For those who struggle with group content

[Scintilla]

When I started, I used to struggle terribly with group content. It took me forever to get the courage to queue for Satasha in my first run. Whilst I loved the story, I dreaded when the next dungeon/trial would be and I used to avoid side content as much as possible - unless it was essential for the MSQ, I wouldn't do it. I would only play as DPS and, even then, I would only play those few that I knew very well to be confident with.
As I progressed through the game I became a little more relaxed (I began to do raids for glamour, I levelled more DPS classes, and started slowly testing the waters in very low level dungeons/trials as a WHM) but was still very anxious in group content.

It all changed when one day I decided to try playing healer in Orbonne Monastery. I'd spammed it as my familiar DPS for a glamour (I wasn't lucky with rolls!), so knew every part of it by heart and decided to use it to practice playing WHM.
Looking back, playing as DPS throughout the game, I hadn't really noticed other people getting things wrong. My focus was entirely on my own mistakes. And in the very low-level content that I'd played as healer up until then, it was all so forgiving that not much can go wrong.
But healing in Orbonne seemed somewhat different: it was content with less room for error than I was used to healing in and, in paying attention to other players, I saw just how often others can be caught out by mechanics. It took that for me to realise that I wasn't the only one to make mistakes, to be caught out by untimely mechanics, or to die repeatedly in a duty I was new to. And as I am perfectly happy continously reviving a player(s) who seems unfamiliar with a particular duty, I'm confident now that other healers would have no problem doing the same for me.

Now I am far, far better. I still don't bother with EX or Savage etc., but with regular group content I'm very relaxed now. I do the side content, I've levelled all of my jobs (including the rest of my healers and tanks) and, as DPS, I feel comfortable going into new duties without checking a guide first.

It took me a long time to get there, but I found the solution to my anxiety eventually! I hope that others with anxiety around group content find their way through it - it's a much better game with others!

[angienessyo]

* There's a distinct lack of "mid end" content anymore, you get a choice of stuff that anyone who's got any decent MMO, or RPG, or even video game skills at all is going to squash like a bug, or stuff that requires near-perfect play to even hope to clear. What's someone who's pretty handy with games but has less time and energy to practice and is getting older (I'm in my 40s, I'm not a Monster-fueled teenager anymore. Heck, caffeine seems to barely do me any good anymore either!) to do?

This doesn't even seem to just be a XIV issue either (few games still have a smooth endgame progression instead of this cliff, and the ones that do, like WoW, the middle content tends to suffer from reward-tiering issues).

That's for sure a problem I hope they work on at some point. While I'm able to do stuff like savage/ultimate, the only midcore content I can think of is like, EX trials. Normal raids, dungeons, and 24 mans are more for the casual player. More hardcore players have savage/ultimate. Midcore only has EX/unreal.

[Leifei]

I used to feel really bad about screwing up in high end content. This extended to real life situations. That said, I overcame that by shifting my mindset, and practicing more haha. Failure is a part of learning any skill. That includes mechanics or how to play your job in this game. I believe that all of you have loads of potential to be badasses at whatever you want to be elite in. Another good thing about it, is that once you all become really good, you won't be toxic to those who aren't skilled yet. Best of luck my fellow wols out there.

[Leifei]

When I started, I used to struggle terribly with group content. It took me forever to get the courage to queue for Satasha in my first run. Whilst I loved the story, I dreaded when the next dungeon/trial would be and I used to avoid side content as much as possible - unless it was essential for the MSQ, I wouldn't do it. I would only play as DPS and, even then, I would only play those few that I knew very well to be confident with.
As I progressed through the game I became a little more relaxed (I began to do raids for glamour, I levelled more DPS classes, and started slowly testing the waters in very low level dungeons/trials as a WHM) but was still very anxious in group content.

