Why do people avoid getting better at the game?

[Saraide]

Ah man, they nerfed it? I love that duty, so much so that it's probably my favorite part of the expansion as a whole.

Regarding the main topic of this thread, I know a lot of the optional dungeons are still challenging compared to their MSQ counterparts. Still, even they get easier over time thanks to repetition, as Atelier and Midare have stated. I will admit that the game isn't as punishing as it used to be, thanks to nerfs, higher average iLvl, and other adjustments (like how skills refresh after a wipe).

They only nerfed the easy and very easy version, normal version was left untouched iirc.

[ronibosch]

They only nerfed the easy and very easy version, normal version was left untouched iirc.

Oh, I see. That's a relief. I'm cool with them nerfing it for the easier versions, as long as normal remains untouched. I want to try it again in the future.

It was a pleasant challenge that I wasn't expecting during the MSQ.

[kaynide]

Same reason average people don’t try to “git gud” at Uno, or checkers, or tic tac toe.

It’s entirely unnecessary to play and get through 99% of the game. If you are talking endgame raids/hardmode, then yeah sure gotta get better…but that’s not the vast majority of the game.

If the inclusion of NPCs to carry players through dungeons wasn’t a clue, the selling point of the game is the story and/or hang-out-with-friends aspect, not “look at mah l33t gamer skills”.

[magitekLuna]

The answer is simple. There is no reason to get better at the game.

XIV offers such a casual experience that the player base has never had a reason to actually get better at game mechanics outside of those who wish to participate in Extreme/Savage/Ultimate content.

The player base get babysat through the entire game, even get difficulty DROPS in MSQ instances because.. it is too hard?

There is no reason to babysit people. People adapt and become better players by being challenged, even if it is only a small challenge.

There will always be that crowd that shouts for nerfs to content because they don't want to actually have to learn to play the game, Those players will complain about everything that makes them have to actually think while playing.

Content does not have to be 'Extreme/Savage' level of difficulty to be challenging. The final duty in 6.0 was a good example of this. It was not hard, but it DID challenge people and they learned from their mistakes and eventually cleared it.

What could change?
What incentives would be required to get people to try out new content?

Who knows, Discuss below.

As there no need for it. What you get from it? The harder content normally do not drop any thing people need. No good looking glams. and you can just do it later unsinked 10 level stronger that the content really need.there need to be more that 5% of harder content for people to care.
One more problem is the % of players that even care to finish the msq so they can open this harder content. If you look around you be surprised how much never finish the msq.

[Bad_Luck]

Gonna need to point out a couple of things to you.
1)Other people are different from you. They might have different preferences.
2)You do not pay for their sub.
3)Casual players give SE money, and SE likes money.

[Tint]

What could change?
What incentives would be required to get people to try out new content?

A more welcoming atmosphere. People have no desire to join parties for harder content when they get judged for their skill level, holding everyone back, get called out and then people leave / the group disbands after a few minutes.

[Troxbark]

A more welcoming atmosphere. People have no desire to join parties for harder content when they get judged for their skill level, holding everyone back, get called out and then people leave / the group disbands after a few minutes.

What are you considering harder content?

The only time I've seen "hard" content teams disband is when the PF is for a specific phase/mechanic and it's clear the party isn't going to reach that point. Sometimes there's a little salt but otherwise ends in "thanks for your time" and disbands.

A party disbanding after "a few minutes" is about 1 pull so I'm calling BS on that one.

[Fellgon]

What are you considering harder content?

The only time I've seen "hard" content teams disband is when the PF is for a specific phase/mechanic and it's clear the party isn't going to reach that point. Sometimes there's a little salt but otherwise ends in "thanks for your time" and disbands.

A party disbanding after "a few minutes" is about 1 pull so I'm calling BS on that one.

Ive seen that happen more often in wow than FF14. Still, it may happen just like you said.

[Absurdity]

Ive seen that happen more often in wow than FF14. Still, it may happen just like you said.

It usually happens in learning parties when someone clearly lied about their progress.

[Chloe_Saunders]

Almost as if once you mastered both your class and the encounter the content that run over and over again becomes trivially easy. Just like with everything in real life.

People like to point of Ivalice or Dun Scaith for being good examples for mid-core content and while TRUE....As somebody whom ran those raids multiple times for glams, I'm going to straight up tell you, those raids are piss easy for me. Learning mechanics isnt hard when you repeat them over and over again when you memorize them. Even back when Dun Scaith gets circulated into Moogle Treasure Trove so people run those frequently, the fact that during that period where we have players freshen up on the mechs, the raid itself becomes trivial because everyone knows it.

I personally see the difficulty fine as it is. We have the Savages and EXs for people whom want that extra bit of challenge and we have the regular dungeon, trial content for the rest of the playerbase whom lets face it, is an MMO thats catered to the very casual audience. If people avoid wanting to be challenged or get better thats THEIR issue. No need to force it on to the entire playerbase.

Wait things get easier in real life/trival?
Man I still can't get out of bed without a war going on inside my head, then take pills then some how managing to burn water ...

I wish I was joking when I said this but if it was like real life we would be ... Going through hell 24/7