Should rename the game to Merc fantasy online.

It feels like the merc community boom has strangled whatever was left of the people who actually tried to help others/make pugs.

Kinda disgusting seeing people selling anything and everything. Why help any new player when you can force them to farm a bajillion beehive chips to pay for that merit BCNM item they want...

In the few pugs I've made recently, I've gotten quite a few tells from people offering their "services" for sums of gil.

It's out of hand, and I honestly don't know how to fix it. I get why it happened, there really isn't a lot of soloability in end game content. The people mercing either have 2-5 boxing or they are one of the many merc LS that popped up. I don't see any way to attack it other than attacking multi boxers via ip tracking.

Got to agree, but it's impossible to fix, so... There is no possible way to stop or lessen mercs... Except make NPCs just sell the gear. and you all don't seem to like that answer, but it's actually quite perfect.

I honestly don't care if NPCs started selling every single r/e drop in the game. It's not like new players have a clue how to play regardless of what they wear so why bother. At least it would get rid of 95% of all the yells. That's a massive bonus. The other 5% just need to be banned for things that aren't game related.... but thats another problem alltogether.

There is nothing wrong with multiboxing in and of itself. Plenty of single account players sell their services as mercenaries too. The issue is player attitude and the only solutions are not contributing to it by paying them yourself and making an effort to play by the rules you wish the game was played by.

I run a linkshell (FaceDesk) specifically for helping new/returnee players get up to speed and ready for endgame. I don't charge anyone for help, my standard welcome gift is a EZ T1 clear (done by me dboxing bst+blm,) everyone is allowed and encouraged to attend events regardless of job they want to bring (as long as we have at least 1x whm, 1x tank and offhealers for the other parties, it works. It works surprisingly well in fact.) If you don't like the merc mentality, play like an altruist. It's actually quite satisfying. :D

I try to help what I can, but my time is limited. I merc some, because that's what my members want, it keeps them playing. But on my own time I help for free when I can. But that is the problem, WHEN I'm free, if you want help from me, usually need to schedule in advance. People that help are out there, but our time is limited, less you want to pay, do the things we need to get done irl, so we are on the game more.

The game is what you make of it. Form a linkshell, party up with those like minded and about the same level you are. The main issue is too many want to rush to end game too quickly. The game is over 10 years old, so over 10 years worth of content. Those of us who have never quit/taken breaks are at the top of the game because we've kept up with the game.

Those that have taken breaks or are starting anew are trying to literally do YEARS of content is very short time.

If you take your time and play the game as it was released, you will get strong, it just takes time, gil, luck, or a combo of the 3.

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Originally Posted by Mookies75

It feels like the merc community boom has strangled whatever was left of the people who actually tried to help others/make pugs.

Kinda disgusting seeing people selling anything and everything. Why help any new player when you can force them to farm a bajillion beehive chips to pay for that merit BCNM item they want...

In the few pugs I've made recently, I've gotten quite a few tells from people offering their "services" for sums of gil.

It's out of hand, and I honestly don't know how to fix it. I get why it happened, there really isn't a lot of soloability in end game content. The people mercing either have 2-5 boxing or they are one of the many merc LS that popped up. I don't see any way to attack it other than attacking multi boxers via ip tracking.

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I completely agree. Soon we wont' have game to play, and its drawing me closer to cancelling my sub.

I went afk for a little while the other day and came back with my entire screen filled with people selling content. Content whereby, in the old days, people would get together (which is the fundimental point of the game in the first place).
I'm talking about even content like Tenzen and other HTB's.

We are going to have a situation where everyone is just standing around town, thinking "Hmm, I need said item, not setting up a group, I'll contact a merc". Eliminating the chance for a group to be formed.

Everybody is just going to be standing around in town looking pretty, and thats about it.

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Originally Posted by Nyarlko

There is nothing wrong with multiboxing in and of itself.

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Other than the fact they are using third party software. I doubt they are sitting inbetween a circle of 6 PC's.

I don't see a problem with it myself; as far as I can tell its not actively in violation of the ToS to merc, due to obvious reasons---in addition, its not forcing anyone to participate in a merc related activity...so what's the harm I say?

