Suggestions to improve Ambuscade

[OmnysValefor]

My biggest gripe outside of the extremely elitist community is that I don't want to be locked into something, I don't want to have to give 100%. This is the same reason I don't like grouping for XP when someone asks, if I group and then decide to go afk after 10 mins to walk my dog they will get annoyed because they think I'm leeching. So it's better to not group at all, you feel forced to perform and give 100% when you group. It's exhausting and not fun unless that's the experience you want from the game.

I applaud your honesty but simultaneously find frustration that you "don't want to give 100%" but yet choose to state how unfair the CP grind is/bonuses are [in other threads].

[Zeldar]

Hey Kalsena, just wait until next week and be on around 8:30 EST on linkshell event nights. We'll be doing ambuscade as a shell and get crazy points like we did last night. As for the earlier comments about preferring to solo, hey I get it... I really do. There are times when I feel the same way. However, if you are CHOOSING to play solo, please don't complain that people in groups are reaping far more rewards than you are. Thats the gripe I have . People are complaining that its too much of a grind and it takes too long to get the rewards, blah blah blah. Well, YOU are putting YOURSELF through that grind VOLUNTARILY by not teaming up. Seriha (Kalsena) did ambuscade with 5 of us as a linkshell yesterday and we were getting kills in 90 seconds. Thats not from time of engaging, thats from time of entering. Our warp rings weren't up by the time we got new KIs. Can you imagine how many hallmarks and gallantry we got in a short time? My point is, these things are only a horrible grind if you choose to make them so by trying to do it all alone.

[Rooj]

Your gear has never and will never be an excuse to not do Ambuscade. Ever. If you are trying to use this as an excuse, then you are trying to avoid the real problem, whatever that may be. This content was specifically designed so that your gear couldn't be an excuse in the first place. Sparks gear is perfectly fine for doing Ambuscade on Normal with other players.

Please stop making up imaginary problems like "elitism" and "my gear isn't good enough." Stop pretending that no one wants to do Normal or Difficult. Please figure out what the real problem is, and make posts about THAT instead, so we can actually put effort into fixing THAT, a REAL problem.

[OmnysValefor]

Rooj, I get where you're coming from but I'd say last month would have been the exception. The mechanics of last month wanted you to zerg through it and skip at least one wave of adds.

In the other months with adds, they die when the boss dies (thankfully).

The other problem is that most months have favored either melee OR mages. Dragon leaned melee but magic could work. Taurus/Demon leaned heavily melee. Anything could work on antlion, Roc was all about melee (the geo or magic ws's could take care of apkallu) and this month is all about melee.

[Rooj]

I don't see anyone complaining about their role not being useful in any Ambuscades though. All I see is "no one will invite me because of my gear because everyone is elitist."

[Seriha]

Your gear has never and will never be an excuse to not do Ambuscade. Ever. If you are trying to use this as an excuse, then you are trying to avoid the real problem, whatever that may be. This content was specifically designed so that your gear couldn't be an excuse in the first place. Sparks gear is perfectly fine for doing Ambuscade on Normal with other players.

Please stop making up imaginary problems like "elitism" and "my gear isn't good enough." Stop pretending that no one wants to do Normal or Difficult. Please figure out what the real problem is, and make posts about THAT instead, so we can actually put effort into fixing THAT, a REAL problem.

With VD being the preferred group run, yeah, gear is a concern. Advocating it isn't (because people could just solo or do lower difficulties) only further exacerbates congestion issues. Overall, one needs to be mindful of what's possible in an MMO and how players actually utilize those possibilities, which tends to defer to hyper-efficiency whenever possible. Since there's no way of getting around the fact that this is a grind, it's a no-brainer people might want sub-5m fights when they have to do like 50 of them or more before queues. All that time adds up.

