Book burning ruined 5-man groups

[geekgirl101]

I was under the impression that level syncing allowed players from all levels to team up with lower level buddies who were constantly stuck seeking a party of players their own level, and that books were to help players to earn experience point bonuses, gain buffs, and a little extra gil to allow for solo play.

For a short while it seemed to work...people teaming together in zones like Valkurm, Qufim and Yuhtunga Jungle and partying together without the fear of outlevelling each other. That was, until people discovered that by teaming together in an alliance in dungeons and doing ground valor pages over and over fighting easy prey targets gave more experience points for less effort. This coupled together with lower levels being taken to Zehrun Mines by higher levels to leech from the ground valor manuals and Abyssea alliances with lower levels taking advantage of the domninion operations manuals means that once more zones such as Valkurm Dunes, Qufim, and the two jungles have become abandoned zones with players still stuck seeking for a party if they are wanting a legit party or the book burning alliance for their level is full.

My question to SE is was this intended? To have players take part in mindless zerging or leeching without needing to upgrade their gear or spells until they hit level 90 within a couple of days with no decent skills? There's another game that does this, it's called World of Warcraft, and I came to FFXI to escape from that.

[Kwate]

The name of the game is exp/time efficiency, the old style is dead and the game evolved. I for one don't miss it a bit, but I do understand where you're coming from. Old days where you spend hours and hours waiting for an invite on certain jobs such as BLU, MNK, DRK, etc. the new isn't so prejudice about certain job types which is a breath of fresh air.

[Kraggy]

I don't see a problem here.

Since SE have changed FFXI from being based in Vana'diel to a game based in Abyssea then they just want everyone at 90 as soon as possible. I don't do these GoV alliances, but I see no difference between those and the 'old days' BLM, SMN, TP burn parties.

As for skills, SE also made skilling up quicker and easier so even if you do get to 90 only by running level 20 GoVs (or whatever), capping skills takes only a day or two, maybe less if you can find a friendly power-leveler to tank the mobs for you.

I for one am glad the old "sit in Jueno for hours and days just to be able to play" is dead and gone.

[Geebee]

The game has evolved greatly from the old and early days of FFXI were you were limited to member job levels of 3 or less, level sync breathed a new lease of life into partys until abssea was relased, SE must have quickly realised that the players outside of abyssea would struggle with finding groups and exp partys which is why they overhauled the FOV book and up'ed the solo exp per kill on mobs, so sadly SE has in-advertently pushed people to solo their chosen jobs to 30+ because 95% of al the servers are busy in abyssea.

Sadly the game has changed dramatically from the early days and no matter how much time and effort SE commit into developing a "Balanced gameplay" there will always be peolple who take and find an easier option, people forget all to easily that the game is played by two distinct types, PEOPLE WHO PLAY FOR FUN AND PEOPLE WHO PLAY FOR BUSINESS.

The game is RIFE with people who use this game as a REAL LIFE JOB to earn a living.

IN GAME:
*SELL YOUR CHARACTER -FOR REAL LIFE MONEY

*SELL YOUR GIL- FOR REAL LIFE MONEY

*POWER LEVEL OTHER PEOPLE CHARACTERS- FOR REAL LIFE MONEY

*SELL YOUR ITEMS FOR REAL LIFE MONEY

*FARM ITEMS FOR PEOPLE FOR REAL LIFE MONEY

These type of people will always find the easier way, and when you think the game to them is a business you can see why.

My best advice is just have fun and make the most of each party you get as they are a rare thing these days

[Ravenmore]

The game has evolved greatly from the old and early days of FFXI were you were limited to member job levels of 3 or less, level sync breathed a new lease of life into partys until abssea was relased, SE must have quickly realised that the players outside of abyssea would struggle with finding groups and exp partys which is why they overhauled the FOV book and up'ed the solo exp per kill on mobs, so sadly SE has in-advertently pushed people to solo their chosen jobs to 30+ because 95% of al the servers are busy in abyssea.

Sadly the game has changed dramatically from the early days and no matter how much time and effort SE commit into developing a "Balanced gameplay" there will always be peolple who take and find an easier option, people forget all to easily that the game is played by two distinct types, PEOPLE WHO PLAY FOR FUN AND PEOPLE WHO PLAY FOR BUSINESS.

The game is RIFE with people who use this game as a REAL LIFE JOB to earn a living.

IN GAME:
*SELL YOUR CHARACTER -FOR REAL LIFE MONEY

*SELL YOUR GIL- FOR REAL LIFE MONEY

*POWER LEVEL OTHER PEOPLE CHARACTERS- FOR REAL LIFE MONEY

*SELL YOUR ITEMS FOR REAL LIFE MONEY

*FARM ITEMS FOR PEOPLE FOR REAL LIFE MONEY

These type of people will always find the easier way, and when you think the game to them is a business you can see why.