The reality is that this wouldn't be a problem if folks didn't actually use their services; but they do, as such its a popular alternative to trying find other means to an ends if gil can be the ready answer.

People are different now, they don't want to grind for rewards, they want instant gratification.

I remember it took the best part of year to get my homam legs, what a feeling it was, felt like a real achievement, what sense of achievement do people get buying all the gear?

Spending zero days instead of 365 days is quite a large achievement if you ask me. lol.

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Honestly what's the difference between paying $120 up front or paying $12 a month for 10 months waiting for a drop.

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Carries are pretty much chaotic in most MMO's sadly. It's a general mindset that will only vanish if people stop encouraging it.

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Originally Posted by orionis

Other than the fact they are using third party software. I doubt they are sitting inbetween a circle of 6 PC's.

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Speak for yourself. I use 2 laptops to dualbox. It's not that hard at all to switch between keyboards, as long as you use very structured and uniform macros. And actually, I just bought a 3rd laptop AND FFXI to go with it for Black Friday, so I will be triboxing as soon as the new laptop is updated. XD I will admit that to go much higher than 3box tho, it would most likely take some special hardware, and skills to use said hardware, while staying a "legit" multiboxer. My personal record was 6boxing in a diff game using 6x desktop computers stacked up 2x3 with 2x KVM switches (3x PCs to each) and 2x keyboards.... and I've seen crazier rigs than that w/ homebrewed foot pedal controls for the KVMs.

I'll have the new account from fresh > 1-3 119 jobs and in Dyna before New Years' if I actually put time/effort into doing so (and once I can stop doing VW when campaign ends in a couple days..)

Without merc'ing.

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Originally Posted by Mookies75

It feels like the merc community boom has strangled whatever was left of the people who actually tried to help others/make pugs.

Kinda disgusting seeing people selling anything and everything. Why help any new player when you can force them to farm a bajillion beehive chips to pay for that merit BCNM item they want...

In the few pugs I've made recently, I've gotten quite a few tells from people offering their "services" for sums of gil.

It's out of hand, and I honestly don't know how to fix it. I get why it happened, there really isn't a lot of soloability in end game content. The people mercing either have 2-5 boxing or they are one of the many merc LS that popped up. I don't see any way to attack it other than attacking multi boxers via ip tracking.

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This is mostly because most servers just have a handful of decently sized cliques, and a whole bunch of individual players who don't belong to them who can't get a lot of things done without help. Sadly it seems like the days of simply offering to help people without any special promise of reward are long past for the most part.

While multi boxers certainly exist, they exist in every game and mercs are usually groups of eliite players not individuals multiboxing.

Freak that man I would rather use that year completing gear sets and beating endgame continent.

As someone newish to the game who plays when a lot of other people are asleep the Trusts system is a god send for me. I think it's useful for people who either don't have the time to sit in a town trying to form a group when there's not a lot of people around or frankly people who don't want to have to worry about if someone has a particular key item or not and have to go through the rigamarole of that. I get that there are pros and cons for every angle but without the Trusts I would have burned out weeks ago.

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Originally Posted by wilikas

As someone newish to the game who plays when a lot of other people are asleep the Trusts system is a god send for me. I think it's useful for people who either don't have the time to sit in a town trying to form a group when there's not a lot of people around or frankly people who don't want to have to worry about if someone has a particular key item or not and have to go through the rigamarole of that. I get that there are pros and cons for every angle but without the Trusts I would have burned out weeks ago.

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For clarity's sake: We're not talking about trusts, we're talking about people selling content clears for gil (and maybe RMT...). In case you thought people were talking about Trusts when they said "mercs".

Afk for 12minutes - 21 merc related shouts, selling/paying for content that people should be grouping up for (and actually playing)...

What a sad state of affairs.... Something needs to be done, aswell as with the bots that are STILL running around freely in the game, after months and months.

https://i.imgur.com/EMLLZGC.jpg

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Originally Posted by Mookies75

It feels like the merc community boom has strangled whatever was left of the people who actually tried to help others/make pugs.

