Are multi-box players delaying server merges?

[kylani]

It's the same thing in the end, we're selfish and would rather have an easier time than a more rewarding one. Who cares to socialize and/or compete with 5,000 other players when they believe they can more easily obtain their personal goals with 300? Anything that may possibly present a tougher time - and Ambuscade has become the easiest scapegoat here - also presents itself as a reason against server merges. It's really unfortunate, but we're living in a time where more and more people just want to have things done their way, screw the greater good.

I've played a long time, and the reason many of my friends left was the tedium of farming alexandrite, currency, salvage plans, etc. Even though we had linkshells devoted to activities, people got burned out doing the same thing over with folks painfully slowly getting what they needed till in the end, there were too few left to farm. The ability for folks to finally be able to work for the items they want with smaller groups has made things better. Unfortunately, we lost a lot of good players by the time SE starting making things better.

btw - I don't multi-box and the friends I currently play with don't multi-box, but I have grouped with people who multi-boxed and understand why some do. People don't have all the time in the world and it's understandable that they want to see some results from all the time they do put in. It's not selfish. People pay to enjoy a game the way they want to, not the way you want them to. Personally, I have never been in a rush to get everything, so I do miss the days when we grouped for everything, but so many things are better than they used to be. More choice is good.

[Diavolo]

If other players were as competent as I am, I wouldn't have to multibox everything, I mean it's that simple. I trust myself to cure myself and na myself waaaaaaay more than some half afk random who hates being on whm, but everyone told him to gear it to get content.

I would certainly rather pay less money and take people who care enough to be average or better. It's just not an option.

Why do you think that is?

I've played a long time, and the reason many of my friends left was the tedium of farming alexandrite, currency, salvage plans, etc. Even though we had linkshells devoted to activities, people got burned out doing the same thing over with folks painfully slowly getting what they needed till in the end, there were too few left to farm. The ability for folks to finally be able to work for the items they want with smaller groups has made things better. Unfortunately, we lost a lot of good players by the time SE starting making things better.

The more things change the more they stay the same. Today we still have the tedium of farming alexandrite and other REM currencies on top of Ambuscade. I imagine the active population is going to take a major hit over the next three months without some major changes/additions planned.

btw - I don't multi-box and the friends I currently play with don't multi-box, but I have grouped with people who multi-boxed and understand why some do. People don't have all the time in the world and it's understandable that they want to see some results from all the time they do put in. It's not selfish. People pay to enjoy a game the way they want to, not the way you want them to. Personally, I have never been in a rush to get everything, so I do miss the days when we grouped for everything, but so many things are better than they used to be. More choice is good.

Case in point.

We don't have more choice, we have less.

[kylani]

Case in point.

We don't have more choice, we have less.

No, you still have a choice. You can still group. Now you're just not forced to find a group for every single thing you do. I was a red mage at a time when you just had to pop on the server and get invites because 'every' group had to have a red mage. Sadly, the cookie cutter job mentality may be the biggest problem FFXI has. I remember how bad it was for the jobs that weren't tank, healer, refresher. I nostalgically miss the old days, but it doesn't mean it was perfect. If it were, people wouldn't have gotten so burnt out and left.

[Diavolo]

No, you still have a choice. You can still group. Now you're just not forced to find a group for every single thing you do. I was a red mage at a time when you just had to pop on the server and get invites because 'every' group had to have a red mage. Sadly, the cookie cutter job mentality may be the biggest problem FFXI has. I remember how bad it was for the jobs that weren't tank, healer, refresher. I nostalgically miss the old days, but it doesn't mean it was perfect. If it were, people wouldn't have gotten so burnt out and left.

The irony here is that your point was that more choice is good, yet we're in a thread about server merges where that point is being shot down. More people open up more possibilities. More linkshells, more parties, more jobs of every kind, more crafters, a more active economy, more reasons for the dev team to expand Ambuscade past just the one zone and return to creating content for an open world rather than "instanced" content that isn't instanced at all.

