7/19 Test Server Update – Item Adjustments

[Camate]

Greetings,

Below is a message from Producer Akihiko Matsui about the item adjustments that have taken place on the Test Server today.

Matsui here.

The Test Server has just been updated and it is now possible to check out the equipment stat adjustments that were mentioned in the version update notes as well as in my post about "combat skill +."

Please note that the data and content that is currently on the Test Server is not finalized and we are in the midst of making minute changes to the parameters.

However, from here on out there won’t be any large variations, so please check them out knowing that these stats are roughly what they will be.

Now then, I’d like to talk a bit about the content that was added to the Test Server while I go over what was previously mentioned.

• Purpose of the adjustments
  The main reason for these adjustments is so that we can apply the "combat skill +" stat, which I explained about in a previous post, to existing equipment.
  
  Additionally, in the future we will also be implementing revamps to existing equipment and we will be expanding the enhancement specs for these while carrying over their original stats.
  (Think of this as there not currently being enough slots to set bonuses on each item.)
  
  
• Adjustment overview
  Basically, we are making adjustments so that the current stats are maintained and more are added.
  
  • Weapons
    The "accuracy + (ranged accuracy+)" and "attack + (ranged attack +)" stats for a lot of items will be replaced with "combat skill+."
    
    While the "accuracy + (ranged accuracy +)" and "attack + (ranged attack +)" values will become lower, at a glance it will appear as if they've become weaker; however, the total amount of the stats will not be lowered.
    
    In regards to hand-to-hand weapons, due to the fact that the damage value will increase as the skill value increases, the damage value has been somewhat reduced; however, we've ultimately calculated everything out so that there are no changes to the final damage value.
    
    Also, we’ve added a variety of parameters in addition to "combat skill +."
    
    
  • Armor
    We’ve added different types of parameters such as increases to defense, HP, MP, STR, and other stats to armor.
    
    As this is before the spec expansion and we were limited by the amount of equipment bonuses we could set, there is still a number of equipment where we would have liked to add different bonuses, but were unable to.
    
    For this equipment, we've increased other parameters in place of where we could not add bonuses, so certain parameters may seem lower than what they are currently due to these adjustments; however, we’ve made it so that total stats are much better than before.
  
  
• Other I
  Considering the role of "Lehbrailg," we’ve changed the jobs that can equip this item from "BLM, SCH, GEO" to "WHM, BLM, RDM, BRD, SMN, SCH, GEO."
  
  
• Other II
  • When equipping items that show an item level, we’ve made it so the message displayed when checking monsters will vary depending on your average item level.
    
  • As the level range of monsters you can obtain experience points from has increased making it difficult to understand just how easy an "easy prey" monster is, we’ve added a new message: "Incredibly easy prey."
    
  • We've made it so that adjustments to the amount of experience points obtained will not take place via item level.
  
  
• Other III
  When the weapon you equip in your main hand possesses both "combat skill +" and displays an item level, the number of Utsusemi shadows consumed when being attacked will be reduced and spell interruption rate will be lowered.

[Zumi]

I try this stuff out on the test server, and "Incredibly easy prey" was like pretty much every thing in abyssea.

My monk has an ilvl 119 Oatixur. Now then nothing gave exp with Oxaixur equipped. When I took off my weapon and fought bear handed then I started to get exp.

Did you guys want people to use no weapon or weak weapons in abyssea to get exp. Because it seems kind of dumb that people would have to carry around a crappy weapon to gain merit points.

Also tested dynamis delve weapons also make everything in there "Incredibly easy prey" you lose about 22+ or so exp making dynamis trails take longer as a side effect of this adjustment, or use a weaker weapon and have it take longer that way as well.

[Fredjan]

Also tested dynamis delve weapons also make everything in there "Incredibly easy prey" you lose about 22+ or so exp making dynamis trails take longer as a side effect of this adjustment, or use a weaker weapon and have it take longer that way as well.

I seem to recall an earlier post as well from the development team saying the item level exp changes would only affect monsters level 100 and above, too (everything in SoA and a select few amount of monsters pre-SoA), so that it wouldn't hinder people doing magian trials. At the rate the game's going, though, nobody will do any of those before long, only a select handful are worth even bothering with at this point and that's rapidly diminishing.

Also to note, in abyssea, everything is level 99 or lower for regular mobs (minus occasional situations where mobs might con Tough (aka level 100), so that shouldn't be affected at all. Needless to say:

We've made it so that adjustments to the amount of experience points obtained will not take place via item level.

Sounds like that is not the case.

Edit: Okay, it is the case in Adoulin. Just tested that on mandragoras outside town, which conned "incredibly easy prey" to me, was getting EXP I get on the live server.

[Babekeke]

No doubt this bug will be ignored until 3 days after the next update when they say it was unintentional and run an emergency maint.

Just like the RUN merits for Rune Enchantment reducing the recast by 2 each time (to 0 at 5/5), which players had said about ever since it went up on the test server.

[Zumi]

We've made it so that adjustments to the amount of experience points obtained will not take place via item level.

Dev team you guys should look at this. Because its not working correctly on the test server. You do lose exp for using a higher ilvl weapon. Putting on a weapon that doesn't have an ilvl displayed on it the exp goes to normal.

[pretre]

R/E/M R/E/M R/E/M R/E/M R/E/M I would write something about all this new info and still no mention of R/E/M but its clear now they don't read those posts, so I suppose its just time to give up trying to get a answer. /sigh all my linkshells dead cos of lack of info

[Tennotsukai]

Hey, I have a really cool idea, SE! Let this also affect blink spells such as occultation and zypher mantle as well. After all, you guys have said before you view blu as somewhat of a tank, too.

[Rustic]

Frankly, it'd be nice to see them drop Grounds Tomes into Adoulin and give folks with Delve-level weapons spots to exp that way. Set the exp gain to roughly mirror Abyssea levels and you're good to go- and DO let high iLVL items effectively eliminate exp gain in areas with "incredibly easy" opponents, unless level-synced down to appropriate levels.

I mean, seriously. Adoulin gear should be trivializing earlier content to the point where it's often not even a real fight anymore.