Alpha First Look: Video 5 - Quests and Combat

[Denmo]

Jin, I love ya bro. You're a fun guy to play with and chat with. I'm just saying this because I'm going to have to disagree with you here.

I could do it with a group of friends, but when I want to an experience party I like to do it with different people to make even more in-game friends.

I played FFXI for 4 years. I was a WHM and EXP Partied every day, trying to be the best WHM I could.

Despite this, I can't recall any exp PUG I was in where people said, "Hey, you're a good WHM. Let's be friends and play together more often!"

Nor was I ever invited to an endgame linkshell for my grinding efforts. Most I ever got was an, "Oh hey, you're that WHM I partied with the other day, I think. Yeah... Sorry I only really remember people if they suck at their jobs."

It was also the case in XI that level difference meant you couldn't party with someone anymore. So if you played at a different pace of your friends, even if you friended them they wouldn't be able to EXP with you again due to level difference. (Level sync solved some of this, but not all. Generally, if everyone was too high for Colibri groups, they went and did their own things instead)

My point being - Whether it's dungeon content finder or EXP Party grinding, You don't necessarily make friends via these methods. More often than not, you're either already part of a social group or you insert yourself into a linkshell/guild as soon as you can.

You make friends by being a socially amiable person, and by going out of your way to help others. This is true in any social interaction, regardless of the game. Doesn't matter if it's EXP grinding or dungeon raiding.

So please stop trying to use this as an argument for EXP party Grinding vs solo quest content.

[Kiote]

I played FFXI for 4 years. I was a WHM and EXP Partied every day, trying to be the best WHM I could.

Despite this, I can't recall any exp PUG I was in where people said, "Hey, you're a good WHM. Let's be friends and play together more often!"

In contrast, I met all of my In-game friends and got invited to all of my Linkshells from people acknowledging how good I was in a PUG.

Personally, I don't trust someone I've never partied with. I would not invite them to my Endgame Linkshell. I certainly would not put them in a situation where they could Ninja my Linkshells drops.

Only thing I can think of that is worse than inviting people you've never played with, is inviting people you've never played with after making them fill out an application...

[Reika]

In contrast, I met all of my In-game friends and got invited to all of my Linkshells from people acknowledging how good I was in a PUG.

Personally, I don't trust someone I've never partied with. I would not invite them to my Endgame Linkshell. I certainly would not put them in a situation where they could Ninja my Linkshells drops.

Only thing I can think of that is worse than inviting people you've never played with, is inviting people you've never played with after making them fill out an application...

I had this discussion with someone I work with who plays MMO's too. He likes to have statics and doesn't really converse with anyone he doesnt consider good at the game, but somehow calls the people he statics with 'Friends'. Thats not being a real friend, and if the people who you place the term friend on think the same way, they dont think of you as a real friend. They are simply party members. Conversing and partying only with skilled people means you simply want some tools to help your character data progress. You are all just useing each other for your own personal gains, thats not something friends do to each other...

I tell him all the time "They aren't your friends, they are just your business partners", and the stories of needless dungeon party drama over this drop or priortizing who gets their weapon crafted first proves my points with him.

The only real friends are the people who talk with you about things other than game related discussion, and will talk with you regardless of your skill.

[Kiote]

I had this discussion with someone I work with who plays MMO's too. He likes to have statics and doesn't really converse with anyone he doesnt consider good at the game, but somehow calls the people he statics with 'Friends'. Thats not being a real friend, and if the people who you place the term friend on think the same way, they dont think of you as a real friend. They are simply party members. Conversing and partying only with skilled people means you simply want some tools to help your character data progress. You are all just useing each other for your own personal gains, thats not something friends do to each other...

I tell him all the time "They aren't your friends, they are just your business partners", and the stories of needless dungeon party drama over this drop or priortizing who gets their weapon crafted first proves my points with him.

The only real friends are the people who talk with you about things other than game related discussion, and will talk with you regardless of your skill.

I see your point and acknowledge that I failed to separate two different things.

While I was pointing out that I personally was invited to groups because of a recognition of skill, I failed to mention that Skill is not a requirement for me to invite people to my groups.

I like to make a lot of friends in these games, but I don't just invite every random person to my Linkshell. If during some party event I get a long with someone, and they demonstrate they're not an obnoxious jerk, I will gladly invite them to my Linkshell, regardless of skill, playtime or level. If they join, then we get to become real friends. If they do not, maybe I'll see them again sometime.

I believe in helping others get better and I will never exclude someone because they aren't good enough yet. People don't get better until they get to try. I'm willing to fail at a Raid or Boss fight a hundred times if it means everyone gets to participate.

[Jinrya-Geki]

Jin, I love ya bro. You're a fun guy to play with and chat with. I'm just saying this because I'm going to have to disagree with you here.

It's cool, I know everyone is different. It's just that the two MMOs that I have been very open with knowing alot of people was this and EQOA for the ps2. Because I exp grind partied alot.

In FFXI and WoW I wasn't as social. FFXI since people took that crap as seriously as a job, which brings me to the point that people may not be too social during an event. I ended up soloing to 75 as Paladin and didn't have any social linkshells. WoW, I joined and did quest after quest alone because the only friend I had in the game said that's how people level and that party grinding sucks, so I soloed.