The difficulty of Normal Content in this game needs to increase.

[Connor]

From what I’ve seen in other threads the general consensus for the ffxiv community is that the ‘average player’ is super trash. 0 dps GCD only healers, ice mages, tanks with no cool downs. It doesn’t seem to fair to ask for average content to be harder when everyone claims the average player is bad. If that were true, shouldn’t it be easier lol

[EgilTheStressedMage]

According to the World of Darkness I was just in a few minutes before, please don’t do this.
7 years playing this game and tonight a saw an enrage I have never seen before, on the 3 boss on separated platform (I didn’t knew the floor will be burning if no one activate the teleports…)

I wiped on the first boss because no one bothered with the add.

[Anxin]

I feel it very important for you to realize just how important individual skill actually is. How skilled you are is an individual relates directly to your ability to contribute in a group setting. If you perform poorly, you could easily be the reason a group gets wiped by an enrage rather than managing the clear, even should the other members of that group be performing their roles adequately.

This is why I don't play difficult content. I have poor rote memory, and although I've considered writing scripts to help me remember boss sequences, I don't consider playing to a spreadsheet fun. So rather than hold people back, I don't play ex, savage, or even normal (after the first clear) trials. They just aren't fun for me, nor do I like to hold back the group. My idea of difficulty would be flexible, on-the-toes thinking because the AI/dungeon is being unpredictable, not fighting against my memory bandwidth.

[Kansene]

This is why I don't play difficult content. I have poor rote memory, and although I've considered writing scripts to help me remember boss sequences, I don't consider playing to a spreadsheet fun. So rather than hold people back, I don't play ex, savage, or even normal (after the first clear) trials. They just aren't fun for me, nor do I like to hold back the group. My idea of difficulty would be flexible, on-the-toes thinking because the AI/dungeon is being unpredictable, not fighting against my memory bandwidth.

This is exactly, 100% my issue as well.
I deal well with evolving, dynamic situations, and I'm good at split-second decision making.

But show me a 10-key sequence and I'll NEVER get it right.
Put me in front of a boss that needs me to be in 3 specific spots in a row and watch me fail 80+ times in a row.

[Absimiliard]

This is why I don't play difficult content. I have poor rote memory, and although I've considered writing scripts to help me remember boss sequences, I don't consider playing to a spreadsheet fun. So rather than hold people back, I don't play ex, savage, or even normal (after the first clear) trials. They just aren't fun for me, nor do I like to hold back the group. My idea of difficulty would be flexible, on-the-toes thinking because the AI/dungeon is being unpredictable, not fighting against my memory bandwidth.

Very respectable. Fact is, rote memorization is something quite a few people struggle with. Given every notable fight in FFXIV essentially being a dance one memorizes the moves to, it can really get frustrating for people not so up on rote memory. While I am confident you could find groups willing to slog through the process with you, I can certainly understand not wanting to put that expectation on others.

Not gonna lie, I kinda wish the fights were less memorization and more reaction too. The engine and bass ackwards netcode can't handle it, sadly. Closest we've gotten to a truly reactionary fight is Rathalos, which I'll grant was actually pretty enjoyable. If you haven't touched it, I'd highly recommend doing so despite it being outdated. You can get a really badass mount out of the deal.

[ThaCa]

I would love to see them put one of the priority mechanics on Normals just to see the reaction. If Snakes is anything to go by, it would decimate groups.

[Sean_AH]

I think valid points are with difficulty but even the difficult content people have been caught using tools to make it "easier". No matter what they do or change people will say it's too easy for everyone or too difficult (See Heavensward raid scene). I think the levels of normal, extreme, savage, ultimate is great because it forces you to get better either at your job or mechanics. Let players choose their comfort zone is my vote. Let the casual players that enjoy the story enjoy the story. And let the hard core raiders get through the "easy content" to enjoy their pace.

[Raven2014]

It's easy to forget about 24 and normal raid 'cause if you're a savage player, you likely dismiss the former and rarely step back into the latter once you unlock savage. But those 2 are the perfect environment to practice and improve ... assuming one is willing. There are enough things going on in those raid to practice basic situation awareness, mechanic memorizing/solving, and rotation. If someone can consistently go through those raid without repeating getting hit/dying while maintaining a basic rotation, then I consider those are decent players and probably just a level below EX trial.

Some people may said it hinder the incentive learning by giving people a free pass, I would argue from an education perspective, a safe environment where you have the opportunity to improve at your own space while the consequence of failure (and frustration) are minimize is the ideal environment. All that requires is the person have the will to do it. However, if someone tank the floor into the 2 digits yet at the end of the raid walk away thinking "yeah that's fine, it doesn't matter 'cause other gonna carry me anyway" then I'm sorry, those players ain't gonna try to improve themselves no matter how much you want to tune the content to force them.


Although I live in the US I came from a different culture where people are more live and let's live. I kinda find it weird in the US that in the last decade or so there seem to be this obsession about "people who not doing what I want or up to my standard, thus I demand rule/law/regulation to be created to bring everyone else to my level". For me, sink or swim idc. Either I welcome you to the hardcore content, or I don't know you. It's not like there isn't enough people for me to run high end content with so I don't see the issue. I'm curious, do people actually have a problem with not finding enough people playing with you in high level content, or people just simply pissed at other being bad for no reason?

[Kaliesto]

Its funny this is being talked about because Elder Scrolls Players and other MMO communities of Triple A Companies are complaining lately about the Normal Difficulty being too easy.

for ESO overland content has been bad for years.

I fear that MMO Developers are creating too many Gaming Design sins, and its favoring too much of one group of players and while alienating another. That has to stop or else its just going to destroy what video games should be about or it ends either being way too masochistic or too much of a Social RP game (by which I mean there is no gameplay because the game plays itself and FFXIV leans way hard in this direction).

We need to figure out solutions that is best for both Casual Players & Hardcore Players without stomping over eachother.

Right now it seems Story & Overworld Content of some Modern MMOs are the most affected issue, I don't know what they're teaching Developers in College these days but I hope they realize this is becoming a problem or whether these big corporates look at eachother thinking this is a good idea when it is not so. You want to leave good lasting impressions on players with challenging story content instead of hollow victories,

To satisfy this I think giving Normal & Extreme Variations of Story Solo Bosses would be a good step forward for both Casual & Hardcore Players and Final Bosses of Story Content (from Ultima Weapon to the Bird of Depression) should be given a Hard Mode Version of their Normal Variant in Story Mode (since we have Extreme Bosses already, but its not part of the story).

Also hard mode trials seems to becoming a relic lately of days gone by, I think the Devs should revisit that mainly for the final story bosses. As a incentive give the Hard Mode variations more tomestones, gold, and a weapon drop that is normally from Extreme but does not have the mount (least in my opinion anyway). Also give the Hard Mode Variations the same mechanics seen in Extreme, but hits not as hard, so that gives casual players more confidence in learning for Extreme.

I'm not asking for Dark Souls level of crazyness, but definitely something needs to be done before it gets even worse.

[RitsukoSonoda]

The issue is any time normal content is made that requires pressing more than 1 button you get the same group of 4 ppl and their alts on here claiming they have every disability in the world on top of having no arms and legs demanding it be nerfed.