Trials of the Magians and casual players.

[Zumi]

except you forgot one thing you're hypothetically telling me to go level a job or jobs that I may or may not like for the sake of getting a weapon for a job I enjoy...... Sarick has it spot on, to many selfish players in this game I'm tired of seeing so many people telling me I have to do something against my will in this game because it's for the better or something similar to this line..


This game is broken, but it's not the developers fault or coding sadly.

FFXI has always been like that. Handful of jobs being useful everything else sort of sucking. Want to get stuff done level jobs you don't like.

[Hawklaser]

FFXI has always been like that. Handful of jobs being useful everything else sort of sucking. Want to get stuff done level jobs you don't like.

The problem is it is getting worse. Everyone understands not every job is going to be great at every event, but when it gets to the point of being only way to gear any other job to participate is gear a support first, there is a very big problem. For me, this problem getting worse is a good indicator that the game will start dying off soon.

[Demon6324236]

The problem is it is getting worse.

It is? I have more often now than in the last 3 years been asked to bring my RDM to events, not me asking to come RDM, me being asked to! I have seen more PUPs running around, thanks to the Alternator that job has a pet worth putting on a DD setup now, meaning it is not just a MNK who can solo, but rather its a job with its own unique ability to DD. DRGs have been getting more attention because they have such high Accuracy Bonus traits they can keep up Accuracy on the new mobs without as much effort while also providing a potent Defense Down effect and some self healing as well as giving the party a higher Crit Rate, boosting damage further.

I think the problem is fading, I am seeing more jobs come back into use every day, and in this next update which is meant to change how our nuking works, well, we may start seeing BLM come back into the picture if things go well.

[Hawklaser]

As was referring to the having to level jobs you don't like getting worse, as the aspect of general acceptance of a well geared job is getting better, but the issue is getting shifted to actually getting the jobs geared. Though with most games with constant balancing, the flavor of the month jobs will always be shifting.

There really are a lot of factors at work here, and whats amplifying the whole thing is how much content Delve has caused to become mostly abandoned. And there really does need to be a few more alternatives to being able to get to a point to participate in the more active content than level X job so can gear the rest first.

[Xtrasweettea]

The problem is it is getting worse. Everyone understands not every job is going to be great at every event, but when it gets to the point of being only way to gear any other job to participate is gear a support first, there is a very big problem. For me, this problem getting worse is a good indicator that the game will start dying off soon.

Again, the people who are creating shouts must appeal not only to the best DD, but to the rarer support jobs. They have the right to limit who can join who can't based on whatever they want. If you don't want to level a support job to get gear:
START your own shout and you can then invite whoever you want
WAIT for a shout that doesn't care about RMED*
JOIN a static or LS that doesn't care about RMED *
or you can:
CONVINCE support players to get "paid" less per run for the same amount of work as before
CONVINCE 1/2 of player base to play support jobs or PLDs in order to equal out the amount of support to DD ratio

It will only get worse for those who just WAIT. Progressive credentalism is going to happen as they release "higher level" content. Unfortunately, the progressive credentialism is going to mainly target DDs because their is a MUCH larger amount of DD players than support players. If it was the other way around you would see shouts for "Daurdabla BRDs only", "Yagrush WHMs only", etc.

*Example: our shell did two Morimar Basalt Fields Delve runs last night. We didn't require RMED. Instead we were able to filter people on their play skill based on our past experience with them and their attitude upon joining. Out of the three shouts that were going on at the same time, ours filled the fastest. It was appealing to DDs, definitely. It was also appealing to the support jobs, since we were providing 2x BRDs, 2x WHMs, 2x PLDs, and 1x COR from the start. We still had to shout to fill the rest of the support, but they filled out pretty fast. So, these shouts do exist, but we still had to provide the majority of the support in order to make it happen.

[Deifact]

SE seem to add additional content that almost obliterates any need to do any alternative content ever. This happened with Abyssea which pretty much negated leveling content from 30-75.

Seens to be happening again with Delve.

[Hawklaser]

Again, the people who are creating shouts must appeal not only to the best DD, but to the rarer support jobs. They have the right to limit who can join who can't based on whatever they want. If you don't want to level a support job to get gear:
START your own shout and you can then invite whoever you want
WAIT for a shout that doesn't care about RMED*
JOIN a static or LS that doesn't care about RMED *
or you can:
CONVINCE support players to get "paid" less per run for the same amount of work as before
CONVINCE 1/2 of player base to play support jobs or PLDs in order to equal out the amount of support to DD ratio

It will only get worse for those who just WAIT. Progressive credentalism is going to happen as they release "higher level" content. Unfortunately, the progressive credentialism is going to mainly target DDs because their is a MUCH larger amount of DD players than support players. If it was the other way around you would see shouts for "Daurdabla BRDs only", "Yagrush WHMs only", etc.

I fully understand that there is a difference in demand for support jobs compared to DD jobs. And its not so much that its going to get worse for those who wait, but more of how are you going to keep new players engaged enough they stick around?

[Zagen]

I fully understand that there is a difference in demand for support jobs compared to DD jobs. And its not so much that its going to get worse for those who wait, but more of how are you going to keep new players engaged enough they stick around?

There was always a higher demand for support jobs since day 1. Until there is a way to replace the need for a support job this will always be a problem.

Edit: A topic suggesting to fix potions, now this actually goes toward addressing the shortage of healers which can help those newer DD who refuse to upgrade their gear through SE's implied progression, refuse to lead, and refuse to level a support job.

[Xtrasweettea]

I fully understand that there is a difference in demand for support jobs compared to DD jobs. And its not so much that its going to get worse for those who wait, but more of how are you going to keep new players engaged enough they stick around?

I do not have an answer for that. The only way I can think for a new player to stick around is to have the new player know somebody who has friends and that person and his/her friends are willing to help the new player catch up to where they are at in their progression. Other than that, I have no answer. This is a player-base problem and has been since day one (as Zagen stated).

[Hawklaser]

There was always a higher demand for support jobs since day 1. Until there is a way to replace the need for a support job this will always be a problem.

Yeah it has been, and usually is in any MMO. And its not just Support, its also often Tanks too.

Whats making this universal problem more pronounced is the shift the game has gone through. Pre-Abyssea, while the leveling rate for some jobs was slower than molasses, your average player was more included as a lot more partying happened and while there was a rift between Dynamis shell players and everyone else, it was possible for a more average player to make the leap into participating in that content if they wanted to. Even up to SoA's Skirmish there was usually something anyone could participate in if they wanted, however soon as Delve was released vast majority of non-Delve group activities dried up for the time being, and not everyone can easily participate. And Delve is not even planned as the very top of endgame content either it seems.