Interim Report – Sorry to keep you all waiting!

[Llana_Virren]

1: The RDM SP2 does not enhance the potency of the enfeebling spell. All it does is guarantee that the spell will land.
2: They are making sweeping changes to negate immunity to multiple NMs.

If they made the ja bypass and overrule immunities, and go on a 30 minute timer, then it might not be so bad.

[Kincard]

As far as the tail allowing a Limit Break 99 solo, it would, but you would need to time it correctly, because the interim between tail uses is more than enough time for him to kill you instantly with a WS. It's probably best to still go with 2-3 people so you don't end up wasting tails.

Really, even now, with a tail, a well-geared SAM could probably solo him. I helped a group of pink-clad clowns once and they were able to beat him with just one tail, too.

[Dragoy]

As far as the tail allowing a Limit Break 99 solo, it would, but you would need to time it correctly, because the interim between tail uses is more than enough time for him to kill you instantly with a WS. It's probably best to still go with 2-3 people so you don't end up wasting tails.

Really, even now, with a tail, a well-geared SAM could probably solo him. I helped a group of pink-clad clowns once and they were able to beat him with just one tail, too.

Indeed, and a samurai doesn't even need to be that well-geared for it.

Also, there's plenty of time to use a new tail after the effect wears off. The tarooo~ does no longer unleash a barrage of weapon skills like it used to at that point. It is quite disheartening to imagine that anyone would still have troubles with it (or trouble with having anyone to help with it), but I guess it is possible.

So with that said, it's definitely a good direction to go, allowing the items to stack and become less rare... so to speak.

Ii no tsuushin. ^^

[Kincard]

Even if RDM was the only job that could land said enfeeble with the use of this ability, that still wouldn't be useful, because it's on a 1-hour recast and slow II only lasts 3 minutes. I doubt the same monsters where something you would NEED these enfeebles to stick are the same ones that only last 3 minutes.

[Prrsha]

I thought this comment from the ala forums sum up many thoughts of returning vets (or those long departe) and the complaints of a certain loss of "heart" in FFXI that has been eating at it's soul for a while now. I joined FFXI in 2004 and was leader of MithraPride Phoenix for 6 some years. I have played just about every aspect in the game from combat related content to passive content such as chocobo raising, fishing, pankration, whathaveyou. I enjoyed mentoring players from little'ol level 1s to level 99 powerhouses. Many of the people I taught went on to form HMN Lses to dynamis lses and lvl 75 content beyond.

The most fun I had in FFXI was mid level oddly enough. I enjoyed the steady pace of leveling and helping others along the road as well. I made tight knit friendships in those days. I made a LS for the SOLE intent of involving lower level players in large group events. Yes... large scale battles for new players which they has a BLAST doing. Garrisons, eco-warriors, CoP, expeditionary forces. All of those COULD be done by low level players BECAUSE there were level caps back then. There was some content back in the day that gave new players a bang for their buck WITHOUT having to warp to level 75 or 99. People were interested in those events because they gave gear that could be used solely in events like CoP and the before mentioned ones.

Now the level caps are gone. Leveling is set to light speed. 75% of your existing game content that was made in the past serves NO purpose now. It's far too easy to complete and offers no rewards of any use. After all, if you warp players to 99, why do you need special gear or items for them? There is no need and 75% of vanadiel becomes tumbleweeds.

You are pandering to existing and returning players, yes, but what about new ones? If FFXI is to survive you need NEW blood. New players, with meaningful things to do on the way to level 99... or the game seems... unfinished. I miss the old members of my LS:

