This game needs less solo content.

[Darkobra]

If the game required groups for most content to be completed, I would simply have to quit playing as I don't have the luxury of several hours of uninterruptible free time.

Exactly this. I don't have hours. I have MAYBE an hour. I get home, cook, clean, shower, unwind after hours of heavy lifting where I just want to do NOTHING and that means sometimes I have to stop for one of the things above.

I get to choose two roulettes to do on a good day and HOPE the people aren't borderline throwing.

It's got to the stage I've reinstalled Witcher 3 and Skyrim because I can literally pause in the middle of combat.

The solo friendly aspect is why I play. However, I absolutely agree that there should be more group focused content for those that desire it.

I just get astounded when you all say a hardcore dungeon stops you from doing a casual one or vice versa. Same thing is happening here. More group friendly content isn't going to suddenly delete solo content.

You wonder why devs don't come here anymore? Read this thread logically as someone on the outside making decisions for the future.

[Zakuyia]

TLDR

SOLO CONTENT KILLS GROUP CONTENT
GROUP CONTENT KILLS SOLO CONTENT

Were at odds huh

[Aldath]

A weird question, if it was so great wouldnt that alone be reason enough to do it? If you're already having fun why do you let a lack of rewards stop you?

Okay, some arguments.
First, we need other people to play the content. For me some of the most fun I've had playing has been the Ivalice Raids and the Four Lords Trials. As a DPS, I have to potentially wait 20 minutes in queue on Primal for content almost no one else currently runs in order to do it, or create a PF that will potentially take longer. The time actually playing the content we enjoy is less than the time waiting to play it.
Second, rewards are part of a healthy gaming gameplay loop, no matter what. Even the simplest games like Mario platformers give small incentives in the shape of coins and score to give players a small dopamine rush. There's nothing as dissapointing as getting into the rush of combat just to finish it with nothing in return. Why would anyone queue for Normal trials, for example, if there's nothing but the once and done experience? Why would you queue for more than one run of each raid nowadays since that's enough to gear one character and said gear will get replaced not long into the MSQ? It's like watching an exciting film that gets cut abruptly by a sequel bait ending.

We are humans, it's part of how our brains work. This is a game that has group activities, depends on groups to play them as intended, and since most people will do them not only out of enjoyment, but for a feeling of accomplishment, there needs to be incentives for said groups to engage more often. Part of the average player enjoyment comes from conquering or achieving something, participating many times in a battle can be fun but it will get tiresome if there's no motivation, no goal.

[Saraide]

Okay, some arguments.
First, we need other people to play the content. For me some of the most fun I've had playing has been the Ivalice Raids and the Four Lords Trials. As a DPS, I have to potentially wait 20 minutes in queue on Primal for content almost no one else currently runs in order to do it, or create a PF that will potentially take longer. The time actually playing the content we enjoy is less than the time waiting to play it.
Second, rewards are part of a healthy gaming gameplay loop, no matter what. Even the simplest games like Mario platformers give small incentives in the shape of coins and score to give players a small dopamine rush. There's nothing as dissapointing as getting into the rush of combat just to finish it with nothing in return. Why would anyone queue for Normal trials, for example, if there's nothing but the once and done experience? Why would you queue for more than one run of each raid nowadays since that's enough to gear one character and said gear will get replaced not long into the MSQ? It's like watching an exciting film that gets cut abruptly by a sequel bait ending.

We are humans, it's part of how our brains work. This is a game that has group activities, depends on groups to play them as intended, and since most people will do them not only out of enjoyment, but for a feeling of accomplishment, there needs to be incentives for said groups to engage more often. Part of the average player enjoyment comes from conquering or achieving something, participating many times in a battle can be fun but it will get tiresome if there's no motivation, no goal.

I'm not saying there shouldnt be rewards. As it is the game would collapse without the active bribery that is duty roulettes. Trial roulette especially could stand to have better rewards in comparison. But 'he's loving the battle content' and 'why should he bother' is a contradiction that has plagued the entire genre for ages.

