Despite Final Fantasy XIV being a game built for cooperative play, many players find themselves wanting to run content on their own for any number of reasons, from incidental to overall preferences. Regardless of their reasons, players have a system available to them for this express purpose — Duty Support.
Introduced back in Patch 6.1, the Duty Support system is an alternative to going through content with other players. Duty Support lets you enter content you'd ordinarily need multiple players for with a party of NPCs. No queues, no social interaction, no judgment. It's by no means a perfect replacement and has its fair share of drawbacks, but Duty Support is a solid option overall for players who require it.
How does Duty Support work?
To use Duty Support, you can select it from the entrance of the Duty you want or the Duty Support menu, accessed via the Duty section of the Main Menu. The majority of the Main Scenario duties can be completed with NPCs alone. Not all content is eligible for Duty Support, though; anything requiring more than four people (with the exception of one Endwalker trial at the time of writing) has to be taken on with a party of real players.
When it comes to playing with your party of NPCs, you shouldn't expect any outstanding performance from them. Players will almost always outperform NPCs, so you'll be taking the slow route if you utilize Duty Support, and your party members' actions might not always make the most sense. They'll always stick behind you, so pulling enemies will usually be your job. Don't worry — the tank will still take enmity from you. If and when your character dies, your whole party will immediately wipe. Otherwise, using Duty Support shouldn't feel too different from running content with other players.
The pros of using Duty Support
Having automated teammates isn't too bad. As mentioned before, Duty Support is an excellent tool for all players. If you lack confidence when running new content or trying out a new job, NPCs will never judge your performance. If the wait time for the MSQ-related Duty you need to complete is painfully long, Duty Support is your knight in shining armor.
Your teammates themselves can be pretty helpful, too. For example, they're excellent teachers for various boss mechanics. While players can't always be relied on to dodge an enemy's attacks, your NPC allies will automatically get out of the way of any AOEs you might not see coming. They're often easier to follow than real players while learning the various fights, so Duty Support might be helpful if you're more of a hands-on learner. Your NPC party members can also help you understand the lore of whatever Duty you take them to by sharing their thoughts in dialogue.
Finally, with your party members being NPCs, you'll have no competition when it comes to loot. Going in with real players often means that getting loot becomes a game of chance, but your Duty Support party will let you have it all, uncontested.
Whether you treat it as your primary way of getting through MSQ or a tool to bring out only on occasion, Duty Support has the potential to come in handy for any FFXIV player. You really only lose extra time and the social aspects of running content, but if neither is a priority to you, you might want to give Duty Support a try.
