Far too many Lv90 mobs in low-level areas impeding quests/missions..

[Aramaru]

Ok.. so.. first post here. 6 years ago I stopped playing Final Fantasy XI (after playing it since it's U.S. release), and have returned to Vana'diel for various reasons, foremost amongst them being that I just plain missed Vana'diel. The game has undergone tremendous changes, and to be honest, I don't think I've enjoyed an MMO as much as I have since coming back.

I often like make an analogy about how FFXI used to be.. like an abusive friend who hurts you but you keep returning despite the pain. Now, it's more like a strict coach who knocks you down, then immediately helps you back onto your feet with words of encouragement. I state this so you know I am not one who always looks for the negative, but honestly tries to be impartial. However, there is ONE overriding factor that is making me nervous about commiting to return to the game, and that is the overabundance of extremely high-level monsters in nearly every zone.

Fields of Valor is a great idea, and allows one to solo effectively as classes which previously could not reasonably attain any real amount of experience in a moderate period of time. The problem is.. was it really neccessary to slap maximum level enemies into nearly every indoor area, and worst, put them "in the way" of lower level quest and mission objectives? The very first enemy I encountered in Zeruhn Mines, a freakin' newbie dungeon, hit me for 700 damage shortly after I began playing. While the mobs I was "supposed" to go after were now in a very small, secluded area, and the gil reward for the soot they drop wasn't adjusted either.

Then I tried to do the Windurst Mission to locate Nanaa Mihgo's hideout, only to be attacked by 80-90+ bugs and bats, whereas that same area used to be an excellent place to farm and level in at around the mid-20's and 30's. Not to mention that Ranguemont Pass now has also seemingly-90+ foes blocking the entire length of the tunnel past the entryway.. leading to a level 50ish zone. What the heck?

These are just a few of the many examples; and the reason I am complaining is that this will still be an issue EVEN when I do reach the level cap myself. There are now massive numbers (and massively numbered) foes in areas where you previously could run by safely that will still be hostile even to a maxed-out player, and it seems rather unfair to force players to HAVE to carry multiple stacks of Sneak/Invisible powders in EVERY single darned indoor area for EVERY quest, whenever one isn't on a mage job. I mean, let's say I wanted to level, uhm, Warrior in Beaucedine or Xarcabard for whatever reason. How am I supposed to GET there? Bum a teleport off a mage every single trip? Sub WHM and hinder my own leveling?

And so on and so forth. Now, I understand the need for a multitude of leveling locations. Not everyone can get a party for Abyssea, or even has those add-ons, or whatever. And I am totally familiar with the "old days" where just a few more players can ruin XP chains for others by traipsing into the same camp. But c'mon! The amount of high-level foes casually dumped into the ONLY PATH through multiple low and medium level areas is just crazy. And effectively destroys the ability to solo and/or travel easier which Fields of Valor (and 6 years of patches) was supposed to remedy!

So, please hear my plea, and if you're going to put Lv80-90 mobs in older areas, stick them off in side rooms or even add new passageways for them, NOT in the existing framework, as it hurts both us returning lowbies as well as high-levels who don't want to have to fight dozens of enemies just to 'get' somewhere when they don't have Invisible or Sneak 'free' with their job. It's one thing to "require" such things in, uhm, Tu'Lia or whatever, but in the freakin' FIRST missions and quests you get??

[Gokku]

sneak and invis ps2 limitations

[Scribble]

I'll apologize up front. I'm sorry. I did not read your novel, but I did check the cliffnotes.

Welcome back to Vana'diel. There are now these nifty new books around called 'Grounds Tome' which will grant you sneak and invisible for the small fee of.. holy shit, do I really have that many tabs!?

[Neonii]

Quoted for truth! I got my own surprise when I went to farm I think it was wild onions and im level 90. I don't know how I missed the memo but after the incident I was like what the HE double matchsticks at that time I looked online and found the info. It was almost like you had to check online before doing familiar farming ect for awhile there.

[geekgirl101]

Grounds Valor books aren't in all places, Rangemount Pass doesn't appear to have one at all. And some of the Grounds Valor books are very deep inside the dungeons. Toraimarai Canal for example only has a Grounds Valor book at the entrance to Windurst, and as for the one in Inner Horotoro Ruins it's in the worst positioned place of all since you need to drop Invisible in order to open the doors leading to the level 80+ mobs!

I agree with the OP, the high level mobs should be positioned somewhere where they aren't hindering lower level players trying to complete their quests/missions. A lot of good regular party areas got completely ruined as result of them, like the basements in Crawlers' Nest and Garlaige Citadel, and to pour salt on the wound many typically farmed coffer mobs were victims of the high level replacements, causing people to have to hunt for the mere tiny handful hidden away in a small corner of a previously unexplored section of a dungeon (once again I refer to both Crawler's Nest and Garlaige Citadel.)

[Logandor]

I have new people in the linkshell who just joined about 2 weeks ago. Never knew they needed sneak and invis to do the missions for windy and I am out in aby cure bombing a tank when I see all over the ls "Oh sh**! It one shotted me. wiki says these can be done at our level with no problem. Tig can you come raise us ; ;" Now I don't mean to rant and rave but how the hell do you expect new players to know those 85-90+ mobs are going to smack their butts to dust in one shot or that those are 85-90+ mobs? It's not very fair to us 90s to have to come help when we are tied up doing our own thing and the new players want to be able to be independent of us and not ask or plea for help from us.
Thing is I personally have not gone around on walk-a-bout to where the old rank missions are and go oh hey I have to make ls events just to get people's rank missions done. Now I am having to take time away as well as other 90s to come help on missions that when we were 30s could solo. >.> MAY I MAKE A SUGGESTION?! Move the mission stuff or move those high levels or make it to where they won't aggro people under 75? It's not too much to ask but it's really annoying and irritating to come out on a 90 job to do a level30 mission for the level 34 comrades.