Too easy!

[rog]

What do drop rates have to do with difficulty? Do you want real difficulty, or fake difficulty?

[Nickdogg]

What do drop rates have to do with difficulty? Do you want real difficulty, or fake difficulty?

Reread what I said; I believe I answer that.

Edit: On a side note what is "real" difficulty or "fake" difficulty. If fake difficulty is patience and persistence to achieve one's goals(low drop rates) then is that not real?

[rog]

Reread what I said; I believe I answer that.

You were inconsistent. You started out complaining about the increasing drop rates, then jumped over to harder fights.

I agree we need some more challenging fights, like rani/shinryu (except maybe outside abyssea, where brews are not available, or else maybe something in abyssea that would still be difficult even with everyone spamming brews). However i don't see a problem with higher drop rates.

[Nickdogg]

You were inconsistent. You started out complaining about the increasing drop rates, then jumped over to harder fights.

I agree we need some more challenging fights, like rani/shinryu (except maybe outside abyssea, where brews are not available, or else maybe something in abyssea that would still be difficult even with everyone spamming brews). However i don't see a problem with higher drop rates.

I didn't "jump" over to harder fights I merely gave another example of the ease at which the game is. I also do believe I state that we already have difficult mobs. No inconsistencies there.

You don't see a problem with higher drop rates but I do. We both have our opinion.

In regards to Sp1ce, you're right not everyone has time due to RL myself included. I however do not believe the goal of an mmorpg is to "have it now". Take the time, play 2hrs a day, get your gear over a slightly longer period but enjoy the challenges (yes I said challenges) and reap the rewards of something that has taken effort(time) to do.

[Revalus]

I didn't "jump" over to harder fights I merely gave another example of the ease at which the game is. I also do believe I state that we already have difficult mobs. No inconsistencies there.

You don't see a problem with higher drop rates but I do. We both have our opinion.

In regards to Sp1ce, you're right not everyone has time due to RL myself included. I however do not believe the goal of an mmorpg is to "have it now". Take the time, play 2hrs a day, get your gear over a slightly longer period but enjoy the challenges (yes I said challenges) and reap the rewards of something that has taken effort(time) to do.

I don't disagree with the need for challenge. That's one of the reasons I've come back to FFXI recently. However, I find your use of "effort" and "time" interchangeably has created a false equivalency. My first job to 30 was MNK, simply because to get my advanced jobs, it would be the one for which I only had to put in time. The effort, well, not so much. I popped some food and started wailing on stuff.

I appreciate the EXP increase, for instance, because I never found the traditional 6-person camping parties to be challenging; I found them to be incredibly time consuming and fairly uninteresting. Recently, I've found my game play enhanced by trio-ing with friends of mine, burning FoV pages, and getting better EXP than we once did in IT++ camps. The point is, though, that they're taking steps to make the low-end game play faster AND more enjoyable simultaneously. Perhaps they're realizing that time and effort are not equivalent. As far as endgame stuff is concerned, well, I'll probably be able to have that discussion in a month or so.

Drop rates in FFXI are a subject on which I don't have much of an opinion. But I'll not stray from my "time does not equal effort" philosophy.

[Hiswhitewings]

While I see why you would call that difficulty I do have to disagree. Now, don't take this the wrong way because I assure you I'm not making assumptions on your real life or anything so keep in mind I'm using myself as an example. I can only log in for, oh, maybe 10 hours max a week. With the old FFXI I got ZERO, nada cero. Well, a Genboobs Shield but lol.

Now with Abyssea I can finally level a job I've always wanted to level (ninja) and not feel gimp without Byakko Haidate because there are alternatives to that. I still had to be patient and wait for drops. The only difference is that now I can actually see my goal instead of hoping I'm walking in the right direction.

[Ilax]

While I see why you would call that difficulty I do have to disagree. Now, don't take this the wrong way because I assure you I'm not making assumptions on your real life or anything so keep in mind I'm using myself as an example. I can only log in for, oh, maybe 10 hours max a week. With the old FFXI I got ZERO, nada cero. Well, a Genboobs Shield but lol.

Now with Abyssea I can finally level a job I've always wanted to level (ninja) and not feel gimp without Byakko Haidate because there are alternatives to that. I still had to be patient and wait for drops. The only difference is that now I can actually see my goal instead of hoping I'm walking in the right direction.

See even if i am not happy that the game come 'too easy' i am happy this update finally give a chance to anyone that do not have luxury to play more then some player, but in other hand i don't wan to be force to play just 10h/week just because that make those player happy. You said it, you finally found something accessible for you that is good as Byakko Haidate.

I am not really asking SE to put more gear with crazy stats on it, look at mandau is just +1dmg compare E.Wep, don't you think is a good alternative already? They don't have to turn the entire content of FFXI in easy mode like they are planning on Dynamis V2, there a limit imo and they are crossing the line atm. Is for sure too soon to say anything about LV99 but i hope there still some good challenge incoming for us, not crappy massive player on 1 NM, nor 24h wait for a POP that 80 player try to claim, nor something you can do in the first week that SE release just because SE only think about casual player. I wan a good reason to play the game and feel i am not loosing my time into it.

No matter if is 1% or 50% of they member, i doubt is a good solution to keep the door close to anyone.