PVP-CC-Rank

[Mr-Kebek]

I'm approaching my first year anniversary in the game! I've loved every second of it, and lately, I've been really enjoying PvP! I started off with Frontline and never touched any other game mode, but I recently saw the Hellhound weapon and I've been wanting it so badly! So, I decided to start grinding for it. I set my mindset, watched YouTube videos to help me rank up, and got ready to grind.

However, I found out that the PvP rank queue is dead! Queue times are 30 minutes during the week on Primal, with only 1-2 hours of prime time to queue. For me, it's impossible to achieve that goal simply because I don't think I could get Diamond or Crystal rank in a season due to the lack of games available. So, that weapon seems unachievable.

My thought is that maybe they could add an achievement in the game that gives commendation crystals. Maybe just one hard achievement, not something that casual players could achieve, but still possible for people who really want it. This achievement could grant 2 commendation crystals for players who want the Hellhound weapon. For example, something like playing PvP for 30 consecutive days, playing 1000 PvP games (within a specific time period), or dueling 100 different people! This would be an achievable goal for PvP lovers who can't wait 2 hours to queue for CC rank games.

[Reinhardt_Azureheim]

The Ranked reward system needs an overhaul that is beyond Commendation Crystals, it is fundamentally flawed and does not respect the time investment one might need to make to get "any" tangible rewards. It also is the root cause for the death spiral of queues becoming unbearably long - until you reach Diamond, you do not get anything worth your time that you can't get playing Casual CC or large-scale PvP.

And if you don't reach Diamond because the bottom end of the queues dries out? Good luck getting anything at all.

It needs a better reward structure that rewards you with desirables for specifically playing ranked, regardless what tier you end up in - do this and you will naturally have a healthier ladder, because people will not mind playing even in metal tiers if their time is respected.

[Emitans]

They need rank decay during the season (series?), not just between them. If people can get the rank they want in week one, they don't need to play again for the rest of it, making it basically impossible for anyone who wasn't there at the start to participate.

[Altina_Orion]

Hot take: REMOVE CASUAL. Funnel everyone into a ranked queue and just call it CC, don't use the word ranked or casual. Seriously, there is no cost or loss in doing ranked, so why have a casual queue at all to split people up?

[Reinhardt_Azureheim]

They need rank decay during the season (series?), not just between them. If people can get the rank they want in week one, they don't need to play again for the rest of it, making it basically impossible for anyone who wasn't there at the start to participate.

Rank decay does nothing to address people not even being interested to attempt ladder, it's purely a thing that affects the top-end.

The onboarding rate of players in Ranked is significantly lower than the churn rate (i.e. the rate at which players quit ranked or heavily reduce how much they participate in). Furthermore, the rate of how fast it churns is also turbo-accelerated into a death spiral by ever-increasing queue times.

Between having a fairly terrible way to introduce people into pvp in the first place by being in the furthest corner of low level La Noscea, a playguide that leaves MUCH to be desired considering how hidden it is within submenus and NPCs and an absolute tragedy of rewards being handed out at a basic level, it needs a change at the bottom end before all else.

[Reinhardt_Azureheim]

Hot take: REMOVE CASUAL. Funnel everyone into a ranked queue and just call it CC, don't use the word ranked or casual. Seriously, there is no cost or loss in doing ranked, so why have a casual queue at all to split people up?

Bad take. This alienates players that want to practice jobs in a 5v5 environment or feel ranked anxiety when playing Ranked modes in games, because they will now feel responsible for the losses their teammates might incur. Remove casual CC and the casual players will not offboard from Casual into Ranked, they will go and do Frontlines/Rival Wings. This is not the way, the lack of players in Ranked can barely be attributed to split queues.

[Valence]

This season has been extra bad because it released at the same time than Occult Crescent. The first week was absolutely dead in ranked. It's already problematic when it releases during savage releases, but savage at least generally leaves time for people to play in the evenings their groups don't raid. This time however, it's been a disaster. I actually wanted to take advantage that it happened on my DC to play more than when it is on the other one (which is also a huge detriment to play rates btw), and I couldn't even. Add to that that the high end crowd only starts queuing at crazy times like 22:00 or midnight and you end up with dead queues.

To reply to the OP: generally ranked is extremely FOMO and you'll need to be active in the first weeks of each season, that's when people play before it peters out. Sometimes there is a resurgence in the last week before the next season patch that you can try and take advantage of.

[Altina_Orion]

Bad take. This alienates players that want to practice jobs in a 5v5 environment or feel ranked anxiety when playing Ranked modes in games, because they will now feel responsible for the losses their teammates might incur. Remove casual CC and the casual players will not offboard from Casual into Ranked, they will go and do Frontlines/Rival Wings. This is not the way, the lack of players in Ranked can barely be attributed to split queues.

Being afraid to make your bronze/unranked teammates lose is a bit odd, but funneling everyone into one queue i feel like is more valuable than considering people's anxiety. The ranked queue is dead because people would rather press the casual button so just kill the casual button.

[Divinemights]

Hot take: REMOVE CASUAL. Funnel everyone into a ranked queue and just call it CC, don't use the word ranked or casual. Seriously, there is no cost or loss in doing ranked, so why have a casual queue at all to split people up?

Let’s be honest: ranked modes almost always bring out the worst in people.
This isn't new—it’s been like this since the days of Feast.
The moment a player loses a ranked match, their first instinct is to blame their teammates.
It doesn’t matter if they made mistakes themselves—someone else must’ve thrown.
This mindset is toxic, and it's exactly why PvP chat is disabled.
SE already witnessed what happens when egos mix with ranking systems

Also,not everyone plays to climb.
Some players just want to enjoy the game casually and have a good time without being flamed or blamed.
There are more people playing Casual CC than Ranked CC right now.
That should say something.
Ranked turns PvP into ego battlegrounds.
It encourages blame, salt, and gatekeeping.

[Divinemights]

To reply to the OP: generally ranked is extremely FOMO and you'll need to be active in the first weeks of each season, that's when people play before it peters out. Sometimes there is a resurgence in the last week before the next season patch that you can try and take advantage of.

FFXIV is a theme park MMO.
Most of its player base is here for PvE content—story, crafting, housing, glamour, raiding—you name it.
PvP has always been a side activity.
And yet, you think the decisions made around Ranked Crystal Conflict (CC) are more important than the broader game experience.
Why should that be the case?
Ranked CC is dying for the same reasons it always has: toxicity, elitism, and win-at-all-costs behavior.
That kind of environment pushes casual players away from the start.