Trust Suggestions

[GoltanaBuukki]

I normally do not post here, but wanted to add a few of my suggestions and feedback I have noticed regarding trust. I will preface this by saying that I really do enjoy this system, as it allows me to "party", even if it's by myself.

•Some of the AIs are very well programmed, such as Joachim. Others, unfortunately, are not. For instance, Most of these trusts have some unique ability or gesture that they offer, some even fulfilling multiple roles. Joachim is great because he uses buffs that are typical to a melee, will use debuffing songs (such as elegy), and will even Ballad if HIS falls low. He'll -na and cure if your HP gets low, but not if its just in the yellow. On the other hand, it appears that both Kupipi and Mihli do not know how to prioritize their spell usage at all. I am not talking about using cure3 over cure5 (although this would be ideal for MP conservation). I recall having both Mihli and Kupipi out, and during battle I became zombie diseased and in critical HP (the type of disease where you CANNOT be cured, you need to be healed of disease first). Both Mihli and Kupipi spammed cure5s on me, all for 0 health. This went on for about 3 casts each. I couldn't believe it. I actually had to stun the mob and physically viruna myself before I died. I understand that they prioritize keeping you alive first, then curing your debuffs afterwards. But I think this system needs to be adjusted a bit.

This brings me to my next suggestion -

•Implementing a way to prioritize they behavior of the Trusts. I think there should be some NPC or option similar to the NPC in Ru'Lude for fellows where you can customize their behavior. MyGalka pal can be adjusted to attacker/healer/tank (and beyond that after a certain quest). They could use the starting Trust NPC as a figure for customizing every one of your trusts similarly.

••••For instance, Kupipi and Mihli are both club-wielding healers. There could be a way to prioritize their individual healing behavior. (Kupipi) could be set to focus on casting -na spells first, and then cast curative spells when no -na is needed. Then buffs could be prioritized as third for Kupipi. Mihli could be set to cast all debuffs first (like slow and paralyze), and then focus on healing when no debuffs are needed. This would allow players to customize their trusts to have a specific niche, and would reduce the risk of similar trusts performing the same tasks for 'no effect'. I can't even count how many times I have had both whm Trusts and I have fallen low in HP - both of them would cure5 me where only one was needed. Or at the start of battle, both WHMs casted Paralyze. If the AI could be manipulated by players, it would allow some strategic thinking behind what Trusts you would use, and what you would use them for. This could also be an optional feature, for players who would not really care to adjust their trusts.

This feature would also help to improve some Trusts whose roles are shared with others. For instance, Ayame seems to be a weaker version of Tenzen, both with no specific JAs. They both appear to 'hold their tp' longer than usual. I think this should be adjusted to where we can set it so they WS as soon as they have TP, instead of waiting for me to have TP. I also think there should be an option, similar to Fellows, to activate or deactivate AOE WS's at will. This way, if I chose to use Ayame (for whatever reason), I could have her set to use WSs frequently, whereas Tenzen I could set to hold his TP, since his are more high SC friendly.

•Allow for macro or text communication with trusts. For instance, there could be a command or a text that, when used, affects what a Trust will do. The auto translate dictionary might work. Or something like /npcabil "Provoke" <on> would trigger in Volker the option to use Provoke every single time it is available and not just when he loses hate. This would improve some of the tanks in maintaining hate instead of simply using these abilities when hate is diminishing. If something like Haste was ever added, /npcabil <Haste> would be a command that could allow Mihli to cast haste on the party when it is ready. It would be a customizable set of commands that you pre-set to allow your trusts to do the things you generally want them to do. Joachim could be set to use Ballad upon a simple command, instead of waiting for his own MP to fall low before he uses it. Zeid could be set for /npcabil "Stun", and specifically use Stun whenever a monster is casting or "readying" a spell. This would make his spell usage actually worthwhile, since ordinarily him casting so much hinders his overall DPS.

•Improve the usefulness of specific spells and abilities. I think certain elemental abilities and spells should be favored over simply cycling through the ability list for some trusts. For instance, Ajido could cast all Fire-based spells on monsters that are weak to fire, and then when those timers are down, could resort to using the others. I think you should be able to set the aggressive casting level based on how you want them to perform. The common workaround for Shantotto and Ajido is to simply recast them when their MP pool is down. You could just give them Aspir and Aspir2, though. But if we could adjust the way they use their MP, it would allow us to use them more effectively. They could be set to deal the MOST damage when their hate is low, but resort to casting lower tier spells when they have built up too much enmity (instead of just standing there).