People saw how bad the Ambuscade wait times were when it was first introduced and they don't want to go back to that again because, sadly, it has become the most popular part of the game. I've seen people play as many as seven characters at the same time so they can obtain their REM weapons as fast as possible. Do you honestly think those types of people care about healthy servers? Actual people would get in their way, slowing down their progress so they're all against the idea of larger server populations, nevermind the fact they could use those seven characters to make gil by other means and just buy their weapons instead. Everyone just wants things their way, screw everyone else, which isn't far off from what you said a couple of posts up. How about we all go back to wanting things the way they were meant to be: "Enter an online community of thousands of players from the US and Japan"

[Seish]

Here's a simple response:

Windower is third party and the only way to multibox is to use Windower. The question here is should SE issue banhammer for those using third party tools? They can run a check to prevent cheating at the startup, it would thin the people out enough to bring the servers together. However, that would reduce the population a ton, which IMO would do more harm.

In short, SE is seeing the end of days unless they do some shit to bring this game to life. Content isn't what is needed. It's a campaign initative to make the game cheaper, more player friendly while being team oriented, as well as bring it back into what made it a Final Fantasy--the adventure. They focused too much on the grinding that people lost what the goal of the game was. I have been playing back in 2003, and I might need to remind you all that the game was very difficult back then. But I made friends that lasted forever. I knew these people and they knew me. The server was one unit, one being. But now that has deminished due to how easy the game is now. People lost the idea of Unity.

SE needs to bring back the old mechanics or create new ones that forces people to play strategically--not just throwing bodies at the problem. I want to see AOE wipes, I want to see CS Stun, rotating chiblasts, Sams rotating in and out to SC. I miss this play style. Each job had their specific role. We need to revive this. It's not hard to do, and they could do this in so many ways that doesn't affect any current content.

[Jile]

Windower is third party and the only way to multibox is to use Windower.

This is incorrect. I have three 40 inch tv sets in my bedroom, my wife plays on one pc, I on another and the tv in between us is for our alt account as we had been using xbox initially for that account until migrating it to pc. While using three xbox controllers is indeed inconvenient its 100% doable as I've done far too many times.

That said, I'm certain that well over half of the population of xi likely use Windower, if SE were to cancel their accounts and their subsequent mule accounts they may as well shut down xi as it's already on its last legs and they cant "afford" another mass ban - even if your reasoning is valid for them to do so.

If people didn't level jobs from 1-99 in one day, equip their ambuscade gear and think they can play a job perhaps the need for multi accounts wouldn't be there however that is the way people roll in 2016.

In short, SE is seeing the end of days unless they do some **** to bring this game to life. Content isn't what is needed. It's a campaign initative to make the game cheaper, more player friendly while being team oriented, as well as bring it back into what made it a Final Fantasy--the adventure.

SE needs to get this game back into stores any way possible with lots and lots of advertisement, a new expansion with new zones and new mobs that are not recycled re-re-repeated mobs and include re-skinned images (bring back orig smn avatars that bogged down PS1 players for example). This game needs NEW BLOOD not just people that miss the game and come back for occasionally visiting for a few months here and there. Expand or die.

[Diavolo]

The benefits of dualboxing are too great to give up without a good reason to do so, especially since the vast majority of the time, dualboxing isn't going to mean that someone else gets benched. The only time I am going to be reluctant to replace my dbox w/ another player would be if that player would actually be dead weight due to gear, lack of JP which causes a lack of key spells/abilities, or fight mechanics being anti-melee and they refuse to level any other jobs in order to be useful to groups AND it's something that the group can't carry someone else thru easily.

I'll jump at the chance to help someone who has put in effort already and found that they need help to complete something. I'm not quite altruistic enough to happily enable someone else just being lazy and/or a non-contributor towards group success. ^^;;

That's more than fair and refreshingly honest.

