This game needs to be harder

[KitingGenbu]

I wish they would add just a simple hard version of all new DT dungeons (and doing so would grant extra rewards).
Hard modes would easily just be the same mechs but more punishing, more out going dmg, ect.

I think the main issue is the lack of any basic progression system, you go from baby content to extremes with not much in-between
Not to say EXT is super hard, but it would be nice to have harder content that doesn't require a guide for the most part, Just more in-between normal/extreme.

Extremes dont 'require' a guide, people are just impatient. If a warrior is able to solo a boss just because everyone died to mechanics in a boss fight in a dungeon, that might be a little too easy imo. They can easily add more group based mechanics to fight or something like that to counter the engagement issue. Or even consider adding more 'two strikes and you're out' mechanics.

[Rithy255]

Extremes dont 'require' a guide, people are just impatient. If a warrior is able to solo a boss just because everyone died to mechanics in a boss fight in a dungeon, that might be a little too easy imo. They can easily add more group based mechanics to fight or something like that to counter the engagement issue. Or even consider adding more 'two strikes and you're out' mechanics.

They require a guide unless you want to do a blind Prog for the vast majority of people.
Ultimates don't technically require a guide either, but most people who tackle ultimates will likely watch a guide.

No one watches a guide (well VERY few) for dungeon content was my main point, midcore content should aim to be content that's pretty hard but doesn't really demand a guide for 90% of the playerbase.
Hopefully this makes my point Clear.

I also think tanks should be punished more for taking vunstacks, maybe they would take way more damage from failed mechs so tanks cant cheese fights.

[RokkuEkkusu]

I think the hardest mandatory thing will be played in MSQ are stuff like Titan Hard, Seat of Sacrifice, and maybe World of Darkness.

Alright, just hear me out ok. this is not another OMG every1 in 14 suxxxx thread.
i genuinly think there is a currently huge problem with the games entry level expectations of players at 90 content.

we got some healer today, in grand cosmos. level 80 dng.. with no holy, freecure I farming, and not using a single lilly. and this is the issue imo. this game does abolutley nothing to check players are at the suitable level to enter these dungeons,
players now are able to buy boosts on the first ever character before ever completing any job properly first, players are able to buy msq skips and rush the game without learning anything, and fundimentally. this is making for a worse experience for the general players.

how you ask? well because when my tank comes into expert, or 80dng.. and he doesnt know what TBN is, he doesnt want to use rampart and instead spams clemency on himself, or my healer is refusing to use kardia on the tank, or my fellow dps are spamming 1-1-1-1 in there rotations, not wearing even a JOBSTONE i think something is wrong.

this game needs more checks on the players, because it HAS undenieably been making dungeon and raid content harder for casuals.. my god just look at 1st boss in dead ends. yet its doing nothing to make sure theyre up to the skill level of that boss.

check for crystals, check for first account boosting, check they didnt skip there job quests... something anything.. but rn this is such a huge issue every1 is suffering from in some way or another... i feel even as i type this.. people will read this and think im a troll, ask what the point of this post was, or attack me in some fasion not understand whats really wrong.. but i just hope somebody out there understands what im talking about... and how frustrating this really is becomming....

just stop rushing people into endgame.. its a genuine disservice to your great early game. stop setting new jobs at 70/80 and set them at ONE... its overwhelming! don't let people buy any skips before they hit max level on there main on those jobs AND MSQ first... dont let people into dng without crystals on.. i think this would be a good QOL for everyone, even those poor players who get humiliated in dngs because they didnt realize why skipping was so bad

Players will take the easiest way out to a clear. You can't always make them better if they are not willing to That is why Extremes, Savages, and Ultimates fill that niche.

That being said, I agree with the gist of your post. The issue i have is how your presented the post. The words are not reasonably coherent enough.

[ElysiumDragon]

'Harder'

Abyssos caused several raiders I know to burn out, myself included, and caused many statics to implode because it was overtuned to the point of being miserable. TOP was even worse for it, as the fight's now infamous for being both a nightmare to prog and poorly designed.

The thing is, content HAS been getting harder, and that's the problem. There needs to be a clear dividing line between 'Savage' and 'Ultimate', otherwise you end up with earlier Ultimates being utterly trivialised, and raiders burning out because you put them through the wringer. Difficulty doesn't educate players, it filters them from the game entirely, and even Normal 'Baby Mode' content has been getting spicier, what with the almost constant usage of visual tells as the default for Normal content.

Catering to Casual Players is what this game does best, and always will do best, why do you think it's as successful as it is?

[Absimiliard]

'Harder'

Abyssos caused several raiders I know to burn out, myself included, and caused many statics to implode because it was overtuned to the point of being miserable. TOP was even worse for it, as the fight's now infamous for being both a nightmare to prog and poorly designed

Do you have a moment to speak about our lord and savior A4S?

[strawberrycake]

Here is what I feel like the main issue with how we engage with the content in XIV atm is, I no longer have the engagement in my job, or my content. In so many other games multiplayer, MMOs, single player, the goal is for what the player is doing in terms of expression and how that expression interacts and affects the enviornment to be fun and engaging.

To simply put it, XIV is not very engaging, the solutions are very limited and once figured out there are no variables to keep it fresh or at least entertaining. It's been more than obvious that the game hasn't been doing that lately. And if the game is, the players become stubborn and want to avoid all unfavorable variables.

So for example, lets take Criterion dungeons and Raiding in NA:

Now this all assuming the game is very engaging and has variables. A player will come into a Crierion run, say which pathing they wanna take for the optimal run, instead of just choosing amonst themselves and the other 3 players, and just have a good time, here we have our first issue. You see the average players will be cool with whatever, so long as they get done in a reasonable time, and they have fun, as is the point of playing a game, but we have some people who feel everything needs to be optimal. This person in a way has contributed to XIV being very static, as the devs have most likely seen this pattern over the course of the last several expansions and figured. What if we just did that for them?

Example 2 PFing during the savage tier:

Now there are multiple ways, the Savage fights can be resolved and that is true to this day, BUT, every so often you'll have someone or a few people who will, despite seeing what strat you've choosen, implay, or vaguely say, or outright say, they don't like said strat and will try to change what strat is being used. This person believes that the other variables in the run are not worth dealing with for whatever arbitrary reason, and will see what you are doing as inferior. Again see how the devs will react to seeing that trend over the course of a long time.

Example number 3:

Now i've given a casual and not so casual example, but I'll also do one in the middle for the sake of my point so it doesnt seem so black and white. This happens in dungeons. EXs, PvP, Hunts, Relics, Tome farming, Glam farming, you name it. The problem here, is that the Devs are taking how people look for and want Optimal Routes and Plans and Strats in Content and try to develop around those trends instead of sitting down and having meaningful back and forth with their entire player base. And before someone throws in semantics or whatever, the point of the devs job for a game of this caliber is to find the middle ground for us all, take a step out of everyones comfort zone and make something we can all just enjoy as players of the game.

Developing around extreme trends will never be healthy for any game.