Quote Originally Posted by Horadrim View Post
Sounds more like people need to invest in coming up with some real strategies that don't involve pouring heavy DD's in and hoping for the best...
I deeply agree, but, On a fight like this, as you mentioned in your post... Sh*ts AoE happy (Something i distinctly remember SE saying they "Toned down" on... nice), AoE's do redic damage, and they're still riding that "HNM Normal Hits = TP moves/Possible AoE/Added Effects" wagon that was introduced with Iron Giants...

The bigger problem sounds it comes from the way SE is balancing these fights. There's no reason a mob with AoE auto attacks should spam TP moves and frankly I'm tired of their answer to difficulty in a fight being "MAKE IT SPAM AOE, LULZ."
I really wish this would die TBH, now they've given normal enemies this effect... This is just heinously annoying... (I.E Matamata/Normal Mantis).

If they want people to use strategies other than zerg, they need to make monsters that are difficult by legitimate standards rather than abusing the aged, faultiness of the game's system (damage absorption/2hr activation tied to TP moves you barely have any warning or real ability to avoid triggering because of the system's slowness) and mass draining healer MP (TP spam and AoE whoring.)
I agree, its increasingly difficult to make truly challenging content though with the current out-dated mechanics of this game. I know they can have "Colision Damage", Ixion does it, They could make more enemies similar to Ixion... a Straight forward fight, Has its quirks, Difficult but possible to avoid damage, and less rediculous "2,000+ DMG AOE +800HP/tic BIO/Stun/Curse/ST20" that they're throwing on everything as "Challenge".

I like these NMs, and Reives, cause honestly, its making PLD more shiny and wanted... but when you design a NM to be a server-wide event, What do you expect... 1 Tank and 49 DD/healers/Support? Sh*t just doesn't work. These fights are a flaw in design mostly because you can't co-ordinate 40-50 People into a coherent pattern/strategy, especially with all the adds flying around.

I love the idea of the fight, Its just... SE may have overestimated peoples ability to listen, learn, and not be retarded lol.

Additionally, AoE's should not deal 100% damage to all targets. If a mob is going to spam AoE moves, they should deal maximum damage only to the primary target and all secondary targets should receive less damage (in the case of abilities, not spells.)
They supposedly did this around the time Botulus/Ig-Alima were introduced, Though I call BS cause I can't tell any difference, Mantis/etc Hit me for up to 400 damage a pop rather its direct or splash damage... Then again, this could have specifically applied to only those two (Bot/Ig)... I think Normal Attack "AoE" damage should be 100% on main, 30-40% On all others... TP moves are dangerous enough without it murdering everyone in range by using a normal attack.

I do really really really want this "ZERG ALL THE THINGS" mindset FFXI has to stfu and die, but SE doesn't realize the more they push 80,000 DMG AoEs down our throat, the more "ZERG" wins, because no ones going to sit and wait for this thing to spit out TP move after TP move after TP move with 1 PLD while 2-3 DD run in and SA WS or Chi Blast when they can just PD/Full Buff/Zerg it and likely still win.

Honestly, These are just some small suggestions i have for SE when it comes to challenging fights.

1) Make AoE's crippling, But not killing - Inflict Dispel/Amnesia/Slow/Paralyze/Terror, but limit the DMG by these to about 300-400. People might think this is annoying, and it will be if you're zerging it... But if SE wants to limit Zerg mindset, You need to inflict these abilities more and less "Game Over.button" AoEs.

2) Expand the "Super" effects. (Mute, Etc). Add "Stop", a Super slow thats uneraseable and inflicts a near-Weakened status slow effect. (Make a limit on its duration, ~30 seconds). This should not effect Magic recast timers (so it wont also super-nerf the PLD Tank, which is who you /want/ tanking). I would also suggest a "Cripple", a Super-Paralyze thats un-paralyna-able, Duration ~30sec same as the Stop... Make it near ~80% Paralyze. For this.
*Bonus to this. These effects could only effect enemies that are not the Current target, Inflicting the Current Target, instead, with a Normal Slow/Paralyze. I know the ability to distinguish between targets and non-targets is possible...

3) Add things like Odin's Zantes/Ultima's Countdown. If the NMs all had a "Super move" they could use, but people could avoid... it'd be more strategic than "ROLL THE DICE, 6? 4,000 DMG AND DOOM FOR EVERYONE STILL ALIVE!". Odin and Ultima had these super moves, but people could learn to avoid them... This is strategy, and it works. but spice it up. In FFXIV, you have things in the arena that can be used in battle... Fire on the ground, Garuda's Pillars, so on.

4) Add Things in the battle to weaken the boss. IDK if the Wildskeeper Reives do this, But Perhaps instead of just enemies, there could be targets around the enemy that will weaken them in different ways, Kinda like CoP-Dynamis Bosses. Think with Colkhaab...

There's 4 Nests around her, Destroying a Nest will reduce her power in some way.

Nest A = Lowered Attack + Terror on Colkhaab for ~8 sec
Nests B = Lowered Defense + Terror for ~8 sec
nest C = Lowered Magic Attack + Terror ~8 sec
Nest D = Lowered M.def + Terror ~8 sec

They can respawn every 3-5 minutes, each one nerfs the boss, and Terrors for a short duration (not super long and they arent' constantly up so it wont be a VW/Zerg situation). A 5 Second terror will give DD's enough time to run in SA > WS and get out, this could give a "Window" of damage for the DD, while the Tank keeps hate the rest of the fight, and the DD go back to defeating the Nests for their window of damage.

This would give a PLD a strong reason to be a main tank, they are fare less likely to get floored, and the DD Can all team up on a Nest, then run in WS the boss and go back to the nests, with the terror they dont have to be afraid of DMG, and you still need someone on the NM, this will make the fight easier, and a bit more involved, and lower the risk of death all around.

You could also make it so killing the enemies in the Arena will occasionally temporarily weaken the boss. For instance

5% Chance to Terror for ~5 Seconds.
10% Chance to Slow(50%) for ~1minute (Unique effect that Stacks with other forms)
10% Chance to Paralyze (25%~30%) for ~1minute.
10% Chance to Gravity (II potency) for ~1minute

This could be accompanied by a "The (monster) has been afflicted with (Ailment", This gives players a stronger reason to kill the adds rather than sleep them. The Enemies in the battlefield could also drop "Spirit Pyre", which could give each person in the battlefield a Temp item, like

Lucid Potion I~III
Lucid Ether I~III
Dragon Fruit Au Lait
Scroll of Instant Stoneskin/Reraise
Dusty Elixir
Lucid Elixir
Lucid Wings I
Dusty Wing
Stalwarts Tonic
Ascetic's Tonic
Champions Tonic
Braver's Drink
Fanatic's/fools Tonic (not drink)

Now, the Spirit Pyre would say, have a ~5-10% chance to spawn, and give everyone just 1 Random temp item, again, to prevent the more or less "ZERG IT" mindset of VW, which i think was still a good idea, and Temp Items are really helpful, but by not giving us a near unlimited supply, they retain a more tactical use rather than a "CHUG EM ALL" use they have in VW or Abyssea.

Lastely, I think in additional to adding more "Cripple but not kill" AoEs, ST20, Doom, and Death should be flat out removed from most/all TP Moves in the new zones. These aren't strategic and are just cheap/Kill-buttons.

ST20 Is just Bullsh*t as its pretty much instant-death for even a PLD if it lasts more than 10 seconds, Doom is annoying, but acceptable i suppose, Death can suck it >_>, Nothing is more cheap and uncreative than a "I win" button.