Rename the game to the Crystal Tower?

[Alicie]

Figuring out that Alliance Roulettes are there is very simple and acting like a new player wouldn't be able to is reaching levels of condescension, it is a very simple process:

New player notices blue quests are different from the normal grey ones
>From the blue quests you are actually required to do, they understand that blue quests universally unlock *something*, very often a new instance.
>>New player learns that there are these large scale 24 player raids from the story requirement to do Crystal Tower.
>>>New player creates the expectation that they should be doing blue quests if they want more unlocked instances, a player who is interested in trying every content in the game will do them as soon as they are able.

Games should not masticate everything for players, and a bare minimum of deductive reasoning should be expected.

You forgot a part where gamer quickly figures out that there's not much value from unlocking additional alliance raids, dungeons and trials and just stops doing so entirely.

[VeyaAkemi]

You forgot a part where gamer quickly figures out that there's not much value from unlocking additional alliance raids, dungeons and trials and just stops doing so entirely.

Sounds like a skill issue, ngl, I personally found plenty of value in doing everything.

[Gember]

There is a lot of people, or should I say "tourists" who only do CT once because the game is not letting it be an option. I knew a few friends and a lot of fc members mention that they are not really invested in anything else aside from the story. They literally unsubscribe when they're done with the MSQ. I had two of my friends tell me they haven't unlocked certain alliance raids because it was told to them that they were long. In other words; there are players who intentionally avoid unlocking them because they are solely story focus, or they don't want to get it in their roulette. The main drive to this game is the story. (Still is despite Dawntrail's criticisms.) Give any reason to make other alliance raids MSQ required, and the game will have steady queues for that content. You know, just like the Crystal Tower. I know all of the alliance raids are not suited for the MSQ, but those off ones can certainly be put into relic steps and other types of optional side content. That is up to SE if they want to encourage their players to unlock more of their side content.

[Shialan]

You do realize that you are just lucky, yeah?

I haven't seen anything but Crystal Tower for 2 weeks now.

It goes both ways.

You are so close...

[Sojiro_Saitama]

I only do Alliance Roulette while leveling jobs sub 80, because I don't want to get Nier raids. I just don't queue on anything that can possibly get those raids because they're boring as heck and take too long. Too many CS, too much HP on the bosses. Half the HP on those bosses, and I'll start running Alliance roulette 80+ again.

Edit: For clarity, I said Nier raids are boring. It's not a difficulty issue. I'm in favor of cancelling the Echo on Orbonne because I felt that raid hit the *mark* on where difficulty should be for a 24 man better than anything before it (or since). I'm not in favor of extremely long, grinding, repeated mechanics like we see in the Nier raids. I'd rather smash Crystal Tower in 15 minutes.

[FateHollow]

Most roulettes outside the high level ones I call "free trial roulettes," because that's exactly who they're for; free trial players. It's to encourage free trial people to keep playing the game until they buy it. They shove the higher levels in to fill the lack of players and give the game a sense of liveliness. I refuse to queue for them because it's all low level raids, trials, dungeons. No thank you.

Edit: If anything CT should be shoved into the MSQ roulette to give more breathing room for the ally raids. It should be nerfed and redone as well like the MSQ raids were.

[Alicie]

There is a lot of people, or should I say "tourists" who only do CT once because the game is not letting it be an option. I knew a few friends and a lot of fc members mention that they are not really invested in anything else aside from the story. They literally unsubscribe when they're done with the MSQ. I had two of my friends tell me they haven't unlocked certain alliance raids because it was told to them that they were long. In other words; there are players who intentionally avoid unlocking them because they are solely story focus, or they don't want to get it in their roulette. The main drive to this game is the story. (Still is despite Dawntrail's criticisms.) Give any reason to make other alliance raids MSQ required, and the game will have steady queues for that content. You know, just like the Crystal Tower. I know all of the alliance raids are not suited for the MSQ, but those off ones can certainly be put into relic steps and other types of optional side content. That is up to SE if they want to encourage their players to unlock more of their side content.

Makes sense. Why the hell would I be interested in nier or ff9 related stories.

[Ninaran]

Sure, make all ARs mandatory to unlock for the roulette.
But then also lower the bosses' health by a good 40% so they don't take ages to do.

[Ath192]

put a lock on the character so they can’t get an AR from the same time line 2 times in a row. At least it will cycle between series a bit more or something.

[CaptainLagbeard]

The game doesn't really directly incentivize people to go do past expansions Raids, Trials and Alliance Raids... The crystal tower ones get done because they're mandatory due to their relevance to Shadowbringers. The biggest incentive for a new player to go do it all I suppose is Endwalker referencing a lot of things if you actually did them, but they can't exactly point out that it happens.

And aside from that, it is really an issue of lowest common denominator, once the game sets up the group of 24 people, the lowest level person in it determines which raids it can be placed in. If even one person is in the 50-59 range, it can only be ARR.