Kinda disgusting seeing people selling anything and everything. Why help any new player when you can force them to farm a bajillion beehive chips to pay for that merit BCNM item they want...

In the few pugs I've made recently, I've gotten quite a few tells from people offering their "services" for sums of gil.

It's out of hand, and I honestly don't know how to fix it. I get why it happened, there really isn't a lot of soloability in end game content. The people mercing either have 2-5 boxing or they are one of the many merc LS that popped up. I don't see any way to attack it other than attacking multi boxers via ip tracking.

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Then join a LS and make friends.....

There are a lot of people in game that I know of, offers help for free if you ask. There are a lot of endgame linkshell that recruits wide variety of jobs. So there are your opportunity to play with people or get geared for free. You are right about the fact that the game is meant to be played with people together, and I'm personally not seeing merc really hinder people play together when I (and many others) do that all the time.

You feel people aren't playing with each other because merc exists, that's really not the case.

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Originally Posted by Alhanelem

This is mostly because most servers just have a handful of decently sized cliques, and a whole bunch of individual players who don't belong to them who can't get a lot of things done without help. Sadly it seems like the days of simply offering to help people without any special promise of reward are long past for the most part.

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Or the other way around....people refuse to join endgame statics for whatever reason then complain about mercs.

Back then when I ran my omen statics I've asked several people if they want to join. They would refuse, unwilling to join, or said "yes" then depop after 1 run. Of people ended up "doesn't belong to cliques" because they're not interested in the first place.

I've also seen endgame groups recruit for certain jobs, for months and month and months and still unable to find people.

There are also countless people who would say "Oh I want to do endgame but I don't have time for a LS" etc etc etc. If they refuse to join groups of course they'll have to merc if they want gears.

My point is, merc doesn't stop anyone from joining an endgame LS to get gear for free. It's the matter of you want it or not.

It really is the case. lol.

yesterday 3 people shouted to buy a jovian jacket. The first shouter said, meh hey lets team up and just kill it and earn our jackets since there are a few of us. *crickets*

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Originally Posted by Isola

It really is the case. lol.

yesterday 3 people shouted to buy a jovian jacket. The first shouter said, meh hey lets team up and just kill it and earn our jackets since there are a few of us. *crickets*

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If you shout for a pt for jacket and on Asura, it should fill up.

Spoiler; it did not.

This is to the OP, and others who feel the same way.

RMT Groups and Merc Services Groups, always target the largest possible source of customers.

This means that those Groups are mainly on Asura, because then those Groups will be close to the biggest number of possible customers.

This means that those Groups are less active on other smaller and quieter servers.

For example, I have not heard a single Merc /shout on my server, Leviathan, for about three years.

We do sometimes get RMT gilseller /shouts, but they don't try very hard, because Leviathan has a small population and most people here don't want to buy gil or pay for Mercs.

So if you want to avoid RMT and Merc activity, and all the Drama and /yells, move to a quieter, smaller server.

You will find that a lot of the original FFXI Veterans And Legends, stayed on the smaller servers, and they refused to move to Asura.

Because they wanted to keep playing FFXI in the old traditional ways. They did not want to change anything.

Many of us felt that FFXI in 2004 was the perfect computergame, the greatest computergame ever created, and we still feel the same way in 2018.

So we do not want to change the game, we want to protect and defend the original FFXI game, and to cherish the culture and values of this beautiful world called Vana'diel.

So if you liked the original FFXI culture and values, you may find there are many likeminded friends waiting for you on the smaller servers.

If you are on a big server, spend less time hanging round Towns. There are no /yells in the wilderness areas, when you are hunting monsters! Except maybe a <Call For Help!> lol.

Network with people. Talk to them about your feelings about RMT and Mercs. Try to find like-minded friends, friends who do not approve of RMT Gilselling and Merc activity.

Form a linkshell with those friends, and do events, without anybody on the LS ever using RMT Gilselling or Mercing services.

People have networked and found friends who wanted to play on capped level 75 characters, levelling mules to level 75 and locking the character on Merits Mode, and never doing the lvl 76 LB.

Then they do events as LS members, all level 75 characters, doing the Original FFXI Content, in the beautiful areas of Vana'diel.

