FFXIV needs to stop accommodating Solo Players

[Jojoya]

I was looking for drama about how new solo content has affected all content. Not lalafells crying about stuff that doesn't affect them.

So put it back on topic if you dislike the derail rather than keep bringing attention to the derail by complaining about it.

What new solo content are you referring to? The role quests? Job quests have always been solo yet I can't remember any groups of players in the community trying to make a stink about them before.

Giving players the option to solo content designed for multiple players doesn't turn it into solo content. That's like saying SUVs are single passenger vehicles because you saw one with only a single person in it.

What is your specific objection? That SE made changes to some of the MSQ dungeon fights at the same time Duty Support was being added? Some of those changes had less to do with Duty Support and more to do with new players frequently having problems understanding how certain mechanics worked. SE cleaned up the problem spots for the sake of the new player experience.

Every successful MMORPG has been accommodating to the solo player since WoW set the standard. Being accommodating to the solo player brings more players to the game so the game makes more money. It doesn't take away a multiplayer experience from those who want to play with others.

Has it made content easier? Not really. The new player is still going to have to figure things out but with luck the new mechanics will be more intuitive based on what they've already done in game.

Has it made some fights less interesting. Sure. I liked the original end boss fight for Sohr Khai but I can also remember all the parties where people were struggling to figure out what to do (including myself my first couple of times through). I don't blame SE changing it, not for the sake of Duty Support (AI issues could have been solved through a specific order to the pillars being destroyed and where the adds would appear) but for the sake of the new players that were feeling overwhelmed by what was going on. On the other hand, I like the new Ascian Prime fight a lot more than the original.

By the time 8.0 gets released long time players will remember that those fights used to be different, just as the ARR MSQ used to be different, but few will remember exactly how they were different just as they've forgotten how some things originally were before they got QoL updates.

If you don't like the changes that SE makes, then you don't like them. But that's not going to stop SE from making changes they feel will improve new player retention.

Having the option to work on content solo when friends aren't online is something that has been proven to help player retention in MMORPGs over the past 20 years. SE is going to continue to do it when they feel it's needed.

[LianaThorne]

I was looking for drama about how new solo content has affected all content. Not lalafells crying about stuff that doesn't affect them.

So, if I'm going to take this literally, you created this thread with the intent of looking for drama?

Meaning that actual conversation was never going to happen?

[rawker]

I am inclined to think that due to language barrier that's why he worded it as such. Even saw his post over the beastmaster thread and saying something about crying. Shrugs.

[kcj]

No, thanks. I had enough of forced content with idiots back in the day when I played Rappelz.

[LianaThorne]

Really wish I could just delete this thread.

I'm confused. You obviously took the time to post this so I assume it matters to you. As other have said, this post is extremely vague by the title and will most likely either get botched through translation or ignored outright since theres no information other than you saying "You know what I mean."

No, we clearly all don't know what you mean.

So, perhaps elaborate and get the thread back on track? Otherwise I can't blame anyone for derailing it further when it looks like a bait thread.

[hynaku]

MMO just means more than one person is playing. Before complaining about other players soloing maybe think of this. You go to do a quest then get put in a queue for it just to see it say average wait time 3 hours. How well do think that go over with players waiting who knows how long just to do one quest. This is what you're asking for by wanting no soloing in the game.

[AmiableApkallu]

MMO just means more than one person on playing.

"MMO" is more than that. The reason I care about other players being online at the same time as me is because I want to interact with them. If I want to hang out by myself and do my own thing, everyone else could be offline or replaced with NPCs.

I could see how well that go over you go to do a MSQ then get put in a queue for others to join you for it. Pretty sure they lose a huge number of new players from it.

Then I guess I'm the exception that proves the rule?

[Supersnow845]

The point is that the MSQ is functionally irrelevant, it’s the content that’s actually designed to be done with other players that now seems to be more and more funneled into not needing other players

If you want to do the MSQ solo than AFK in limsa that’s fine, BUT the game shouldn’t also change the encounters to accomodate the trust AI, make the jobs fail proof so that nobody actually has to actually rely on anyone else in group content and then create almost all of the current expansions endgame content explicitly with the intention of it being soloable

EW has basically amounted to (on the casual side)
-trusts nuking old duties like sor khai
-IS
-EO
-variant

All of which benefit the solo player over the player who wants to play with others which is one of the unique draws of MMO’s

[Souljacker]

Are you kidding? I wish things were MORE soloable, given your skill and build. We have so much forced multiplayer content - things you literally cannot complete unless you have at least 1 other player. Some things you can't even enter without more than 1 player.

There would be so much more interesting challenge if we had real skill trees and could try our hand at soloing bosses and other content designed around parties\alliances.

[TBerry]

The more you want to force players together the more they will repel each other.