Master trials are a waste of dev time

[Rydal]

Greetings, everyone.

We realize that the implementation of Master Trials has been a largely discussed topic both here and on other forums, and we’ve been passing along your feedback to the development team.

In order to facilitate better discussion around this topic (and also to get more feedback for the team), I wanted to start by sharing the overall concept of this content.

Master Trials were created as difficult end-game content for those players who have just about completed all other aspects of the game and are looking for challenging content to tackle. However, this is not pointing to only right now, this goes for the future as well. While many are busy at the moment putting the finishing touches on their Aeonic weapons or completing other outstanding in-game goals, once those are done, the team would like Master Trials to exist as challenging content that you can take on when you are ready. The team is very aware that only a small population of players have been undertaking the challenge, and they feel that once more players have geared up and enhanced their characters further that this content will be challenged more frequently. Thus, with each version update lately, they have been gradually implementing new Master Trials so that they will exist in the future for players to take on when they are prepared to do so.

In regard to the rewards that Master Trials offers, to better fit the overall concept, the team decided to go the cosmetic route instead of including weapons (or other items) that can be put into use in battle so that they do not become the sole goal of completing this content.

Hopefully this serves to get a better grasp of how the development team views Master Trials, so with that said, we’re looking forward to further feedback and comments about this content.

This makes sense. I don't necessarily agree with it. But can you please give them feedback to make the cost to participate JP and not Merits. Or at least have an option to choose between the two. Using merits AGAIN makes no sense since after master, JP have no use (as of right now).

[Castanica]

Greetings, everyone.

We realize that the implementation of Master Trials has been a largely discussed topic both here and on other forums, and we’ve been passing along your feedback to the development team.

In order to facilitate better discussion around this topic (and also to get more feedback for the team), I wanted to start by sharing the overall concept of this content.

Master Trials were created as difficult end-game content for those players who have just about completed all other aspects of the game and are looking for challenging content to tackle. However, this is not pointing to only right now, this goes for the future as well. While many are busy at the moment putting the finishing touches on their Aeonic weapons or completing other outstanding in-game goals, once those are done, the team would like Master Trials to exist as challenging content that you can take on when you are ready. The team is very aware that only a small population of players have been undertaking the challenge, and they feel that once more players have geared up and enhanced their characters further that this content will be challenged more frequently. Thus, with each version update lately, they have been gradually implementing new Master Trials so that they will exist in the future for players to take on when they are prepared to do so.

In regard to the rewards that Master Trials offers, to better fit the overall concept, the team decided to go the cosmetic route instead of including weapons (or other items) that can be put into use in battle so that they do not become the sole goal of completing this content.

Hopefully this serves to get a better grasp of how the development team views Master Trials, so with that said, we’re looking forward to further feedback and comments about this content.

My problem with this is that there are already lots of players who have all the best gear in the game and are skilled and these people aren't doing it, that's not going to change.

Also many of the other players who are progressing and getting gear will never be able to do this stuff no matter what gear they get, due to lack of skill or because they dual box and it's too extreme even for well geared players.

I'd suggest that if you really want people to do it that a) you add an extra 10 job points to people who clear this and that show different color stars so these people get prestige from it and b) that the cosmetic weapon is visible full time and not just when in use.

I've spent a lot of money on cosmetic weapon skins in the past on other games and I can tell you that I would not spend money on something that was only visible during combat (which is kind of comparable to the effort required to get this), these things are to showoff to others and as they currently are they aren't doing that well enough to warrant the effort.

[Nyarlko]

Given the difficulty level of the fights, I don't see why the cost has to be anywhere near as high as it is. It's not like any 6x random players/jobs can walk in and take home a lightsaber. The price of entry should be trivial in order to encourage players to challenge it rather than being cost prohibitive. If the price absolutely has to be merits, make it 75 at most. One full load should be enough to avoid congestion but not enough to make us think too hard about the opportunity cost of a handful of HTB.. Cheaper would be better of course, or even alternate currency like 10JP as suggested earlier could work too.