•Improve the variety and JA selection of these Trusts. I have recently started using Lion - not because she's effective, but because she's new. She does not appear to do anything different from Nanaa (besides a passive trait) from what I can tell. Her damage is similar, appears to deal less damage than Nanaa's King Cobra Clamp, and overall, is just good to look at while she's fighting. I think its necessary to allow her to do something specific. That goes for trusts like Naji, Curilla, Ayame, Tenzen etc. As of right now, there is no glaring reason to use older trusts over the newer ones. They have become replaced with more improved AIs.


Overall, I really think the entire Trust system could either be really effective or really poor, depending on the direction that is taken. I hope SE takes the opportunity to improve this system to what it should be, a really fun and interactive system for levelling anf adventuring.

[Rwolf]

I like Joachim as well but his AI could use some tweaking. I'm fine with him not curing unless you're low on HP due to the subbed MP pool but it would be nice if -na spell was his top priority given their low cost. He is obviously capable of 3 songs as it can happen solo outside of Wildskeeper Reive. I'd suggest that his AI uses x2 melee songs but changes between Ballad and Paeon as the 3rd song depending on HP and MP pools and attempts to keep 3 up. Would also be nice to see him get some kind of weapon skill. I know there is none for throwing but it would still be nice if he got something to expend TP on like Call to Arms (Ulla uses in Campaign).

I personally don't like the idea of customizing Trust NPCs or giving them text commands. I can see it being a lot of hard work for the development team in creating a structure where it works with so many different NPCs. Which could limit how many Trust NPCs we get in the future. I like that I have no control over them as they aren't meant to replace people and I wouldn't want to bring them closer to that then they already are. The customization should come in with them having different AI. As we get more and more of them, we can tailor our Trust party to our liking.

I am in agreement that there needs to be more differences between NPCs with the same job.

[Mustakrakish]

I would like to see Semih Lafihna (the Sibyl guard) added as a Trust. I think a ranger would be awesome and there is clearly no programming issue in making an npc use ranged attack for their auto attack (Joachim).

[evanwimbish]

I think that trust currently is destroying npcs quest..
I'm aware npcs can be used in pt but trust can't, however they commented this is being looked into... Revamp npc would be nice...
While trust is great for solo players who need the extra help, perhaps making a trust-skill up system could balance this, it's a bit unethical that you gain access to this much power so quickly.

maybe an armor system kinda like pup could be nice, like each trust can equip 1-8 armors depending on npc and as for the armor types either use attachments system in the same respects as pup, or maybe make it so you can equip personal items to one of 3 npcs or something cool

But it would be cool to see trust use a more Indepth system in the future for the npcs

[Rifaran]

idk if anyone has mentioned this but, please let us summon trusts in burning circle areas, and during battle. also could you add Prishe as a trust?

[Bladesyphon]

Just want to put in my two cents for Trust (or three cents, as it were), starting with how happy I am with the system. I used to play waaay back when the game first came out up until Chains of Promathia consistently, than on and off until Wings of the Goddess released before quitting entirely until just last month, with Trust and RoE being the two drawing back in points. It's a whole different ball game now with FFXI, and I'm enjoying it so much more now that I have the ability to essentially play whenever, and where ever, I want in the game, as opposed to how it was back in the ye olde times, when full groups if six parties were a requirement, most DDs need not apply, and you were restricted to only a handful of leveling areas (Valkurm Dunes, Quifm Island, Kazham, etc.).

But with all that said, I do think there a number of improvements that could be made to Trust, and by default, smaller parties because of it, so let's get those laid out on the table, shall we?

* Point the First: Allow Trust Alter-Egos to be summoned in a party
I'm pretty sure this has been echoed more than enough times in this topic, but I'll echo it again. Allowing us, the players, to group with two friends and three Alter Egos in lieu of a full party would be just plain amazing, because let's be frank: Right now most Book Burn parties are dead, Abbyssea is best done at 75 so you're not just leeching EXP, and it's quicker to level with your Alter-Egos than it is to look around, form a party of one or two people in the area you're leveling with right now, and make a mini-book burn party. With the ability to have Alter-Egos in a PC party, you'll giving many players a reason to play with others, as well as fill in those empty slots that you might not be able to fill otherwise with Job rolls you might not have on hand.

I can see a few complications with this, such as what level the Alter-Egos scale to when summoned, but this could be easily remedied by making it so that they simply scale to the party leader's level, or scale down to what the party's level is when level synched. There's also the possibility of simply making it so that Alter-Egos can't be summoned in groups at all unless they're level-synched, but that might cause issues for those wanting to group up in small groups to tackle Mission and Quest content with high level help and high level alter-ego help, so the former choice is probably the better.

