The FFXI "Gyms of Vana'diel" Self Improvement Reborn!

[kingfury]

I like the whole PvP option you added in there, i would like to see this explored, i'm interested in it, as long as it is much more versatile than the PvP option we already have (first off i gear swap... A LOT!) like taking out the equipment change bind, thats just a drag. also i would like to see an addition to hp and/or mp during PvP events, mostly because at the present i can just see a blm and a dd job going into pvp against some similar setup and the blms can do upwards of 3k dmg (if properly geared and skilled) and any 3k dmg attack can one-shot most, if not all players, making pvp not so much fun, but also very unbalanced. i just want to see more ideas expressed on this part, ballista wasn't all it was supposed to be cracked up to be, i'd like to revisit PvP in this sense =)

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I hear ya man ^^ I've wanted a PvP system that caters to the good o'l Street Fighter fan in me for years! lol You know, that feeling you get when you just want to challenge that "random guy/gal" to battle on the spot for no other reason but to see who's best , and I'm working hard to make the one I propose fun/fair/diverse/and awesome all at the same time lol. I'll be posting details as soon as they're ready.

[Crysten]

I find this a really interesting idea, and I love your sketches, though as a skillup venue, I find it somewhat redundant at this point in the game when there have been mobs specifically introduced for skillups. The Instructor regiemes definitely perk my curiousity though!

At the same time however, I feel gyms would be better served as maybe like a sparring arena, much like you've just mentioned. 1 on 1 PvP, maybe even event matches vs NPCs (much like say, a limit break BCNM). What I'd imagine would be a nice idea for all those number crunchers, is a system not too dissimilar to something I saw in WoW watching a friend.

Basically, you're given a blank mob (in this case, imagine a Cardian), and people are free to wail on this mob however they see fit. In essence, this gives you a simulated zerg scenario. I'd love to see somewhere where we can test our TP and WS gear setups under a number of conditions and buffs in order to optimize our setups.

Either way, a really interesting, fleshed out idea - thanks for sharing!

[noirin]

this is delicious,kitty would use this

[Yashii]

This is an amaziiiiing Idea! !

[Starr]

Didn't read the entire thread but wouldn't it be best to not only ease skilling up and gaining exp (not a problem but something OP suggested) and adding PVP to just fix the PVP already in game? Make hits/spells 100% skill up and give exp on kills, make points for winning matches to be tradeable for good items. No need to add an entire new system.

[Kasune]

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lol Weelllll, on DD jobs with little support Campaign is a free-for-all bloodfest but there's still a huge percent of jobs that wouldn't be able to enjoy Campaign without getting mauled before actually seeing one point of skill up if they could /stagger lol. Plus there's the horrible "/wait till the campaign to actually start" aspect of the system that is just mind numbing at times ^^ Not to say it's impossible, but just no where near as efficient.
The concept I'm proposing has multiple enjoyable ways to both skill up and enjoy the heat of battle without forcing players to twiddle their thumbs waiting for something else to tell them when to start. That includes game systems and players alike.

I love this idea. Many many times have I wanted to skill up, cuz i like to see everything in blue ;o, but have found it time consuming and dull. How nice it would be to have a specific place to go where I could choose what skill etc I want to work on and not feel like I'm wasting my time for hours with little progress!! There are also times when I'm just blah and don't wanna really "do" anything and these gyms would be the perfect solution to those "blah" times. I'd still be productive and be rewarded =) AWESOME DUDE!!! Thank you for the great idea! I hope SE implements this =)

[Alhanelem]

My personal preference would be just to ease the skillup rate a little bit more than they did (mainly for defensive skills and slower weapons), rather than adding new places/ways to skill up. But I will definitely agree that some kind of adjustment/change would prove helpful.

[Glamdring]

I actually thought about this the 1st time I saw the "crash test dummies" in windy that the NPC mages practice on. If only they do something for defensive skills too. Seriously, how hard is it to reverse the order to "parry/guard", "shield" "evasion" is the order?

[kingfury]

I find this a really interesting idea, and I love your sketches, though as a skillup venue, I find it somewhat redundant at this point in the game when there have been mobs specifically introduced for skillups. The Instructor regiemes definitely perk my curiousity though!
At the same time however, I feel gyms would be better served as maybe like a sparring arena, much like you've just mentioned. 1 on 1 PvP, maybe even event matches vs NPCs (much like say, a limit break BCNM). What I'd imagine would be a nice idea for all those number crunchers, is a system not too dissimilar to something I saw in WoW watching a friend.
Basically, you're given a blank mob (in this case, imagine a Cardian), and people are free to wail on this mob however they see fit. In essence, this gives you a simulated zerg scenario. I'd love to see somewhere where we can test our TP and WS gear setups under a number of conditions and buffs in order to optimize our setups.
Either way, a really interesting, fleshed out idea - thanks for sharing!

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Thanks for the great feedback and compliment ^^ / And you're right about the recent skill up mobs, but in the same vein as what Abyssea did for exp+making it fun to do so, these Gyms would answer a similar call for an alternative that gives players the opportunity to enhance the skill up experience while adding elements of fun ^^. It's not meant to degrade the standard methods of gaining skill lvs (much like how Abyssea is vs Standard Zones concerning exp) as much as offer a new entertaining option in doing so.
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^^; I'm working on detailing the PvP section of these Gyms this very moment lol, I'm just trying to make sure everything is clear and understandable before I post it. The Instructor Programs will indeed be able to cover everything from the sparring arena-style battles to the challenging BCNM-type battles. PvP details coming soon though ^^;
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The last concept you speak of has also been Edited into the Original post towards the bottom called "TP/MP Bonanza" with details coming very soon as well! It's wonderful that I'm not the only one that has these great ideas floating around in their head lol.
Again thanks for the great feedback /salute

[Redaske]

I love this idea. It would actually make skilling up enjoyable(I love skilling as it is but still an excellent idea.) Also having some PvP in there would be great. Sure we have ballista but you can't TRULY test your skill/gear if you can't do gearswaps without a penalty. I know myself as a paladin(Yes I'm a PLD and I DO shit in Abyssea so there! Of Course I have an LS of openminded people who recognize skill.) I would never want anything like WoW PvP(That game just needs to die! No offense!) I'd love to actually go head to head with some DD's on my PLD just to see how well they could do vs. me.(I've got a Taru BLM with Sick gear who always tries to nuke me dead on my PLD when I get charmed... He never can manage it it with 1 nuke. I told him the day he does enough damage to one shot me I'll give him a Mil Gil XD)

The illustrations are hilarious. I could only have dreams of drawing with that kind of skill. I can draw a blueprint no problem but never something as elaborate as those pictures.

/bow/salute/kneel kingfury That's some impressive work you've come up with. SE should hire you on to the Dev team :P