Maybe we could at least get unique titles for beating them? Or oddball accessories that have no impact on group play, like an earring that gives HHP+100, or a ring with "Enhance Sneak/Invis effects", etc XD I think there are plenty of options to increase the desirability of the content without crossing over into the "affects combat" area.

[Zeldar]

Make the Kupo Shield a defending ring or tartarus platemail type drop... you know, 1 in every million runs.....

[Shyles]

I agree with the Developers on the cosmetic route 100%. While it can obviously be argued that since FFXI is an MMO, most bosses qualify as "optional", the master trials are more akin to the traditional optional bosses in the FF series like Emerald Weapon or Penance. Those bosses only awarded trophy items because they were so difficult that you needed all the best items and strategies to beat them. So the reward was in the accomplishment. The bar that is set for Master Trials is so high that only the best players will beat it. There is nothing wrong with setting high goals. I don't mean to sound condescending, but not everyone deserves a medal.

With that said, I have one suggestion. As they create more Master Trials, I hope that they design the encounters with certain jobs in mind, so players aren't bottle-necked into only using the cookie cutter jobs. IMO, the Master trials should be inclusive the best of all jobs and relate that to the cosmetic reward.

For example, the master trial with the cosmetic staff might require excellent magic damage strategies.

The Dagger/Katana trial could require a Ninja tank, or has a noticeable weakness to dagger-type piercing damage.

A Master trial for a Bow/Gun cosmetic encourages the party to use Rangers and Corsairs... and so on.


That's my two cents! If anything I think it would be neat . Also, is there a possibility that the Master trials will eventually include cosmetic armor to go with the weapons?

[Urmom]

Yeah being able to do this isn't simply a matter of gearing. It's having perfect gearing, luck, the right jobs and a fair amount of tools to help your gear switching if nothing else. Given that and the high entry cost kind of completely destroys your idea for making this actually work

[Thorva]

Greetings, everyone.

We realize that the implementation of Master Trials has been a largely discussed topic both here and on other forums, and we’ve been passing along your feedback to the development team.

In order to facilitate better discussion around this topic (and also to get more feedback for the team), I wanted to start by sharing the overall concept of this content.

Master Trials were created as difficult end-game content for those players who have just about completed all other aspects of the game and are looking for challenging content to tackle. However, this is not pointing to only right now, this goes for the future as well. While many are busy at the moment putting the finishing touches on their Aeonic weapons or completing other outstanding in-game goals, once those are done, the team would like Master Trials to exist as challenging content that you can take on when you are ready. The team is very aware that only a small population of players have been undertaking the challenge, and they feel that once more players have geared up and enhanced their characters further that this content will be challenged more frequently. Thus, with each version update lately, they have been gradually implementing new Master Trials so that they will exist in the future for players to take on when they are prepared to do so.

In regard to the rewards that Master Trials offers, to better fit the overall concept, the team decided to go the cosmetic route instead of including weapons (or other items) that can be put into use in battle so that they do not become the sole goal of completing this content.

Hopefully this serves to get a better grasp of how the development team views Master Trials, so with that said, we’re looking forward to further feedback and comments about this content.

Sooo.... you made some of the more difficult content in the game give nothing of actual value. Glowing weapons and a title, nothing that would actually assist players after spending all those merits and dedicating time to the fights.

Brilliant....

[Zeldar]

I don't think you are understanding what he is saying. He is basically saying that this content was not made for the gear-seekers. It was made for the challenge seekers. For us, overcoming the challenges IS the reward. There is nothing forcing you to do this content. As a matter of fact, not offering awesome gear rewards makes it so you don't have to do master trials to keep up. If the joy of winning is not what you are after, that is perfectly fine and understandable. It just means you don't do the master trials. Its just like any other event. You were never forced to do salvage, limbus, sky, or die-in-mass. If you love or desire the reward, participate. If you don't, you aren't being penalized in any way for not doing it.