So there are people who have moved away from the mainstream game, and are playing at level 75, and they networked and made linkshells with other likeminded people. So it is possible to also make a LS for people who disapprove of RMT and Mercs.

Vana'diel is a hugely expansive and intricate world, and it is easy to forget how amazing Vana'diel is, when we spend all our time in the Towns, listening to /yells, or doing Ambuscade etc. all the time.

Try exploring Vana'diel again. Be an Adventurer again. Be a Hunter again. Be far away from the /shouts and /yells and the mainstream greed games.

Level a new character, level a mule, or just level a new job, go travel Vana'diel, making new friends, having adventures, and not listening to /yells in the Towns.:)

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Originally Posted by Isola

Spoiler; it did not.

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Would you pay me 100m if I shout for a pt in town and fill it up? :D

What DID happen and what WILL happen next time. =/=

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Originally Posted by Stompa

So it you want to avoid RMT and Merc activity, and all the Drama and /yells, move to a quieter, smaller server.

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This is not the answer.

I moved from Fenrir a few years back, and while there were no RMT/Merc related shouts, there wasn't much else in terms of other yells either.
The population levels on Asura are more than likely keeping the game afloat. The future of the game would be in jeopardy/possibly non-existent if it was just a collection of small servers.

Since we're talking about FFXI in particular, "mercing" has always been a thing since I've played this game.

I started with the JP beta. Mercing picked up dramatically around CoP days because of the difficulty of the content, especially for NA players so it wasn't a surprise or shocking to see people merc some of the later fights. It's a lot more "open" nowadays because of the content style. SE shifted away from traditional "xi content" to more "standard MMO content" in a sense with ilvls, so now you kind of need to merc content to get caught up if you're not lucky enough to join a linkshell willing to help out. It's not hard to catch up, not in the slightest, but with gil having less value now due to the content shift it's the natural course of things.

Also yeah, moving to a small/quiet server only benefits you in terms of camps. You kind of need players for MMO things. The hardest part about modern XI is, as said, there's more cliques than linkshells so to speak and if you're a new or freshly returning player from pre-ilvl/adoulin there's a chance you can't join the content base anyway given stat requirements and needing job points. That too is another reason why mercing is becoming huge again, because it's an "auto catch up" so to speak, similar to burn parties with Abyssea only benefited in leveling everything to 99 and occasionally items etc depending on who was burning what (e.g they ask you to give them certain items at the end if its pops or whatnot.)

The whole "since a few are shouting, lets team up!" rarely worked even back in XI's prime because people preferred to do it with their linkshells than random strangers, especially after 3 incidents involving stealing and breaking trust between communities, for example 'Do**a' ruining NA and JP relations and the resulting drama that spilled over onto forums like killingifrit etc and ever since then neither side really trusted shouts outside of shouting to fill parties like for Voidwatch.

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Originally Posted by Sirmarki

This is not the answer.

I moved from Fenrir a few years back, and while there were no RMT/Merc related shouts, there wasn't much else in terms of other yells either.
The population levels on Asura are more than likely keeping the game afloat. The future of the game would be in jeopardy/possibly non-existent if it was just a collection of small servers.

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It is the answer to people in this thread who are posting screenshots of Merc /yells, and saying they will [paraphrased] "quit the game because of all the Merc /yells."

I'm suggesting to them, that instead of quitting the game because of all the Merc activity and Merc /yells, they could not quit the game instead, and move to a quieter server.

If they don't want to move servers, I suggested spending less time in Town, where /yells are heard.

I should mention that in the years 2004 to 2010, I did not spend more than a few hours total, in Towns. I spent those six years hunting NMs in the wilderness areas, farming, fishing, or doing quests and missions etc. For six years I never spent much time at all in the Towns, except to occasionally use the AH and then go back to the wilderness areas.

So I see this "hanging round towns" as a miserable experience anyway, and it can only be even more miserable if you are reading all the /yells about Drama and RMT and Mercs. There are so many things to do in Vana'diel, it just takes a bit of decisiveness, perspective, and impetus.

So I was responding to the people who posted before me in this thread, and suggesting several solutions to their dilemma.

