a game they hate instead of quitting and playing a different game if you think the player base isn't enjoying this game.

And while one can certainly opt to play old content, or make do with what we have, players just simply aren't in the mood for that. That's why they take breaks for months at a time. It's time for Square Enix to fix that by providing more incentives for group content instead of making everything single-player like the shareholders tell them.

And it's fine for players to take breaks when they've run out of things they want to do here.

Why do you keep failing to understand that?

We don't need more incentives for group content. There are plenty already.

You want to know what turns most solo players into solo players? It's people acting like jerks in group content. No sane person wants to deal with that. No reward SE gives is going to be enough to entice players sick and tired of the jerks into doing group content.

If you want more to do group content, make being part of the group a fun and enjoyable experience. Kick the jerks instead of making excuses for them.

Or you can play other games, your choice. I'm sticking with FFXIV.

Why are you sticking to a game you apparently loathe?

Do you think it's suddenly going to change if you stick around long enough?

If you want it to change, then you need to be the change you want to see. If you want the game to be more social, then you need to step up and facilitate social activity.