For those who struggle with group content

[tinythinker]

There are many reasons people may struggle with group content, from limited play time to practice to issues with pattern recognition and prediction to social anxiety or whatever it may be.

If this is sounds like you, it's good to have things like duty support and the trust system for things like MSQ dungeons, but that leaves out most group content. Do you avoid such content, grit your teeth and plow through, or something else?

And does it affect how you see your character, the story, etc.? Not necessarily in a negative way, just without such an emphasis on such content?

What do you look forward to doing most in the game? What really draws you in and keeps you playing? There are so many cool things you can do solo or mostly solo. Which are your favorites?

[VelKallor]

I dont struggle with group content. I do it fine. As far as savage and ex goes, no thanks, I can do it anytime I want, I just dont do schedules, "be here at xxx time" no thanks, and also theres the given that savage and ex are using dps meters which are AGAINST TOS., yeah I did enough of that crap in WOW.

What draws me in? The fact I can choose from a variety of activities that dont exist in other games, where the meta is raid pvp or do m plus, little else.

[RitsukoSonoda]

I don't struggle with group content either. I just have a very limited tolerance for certain types of behavior in game from other ppl and no desire to run a "static" where you only do certain content with specific people at specific times. I cleared everything available during my time in FFXI along with acquiring every HNM drop I wanted without the need of an established static. My LS just was the type that just went and did stuff when someone brought it up and asked if anyone else wanted to go.

[hynaku]

I struggle sometimes when you get a bot or another player that just wants to afk most the time in it.

[Hanaya]

I get really nervous in harder group content when I'm playing alone (like savage or extremes). I'm fine doing roulettes and dungeons alone, though I still get kind of anxious if I heal or tank, but I basically only do extreme/savage with my static or fc members. I have pfed a fair number of fights solo, but it was never really enjoyable because I was just afraid of messing up the entire time and too stressed to have fun.

I've had a lot of fun doing savage/ultimate with a static though, since I'm fine as long as I'm playing with people I like.

Outside of savage/ult though, I spend most of my time crafting/gathering/house decorating, so I don't really do that much group content with people I don't know outside of stuff like hunt trains.

[kevin_satron]

1. I find playing with total randoms is more fun than with your friends in fixed party and NPC with trust/duty support, because i love expecting the unexpected, especially with sprouts that is still learning how the game works. i'm always trying being nice and neutral with random party members. But with friends is also fun too. I only use NPC like trust/duty support if im doing msq dungeon, just to know the character and their interactions

2. Duties like dungeon is not really affecting my character. Because we barely talk in a dungeon/trial, we just fight

3. More new content to do

4. The only reasons why i keep playing this games is
- The MSQ
- My friends and my FC
- Ultimate/Savage Raids

[SugarPuff]

I avoid random groups whenever possible. For a long time my husband and I did our daily roulette together whenever we played, and that's how we levelled, but around Stormblood sometime it dawned on me that I wasn't looking forward to it. Playing the game, yeah, but I was dreading roulette and that seemed like a poor way to utilize my free time so I quit doing it.

One of my favorite things to do lately is the Sildihn Subterrane because it's the type of content I've been hoping they would add for a very long time. A normal difficulty dungeon designed to be completed by two (or as it happens one to four) people. I look forward to seasonal events a lot and organized FC activities during the rare periods when my schedule allows. Stuff like farming mounts in older content, deep dungeons, and Eureka. Those things and a lot of others, including the Gold Saucer and just playing around with various jobs, are what keeps me coming back. There's a lot of variety.

[Seraphor]

As far as savage and ex goes, no thanks, I can do it anytime I want, I just dont do schedules, "be here at xxx time" no thanks, and also theres the given that savage and ex are using dps meters which are AGAINST TOS., yeah I did enough of that crap in WOW.

This isn't necessary at all, especially for EX. You can PF a group who are learning, and the most you'll have to engage with is chat, and even then you could just read and not respond.
Having never applied to groups, statics, schedules, etc. (apart from a limited time with my old FC) I've done almost every EX and a handful of Savages too.

[Kazhar]

This isn't necessary at all, especially for EX. You can PF a group who are learning, and the most you'll have to engage with is chat, and even then you could just read and not respond.
Having never applied to groups, statics, schedules, etc. I've done almost every EX and a handful of Savages too.

This is one of the many misconceptions about high-end content. PF is not only possible, but with the right parameters it can be faster and more convenient than a static. Outside of very specific cases (like Delubrum Savage and Baldesion), the entire game is built with pugging in mind. I've done every kind of content (including Ultimates) in PF and it barely requires any communication at all once the strats are standardized.

[Carin-Eri]

Honestly? I struggle like hell with it. I'm an underperformer anyway, though not for lack of trying. Mechanic panic. General anxiety around poor performance. And I've always found it hard to bother remember, and react to, what is going on around me.

So I don't really enjoy queueing random or with friends. With Randoms I've been kicked/voted out of parties a few times, presumably for being crap (not like the people that do that give any feedback).
With friends.... well, I don't think for a moment they'd kick me off a party and they're actually pretty supportive - but on a personal level I find it really embarrassing to be useless alongside friends who aren't.

Happiest playing the MSQ to be honest - although even then I've had to do a fair few of the fights on Very Easy.