I don't agree with you, when you say that Asura is keeping the game afloat. Many players are very happy on the smaller servers too. People on the smaller servers are paying the same subs as people on Asura are paying, and doing the same content, and having the same amount of fun and excitement. We just don't spend as much time queueing.

I'm happy for you, that you like being on Asura. I liked being on Remora. Now I like being on Leviathan. I'm not the one posting "I'm going to quit the game because of all the Merc /yells."

Because there are no Merc /yells where I am, and if there was a lot of Merc yells, I would avoid them, either by leaving the Towns, or changing servers. :)

If it were free to server transfer, it would be a reasonable answer.

It's not really fair to charge for a service that lets you stop doing your job. You're incentivizing square to leave things as they are.

This game would flourish IF people could come and go to smaller servers as they please. Relatively speaking. A million people wouldn't suddenly start playing. But a thousand might suddenly stop quitting.

I actually find it a good idea moving servers if you are uncomfortable with mercs in Asura.

I play in Carbuncle and while there is not many people in the server we have a strong linkshell. We do all kind of endgame content our way, we are also very inclusive with party setups. We form a party or alliance with what we have and try to find a strategy to clear the content. I haven't enjoyed more in quite a few years.

The only problem I see in small servers is the market, it's really hard to get certain items because there's not material supply.

I played in Asura about 2 years ago, I left Carbuncle because back then I wasn't in a big linkshell and it was hard to get content done. I spent 2 years in Asura but didn't make any progress with party related stuff as people didn't like to include the jobs I had in their setups. My experiences there were if you didn't play specifically the jobs the guides suggested there would be no room for you, which kind of makes sense as in such a big server it's easy to replace you. But it was bothersome that people didn't wanna try other strategies and allow other players to join.

I moved back to Carbuncle and I found a lot of old players that started coming back to the game, and every few days I see more old players coming back to the server so it doesn't feel empty anymore. As long as you're in a cool linkshell I think smaller servers are not a bad idea.

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Originally Posted by Stompa

I spent those six years hunting NMs in the wilderness areas, farming, fishing, or doing quests and missions etc. For six years I never spent much time at all in the Towns, except to occasionally use the AH and then go back to the wilderness areas.

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That's the difference between you and I though. I actively look for pick up groups to do stuff in, I look for things I may or may not want to join.

What you have described yourself doing outside of town appears to be solo content. I can't see yells if I'm not in town, and although this game has somewhat solo aspect, I don't pay a sub to play solo. I would just buy an offline solo playing game for a one off price if I wanted to do that.

This game is based around player numbers (it would not be around otherwise) , its just unfortunate that it's been infiltrated by all kinds of toxicity.

PS: I don't recall saying 'I was going to quit the game'?

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Originally Posted by Sirmarki

That's the difference between you and I though. I actively look for pick up groups to do stuff in, I look for things I may or may not want to join.

What you have described yourself doing outside of town appears to be solo content. I can't see yells if I'm not in town, and although this game has somewhat solo aspect, I don't pay a sub to play solo. I would just buy an offline solo playing game for a one off price if I wanted to do that.

This game is based around player numbers (it would not be around otherwise) , its just unfortunate that it's been infiltrated by all kinds of toxicity.

PS: I don't recall saying 'I was going to quit the game'?

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I didn't say you were going to quit the game, as I said in my post, I was responding to one of the earlier posters, who put up a photo of the /yell chatlog, and said [paraphrased] ; "I feel like I should cancel my sub because of all this Merc yelling / Merc activity."

Re; me being outside town in the early years, my first 75 job was Bst75 in 2005, and so I was exploring Vana'diel, and soloing NMs, while people were hanging round the Towns trying to get help with stuff.

But I wasn't always soloing, I met other solo Bsts while I was traveling the wilderness areas, and we became friends, and would team up to low-man boss mobs.

This was kind of my point though, you need to go out there and talk to people, make new friends, and try unorthodox low-man strategies, instead of just playing the game by some rigid "the internet says you should play it like this" rule-book.