It all changed when one day I decided to try playing healer in Orbonne Monastery. I'd spammed it as my familiar DPS for a glamour (I wasn't lucky with rolls!), so knew every part of it by heart and decided to use it to practice playing WHM.
Looking back, playing as DPS throughout the game, I hadn't really noticed other people getting things wrong. My focus was entirely on my own mistakes. And in the very low-level content that I'd played as healer up until then, it was all so forgiving that not much can go wrong.
But healing in Orbonne seemed somewhat different: it was content with less room for error than I was used to healing in and, in paying attention to other players, I saw just how often others can be caught out by mechanics. It took that for me to realise that I wasn't the only one to make mistakes, to be caught out by untimely mechanics, or to die repeatedly in a duty I was new to. And as I am perfectly happy continously reviving a player(s) who seems unfamiliar with a particular duty, I'm confident now that other healers would have no problem doing the same for me.

Now I am far, far better. I still don't bother with EX or Savage etc., but with regular group content I'm very relaxed now. I do the side content, I've levelled all of my jobs (including the rest of my healers and tanks) and, as DPS, I feel comfortable going into new duties without checking a guide first.

It took me a long time to get there, but I found the solution to my anxiety eventually! I hope that others with anxiety around group content find their way through it - it's a much better game with others!

I'm happy for your growth. Good job. Sincerely.

[Leifei]

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?

I'm on Aether as well. Maybe I'll run into you.

[SpiritedMare]

Another good thing about it, is that once you all become really good, you won't be toxic to those who aren't skilled yet.

You know, since you mention "toxicity", that's just another thing I want to mention about this community.

Having played many MMOs where it only takes one person saying "You suck!" to make the rest of the group dogpile on... here, I almost never run into those people.

But it's an MMO, and saying those types of people don't exist is ludicrous. I *do* see them here, but not nearly as often... and when I do, I invariably see multiple other members of the group immediately saying "Hey, back off and be kind, buddy; all they need is a little explanation and encouragement! *proceeds to helpfully and non-patronizingly explain the mechanic that the person just messed up*".

Not gonna lie, it's kinda making me never want to play another MMO besides this one ever again, heh.

[Leifei]

You know, since you mention "toxicity", that's just another thing I want to mention about this community.

Having played many MMOs where it only takes one person saying "You suck!" to make the rest of the group dogpile on... here, I almost never run into those people.

But it's an MMO, and saying those types of people don't exist is ludicrous. I *do* see them here, but not nearly as often... and when I do, I invariably see multiple other members of the group immediately saying "Hey, back off and be kind, buddy; all they need is a little explanation and encouragement! *proceeds to helpfully and non-patronizingly explain the mechanic that the person just messed up*".

Not gonna lie, it's kinda making me never want to play another MMO besides this one ever again, heh.

My experience is similar to yours. Most of the time people are friendly. That speaks to how good our community is.

[SassyAssassin]

I struggle with letting people down, so I stir away from savage, I can learn and understand mechanics and that’s not the issue, the issue is my head going blank when I get anxious, so whenever I queue for extremes or mentor roulettes, I make sure Im confident enough beforehand.

Even though I main healer, I never go as a healer to learn new content, especially without learning the mechanics throughly before; first I learn it on a dps and then I give healing a proper try.

[Raoabolic]

I struggle with letting people down, so I stir away from savage, I can learn and understand mechanics and that’s not the issue, the issue is my head going blank when I get anxious, so whenever I queue for extremes or mentor roulettes, I make sure Im confident enough beforehand.

Even though I main healer, I never go as a healer to learn new content, especially without learning the mechanics throughly before; first I learn it on a dps and then I give healing a proper try.

That mentality is why I haven't even attempted Emerald Wep again. Those orbs are nefarious, I can do the rest of the fight with maximum uptime but when it's orbin' time I seize up. Though it doesn't help that the learning pt I was in just told me to go clockwise, which isn't 100% the case! My first and only farm pt I joined proved that to me. Feels real bad when you think you have it but you don't. ;A;

[Conadrium]

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).

We would but even the most well intentioned guidance would be reported as harassment when coupled with a kick. Besides by the time you get kicked it’s clear guidance isn’t gonna help and you probably are well aware where you are struggling. If you aren’t you really need to ask before it gets to that point.