I asked - and I didn't mean to single you out, it was more a question for anyone reading - because at this point in the game the divide between the more hardcore/"elite" players and newer, more casual ones is wider than it's ever been and it's wreaking havoc on player retention. The social/casual LS -> mid-tier LS with scheduled events -> HNMLS ladder of the pre-Abyssea days helped people become better players every step of the way. A HNMLS could break 100 members back then with a fairly wide spectrum of skill within it, offering new recruits with an appetite to learn a great opportunity to do so. While that still happens today, everything is on a much smaller scale, including the linkshells, the level of skill between its players and their willingness to recruit.

It was a lot easier for a player, casual or hardcore, to find a linkshell they could call home in the 75 era if only because there were a lot more options available. The same goes for those simply seeking a little help with the odd quest or item, their options go from slim to none on servers that top out at 300 active players during peak hours. Those of us multiboxing our way through Vagary and collecting Aeonics don't spend a second thinking about it because we're getting by just fine, but those players we're losing could have eventually made it to the end game scene and made all of our lives a little easier if only we were a little more willing to lend a hand.

It doesn't look like SE is all that interested in keeping this ship sailing for much longer and, that being the case, I firmly believe large scale server merges along with some other quick and easy changes (adding more monsters to old zones, adjusting respawn timers/levels/drops) are the best course of action. An empty server shouldn't be a memory of any Final Fantasy XI player... unless they're reminiscing about the time they were first to log in after a maintenance and claimed Nidhogg.

In short, SE is seeing the end of days unless they do some shit to bring this game to life. Content isn't what is needed. It's a campaign initative to make the game cheaper, more player friendly while being team oriented, as well as bring it back into what made it a Final Fantasy--the adventure. They focused too much on the grinding that people lost what the goal of the game was. I have been playing back in 2003, and I might need to remind you all that the game was very difficult back then. But I made friends that lasted forever. I knew these people and they knew me. The server was one unit, one being. But now that has deminished due to how easy the game is now. People lost the idea of Unity.

I like you... except for the whole banning Windower thing. Adding new content is still important, but given the state of the game and SE's apparent unwillingness to keep investing money into it I'd be happy enough if they could just update old content so it reflected the times. I shouldn't have to sit around waiting 15 minute for Aerns to repop in 2016, for example - monster respawn timers shouldn't be longer than 5 minutes anywhere in the game.

The point you made about adventure is spot on as well and since it seems new art/models aren't a possibility anymore that could be handled via the introduction of higher level monsters in older zones, similar to how they were added to dungeons for Grounds of Valor. Shuffling monsters around, adding "new" ones (same skins, just maybe different sizes, names and levels) and adding sought after drops with low drop rates (plutons, beitetusu, boulders, alexandrite or whatever else to add variety to the way those REM items are farmed) would be a simple way to draw interest back to areas no one ever visits anymore. Vana'diel is massive in size and there's still a lot that can be done even with the skeleton crew left working on it.

Finally, the whole "make the game cheaper" thing is something that SE really needs to take a look at. The expansions are overpriced on their own, especially the mini expansions at $10 each. I don't expect to see the subscription price drop since they just added $4 for some wardrobe space, but how do you justify three mini expansions costing the same as the entire collection? I would think lowering their individual prices might do more to increase revenue than hurt it at this point.

SE needs to get this game back into stores any way possible with lots and lots of advertisement, a new expansion with new zones and new mobs that are not recycled re-re-repeated mobs and include re-skinned images (bring back orig smn avatars that bogged down PS1 players for example). This game needs NEW BLOOD not just people that miss the game and come back for occasionally visiting for a few months here and there. Expand or die.

Careful, you'll anger all those living in paradise on their quiet servers.

[Nyarlko]

Here's a simple response:

Windower is third party and the only way to multibox is to use Windower. The question here is should SE issue banhammer for those using third party tools? They can run a check to prevent cheating at the startup, it would thin the people out enough to bring the servers together. However, that would reduce the population a ton, which IMO would do more harm.