* Point the Second: Reduce/Remove small group EXP Penalties
This isn't directly related to Trust, but is one of the reasons people would be hesitant to group in small groups even with them. While the majority of a players EXP these days comes Grounds and Tomes of Valor rewards, people still like getting Experience from Monsters as well. And as it stands right now, soloing with trust NPCs removes any and all EXP penalties from the formula, since you're still technically soloing. The easy fix for this is, obviously, making it so that groups of 2 and 3 parties don't take an EXP cut, and since EXP penalties aren't an issue in Abyssea, you wouldn't need to worry about people complaining about EXP cuts at the four-member and higher party groups, as those people will likely be leveling in Abbyssea anyways. A small point, but an important one none the less.

*Point the Third: Allow Trust to be used Mission Battlefields
Note that I said Mission Battlefields, not all Battlefields. At the end of the day, alot of people are still playing Final Fantasy XI for the storyline, and making said storyline easier to complete, at level or otherwise, without having to shout in the main cities for assistance is a great boon to those interested in it. Allowing Players to use their Alter Egos inside Mission Battlefields will allow them to at the very least attempt the missions at level if they'd like, and give them an easier time in the latter Chains of Promathia missions and onwards, even at level 99, to finish them solo.

That said, I don't really feel that Alter Egos should be allowed to be summoned into optional Battlefields (BCNMs and the like), as that should still be something players want to seek out other players, friends, and LS mates to complete, but I suppose I couldn't see the harm in them being allowed to be used in places like Dynamis and older content where it's already easy enough to solo at level 99.

So yeah, off the top of my head those are the three major points I feel should be addressed with the Trust system. Two directly related, one slightly un-related but still affected by them. There's other things I'd like to see too, such as more customization, quests, characters, and the like, but for now I'd rather focus on making the Trust System better than it already is, and working it a bit to encourage players to both use it AND group with others at the same time. But as it stands right now, it's a lovely feature and has made me become an active player once again.

[Camate]

Greetings,

Thanks for all the feedback and NPC requests! I’ve relayed all the info to the development team and you can be sure that they will be adding more and more NPCs moving forward.

One thing to note real quick as well, in case you’ve missed out on obtaining any of the limited time NPCs from recent campaigns, we will be having other opportunities to obtain them so please don’t worry! We’ll make an announcement on the how and the when once everything has been finalized.

[Glamdring]

Just want to put in my two cents for Trust (or three cents, as it were), starting with how happy I am with the system. I used to play waaay back when the game first came out up until Chains of Promathia consistently, than on and off until Wings of the Goddess released before quitting entirely until just last month, with Trust and RoE being the two drawing back in points. It's a whole different ball game now with FFXI, and I'm enjoying it so much more now that I have the ability to essentially play whenever, and where ever, I want in the game, as opposed to how it was back in the ye olde times, when full groups if six parties were a requirement, most DDs need not apply, and you were restricted to only a handful of leveling areas (Valkurm Dunes, Quifm Island, Kazham, etc.).

But with all that said, I do think there a number of improvements that could be made to Trust, and by default, smaller parties because of it, so let's get those laid out on the table, shall we?

* Point the First: Allow Trust Alter-Egos to be summoned in a party
I'm pretty sure this has been echoed more than enough times in this topic, but I'll echo it again. Allowing us, the players, to group with two friends and three Alter Egos in lieu of a full party would be just plain amazing, because let's be frank: Right now most Book Burn parties are dead, Abbyssea is best done at 75 so you're not just leeching EXP, and it's quicker to level with your Alter-Egos than it is to look around, form a party of one or two people in the area you're leveling with right now, and make a mini-book burn party. With the ability to have Alter-Egos in a PC party, you'll giving many players a reason to play with others, as well as fill in those empty slots that you might not be able to fill otherwise with Job rolls you might not have on hand.

I can see a few complications with this, such as what level the Alter-Egos scale to when summoned, but this could be easily remedied by making it so that they simply scale to the party leader's level, or scale down to what the party's level is when level synched. There's also the possibility of simply making it so that Alter-Egos can't be summoned in groups at all unless they're level-synched, but that might cause issues for those wanting to group up in small groups to tackle Mission and Quest content with high level help and high level alter-ego help, so the former choice is probably the better.

