Meeble Burrows Update!

[Okipuit]

Greetings burrowers!

As part of the newly introduced wizened worms, we are making a whole slew of items so that we can change the item line-up in the future. We’d like to provide more elements of excitement such as this and even introduce limited time items.

We are also working hard on the new expeditions that everyone has been waiting for (what the development team is calling “the second installment”), so that we can implement them soon.

Additionally, there was a request from a player asking if it would be possible to write names on grimoires so that it would make it easier to tell them apart.

Well, we tested it out!

We created a grimoire with a name on it for our test, and it is definitely possible to add names, though it would take some work to make the interface where you can enter in the text. However…

When we actually tried to use the grimoire with the name on it those good ol’ meebles down in the burrows straight up rejected it. Well okay, I’m lying they didn’t do that, but when we traded to have it recorded the memo was gone when we got it back. This is something that we would need to change system-wise in order to address this. Unfortunately the cost to change this system is quite large, so we will be doing our best to make this aspect of Meeble Burrows more convenient through the NPC that was just recently added to Upper Jeuno.

[Economizer]

We’d like to provide more elements of excitement such as this and even introduce limited time items.

If by this you mean you are going to release items that can only ever be gotten once ever, then everyone who didn't play Meeble Burrows during 2013 during the month of May has to look on in jealousy at those who did and were lucky enough to get the item, then please convey my deep and serious contempt for this terrible idea.

If by this you mean that you'll have cycling availability of items depending on the time of the year, or based on the moonphase or something, but the availability isn't limited to once ever, then I don't really like this very much, but it is okay albeit mildly annoying.

If by this you mean that you'll have bonus non-equipment items like the Mog Bonanza furniture available depending on the time of year, or based on the moonphase or something as an occasional reward, then this seems like it could almost be a sensible idea provided that availability isn't once ever.

Seriously, if it is the first one of these three, please do your best to convey venom and hatred of the idea, because the idea is bad and whoever thought it up should feel bad.

In any case, I'd like it if we could get some clarification for what this means, especially if it is the first one so I can rally some opposition against it if that is the case.

[Insaniac]

Limited time items are a cheap way to make people feel like they have to do an event that they don't really feel like doing. I agree this is a terrible terrible idea. Whoever thought of it should have been pepper sprayed before they finished the sentence.

[Rooks]

Please, no limited time items. New and returning players already face an uphill battle. Please don't punish them further based on when they start/took their break.

The very last thing we want is giving lapsed players a rationale to stay gone!

[Karbuncle]

I'm inclined to agree Limited Time Items are kinda poop. I mean, If it was "Available 1 month a Year" like a Holiday Event, I could be okay with that, as it would eventually come back around. but a 1 and done deal is just... not enjoyable, Especially as mentioned for new players.

Though, I like the brainstorming going on. If i could start, Add more items to the Worms, and add more types of worms. If i were to make a suggestion, Gusterion would be nice.

[Kincard]

If i were to make a suggestion, Gusterion would be nice.

Somehow I doubt they'll ever even consider adding the pulse items onto the item lists for that.

[Mirage]

Time-limited items should be limited to vanity items, not items that make a difference in actual gameplay.

Not being able to get a item that would actually help you in battle because you were deployed/comatose/homeless/somethingelse during the period of availability is just seriously annoying. Please do not do it.

[Dew]

Somehow I doubt they'll ever even consider adding the pulse items onto the item lists for that.

The phantom worm list has Adflictio on it.

[Karbuncle]

The phantom worm list has Adflictio on it.

This^.

I mentioned that too. They have quite a few good items on those list, I say just expand the lists a bit, Even if you have to add new worms. That'd be a good update in itself too. Though, I do so look forward to the new zones.

[Kincard]

Oh? That's pretty cool (As cool as a suicide scythe can be I guess). Is there a list of the items found off the worms so far, because I can't find one, heh.

[Karbuncle]

The Meeble himself will tell you what items can come from it. A list of them.

[SpankWustler]

[. . .] and even introduce limited time items.
http://alltheragefaces.com/img/faces/large/angry-no-l.png

[Kincard]

If it's just a flavor item then I don't think it's necessarily a bad idea. One thing I always kinda wished is that they made the Novennial/Decennial stuff only obtainable once, isn't the point of those armors to say "I was here when it was the 9th anniversary" etc?

[SpankWustler]

If it's just a flavor item then I don't think it's necessarily a bad idea. One thing I always kinda wished is that they made the Novennial/Decennial stuff only obtainable once, isn't the point of those armors to say "I was here when it was the 9th anniversary" etc?

It wouldn't bother me at all if that's referring to a "11th anniversary shovel and attached Meeble costume". Flavor items with costumes and the like are cool bonuses for being around at a certain time.

Still, the other possibilities horrify me deeply enough that I'm okay with leaving out the caveats and just letting the NO.-face speak for me.

[Dragoy]

Being a sort of a collector, one-time-only items always greatly annoyed me. Even those that people would get from real-life events. I mean, in-game items should be for everyone, or no one, meaning not region restricted for example.

