Why?

[Erzaa]

tbf, as someone who dropped raiding and started to play this game casually around STB, a lot of the resentment building towards solo players is a direct result of SE catering to them so hard and spending a lot of money, time and resources to change the game to make an mmo a single player experience. A genre specifically created for ppl to play together as a team. And for those of us who want more to do as a team, who want longer term content and play mmos to do more than show off our glams while afk in LL, the game is terribly thin, esp since everything outdates in a single patch. If SE would make this an mmo again and not a single player game with lite coop, this would not be such an issue. But no, they are just doubling down every patch by taking away anything interesting so their trusts can do it, specifically for soloists.

Solo players have existed in MMOs since MMOs were invented. There's any number of reasons why an MMO player may want to play alone, and any successful online video game has to at least make some content for them, if they want to remain relevant. I find Josh Strife Hayes' video on solo MMO players to be well grounded, and mirrors alot of how I enjoy my MMOs.

And FF14 doesn't cater to solo players as much as people like to make it sound like it does. You're literally forced into group content through the MSQ or can't progress it. They've even had to implement the Trust system to make sure that content remains viable because as soon as veteran players leave the game, it'll be impossible to actually complete it.

How do I know? I literally left FF14 and went back to SWtoR. That's a casual friendly MMO that's basically a single player RPG experience with a tacked on optional MMO. I came from there to 14, and having gone back to it recently after OC release, I'm reminded what an actual solo friendly casual experience is actually meant to feel like. I haven't had to play with a single other person even once in the last two months, and I've enjoyed every moment of it. And on the occasion when I do interact with someone in the chat or during a Dynamic Encounter, or for a world boss kill, I do it because I feel like it, not because the game forces me to.

In fact, 14 caters to endgame raiders far more than it caters to casuals since Dawntrail released. So, I'm not sure where this idea that solo players or casuals are ruining the game comes from. It's like people on these forums just ignore objective reality.

First I heard of that and I am on these forums relatively often.

Then you haven't been on the right forum threads, because I've seen how these forums mauled said person (pun intended), for asking the bare minimum of difficulty options. I've also been called an NPC, and seen vitriol thrown at others, for the mere concept of not wanting to deal with these same people who act like the world owes them something.

And what about reddit, where we had to create a whole new subreddit to even discuss the game due to a massive amount of ppl going nuts with even a small amount of criticism was dared to be uttered. Even I left it, when I said I was let down by EW and woke up to well over 2k downvotes. Many ppl were pushed off of things like reddit due to the absolute train wreck that is the official subreddit and the ferocity of the defenders, casuals and soloists.

I don't much visit the reddit 14 side, I'm not a redditor, so I can't verify it, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's just as bad, or even worse over there. But that doesn't change the fact that these forums are a breeding ground for name calling, lying, gaslighting, acting like only one way to play is the right way.
I wasn't let down by Endwalker, I was let down by Dawntrail, in so many ways. The crazy part is that, during Endwalker, when everyone on these same forums decried how easy the game had gotten and how they wanted to increase the difficulty, I recall trying to explain how this is a big risk that could potentially alienate the playerbase, and was shot down. Look at how the game is doing right now, after a year of increased DDR speed fights, Chaotic, Forked Tower with no Normal mode, countless EX and Savage and an Ultimate with another on the way, and yet people are leaving in droves. And no, it's not just because of the story, although that was bad enough.

Given the choice between Endwalker fights and Dawntrail fights, I'll choose Endwalker every single day. I have had more enjoyment mowing down hundreds of thousands of simple mods in SWtoR, doing heroics with my companion, killing champions for achievements, hunting datacrons to increase my overall stats and exploring the map, than I've ever had in 14 doing their silly dances or repeating yet another same repetitive FATE.

We can get along, but let's not pretend its just one team forcing the divide. The only time one team holds near exclusivity is when it comes to crying victim.

I've tried to get along. When I first came to the forums, I really tried to present my arguments in good faith. Doesn't work, and at this point, it doesn't matter anyway. I haven't touched content since the first week of OC, and 14 is pretty much dead to me, outside of just resetting my house timer, my FC and subs and occasionally chatting with friends, if they even bother to come online anymore that is.

I can't speak for how the reddit forums are, I don't really go there, I'm not a redditor. I believe you that it might be just as bad; maybe even worse, but these forums treat any player who plays differently to how is expected, like they're the enemy. Even the ones who're mostly intelligent and calm and like to discuss rather than resort to name calling, will deride a tank that doesn't w2w pull, just because it's expected.

God help anyone who enjoys the game differently to how they enjoy it. As long as everything happens on their time, on their schedule, they're happy campers. But once something strays too far away from their comfort zone, all of a sudden this is an MMO and we should respect their time. Ironic that they don't return that sentiment when it doesn't suit them though.

Anyway, I appreciate your measured response regardless, and I strayed too far off topic. The real issue with this thread is that the OPs question was skipped, assumptions were made based on the title alone, and a newcomer to the forums was once again labeled a troll for not toeing the party line, and are likely not going to return here again.