Brynmor
Aadfiyyuna
Califlower
Yamamotokenshin
Emphulax
Wayako
Aeona
Tedz
Kogoro
Tofu
Shdwlancer
Crouriant
Reginhart
Taz
Volkai
Quibly
Quorc
Quintessa
Jimi
Okatsu
Siconda
Slander
Ryth
Tinythumbs
Igigi
Keirah
Esyra
Tazmaliah
Laaha
Imori
Sampson
Aroshen
Aeroz
Thorquin
Genisis
Nomax
Uway
Renald
Aspen
Kakerot
Mickdangerous
Blaquepearl
Bolvvek
Coltrain
Rihku
Iruka
Demonicafox
Rossjr
Pumira
Parabellum
Eion
Kyulu
Atada
Datu
Arkumi
Silverdragon
Baldmonkey
Giblit
Danza
Pumyra
Tigriess
Amphiruru
Mertutu
Umpaloopa
Tsafyah
Maddia
Sunn
Hanagumi
Ultirian
Lynnisadi
Igothl
Evey
Xanthiris
Shazzaak
Cerealkiller
Nomax
Murdy
Verdei
Harvin
Frosted
Karma
Soulstorm
Shupyuu
Shizuko
Khaled
Maxiex
Anumi
Inyourwasha
Satrams
Praeline
Bazel
Katrity
Kmgb
Ishamael
Zortho
Tinacat
Chaoskitten

I still keep in contact with them on facebook and many wish to return... they really do... but they find the lack of low level content, the fast exp and just the plain unity of the community is gone in FFXI.

If you don't wish to re-instate the level caps for CoP... or slow down the leveling process, at least include an option for those who WANT to play the game how it was. Maybe add better rewards for completing CoP with a lvl cap on, or add new relevent rewards for older content like garrison and maybe retool it.

Now about that ala quote:

I came back from a 2 year break and had to start over. I have been here from 2006 on and thought it was great there was a challenge in the game. Challenge meaning for instance, the dreaded Airship battle, old style. There was only a certain percent of people that could beat that battle. I really liked the fact that it challenged my playstyle, thinking about enmity, how much to cure, how to act and how my team members had to act. In fact, it wasnt hard at all, as long as you had people that knew how to play, iow, had experience and insight. People without the knowledge or skill had little chance of beating this fight. Yes, I kinda regret that I couldnt get a casual team through this fight when leading a CoP run myself, what I really disliked is that they took away the option to try the old difficulty and took the challenge away.

It's ridiculously easy to get good gear nowadays, good gear that doesnt matter what you do, you can get it done with very little skill involved whatsoever. No content (besides certain battlefields or events that require ace gear to complete, for instance New Nyzul Ilse, that only gets you more uber-gear which there is no need for anyway but e-peen or completing the same content in an easier way), is hard. It's mostly boring and needless to do.

The problem I have is that I want to try difficult battles and I can find few people that have the skill involved to complete it. That DOESNT mean "Spam this monster 1000 times and maybe get the drop you want". That's not difficult, that's boring. Voidwatch high tier bosses might be difficult to beat without empyrean, relic or mythic weapons, but it's certainly possible. I would like to try them without relics, mythics and empyrean weapons and have the droprate increased for rare items if I complete it that way. Yes, that will upset all the people who can only do it the easy way by buying displacers, demanding relic wielding players and get a lower droprate on that gear. Doesnt really matter if they spam those fights or try the hard fights. At least, I have a CHOICE to choose to do it the hard way, and get rewarded in the process, somewhat. I replayed CoP and all the other add-ons and the only thing I was thinking was: Damn, this content is easy and there are almost no players to team up with/or willing to help me out. It's the journey of sharing, failing and finally succeeding that is the most fun to do. Where is the challenge? Shinryu? Maybe the first time without atma's and stats boosts, or without people brewing, having top tier gear, etc etc. There is NO challenge in this game, and when there is, it's because of unfair difficulties or ridiculous demands for a party to have gear-wise.

My point is, level 75 had a balance, yes the game was harder, I didnt mind at all. HNMs were a problem to get drops from. Did you need those drops? Not at all. You could complete all the storyline fights without any problems with a good team or help from experienced players WITHOUT top-tier gear.

The game's difficulty is a joke. Especially after coming back when 2 years have passed. And the new director wants to LOWER the difficulty?? Are you kidding me? Are games meant to be easy nowadays to be enjoyable? Or does difficulty means, get all the top-tier in the game and maybe you can win? With horrible droprates?