I much rather tell a friend, who might ask me about some silly hat I have, that they can get it at the event coming up soon than “oh, sorry, you could only get it if you were around at the time”. Granted, I've become used to FFXI having unobtainable items due to region or whatever for a long time now, so I wouldn't much care at this point if they were to go with it to this extent. Whatevs!

However, I do highly doubt it is really what it means here, though the wording definitely suggests it is, and I wouldn't be surprised! I might almost hope for that they would do just that so that I'd get more reason to stay away... whatever sense that makes! :S


Blubb...

[Okipuit]

Hello!

Below are a couple of responses from Producer Matsui in regards to Meeble Burrows.



Hello, Matsui here.

Thank you for all of your posts.

I have spoken with the lead developers for Meeble Burrows and received some comments I would like to share with you.



With the most recent version update, users now receive more research marks based on having more users as part of their group. I believe that presenting larger groups with bonuses and increased item counts and records is a good adjustment, but increasing research marks is going too far. I think that research marks are essentially being given out for free.


By increasing the amount of research marks being given to larger groups, our goal is to encourage users to cooperate with others. The following are comments from a couple of users that capture the ideas we had envisioned for this content:



Let’s gather 6 players regardless of job, come up with a plan and have some fun!




I usually go with a group of 4, but since we would get more points if we had 6, I want to find 2 more players.


There are more detailed explanations behind this adjustment, but the above two comments capture our reasoning well. We feel that this content has a good flow to it now, so we will be leaving it as is for the time being.



Since I usually play in a group of 3, I didn’t get a strong sense that we are getting a lot more research marks after the recent version update. However, I did get very excited looking at the trading list for wizened worms. I understand that this is simply a bonus element, but I would really like to see Powder Boots on that list. More than that, I would be extremely happy to see Dervish Sword on that list. (In actuality, I only got fish bones both times. lol)

This leads me to my question: are the probabilities for this content the same for all users? For example, as a WHM I earned 21 worms, but a WAR was able to earn 43 worms and 6 morions in the same program. Will the WAR have a better chance because of the higher number of worms, or will the probabilities be the same? Maybe I shouldn’t focus so much on bonus content, but I would really like to know.


The probabilities are all random.

We did think about rewarding users based on their results, but we decided to make the probabilities all the same so that users can enjoy this content without worrying about which job they are playing with.

As you said, this is bonus content after all.



This may be a bit off topic, but I would like to know if the areas for the additional programs will also be Everbloom Hollow, Ruhotz Silvermines, and Ghoyu’s Reverie. I feel that users would get bored if the same areas are used all the time. Even though Abyssea was also a “copy and paste” map, it had a sense of freedom, because it was a field. The Meeble areas are all caves, so they feel very closed.


Since the name of the content is Meeble Burrows (a burrow is a hole or tunnel dug by a small animal) it would feel strange if the map was open and free.

To answer your question, we will most likely use the new areas added in the Seekers of Adoulin. We will put some thought into this, though.



I feel like objective 3 should be more difficult, but do many people disagree?


Our goal was to set the difficulty of objective 3 so that a party of six players would be able to complete it regardless of their jobs, as long as they use all of the support enhancements.

There was talk of a hard mode at the time of development, so we would like to look into this idea as well as related items when the time is right.

[Raksha]

I dont see how a party of 6 will have a better chance of 3 starring the one where you have to make it through the maze in five minutes. That one is just bullshit.

Otherwise 3 stars are pretty easy.

[Demon6324236]

Splitting up and spreading out then using team work, call outs, and coordination to find your way the fastest! No really I'm bullshitting you, thats probably their thoughts but its much more likely that with 6 people 1 person is gonna get lost, your best/only chance at that one is 6 THFs with Fajin or Powder Boots after flee is down.

[Kincard]

I'm under the impression they want to encourage people to form larger groups since the areas can only sustain so many people inside at a time. If everyone just trio'd everything in burrows congestion would get worse as they added sack max/sack restock time KIs.

[Raksha]

Splitting up and spreading out then using team work, call outs, and coordination to find your way the fastest! No really I'm bullshitting you, thats probably their thoughts but its much more likely that with 6 people 1 person is gonna get lost, your best/only chance at that one is 6 THFs with Fajin or Powder Boots after flee is down.

My group has 3 starred every run except that one.

[detlef]

That one should be adjusted.

[Demon6324236]

Yeah I figure its going to be the biggest pain in my ass while trying to get my gf the MP recovery body for her BLM.

[Duzell]

My group did the maze as 6 people, using Bolters roll and Garuda's Fleet Wind at the start. It took 4 trys to get a maze layout that was possible in the timelimit for goal 3. If your leader has the map up on the side and everyone follows them its not that hard.

[Demon6324236]

Thats just stupid in compare to the normal levels of difficulty for Meebles though, I mean its not really hard but its luck on path and annoying on the level of speed you gotta move at, its kinda like NNI but without having to kill things on the way to the end.

[Kincard]

I don't expect to get an answer, but can the community team ask the devs what exactly "Bonus to Spoils" actually does? It'd be nice to know if it's actually worth wasting inventory spaces for all the extra books held just for this one bonus.