Was Ambuscade too popular?

[Urmom]

Ambuscade is really not fun anymore. Can there please be an option that is doable solo or in a duo on normal? I don't think that's too much to ask. As is, you need a full party of people in proper job slots to do normal with average 119 gear. Tried difficult with a full party and the weird gimmicks are hard to deal with when you have a group full of people who don't really know the fight/not everyone on optimal jobs.

Of course it would have helped if we had dropped the non BLU DDs because, frankly they added negligible or even NEGATIVE damage (by interrupting the BLU's skillchains) - but that's really a crappy place for the game to be in, where someone with about the same level of gear as someone else is not welcome because their job isn't able to do the one thing that is expected of them - deal damage.

Please consider making Ambuscade more accessible for all jobs next month. We should not be forced to exclude people on most jobs just to get wins.

Also can the event be slightly less punishing for WHM? Being a WHM is hard enough without draw in, AOEs, silencega and multiple mobs popping up and eating your face. I'd like to be able to get whm gear this month.... I am willing to WHM to do it but this event is really BS.

In the meantime if folks could respond with strategies/setups that work - I'd like to try to get some parties this month. I have BRD WHM for support and BLU (NQ) and BST (NQ) for DD.

Wait are you talking about intense? Because for regular D/VD are definitely soloable. Ls member does it a bit on blu.

As far as strats I've personally been doing intense normal with 3 bst. Actually won with no trusts once lol. But with D the difficulty went way up and could barely hit anything for little dmg and died fast. For regular I do VD 3 bsts with karuha, nashmeira II and KoH. Get's a little hairy without Apuru since Karuha is pretty meh and dies a lot but no complete wipes (though did have to burn unleash once or twice and/or had a guy die). D was super easy like that. Adds aren't really a problem. 2-3 tegmina buffets kills them all even on VD while doing good dmg to the main. Just gotta watch your charges so you aren't catch with your pants down

[OmnysValefor]

Thanks so much. I appreciate that help. It's hard to do a group when folks don't know what is going on.

So is the general strat to sleep the adds and just burn down the boss with them out? My group was killing the adds.

Do you just drop GEO from the party in favour of bard or do you do something lik WHM GEO BARD PLD BLU BLM?

And, hopefully I am not being a pest here but what buffs would a 3 song bard generally do?

My vv key is not orking again. Sorry about the typos.

You probably kno by this point that I don't really favor too many melee. I prefer PLD(since I am), VVHM, GEO, BRD, Melee, Melee and no, I really haven't seen anything out of blu that makes me favor them on this fight. I've had great group using DRG, DNC, SAM, and yes BLU.

GEOs buffs are superior or equal so I'd have the bard do March, March, Madrigal and have the GEO do Fury/Frailty. If accuracy is just not a problem, a minuet never hurt.

[Olor]

Wait are you talking about intense? Because for regular D/VD are definitely soloable. Ls member does it a bit on blu.

As far as strats I've personally been doing intense normal with 3 bst. Actually won with no trusts once lol. But with D the difficulty went way up and could barely hit anything for little dmg and died fast. For regular I do VD 3 bsts with karuha, nashmeira II and KoH. Get's a little hairy without Apuru since Karuha is pretty meh and dies a lot but no complete wipes (though did have to burn unleash once or twice and/or had a guy die). D was super easy like that. Adds aren't really a problem. 2-3 tegmina buffets kills them all even on VD while doing good dmg to the main. Just gotta watch your charges so you aren't catch with your pants down

I am talking about regular. And alas, what is soloable for someone with best in slot all over and/or helpful add ons is not necessarily soloable for someone with "okay" but "not amazing" 119 gear playing vanilla.

I might try a BST run. Thanks for the tips. Why King of Hearts and Nashmeira particularly? I use KoH on BLU to get the refresh II but why would he be the character of choice for BSTs?

My vv key is not orking again. Sorry about the typos.

You probably kno by this point that I don't really favor too many melee. I prefer PLD(since I am), VVHM, GEO, BRD, Melee, Melee and no, I really haven't seen anything out of blu that makes me favor them on this fight. I've had great group using DRG, DNC, SAM, and yes BLU.

GEOs buffs are superior or equal so I'd have the bard do March, March, Madrigal and have the GEO do Fury/Frailty. If accuracy is just not a problem, a minuet never hurt.

Thanks much. This sounds like a doable setup too.

I think I might dust off ye olde bst and try soloing easy too...

I really appreciate everyone who has chimed in with advice/ideas here. I think half the issue is just not knowing what works or not and not really wanting to experiment overly much with a pickup group.

[zataz]

It isn't really about historical soloing versus the situation today.

It is about Ambuscade specifically. It allows solo entry. But it brackets the solo entry in the same zone as group entry. So the solo person gets hated on, they are made to feel guilty and unhappy when they tackle low-mid range mode, and take 25 mins to win.

The point is that allowing solo entry, should go alongside an entry system that doesn't create tension in the playerbase, or make people feel guilty for choosing that option. Solo entry is a legit option, offered by the game. But if you take it, you are made to feel bad.

Also, the multiple NMs / catastrophic attacks factor, is not solo friendly at all, and yet is designated as the solo option this month.

So it is really not about the past versus today, but the current content. I am not doing Ambuscade at all, because I don't agree with my points being ninjad every month. Maybe I have enough stress in my life already, without worrying about my points vanishing.

