Why do people avoid getting better at the game?

[Hurlstone]

Why do (Some) people avoid getting better at the game? I suppose its because not everyone plays for challenge. FFXIV is one of the more unique MMOs where its lore, story and characters are a key aspect of its identity, and thats something which obviously a lot of players have latched onto, more so then other narrative games. Its why I started playing in 2014, and why I stayed when I came back to the game in 2020. Of course that does not mean it cannot be a challenge, but it does lessen the need for a higher skill cap. Plus many people also play for other things, because they enjoy the crafting, glamming or social element. Even housing! (Which just makes how gated it is more of a shame.)

Personally speaking, I find the way FFXIV does dungeons and stuff and how we must ‘dance’ with every boss much more engaging then the group content of say ESO, SWTOR and even WoW. The problem also is that difficulty is kinda a… subjective thing. Not everyone finds healing the boring snooze job that this forum may claim, can completely grasp a raids new mechanics in just a few attempts or remember what to do in a trial release six years ago. As individually players we do not all have the same skill level, or will find it as easy to improve. I do not think that should negate harder content at all, but I do think people should not be punished or looked down upon for not wanting to play anything outside of story-related raids and stuff. These type of threads may have some good intentions, but they often do start from a place of almost elitism and looking down upon ‘casual’ players as if its a dirty word, or ended up that way. Its a similar venom targeted at those who play mobile games or Fortnite. Of course there is also the opposite that happens, but I find that a little rarer. Heck in all my years playing MMOs, complaints that ‘This game is to easy!’ or This game is too hard’ always appears like clockwork on their forums. The wider variety of player opinion and skill means there will never be a sweet spot where everyone is happy, and if by some miracle there was, it would soon be erased by the next patch of nerfs and buffs.

My opinion is there should be difficulty options for all players, and I do not think thats a rare thing from those of us who value casual content over hardcore. For example, I am a strong advocate that there should be more solo difficult content, like say a Hard New Mode+, and I may be in the minority here but I think Variant/Criterion Dungeons are a great idea that should be expanded on in future content. I also think harder modes of say story raids and dungeons should be implemented for those seeking more then what is offered. On a related note, I think Dungeons and stuff should have perhaps a bit more variety, such as the non-combat ‘dance’ in Bardam's Mettle (It boggles my mind how we never had more bosses like that…) or other instances where the goal is not just ‘kill said boss’.

I like to think if this was Dark Souls or a single player game where challenge had always been its core component I would be more critical about casual element, but given the narrative nature of the game and its place as an MMO… is it really such a sin if it does lean a little more casual?