The problem with FFXI nowadays is that the majority of players are all casual players. That means there's not much knowledge of game strategy or structure on how battles are fought. It means grinding for all the top-tier gear and lower the difficulty by doing that. I remember doing certain battlefields and boss fights with a weird setup, without the "required" setup, like rdm for refresh, bards, blms etc etc. And winning! That was fun. Those were the good times. Going in with Pups, Smns and other jobs that weren't considered to be needed or useful and getting the win. I had a choice in doing so, even with difficult fights. I had a choice to make it harder by going in without the usual setups.

Now I dont have that choice, cause the storylines particularly have been pathetic in difficulty since the increase of the level cap. My only choice is to increase the difficulty by level syncing to 75 (and then it's still dumbed down from the initial difficulty). Guys, Im sad. Im glad I see lots of hardcore players returning and they are even more easy to recognise because of skill, but the way things are going, even more distance between the hardcore and casual players are being created. You need to bring everyone together again. Give us a reason to play together, to do content together. With the current difficulty and the coming lowering of the difficulty it's gonna be more soloing or dumb teaming up for Voidwatch and just zerg everything with a little incentive of strategy (read not really strategy).

I really hope A Realm Reborn is gonna be very difficult, or at least Seekers of Adoulin, cause im already bored after 6 months of playing from the start and there is no need to get better gear, I can trio everything in the game besides the level 99 hard fights. With decent, AH bought (mostly) gear. I miss the community, which you needed to have if you wanted to progress. I miss the hardcore players. I miss the hardcore players to help the casual players. Now, there is almost no need to. There is almost no knowledge about how to play a job given to newer players, they dont need to, they can leech almost anything, there is no reason to learn.

As a closing statement, Im by no means an expert player, or the best player there is out there, im a decent player, who thinks up fun strategies to beat a boss, and was known for that too. Beating bosses with very different setups. Now, there is no need to think up fun strategies, the game is too easy. Especially for returning players. I was never a fan of HNMLSs or doing Dynamis a 1000 times to maybe get a gear drop through a point system based egls. I would love to play casual, as long as the difficulty is still there, and not this dumbed down game that has stolen my heart with challenge in the past.

Please please please... I know you wish to cater to casual players but you don't have to dumb the difficulty to do so. Just give them more things to do along the way. More things to accomplish. Toss out some capped events that lower level players can take part in while high level (and low level) players can unite to have a fun gaming experience, with a dash of challenge. Warping speeding every character to level 99 is the easy way out and you know it. You can make the game equally as fun if you spread around events with rewards that benefit all. Do that and you will have the happy medium you desire.

-Prrsha and the MithraPride (also Emerald Arcanum) crew.

[Aldersyde]

Stop beating a dead horse. Go find a live one to ride.

Same could be said for all the "woe is rdm" posters who insist on bringing up the same shit in every popular thread.

I'd rather read random yearning for the nostalgia of days gone by than the cacophony of whining rdms who just can't accept that the world has moved on.

[FrankReynolds]

Same could be said for all the "woe is rdm" posters who insist on bringing up the same shit in every popular thread.

I'd rather read random yearning for the nostalgia of days gone by than the cacophony of whining rdms who just can't accept that the world has moved on.

I'd prefer neither, but they did say "We would like to see people get to level 99 quickly". They never said "we would like to see people stop playing red mage". Although it wouldn't surprise me at this point if the devs just said "Look, that job is never going to be good again. We are concentrating on other things that we like better now".

[Prrsha]

I'd prefer neither, but they did say "We would like to see people get to level 99 quickly". They never said "we would like to see people stop playing red mage". Although it wouldn't surprise me at this point if the devs just said "Look, that job is never going to be good again. We are concentrating on other things that we like better now".

His comment about lightspeeding players to level 99 made my jaw drop. It's far too easy already plus it is done using such horrible and lackluster strategies like AFK book burning in dungeons. Players just... sit there AFK and leech! It's like the game is populated by dual boxers and zombies. It doesn't give new players that warm and fuzzy feeling that FFXI had before.

http://penny-arcade.com/patv/episode...cing-for-skill

I beg you to check out this link. It really is relevant for the current state FFXI is in. "Fooing" is the name of the game in FFXI now. There are so many exploits now it makes my head spin. People have already proven you can climb the latter to level 99 in TWO days just from leeching alone... and now they want to speed it up more?