It would be far better if the Ambuscade entrances were multiple BCNM areas, and I would suggest putting a type of "Microcosmic Orb" / "Macrocosmic Orb" situation where there is specific BCNM zones for solo/duo Ambuscade, against single NMs, with low-end difficulty and low-end rewards. And a higher level pop, in different BCNM zones, for parties of 3 to 6 players, with multiple NMs, higher levels of rewards and difficulty.

We all want to see players enjoying the game and being happy. Nobody should be made to feel unhappy or feel guilty, just because they choose to solo a battle slowly, for whatever reason. Splitting the 1-2 / 3-6 player groups into separate Ambuscade entrances, would stop this tension and allow people to be happy playing the game in the manner that best suits them.

bah u people solo lol make it so trust cant be used then u will solo >.>

[Castanica]

The first ambuscade was rewarding and fun, I was doing runs on my undergeared mule char and making decent progress solo.
The second ambuscade was really dang annoying, I struggled to do the minimum I could and I had to group or put a lot of effort in.
The 3rd ambuscade? I haven't even bothered, way to make good content and ruin it.

bah u people solo lol make it so trust cant be used then u will solo >.>

You seem to be confusing the term solo with a badge of honor. Solo means without any other living players in your party, it's not a measurement of your epeen.

[Urmom]

I am talking about regular. And alas, what is soloable for someone with best in slot all over and/or helpful add ons is not necessarily soloable for someone with "okay" but "not amazing" 119 gear playing vanilla.

I might try a BST run. Thanks for the tips. Why King of Hearts and Nashmeira particularly? I use KoH on BLU to get the refresh II but why would he be the character of choice for BSTs?

Actually wasn't really the best geared. 2 were basically full time ready/dt set... so like addon head/legs af3 hands then mostly the dt stuff main was similar but all 119 slots so trusts didn't suck. Just bst seems to be really good for this partly because AoE real good if you aren't sleeping and from what I'm reading almost sounds like gravity pull might be some sort of divided out dmg thing so more bodies is good. And of course being able to use hq pets like bertha and run wild then reset ja each run helps a lot.

My preference for KoH is largely due to his starting fights out with Dia III and then doing a decent job of keeping it up. The def down really helps your pets. Plus can heal himself and throw phalanx nas and such. Nashmeira II is basically making due. From what I've seen she's the most reliable AoE healer that isn't Apururu and at higher difficulties you will wipe every time without one of those 2 or a real healer just because the AoE dmg comes too fast for single cures

On a side note there is always the possibility of trying intense. Only did it a couple of times because slightly less hallmarks (though more gallantry if in pt) but Normal intense seemed to be a bit easier than VD regular though D intense was waaaaaaaay harder than VD regular. At least for me but that's largely because in regular the strong AoE mob is always there while in intense only saw the adds AoE so could kill them fastish first

[detlef]

SC MB strat also rocks the antlion. It's super easy to enter on Valefor now so a lot of people must either have given up or be done for the month. It's too bad because antlion is turning out to be as easy or easier than dragon.

[Vanfrano]

I'm growing tired of Ambuscade, it was quite fun the first month, last month I didn't even cap one new cape and this month I almost don't run it at all.
I don't see many people either in Mhaura, probably because full groups can get everything in one or two days and soloers don't bother anymore.
My friends don't play anymore and I don't find it easy to make new friends, especially when you have been playing with the same people for almost thirteen years so I end up soloing. I don't mind the grind but it's not fun at all and the subtle increase in difficulty makes it even less fun. Soloers without perfect gears or perfect jobs need 140 runs on normal and that's considering they clear each and every run, it's way too much.

I'm not too fond of the monthly content/reset anyway.

[Urmom]

I think some people have realized that gallantry means they can grind half as much to get the sets. Get some now then get the rest with gallantry next month while farming for that months set

[Olor]

Actually wasn't really the best geared. 2 were basically full time ready/dt set... so like addon head/legs af3 hands then mostly the dt stuff main was similar but all 119 slots so trusts didn't suck. Just bst seems to be really good for this partly because AoE real good if you aren't sleeping and from what I'm reading almost sounds like gravity pull might be some sort of divided out dmg thing so more bodies is good. And of course being able to use hq pets like bertha and run wild then reset ja each run helps a lot.

My preference for KoH is largely due to his starting fights out with Dia III and then doing a decent job of keeping it up. The def down really helps your pets. Plus can heal himself and throw phalanx nas and such. Nashmeira II is basically making due. From what I've seen she's the most reliable AoE healer that isn't Apururu and at higher difficulties you will wipe every time without one of those 2 or a real healer just because the AoE dmg comes too fast for single cures

Thank you for the advice! I've been reliably soloing easy on my bst, which is very nice because I just want the gear. Even the NQ is useful for me as I don't have a lot of 119 for whm and bard. Hope I can also get a couple HQ pieces but I will take what I get.

I am going to try normal this evening because I have some more time so failing won't be as big of a deal as it would in the morning or on my lunch break when I just want to get in a quick run before I go.

How do you reset ja? Just wait on timer or is there a way to do it faster other than Cor luck or w/e?

[Edit]

And able to solo normal on bst thanks to all the tips, thanks again people.