I think it is easier to meet new friends if you go out and do stuff, levelling or whatever, rather than just staring at the chatlog in Towns.:)

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Originally Posted by Stompa

I didn't say you were going to quit the game, as I said in my post, I was responding to one of the earlier posters, who put up a photo of the /yell chatlog, and said [paraphrased] ; "I feel like I should cancel my sub because of all this Merc yelling / Merc activity."

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This "merc" was never an issue anyways. There are at least 3(or more? I don't remember) thread on FFXIAH from vet players offering help for new players to gear up for free, with dozens of people replied with "I can help too" in the thread. There are also a dozen of people that I know of, would also help for free if you send them tell in game.

So yeah, if you are a new player on Asura and you can't find one single veteran player help you gear up, I question if you really tried.

I feel that a lot of the "I hate merc" threads here are just hating because they are biased toward merc emotionally, or if they really evidence to prove it as an issue in the community.

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Originally Posted by Afania

I feel that a lot of the "I hate merc" threads here are just hating because they are biased toward merc emotionally, or if they really evidence to prove it as an issue in the community.

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No, it's nothing to do with emotion (as you put it). It's the simple fact they are killing off the game. You are removing instances of people getting together and fighting the NM's. Instead, people are just buying stuff sitting in a treasure pool, returning back to town, and repeating the process.

It's not like the old days where gil was more of a challenge to "farm". Gil is ridiculously easy to obtain now, so that also adds to the problem.

You play on Asura? Or are you just speculating?

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Originally Posted by Sirmarki

No, it's nothing to do with emotion (as you put it). It's the simple fact they are killing off the game. You are removing instances of people getting together and fighting the NM's. Instead, people are just buying stuff sitting in a treasure pool, returning back to town, and repeating the process.

It's not like the old days where gil was more of a challenge to "farm". Gil is ridiculously easy to obtain now, so that also adds to the problem.

You play on Asura? Or are you just speculating?

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I admit I am newer, well I've not played in 10 years or so? I came back a month ago and well yes I see tons of shout for Mercenary. The only grouping I witness seems to be limited to Capacity Parties or Ambuscase. And they don't lift up if they don't have their GEO or COR most the time. I think the only way to fix the mercenary problem is to just, quitting using them commonly? But good luck with that part, better start praying if we wish to see people suddenly change their behavior over "Oh this gil is only a drop in the bucket might as well."

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Originally Posted by Sirmarki

No, it's nothing to do with emotion (as you put it). It's the simple fact they are killing off the game. You are removing instances of people getting together and fighting the NM's. Instead, people are just buying stuff sitting in a treasure pool, returning back to town, and repeating the process.

It's not like the old days where gil was more of a challenge to "farm". Gil is ridiculously easy to obtain now, so that also adds to the problem.

You play on Asura? Or are you just speculating?

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You DO realize that your response is emotionally based? ^^;;

The modern merc issue is a monster of SE's own creation due to how pervasive NM scaling-based-on-group-size is. In the majority of modern content, it's essentially impossible for a large group of weaker players to team up to compensate for their lower performance via strength in numbers like the old days. Now we need everyone pulling their own weight OR overgeared players picking up the slack. Guess which is easier to organize? Merc'ing has also always been a thing. It happened in the old days too, it just wasn't as commonplace to see shouts for it since the majority didn't have the gil to make selling to them worthwhile. Nowadays, the "lower class" has 10x+ as much gil as the "upper middle class" way back when, which means that it's more likely that you'll have a buyer if you try to sell drops or clears, which means more people will start selling. Player mindset has also shifted from a willingness to claw your way up to the top to instant gratification, which definitely makes the problem worse.

I think we'd have a lot more players who'd be willing/able to help weaker geared players gear up if it wasn't actually going to make fights harder to carry more people. For instance, when I do simple carries for clears n' gears for newbies, I have to split up the group and do multiple runs if there are more than two who need to be carried, because of the scaling.