If what he is saying is true (that a player needs to get to level 99 just to have "fun" in the game) then you should erase levels all together. It's a crazy statement but he's making a crazy proposal. That is the EASY way out.

Slow down the leveling process but add content along the way is entertaining for ALL playing levels. A level cap on certain events is one way to do this. For example: One could design a system like conquest in WotG but have battle fields of varying levels caps and (here is the key to this) make it EASY to access. In a campaign battle, all a person has to do is walk up to a NPC and join in to earn points. The are no flags or LFP nonsense. You just join in and leave when you wish to. Everyone obtains points... and should leave with something of value (no booby prizes please). Let the point system take care of that. The key is to make the battles have level caps of various levels (like in garrison) 20, 30, 40, 50 e.g. Let each tier of capped events give out different items that players of ALL levels need. That way players of ALL levels... level 20-99 can unite and play beside one another and have... dare I say it... fun.

When people are not in group events like this (and are in downtime), bring back the 6 party dynamic again but, please do away with the current archaic of searching for party members. There should be no need to type in a string of syntaxes to find players willing to party. Add a new form of GUI that replaces the old one. Players should be able to flag quests/missions etc they need help in and it should show up on a global board (or even a chat room). That way players can co-ordinate and meet up with ease to tackle certain group centric goals with a click of a mouse.

If I need help with a mission, I should be able to choose it from a list and flag it. It then should appear on a global board for all to see and assist if they need help with the same thing. The same could go for leveling parties. Have people enter a desired amount of people they need to level with and other players could just fill the list until the limit is reaches (six people or less).

I know this seems like alot of work, but to be frank, FFXI needs alot of attention. It has been neglected for a long time now. If you wish to bring it back to its glory days, don't just take the easy way out and have people "skip" 75% of the content of game... bring it back by introducing new interfaces that embrace it.

The fun of a game should not be in the goal at the end, but in the journey too that goal. Currently FFXI lacks that from 20-99 and placing a "speed" band-aid on it just makes things worse not better.

Edit: To make this work btw, there needs to be a better form of armor storage that is newbee friendly and free of charge. Maybe a GUI that gives you a "paper doll" to equip and have those armor/weapon setups appear in your inventory with a click of a mouse. (Maybe make use of the mannequins that sit idle in moghouses). It would be a macro system for quick equiping a character with various setup for level caps (A data dump for level 20, 30, 40 etc) that can be accessed at the moghouse or nomad moogle. No cards to mix up like the current system has.

This concept would also make certain armor/weapons/gear worth money again. It would give a boost to low level crafter's wallets and give new players low level NMs to hunt again.

Last problem I see that needs addressing is... placement of mobs in newbee zones. It is NOT fun for a newbee to take a left turn instead of right just to be one shotted by a level 75 goblin that resides in a level 10 area (and has level 10 quests in). It just leaves new players with a bitter taste in their mouth and more confusion, which leads them to quit. The Brass canteen quest in Bastok is a prime example of this. This should be MMO 101 here. Never EVER place mobs of incredible level to a low level player one or two zones from a STARTING town. It's just silly.

[Eyeballed]

The fun of a game should not be in the goal at the end, but in the journey too that goal.

This can be applied to real life in a very sound regard, and a notion that I'm sure every person with an ounce of wisdom on the planet is aware of. The journey is not just a means to an end - it is the defining characteristic of those ends. But people today don't understand this, apparently.

[FrankReynolds]

Whole buncha stuff....

I say quit beating a dead horse because it has been debated a million times on a million forums (numbers exaggerated to illustrate a point) and the debate always ends with this argument followed by some memes and insults:

All the old methods of leveling etc. are still available. People are not using them because they would rather be doing something else. You don't need to petition the development staff to fix that. You need to put that energy into finding other people who feel the same as you. Did you find any? Good. No need to adjust the game then. Couldn't find any? I guess no one else feels like you then. No need to adjust the game.