My best advice is just have fun and make the most of each party you get as they are a rare thing these days

Your also makeing wild assumtions about why people will pick the fastest way and with least effort. Doesn't matter if its RMT or avg players. Getting leveling done as fast as you can is the out come of making all the content for endgame players. Leveling for a large amount of long term players has lost all its fun factor. 6 man parties are dead for leveling may they rest in peace.

[geekgirl101]

From a personal point of view I didn't mind so much waiting for a party since the level sync opened up new opportunities and reduced waiting time, and having an option to solo was a very good change from SE since before it wasn't possible to solo or took way too long on specialised jobs.

If this idea to encourage people to leech experience points from higher level players or killing easy prey in alliance groups to earn experience points from books is to get to level 90 as fast as they can (one player did it in 2 days for example), then I ask what is the point in getting to 90 so quickly? Isn't part of the game levelling up with people and getting to know each other and learning from experience? World of Warcraft evolved into that phase of levelling as fast as possible and it drove a lot of people away because it lost all its challenges and resulted in a clueless and greedy population that only cared about getting the best gear.

[Rafien]

I am quite annoyed that at level 30 the only real chance to get a party is to go to crawlers nest and join an alliance that is doing page 1. At 2.3K per page You can level every 3 pages and just sit back and relax as people destroy the crawlers and bees.

0-30 in 1 day (half day), 30-40 in 3 hours at crawlers nest, it almost makes me sad when I look and see that It took me years to get to 70 on DRK.

[Ravenmore]

I am quite annoyed that at level 30 the only real chance to get a party is to go to crawlers nest and join an alliance that is doing page 1. At 2.3K per page You can level every 3 pages and just sit back and relax as people destroy the crawlers and bees.

0-30 in 1 day (half day), 30-40 in 3 hours at crawlers nest, it almost makes me sad when I look and see that It took me years to get to 70 on DRK.

That is why people are sick of 6 man parties. It would different if there was any real content for low levels that had any kind of decent rewards. CoP proved that people didn't bother with doing the content as they leveled. Why should I spend 75% of my time in game looking for a party and all the content is at level cap.

I can count on one hand how many friends I made in exp parties. Old exp parties by the end of 2 or 3 hours of doing nothing but focusing on the fight cause if you chatted to much and mobs started taking to long to die you killing your exp and that of the rest of the party. Its not only your 12.95 its mine, and I don't want to talk when it slows down leveling.If anything now BSing in a party doesn't hurt exp gained so it is easier to meet and get to know people in exp.

[Mezzopiano]

While I'm glad to see less job exclusion, I must say I dislike alliance EXP overall because it is horribly uncoordinated and chaotic, and lends itself far too well to gimps and leechers. Sure, arguably 6-man EXP did as well, but at least there they were easier to spot.

[Rafien]

That is why people are sick of 6 man parties. It would different if there was any real content for low levels that had any kind of decent rewards. CoP proved that people didn't bother with doing the content as they leveled. Why should I spend 75% of my time in game looking for a party and all the content is at level cap.

I can count on one hand how many friends I made in exp parties. Old exp parties by the end of 2 or 3 hours of doing nothing but focusing on the fight cause if you chatted to much and mobs started taking to long to die you killing your exp and that of the rest of the party. Its not only your 12.95 its mine, and I don't want to talk when it slows down leveling.If anything now BSing in a party doesn't hurt exp gained so it is easier to meet and get to know people in exp.

Easier to meet people when you spend every second running from mob to mob in crawlers nest, zero time to rest for mp, if you stop and type a sentence you're already too far away from the party to get the kill count. - Side note: The LS I'm in that is probably the most helpful, fun, and rewarding LS I've ever been in was found on a exp party about 3 months ago.

6 years ago, you were booted out of a party if you didn't know how to do Skill chains.. People aren't learning their weapons, they aren't skilling their weapons, they don't even know how to play their characters. Was in a party the other day, and the WHM didn't even have Protectra II because they didn't need it skilling with books.

With my Scythe, I can name every skill chain it goes with to maximize damage done. Can most new players even name one? No because they never even seen them happen. You use to have to macro TP Ready for use, now people look at you like you're and idiot and don't have a clue why you're announcing you're ready to use your weapon skill.


EDIT:
What they need to do, remove the books and take it back to parties. But allow level sync players to gain skills while they fight. So if your buddy that is level 50 decides he'll help and join your party at level 30, the mobs he fights, should increase his overall weapon skill as if he was level 50. This would increase the people who want to level sync and join parties.

If I level sync, I fight for 5 levels and get out of the party so I can then go level my weapons. This becomes harder as DRK soloing is not exactly suppose to happen.