* Point the Second: Reduce/Remove small group EXP Penalties
This isn't directly related to Trust, but is one of the reasons people would be hesitant to group in small groups even with them. While the majority of a players EXP these days comes Grounds and Tomes of Valor rewards, people still like getting Experience from Monsters as well. And as it stands right now, soloing with trust NPCs removes any and all EXP penalties from the formula, since you're still technically soloing. The easy fix for this is, obviously, making it so that groups of 2 and 3 parties don't take an EXP cut, and since EXP penalties aren't an issue in Abyssea, you wouldn't need to worry about people complaining about EXP cuts at the four-member and higher party groups, as those people will likely be leveling in Abbyssea anyways. A small point, but an important one none the less.

*Point the Third: Allow Trust to be used Mission Battlefields
Note that I said Mission Battlefields, not all Battlefields. At the end of the day, alot of people are still playing Final Fantasy XI for the storyline, and making said storyline easier to complete, at level or otherwise, without having to shout in the main cities for assistance is a great boon to those interested in it. Allowing Players to use their Alter Egos inside Mission Battlefields will allow them to at the very least attempt the missions at level if they'd like, and give them an easier time in the latter Chains of Promathia missions and onwards, even at level 99, to finish them solo.

That said, I don't really feel that Alter Egos should be allowed to be summoned into optional Battlefields (BCNMs and the like), as that should still be something players want to seek out other players, friends, and LS mates to complete, but I suppose I couldn't see the harm in them being allowed to be used in places like Dynamis and older content where it's already easy enough to solo at level 99.

So yeah, off the top of my head those are the three major points I feel should be addressed with the Trust system. Two directly related, one slightly un-related but still affected by them. There's other things I'd like to see too, such as more customization, quests, characters, and the like, but for now I'd rather focus on making the Trust System better than it already is, and working it a bit to encourage players to both use it AND group with others at the same time. But as it stands right now, it's a lovely feature and has made me become an active player once again.

I believe your 1st point was listed as being in the works within like 2 days of the roll-out, but yes, keep working on it; I have a friend I like to duo with but with trust things have been faster solo so we haven't duo'd in awhile. The second I can see as being a legitimate issue once we get parties. The third, AMEN, tell it like it is! BUT we need some intelligent AI since some of the stuff you would want to do-say solo VW for HMP-needs a proc and I'm almost positive Royal Bash isn't going to get that done, etc. Also, can we get the whms and Ajido to silence mobs? seriously, I'd boot a whm that didn't from a real party-unless I had a rdm tasked with it. and is there anything wrong with Dia? or Bio? and why doesn't Shantotto have a sub-besides her being crazy as a bed-bug I mean? or a weap, since spirittaker would be awesome for her (I forget, isn't she the one we get the quested WS from for staff?)

[Demonjustin]

Greetings,

Thanks for all the feedback and NPC requests! I’ve relayed all the info to the development team and you can be sure that they will be adding more and more NPCs moving forward.

One thing to note real quick as well, in case you’ve missed out on obtaining any of the limited time NPCs from recent campaigns, we will be having other opportunities to obtain them so please don’t worry! We’ll make an announcement on the how and the when once everything has been finalized.

All I ask is that you do not make those opportunities limited as well, I am disappointed that you left something such as the Abyssea items tied to this limited system you have it in, where its basically there 2 weeks then gone a month, where as its something so important to new players I feel it should have just been a permanent change, and similarly, I feel these NPCs should be permanently implemented, both the Login ones, as well as the New Years ones.

Part of why I feel this is especially important is for this specific fact, right now in the game itself we care capable of unlocking a SAM, WHM, and THF, 2 WARs, and 2 BLMs, and lastly 3 PLDs without any limited time NPCs included. Limited time NPCs include a DRK, WHM, PLD, SAM, BRD, and THF. Two of these jobs are unique, and overall, these are 6 of only a current total of 16 NPCs in the game right now, more than a third are time limited NPCs which is why its no wonder that quantity is taking priority over quality and the changes to AI are mostly being held back till Feb, after all, more NPCs are needed to fill these gaps.

In the end, please, just allow these NPCs to come from a quest of some sort after some time passes between the end of their campaign and another update, so that everyone can get them no matter what, rather than only if they are on at certain times or certain months.

[Tohihroyu]

Greetings,

Thanks for all the feedback and NPC requests! I’ve relayed all the info to the development team and you can be sure that they will be adding more and more NPCs moving forward.

One thing to note real quick as well, in case you’ve missed out on obtaining any of the limited time NPCs from recent campaigns, we will be having other opportunities to obtain them so please don’t worry! We’ll make an announcement on the how and the when once everything has been finalized.

Please be more Galka added *crosses fingers*