Party play >>> solo play

[Rykbi]

I've been playing casually on this latest patch, with the party EXP changes and no multiclient and it feels really bad to play alone as a priest who got used to play with buff mules.

ToT area: 999 kill quests for every map, meaning parties complete them way faster

Mu Lung Dojo: It is faster to get points in a party vs solo play (30 lvl diff max restricts who you can pt with)

Himes: This map got buffed, and should be insane but requires 1-2 others to clear Crow so you can grind there

General grinding areas feel worse, without the crutch of 60% hp/mp from hb 24/7 and/or max jump and speed from haste.

This is definitely the direction that play should be headed towards, to incentivize partying, but it feels so incredibly bad to play without one with such a low population.

Casual players who are playing for short amounts of time, or are afking often to do other things while playing, are much less likely to be looking to join a party since they can't grind for long stretches of time. 

I see the top players partying up often, but they are friend groups that grind together and these are the players who have created time to play for decent stretches of time. Sometimes I wish I could be one of these people, who can block out these slots to play uninterrupted.

Everything I could do last patch is just a little bit less efficient with less buffs, and it doesn't feel great. Maybe it's just burnout, and a good time to take a break. I just needed to get my thoughts out so if anyone else is feeling similarly they can know they are not alone.