Two laptops. :3 /panic when required to bounce between keyboards during hectic fights. Enjoy the satisfaction of success after said /panicking that I just did something by myself that I could never have done "solo". (This is also one of the reasons I tend to focus on job combos that have one active and one more passive.) It can be done without any sort of anything outside of the client. Please don't equate "multi-boxer" with "cheater".

SE needs to bring back the old mechanics or create new ones that forces people to play strategically--not just throwing bodies at the problem. I want to see AOE wipes, I want to see CS Stun, rotating chiblasts, Sams rotating in and out to SC. I miss this play style. Each job had their specific role. We need to revive this. It's not hard to do, and they could do this in so many ways that doesn't affect any current content.

AOE wipes happen regularly, just look at the issues on using melee on higher tier endgame content. That would be one of the big reasons that melee generally seem unwelcome on 140+ fights. The "specific roles" you mentioned were pretty boring tbh. ^^;; It wasn't that engaging to spam Boost for several minutes on the sidelines before doing something to the target. CS Stun didn't exactly take a lot of higher brain functions to spam your stun macro. I think some of the reasons those things have gone away for the most part are changes in the playerbase not wanting to do those things anymore due to efficiency, and current content frequently feeling like a race against gimmicks and/or the clock (which increases the priority level of group efficiency.) I think that it might be possible to bring in more variety of playstyle back into the mix if they at least increased the timer on Gaes Fete fights to 30min for instance. Most fights nowadays are far simpler to try to bruteforce down something ASAP than deal with extended TPmove/AOE spam, adds, or level up mechanics, but there are still some that it could be possible to chip away at w/o any sort of enrage timer looming.

[Diavolo]

I think that it might be possible to bring in more variety of playstyle back into the mix if they at least increased the timer on Gaes Fete fights to 30min for instance. Most fights nowadays are far simpler to try to bruteforce down something ASAP than deal with extended TPmove/AOE spam, adds, or level up mechanics, but there are still some that it could be possible to chip away at w/o any sort of enrage timer looming.

This is veering a little off topic, but I'm a big proponent of bringing the focus of MMORPGs back to open world design and Geas Fete isn't quite that, as you touched upon - as soon as you pop that NM everyone/everything outside of your party disappears and they can't do anything to help/hurt you or even engage the NM should your party wipe. Aggro, links, AoE, out of party heals... it's all stuff that added a little extra spice/strategy to fights. The game has become too sterile, where player interaction is practically frowned upon outside of towns. It's part of why the genre has been in decline, too much time is spent worrying about how to make the game easier for the casual/mainstream market and not enough spent worrying about how to make the world more interesting. Give the players the tools and let them choose whether they want to use them for good or evil. Breaking the Terms of Service is one thing, but choosing to watch a party wipe or, conversely, raising/healing/joining them is a completely different story and one that helps build character, the kind of character building we don't see much of anymore these days because of the way the game has changed.

I think the 15-30 min timers currently in place are fair, but I would love to see them go back to open world fights where the NMs begin to rage when their timers expire and should you wipe, anyone happening to be around would be free to claim before it depops.

[Nyarlko]

Aggro, links, AoE, out of party heals... it's all stuff that added a little extra spice/strategy to fights.
............
I think the 15-30 min timers currently in place are fair, but I would love to see them go back to open world fights where the NMs begin to rage when their timers expire and should you wipe, anyone happening to be around would be free to claim before it depops.

All of those things were potential risks with little reward. I have absolutely no desire to go back to the days of curebomb claim-stealing, MPKing, and HNM camping for days on end (only to watch a bot get the claim before it even spawns.) ^^;;

I believe that all Geas Fete timers are 15min, which I think should be increased to 30min to allow for turtling or wipe/reset/recover, at least for T2+ since pops tend to be expensive or difficult to acquire. This would allow for learning and experimentation with group compositions, which would be a good thing IMO. I may be a dualboxer, but would be overjoyed if removing some of the roadblocks would allow for more players to learn the content, even if that means leaving one of my accounts at home to make room for one more.