Suggestion: Gear Set To Duty Finder

[Squintina]

I was reading this thread http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...-to-60-Seconds

and someone suggested that, rather than increasing the time, it'd be better to have it switch states (so that people don't end up not having enough time due to having to switch back to a class).

But then another person raised a valid point: it'd be difficult to code.

So here's my take on that suggestion, which would be easier to code:
When we are queued for a duty, have a "Register Gear Set For Commence" Option where we can drag a gear set belonging to our registered class into it.

So rather than them coding how to save our state, which would indeed use quite a bit of data especially if you're upgrading gear and such, they can simply code that when the Commence button is touched, it will force use that Gear Set without any/most of the limitations that exist when we do it normally (like having mobs aggroed).

[coldreactive]

I'm completely fine with the current gear set and duty registration system. No need to "Complicate" it further. (Since I know a lot of people will come up and say, "Oh no, this won't complicate, it'll make it easier.) I think it will complicate, and that's all.

[Squintina]

I'm completely fine with the current gear set system.

I didn't suggest any changes to the current gear set system. Please learn to read.

I suggested a change to Duty Finder that involved gear set...

[Squintina]

I'm completely fine with the current gear set and duty registration system. No need to "Complicate" it further. (Since I know a lot of people will come up and say, "Oh no, this won't complicate, it'll make it easier.) I think it will complicate, and that's all.

How is it complicated?
You register for a duty like it's currently done.
You can then optionally choose a gear set that it will automatically switch you to when you hit commence...

[coldreactive]

How is it complicated?
You register for a duty like it's currently done.
You can then optionally choose a gear set that it will automatically switch you to when you hit commence...

I'm more talking about elite people who may try to push the gear set system you're suggesting onto people for guides, etc.

[LineageRazor]

I'm more talking about elite people who may try to push the gear set system you're suggesting onto people for guides, etc.

I think you're misunderstanding...

You can already apply gear sets to your hotbar. This is exactly that, except you drag the gear set onto the Duty Finder instead of onto your hotbar. When you hit "Commence", it will take you into the instance and apply that gear set, saving you from having to run away from your FATE, complete your synth, or anything else that might be preventing you from changing classes.

Essentially, it removes the stupidity of the current system where you have to change jobs before you can commence duty, by having the game do it for you. It sounds like a very good idea. There's no reason why someone should be forced to withdraw from a duty simply because they're on the wrong class and couldn't run away from aggressive mobs fast enough. That's the system we have now, and it is annoying and stupid.

From the sounds of it, you're talking about a duty finder that won't accept a player unless they have specific gear requirements set by other players? This has nothing to do with that. Players won't have any way of knowing what gear you've chosen to equip when you enter any more than they do right now.

[OlyverW]

I was reading this thread http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...-to-60-Seconds

and someone suggested that, rather than increasing the time, it'd be better to have it switch states (so that people don't end up not having enough time due to having to switch back to a class).

But then another person raised a valid point: it'd be difficult to code.

So here's my take on that suggestion, which would be easier to code:
When we are queued for a duty, have a "Register Gear Set For Commence" Option where we can drag a gear set belonging to our registered class into it.

So rather than them coding how to save our state, which would indeed use quite a bit of data especially if you're upgrading gear and such, they can simply code that when the Commence button is touched, it will force use that Gear Set without any/most of the limitations that exist when we do it normally (like having mobs aggroed).

Thank you for the expansion of my idea just so you know I have also posted this in the Ask Questions for Letter from the Producer LIVE Part XVIII Thread

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...=1#post2580639

[Kassiekane]

There is one major flaw to this otherwise great idea. There is no middle ground between server and instance, so I'm assuming your class would automatically, and forcibly, changed before you enter the instance, considering all qued members have already selected commence. There are quite a few obstacles that the programming team would encounter trying to implement such a thing. Would the class be forcibly changed during combat? If so, does the mobs attacking you dump enmity, or are you going to receive a bit of damage in that split second while the system switches your gearset and ports you into the instance? If the mobs do dump enmity, could this feature be exploited? This is important, especially if you are switching from a high-level to low-level.

[Noxifer]

The one problem I can see is if you register a gearset and then don't have all the items for that gearset once the duty pops. But then again, it could simply be that if the gearset no longer exists, clicking commence would check for said gearset and then if it finds items missing you'd get an error message saying "unable to commence duty". (Not that I have any idea how "simple" that would be, of course.)

Other than that, I think it would be a good fix for the whole "aaaaaah crap, duty popped, I'm in a FATE! *run like hell, run even further until enemies go yellow or die, wait for a second or two, switch class....timer runs out* FUUUU T__T" issue.
(And yes, if someone else has aggro on an enemy you've engaged, you'll need to run a lot farther to get it off your aggro list than if the enemy follows you till it goes yellow. Which is a particular issue in boss fates. And of course, ranged enemies also require you to get further away, for obvious reasons.)

[Squintina]

There is one major flaw to this otherwise great idea. There is no middle ground between server and instance, so I'm assuming your class would automatically, and forcibly, changed before you enter the instance, considering all qued members have already selected commence. There are quite a few obstacles that the programming team would encounter trying to implement such a thing. Would the class be forcibly changed during combat? If so, does the mobs attacking you dump enmity, or are you going to receive a bit of damage in that split second while the system switches your gearset and ports you into the instance? If the mobs do dump enmity, could this feature be exploited? This is important, especially if you are switching from a high-level to low-level.

Well it could be implemented during the change to the dungeon. Basically if a gear set is selected and valid (at the very least the weapon), the Commence button will work regardless of what you're doing right now, and it'll change the player when it brings him/her into the instance.

Another possible way is to do it in the server itself. If a gear set for the queued class is selected, the player can click Commence and it will temporarily put an immunity buff (with the inability to use skills to prevent abuse) until the player is taken into the instance (so just for the 1-45 seconds the commence window exists).

There are certainly multiple ways to do it. The idea of having an automatic switch has been suggested before. I was concentrating specifically on the part of "how will they determine what state of gear the toon is in". Using a gear set, which is an existing system that works well, seems like a simpler option than building a new save state that will further hog server resources.