[ffxiv-future] A request for "Player-Selectable Difficulty Scaling"

[SilvertearRen]

Greetings.

This is a repeat of one of my old threads, but I'd like to bring it up again - and preferably without the trolls, as the world is a fairly diverse place, and there are people of every different stripe imaginable.

I have friends who have difficulties handling stress and anxiety, and they also want to be able to participate in the Lv50 content in Final Fantasy XIV. As it exists now, Dzemael Darkhold and the Hyper Ifrit Fight are too stress-inducing for these people, and their personal health can suffer as a result.

However, they want to experience this content on their terms. Think of it like guildleves. Guildleves have a star system in place that allows you to decide the difficulty level, and with 1.19, it now spells out exactly how many levels above you the leve can be set to.

This is precisely what we need for the endgame content. Don't make everything arbitrarily difficult, it's too restrictive in that manner. Instead, have rewards scale according to difficulty settings. For the endgame content, let's use a three-star difficulty system as an example.

1-Star: Easy Mode, 14 Levels Below Original Difficulty (Grants NG equipment)
2-Star: Average Mode, 7 Levels Below Original Difficulty (Grants +1 equipment)
3-Star: Hardcore Mode, Original Difficulty (Grants Dungeon-Specific Equipment, like the Canopus Guisarme)

I strongly encourage Yoshi-P to examine the feasibility of such a system, because my friends have been telling me that if they can't be given the choice to decide how difficult they want the endgame content to be, they would not remain with Final Fantasy XIV. This is their ONLY major gripe.

Choice matters. Being able to complete all of the content the game has to offer on your own terms is important.

It's not fun when you look at the content, and realize: "Oh geez. If I do this, I'll get an anxiety attack and have to chuff all of my meds - and that's gonna cost me several times more than the subscription fee alone. This sucks."

So I would appreciate it if the FFXIV developers would be considerate in regards to these unique situations.

I ask the thread's respondents to please be thoughtful and polite before replying. Responses such as "Then they shouldn't play this game", are terribly rude and inconsiderate - and consequently, reflects badly on the community as a whole. Also, saying that "Ifrit has an easy mode", is not applicable in this situation as that can only be completed once, and repeated if someone in your party has the quest. It is a very limited option.

MMORPGs are meant to be inclusive. If you want to be rude or trollish, I suggest you go to EVE Online's forums.

Thank you for reading.

[Xatsh]

if people doing it on easy mode can never get what drops form the hard mode version I am completely fine with this method for everything.

I honestly think players have been spoiled by scalable content in WoW and the clones, it does not exist anywhere outside mmos for the most part with a few exceptions here and there. But to make everyone happy, as long as the drops are segregated where easy mode can never get good endgame gear I am all for it.

[neizero]

There is already an easy mode for Ifrit, it's the 4 man version, go and do that. Oh but it doesn't drop shiny weapons. Of course not, that's what the hard mode is for.

[Frein]

if people doing it on easy mode can never get what drops form the hard mode version I am completely fine with this method for everything.

I honestly think players have been spoiled by scalable content in WoW and the clones, it does not exist anywhere outside mmos for the most part with a few exceptions here and there. But to make everyone happy, as long as the drops are segregated where easy mode can never get good endgame gear I am all for it.

This, though I admit I'm very amused by the thought of people not being able to handle stress from a game like FFXIV. This isn't exactly Amnesia: The Dark Descent.

But still, -17 levels? Is this intended for your L50 friends? Can they not handle anything that doesn't just drop dead as soon as they look at it?

[smokymcweed]

suport this idea 100% im not bothered by the stress factor but sometimes im just not in the mood for hardcore mode or my girl wants me to be freed up sooner rather than later this can def. help in that aspect if i can complete a battle faster becuase my group did easy or even medium mode and i understand about the friends who dont deal with stress well had some like that on xi so that being said i hope yoshi and the team listen to your idea would be nice to see implamented

[SilvertearRen]

This, though I admit I'm very amused by the thought of people not being able to handle stress from a game like FFXIV. This isn't exactly Amnesia: The Dark Descent.

But still, -17 levels? Is this intended for your L50 friends? Can they not handle anything that doesn't just drop dead as soon as they look at it?

Let me propose a scenario: Let's think of it as a training mode for the dungeon for players to practice strategies in. They develop ideas, strategies and acclimate themselves to the unique setting the dungeon offers. When they feel ready, they bump up the difficulty. And so on. Bear in mind that each dungeon is unique, and has their own quirks and characteristics. Such a function would help more casual players to "learn" the dungeon prior to doing the Hardcore run.

Some people have unique types of stress and anxiety disorders that can be randomly triggered by as little as one player's HP going yellow, or being overwhelmed by enemies. Yes, they exist.

[Wynn]

I'm not trying to be rude, and my sympathy goes out to your friends, but if they can't handle video games why are they playing them? Or at least play one that doesn't require "stress" like playing the sims or something. I hear Lego Universe is a very easy going MMO.

[Sol_Aureus]

I have no problem with this type of system being put in place, as long as rewards differ based upon difficulty, as you have outlined.

[Razor]

I think it would be incredibly amusing if all endgame content had tiers of difficulty you had to go through. Lets take the ogre from DH for example.

Tier 1 (for just quest completion): regular tank and spank no bogeys no drop, beat that? Good time for lv2
Tier 2 Ogre WITH bogeys, obviously this would screw up all tactics for him as it should. Time for lv3
Tier 3 Ogre as it is now.

I think it would be interesting and fun to have endgame content expand on top of itself like that. Keep all the good gear for the hardest difficulty but add a step system all players had to go through. Each step would add new dynamics to the dungeon/area that completely screws up the tactics players built thus far. It would add extra life to the content and keep players on thier toes the whole time

[Frein]

Some people have unique types of stress and anxiety disorders that can be randomly triggered by as little as one player's HP going yellow, or being overwhelmed by enemies. Yes, they exist.

I don't want to be rude, but how do these people get by in their everyday lives? I'd imagine they're constantly in a state of complete nervous breakdown.