[Atelier-Bagur]

TLDR

SOLO CONTENT KILLS GROUP CONTENT
GROUP CONTENT KILLS SOLO CONTENT

Were at odds huh

I get it! The solution must be then....

We should have NO CONTENT. JUST CANCEL THE GAME.

[Jojoya]

Solo content kills group content. When you have each person in your free company doing island sanctuary alone, instead of grouping up together for something, then you have less people doing group content. How can you not see that. We need more incentives to group up.

Lack of things to do when people don't want to interact with others doesn't force them into group content. It just makes them log out.

We already have incentive to group up - dungeons can be run much quicker with other players than with Duty Support, allowing more dungeons to be run and increasing the potential rewards earned per hour by a fair amount.

If some players are still choosing to do dungeons with Duty Support instead, chances are good it's because they have reasons they do not want to group with other players. It's doubtful that SE could create incentives that would get them to change their minds on those occasions.

If someone wanted to be doing group content, they can queue easily from Island Sanctuary while doing whatever it is they want to do there. It's not preventing them from engaging in group content if they want to.

Rather than trying to think of random incentives to get those players doing things solo to join group content, perhaps the better approach is to ask them why they are choosing solo over group and then address the issues they raise with their answers.

[BRVV]

I just hope a lot of solo content can be done while waiting in queues

[Volgia]

I agree, I mean you have tons of FORCED solo content through the MSQ. Even dungeons can be done solo with the trust system. I wish I could play the story with my friends but alas.

To me I'd wish the actual group content was designed towards group synergy and synchronization, outside savage that is, in this late Endwalker it feels like a lot of the grouped design (Alliance Raids, Normal Raids, Trials and Expert dungeons) can be done without talking to anyone. It's essentially solo content by design, we only have EX, Savage and Ultimate for those and it's kind of lonely not gonna lie, since 20% of the playerbase does the first 2 , and 5% of the playerbase does the latter.

[Valkyrie_Lenneth]

Okay, some arguments.
First, we need other people to play the content. For me some of the most fun I've had playing has been the Ivalice Raids and the Four Lords Trials. As a DPS, I have to potentially wait 20 minutes in queue on Primal for content almost no one else currently runs in order to do it, or create a PF that will potentially take longer. The time actually playing the content we enjoy is less than the time waiting to play it.
Second, rewards are part of a healthy gaming gameplay loop, no matter what. Even the simplest games like Mario platformers give small incentives in the shape of coins and score to give players a small dopamine rush. There's nothing as dissapointing as getting into the rush of combat just to finish it with nothing in return. Why would anyone queue for Normal trials, for example, if there's nothing but the once and done experience? Why would you queue for more than one run of each raid nowadays since that's enough to gear one character and said gear will get replaced not long into the MSQ? It's like watching an exciting film that gets cut abruptly by a sequel bait ending.

We are humans, it's part of how our brains work. This is a game that has group activities, depends on groups to play them as intended, and since most people will do them not only out of enjoyment, but for a feeling of accomplishment, there needs to be incentives for said groups to engage more often. Part of the average player enjoyment comes from conquering or achieving something, participating many times in a battle can be fun but it will get tiresome if there's no motivation, no goal.

Actually, it sounds like your issue is the crossword DC. Everyone does content on aether now.

[Absimiliard]

The MMO genre has been in decline for a good while now, and it's showing no signs of turning around. These games need to dip into the pool of solo gamers out there to remain relevant, as there aren't enough purely MMO-minded people left to really sustain them. We've known this for a while. Solo and coop experiences are favored by the majority. And you know what? I'm fine with that. You have the option to group if you want or fly solo if you want. Most of the game can be done either way. Endgame is purely group-oriented, of course.

Hell, personally, I'd like to see more solo content. High-end solo endgame (high-end meaning extremely challenging, something savage or harder) activities with commensurate rewards would be a welcome addition, in my opinion.