FFXIV needs to stop accommodating Solo Players

[Mistress_Irika]

Can't wait to see how easier classes will be this coming expansion. I'm basically in my own little corner giggling reading all of this nonsense instead of skipping this thread.

This is the only popular MMO that I played. The other indie free P2W MMOs that I only spend half a year on before hopping to another....those have some form of solo content. I've never played WoW before. I'm willing to bet that despite certain things being locked behind multiplayer content that there's single player content there. I'm not sure what the problem is. Thread is confusing. What am I missing?

[Boldprint]

IDK what y'all are talking about, there is plenty of multiplayer stuff, but for someone who doesn't want a 90 minute Que they can do it alone and get it done. this game is pretty linear, you have do the entire story to get to next areas. if they are start forcing that one people they will just quit, just like every mmo for the 20 years. enjoy what you got or quit, because the majorty of players who plya like the current state.

[Kakure]

If anything, FFXIV needs to do far more to accommodate solo players. Every required dungeon (including, for instance, the ones needed to unlock aether currents or beast tribes) and story trial should have solo support options. Relic weapons should never again be tied to massive field operations with dozens or hundreds of players.

I wouldn't have a problem playing with others if I didn't routinely encounter trashy idiots who ruin the experience for everyone else, but that's life. I do not want to get to the emotional crescendo of the story, invested in the characters and full of feels, and then load into the final trial between a blue frog named named after a character from a popular TV show and a shirtless male Roe in gold bunny tights and a neon rooster head. If that means that the normal version of a story trial has slightly less involved mechanics than it otherwise might have had, so be it.

[Maltothoris]

Well tough break on tirals cause I remember Yoshi P saying that the final trial needs to be done by 8 players when people were asking if they would do more stuff like what they did with hydaelan.

[ty_taurus]

If anything, FFXIV needs to do far more to accommodate solo players. Every required dungeon (including, for instance, the ones needed to unlock aether currents or beast tribes) and story trial should have solo support options. Relic weapons should never again be tied to massive field operations with dozens or hundreds of players.

I wouldn't have a problem playing with others if I didn't routinely encounter trashy idiots who ruin the experience for everyone else, but that's life. I do not want to get to the emotional crescendo of the story, invested in the characters and full of feels, and then load into the final trial between a blue frog named named after a character from a popular TV show and a shirtless male Roe in gold bunny tights and a neon rooster head. If that means that the normal version of a story trial has slightly less involved mechanics than it otherwise might have had, so be it.

Relic weapons are not even in the same dictionary as “required.” That is an optional trophy made to be earned.

[Kaurhz]

It doesn't IMO.

But it isn't something that should be overly extensive to where it intrudes deeply on the multiplayer aspect (or to where it comes at the expense of). E.g., giving people the option of whether they consume story-related content solo or with other players I think is fine, as are most of the systems they have introduced.

But I do strongly think that Island Sanctuary was a step too far with it. -- It only really had the solo element of it. Sure, I could invite people to my island, but that's about it... If I want to help friends with their island; I can't.

Multiplayer should be a core focus of the game -- But it shouldn't be the only focus. It's an MMO, sure -- But how people consume the MMO, and how the interact with an MMO will differ greatly.

[Zexianna]

If anything, FFXIV needs to do far more to accommodate solo players. Every required dungeon (including, for instance, the ones needed to unlock aether currents or beast tribes) and story trial should have solo support options. Relic weapons should never again be tied to massive field operations with dozens or hundreds of players.

I wouldn't have a problem playing with others if I didn't routinely encounter trashy idiots who ruin the experience for everyone else, but that's life. I do not want to get to the emotional crescendo of the story, invested in the characters and full of feels, and then load into the final trial between a blue frog named named after a character from a popular TV show and a shirtless male Roe in gold bunny tights and a neon rooster head. If that means that the normal version of a story trial has slightly less involved mechanics than it otherwise might have had, so be it.

So let's have shallow gameplay so you can avoid other people's glams? Wow. Relics should *always* be some sort of a grind, and should never again be an easy, boring, antisocial tome farm. If you don't like exploration zones, then you don't have to do them.

[redheadturk]

There is a decent mix in my opinion. I do like that they have offered a way to do dungeon content with NPC's but hope they don't go overboard. As long as they keep the community interaction in check (Which they have) then I think it works out for more group content. I never tried to do group content in WoW cause I heard the horror stories of what I might encounter. This game pretty much cured that so I do that content here and there with zero issues.

I on the other hand want more trials available in duty support. I don't want to have to use df for *any* msq content unless I want to do so.

[AmiableApkallu]

Multiplayer should be a core focus of the game -- But it shouldn't be the only focus. It's an MMO, sure -- But how people consume the MMO, and how the interact with an MMO will differ greatly.

I think the way I'd put it is: If some piece of content is going to allow multiple players to participate at the same time, then that should come through clearly in its design. It's like the difference between Castrum Lacus Litore or Dalriada, and Endwalker's alliance raids. The former contain spots where people split up, talk to each other, and coordinate; the latter can be done by 24 headless chickens each marching to their own beat.

If that same piece of content is going to have a single-player version, then either the replacements for the players need to be Good Enough™ to do it as-is, or there needs to be a second, solo-oriented design. (Note: This isn't completely out of the realm of possibility, because the one 8-player trial doable with Duty Support starts the player out with a buff that isn't present when queueing with 7 other players.)

[Donze]

As a player that does most things solo, where possible, I couldn't care less about the complaining here, nor do I believe the people here even agree on the difference, if any, between 'an RPG that takes place in an MMO' vs a "MMO that happens to be a RPG'. OP doesn't even specify what SE's 'accommodating Solo Players' is... you bitching about duty support? trust system? island? solo house ownership? additional retainer services? etc etc. There is a very long list of features that are squarely not something other players can engage with, and thus 'solo content'.

Alternatively, you can stop pretending vague designators like "stop accommodating solo players" has a clear meaning and use them words to specifically identify what constitutes 'accommodating solo players' that you find objectionable, at which point genuine dialogue might begin. YoshiP has states that they are moving towards more multiplayer in Dawntrail, and as a person that mostly solo's what I can, that sounds just fine with me.

For my part, I play FF14 how I want, when I want, and there is nothing anyone else can do about that, so deal with it. I'm the Warrior of Light, you're the side character in my game =D