[dev1015] Still no Abyssea VNM adjustments still a major point of congestion

[Lushipur]

even 150 vnm3 kill will be better than this.
at least you can do group kill.

[Zhronne]

Suggestions
1. I would add 3 copies of the Tier 2 / 3 VNM to each abyssea Zone, in order to help with congestion.

2. I would change it so that if you get a Red !! on a VNM it will then 100% upgrade your abyssite to the next level.

It has been asked several times and if I recall someone (Bayohne? Camate?) replied that they don't want any of those, but that in an upcoming patch they would have increased the upgrade rate of T1>T2 and T2>T3 changes, but only inside of Abyssea.
This was said in june.
Yet nothing happened unless they ninja did it, but it's unlikely.

Wonder what happened, did SE change their mind again? Would be awesome if someone like Bay/Cam/Gild could ask and come back to us to hear what's their current official stance on the issue

(reducing the repop time would also be awesome as well, I don't remember if this was asked? Currently it's 15ish minutes if I recall, make it something like 5 or 7?)

[Jeffil]

After going 2/2 on T3 upgrades two nights ago I thought perhaps they did ninja add this.

But then I went 0 for 9 today across a total of 4 hours.

Nope - rate still what it was.

[Rearden]

The items obtained through the VNM system are near gamebreaking items and are unlike other Empyrean weapons in that with them you can increase your groups abilities tenfold.

The system sucks, but it is the "hard" stage of getting an Ochain or Dardaubla. The other two stages are piss easy and moaning about them is silly. (Yes, I see that SE has stated they are going to change the upgrade rate, which I myself raged about plenty of times. I still finished mine in 8 days...6 of those being souls)

Adding more VNMs will not fix anything, more people will be out camping the NMs because it will seem more obtainable. Changing the upgrade rate will make it easier, but it will not relieve any congestion because you still have to be the one to pop it for it to upgrade (which is the issue many people bring up in the first place)

The only issue that should be addressed is the drop rate on Brulo and Maere. This alone would alleviate most of the issues with obtaining Colorless Souls.

My vote is to keep the rest the same. They are awesome items and should require some work to obtain.

[Leonlionheart]

They made the empyrean weapons about 75% easier with the "Additional KI in chests" update, did Itz today and got like 10 Tunga KI in the time it used to take to get 4. Not only does it relieve a lot of competition, but you can both camp and cleave at the same time. Why shouldn't the VNM variant have a similar update? It's really the only real grind left in the game, and even though it is possible with Ochain becoming more and more popular it's becoming more competitive and cut-throat than a 7th day Nidhogg pop.

Empyreans were quick in the first place, now it's like Hagun. If you don't have it you suck.

[Zhronne]

First of all, Adding colorless souls to other zone T3 is not realistic, the gap in monster strength is to great.
[cut]

I agree it's unlikely, but the reason you put there is not particularly strong. Atm it's very true, but think about the future, and level 95 or 99. Will "the gap in monster strenght" really matter then? I don't think so, at least much less than now.

Second, In terms of creating additional T2 pops. (I'm assuming T3/Change rate is left alone) While this would help create less congestion in terms of competition for T3, excluding Visions/Scars T2, this would greatly increase the ability to obtain the +1 body pieces of select jobs.

The congestion issue is true, and it's probably the reason why they didn't implement that "increased upgrade rate" they talked about in early june.
Because, just like you said, increasing the speed at which you gain T3 pops would do almost nothing, if not creating more congestion with people competing to pop a T3.
I don't concur with your +1 statement though. Sure, adding 2-3 pops would make it slightly easier to get +1 body seals.
And? What? Would it really matter? With the amount of people who already have+1, with how easy it is to obtain +1 body seals anyway? I don't really think it would make much of a difference if you ask me.
If anything, they could make so only 2x T2 can pop, or reduce the pop time (currently it's like 10-15 mins, make it 5?).

I also don't agree on your following note concerning the increase of lv 80/85 nms doing nothing for low-end/soloers. I agree it surely increased the number of people attempting to go for empyreal, but it also overall made the experience less frustrating and easier to invite your friends to help you (since you could also offer them a nice present from the drops).
I think it's been an useful and aprecieated improvement for all of us, not just the high-end LSs.

The last of the potential fixes I would like to address is change to upgrade rate.

What sucks in the upgrade rate, more than its speed, is its randomness. You can't control it. Sometimes you want to keep fighting a T2 and you get an upgrade, sometimes you need an uprade and you go 1/27 kills on a T2.
Luckily you can use the "already have T3" trick, but it's still bad.
In all honesty though I don't think the upgrade rate needs an increase, I'd leave it as it is but instead reduce the pop time of both T2 and T3. Having to wait up to 15 mins in-between pops is a bit anachronistic nowadays, with the way the game works in all aspects. It would probably have been fine 3 years ago, but not today.

[Zaknafein]

I hear all this "there's no way to use third party programs on VNM's anymore" crap. Or "you suck suck at claiming them" nonsense. If when these things pop they are claimed in the span of time it takes to rest twice (which they are 98% of the time) there is a problem.

Increasing the upgrade rate of abyssites will do nothing to help this already obnoxious problem. It will only increase the frequency with which the "monopolizers" can upgrade so they can continue to make their 3rd or 4th harp or shield. Or more likely continue to monopolize so they can charge people 500k an upgrade item. Either of those situations is idiotic.

I thought abysssea was supposed to fix this sort of issue where people monopolize targets to the detriment of other players? Especially in the case where it is being done simply to profit. There's no difference with this VNM crap, and Dragon's aery.

Either make multiple T2/T3 pops or sufficiently randomize their spawn points. IE: 5 different "new spawn" points. If new random spawn points are introduced, and people are still claiming them in 5 secs within the 1st week of the switch it will be pretty easy to see if they are violating the terms of service.

[Rearden]

There is no way to 3rd party VNMs lol, claim better.

The only way to 3rd party VNMs at the moment is to request data from the server, which will get you banned shortly after. It's the same reason you can't autolocate any mob/??? (eg Kupo spawns) in a zone. The server only loads what's within 50' of you, after that you have to request it from the server and doing so will get you banned.

[Zaknafein]

There is no way to 3rd party VNMs lol, claim better.

The only way to 3rd party VNMs at the moment is to request data from the server, which will get you banned shortly after. It's the same reason you can't autolocate any mob/??? (eg Kupo spawns) in a zone. The server only loads what's within 50' of you, after that you have to request it from the server and doing so will get you banned.

So for all of you cheater's out there who know exactly where the spawn points are for the T2/T3's because you used apradar b4 they "supposedly" nerfed it....knowing exactly where to stand when their timer up is somehow not benefiting from knowledge gained through previous use of third party programs?

[Rearden]

You can figure that kind of thing out on your own, every spawn point has a specific path that mob will take. Knowing where that path will go is hardly cheating and takes some dedication, skill, and experience - all things that should be a requirement to getting anything as awesome as an Ochain or Dardaubla anyway.