My only beef w/ mercs are with those who vastly overgear the majority of content and still sell lowest tier fights/drops. The only buyers for something from an Escha-Zi'tah T1 are going to be players who actually need the gear as legit upgrades (newbies/returnees in other words, who are the least likely to have a support network to find help from friends, and least likely to really be able to afford the expense,) and the sellers are looking for a 30x-100x return on pop cost for fights which last a matter of seconds for them. I've got no issue w/ mercs selling things at the upper-end of content, but it triggers me when I see them taking advantage of those who are already in a bad spot. =_=*

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Originally Posted by Nyarlko

My only beef w/ mercs are with those who vastly overgear the majority of content and still sell lowest tier fights/drops. The only buyers for something from an Escha-Zi'tah T1 are going to be players who actually need the gear as legit upgrades (newbies/returnees in other words, who are the least likely to have a support network to find help from friends, and least likely to really be able to afford the expense,) and the sellers are looking for a 30x-100x return on pop cost for fights which last a matter of seconds for them. I've got no issue w/ mercs selling things at the upper-end of content, but it triggers me when I see them taking advantage of those who are already in a bad spot. =_=*

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This right here is what needs to change. "mercs" charging multiple millions for things that even new players shouldn't be using, but don't know better. The fact that people still think upwards of 3m for a t1 fight is "fair" is absolutely disgusting.

No. You should NOT charge it, because people are to naive to know better. You're ripping them off.

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Originally Posted by Isola

This right here is what needs to change. "mercs" charging multiple millions for things that even new players shouldn't be using, but don't know better. The fact that people still think upwards of 3m for a t1 fight is "fair" is absolutely disgusting.

No. You should NOT charge it, because people are to naive to know better. You're ripping them off.

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I don't charge. In fact, I even provide the pops out of my own pocket for T1s. :D

MMO communities have a way of being jerks about group content in some manner. If it's not merc'ing stuff, it's demanding people link achievements for beaten content despite people needing first clears not being able to do that. And while it is fair to suggest people don't want to waste their time and resources on failed runs, it suggests that games could overall be doing more to promote backtracking or aiding others behind the curve. More generally, I'd say XI needs the following:


- The cost for server transfers removed.
- Some servers merged.
- The ability to better communicate with players cross-worlds (Think: '/tell player@server <message>' instead of the slower, more clunky friend messaging)
- A cross-server LFG tool tailored for each major piece of content. (A section for Delve, Es'cha, Omen, specific expansion missions, etc.)
- Auction Houses across all worlds consolidated.
- Stackable bonuses for helping people with first-time clears or people under a certain amount of first-time currency gains (Tickets that give +5 Job Points, extra Omen cards, etc.)
- A method for helpers to bypass lockouts/entry costs in exchange for not being able to lot/earn personal loot.
- EXP loss removed from the game entirely.
- Snapshot consumables upon entering an event, and if failed, refund any used items/charges. Job abilities reset, too.

- Create a consumable with a one-hour recharge that lets you pull your party/alliance to your current location with a confirmation prompt for those summoned. (Won't work in Dynamis, Abyssea, Limbus, mog house/garden, in BCs, etc.)


Honestly, I'd even look into things like making pre-ilvl versions of RMEs easier to acquire relative to upping an individual's desirability, but I'm sure some would gripe about that.

I don’t see how consolidating servers solves the issue? The larger the population, the more impersonal and transactional the game will be. This has been shown to be the case in all other MMOs with phasing or single servers. This also just helps gilsellers by giving them more free space to farm on empty servers then dump it all into Asura.

I like the idea of rewarding players helping first timers by rewarding them. Whatever currency is valuable. Maybe copper vouchers?

Basically a game should always give reasons for players to backtrack to old content for more than just aesthetic pieces. Like the roulettes in FFXIV to some extent.

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Originally Posted by Isola

This right here is what needs to change. "mercs" charging multiple millions for things that even new players shouldn't be using, but don't know better. The fact that people still think upwards of 3m for a t1 fight is "fair" is absolutely disgusting.

No. You should NOT charge it, because people are to naive to know better. You're ripping them off.

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Maybe, just maybe, your part of the problem

Canceled my account today and the merc issue was 1/2 of the reason. The other half was the abundance of farming and CP bots. Seems people want to bot their gil and cp then pay someone to get them gear and clear content. This system makes no sense to me, hopefully it changes at some point because I really want to continue playing this game but I see no reason to at this point.