And while the group I ran with Zeldar did pretty well, I'm humble enough to acknowledge that it wasn't really my contribution that was allowing such hasty clears, though Scummy's GEO bubbles did help me tremendously. With someone really good, it probably would've been even faster still. Otherwise, I'm hoping to right my sleep schedule a bit so I won't be out cold during event time(s). z.z

[Olor]

To do ambuscade in a group you have to be well geared, very good at your job (especially for a tank or healer), spend time building the party, give 100% attention to what you're doing and worst of all, be locked into putting at least 30-60 mins uninterupted in or be denied a group next time. -This is stressfull.-

To do ambuscade solo you don't have to impress anyone, you can do as few or as many runs as you want, you can decide to do it in a moments notice and have nothing else to organize and most importantly you can watch a movie while you're doing it or even go afk for an hour after 1 run and take a nap. -This is comfy.-

My biggest gripe outside of the extremely elitist community is that I don't want to be locked into something, I don't want to have to give 100%. This is the same reason I don't like grouping for XP when someone asks, if I group and then decide to go afk after 10 mins to walk my dog they will get annoyed because they think I'm leeching. So it's better to not group at all, you feel forced to perform and give 100% when you group. It's exhausting and not fun unless that's the experience you want from the game.

Wow you described my feelings exactly. I play FFXI to wind down. I have a really stressful job - high-level groups in XI more often than not make me feel like I am at work, not relaxing.

It's great when you can play with a couple other people and they aren't super uptight and demanding - I love grouping in those situations. Love it! But pick up groups are not about having fun. They are about winning in the most efficient way possible.

Like Stompa above talking about the "lol ooops" person. I get it, it is annoying, you feel like someone wasted your time. But as the person who has been the "lol ooops" - it really destroys the fun of the game when a mistake is treated like you kicked a puppy. Stuff happens. Often I'm playing after going out with friends, I've had a few bevies. I'm not really feeling like a commando. I just want to chill. This is why I mostly solo.

If I fail when I am by myself, I laugh, and I still have a good time. But when I am playing with others, I feel bad because I know that my failure has upset them. I'd rather not be the "lol ooops" in a group. I'd also rather not have to treat the game like a job.

This isn't meant to be blamey of folks who want ruthless efficiency - I get it. It's your way of having fun. I'd rather not screw up your way of having fun. But don't hate me for having my way of having fun. I know it sucks that ambuscade is congested - it totally does! But that's a dev problem not a player problem.

And if anyone wants to play in a totally chill way, and laugh when things go wrong, and drop when you feel like it, feel free to look me up, I'm often up for it.

Though I will probably be waiting till next week to do any more ambuscade. I duoed a couple with someone last night and the wait was too long.

[Seriha]

Silly confession: My first group back and they asked for Mighty Guard. I forgot to use Diffusion first. Oops~

[OmnysValefor]

With VD being the preferred group run, yeah, gear is a concern. Advocating it isn't (because people could just solo or do lower difficulties) only further exacerbates congestion issues. Overall, one needs to be mindful of what's possible in an MMO and how players actually utilize those possibilities, which tends to defer to hyper-efficiency whenever possible. Since there's no way of getting around the fact that this is a grind, it's a no-brainer people might want sub-5m fights when they have to do like 50 of them or more before queues. All that time adds up.

I agree with this.

I like to have fun, I really do. Last month, I tanked bird a few times as sword/shield warrior (0 JP but so much gear recyclable from PLD). I did my first RUN tanking in Ambuscade groups. At the same time, 20k points (to get all dyes) / 300 = 67 VD runs. Subtract the 4 "free" VD runs you get from acquiring both seals, and one more run because you had to do an Intense for one more seal and you'e still at 62 of the same fight.

Never has "ad nauseum" been such a fitting term.

[Fae]

With VD being the preferred group run, yeah, gear is a concern. Advocating it isn't (because people could just solo or do lower difficulties) only further exacerbates congestion issues. Overall, one needs to be mindful of what's possible in an MMO and how players actually utilize those possibilities, which tends to defer to hyper-efficiency whenever possible. Since there's no way of getting around the fact that this is a grind, it's a no-brainer people might want sub-5m fights when they have to do like 50 of them or more before queues. All that time adds up.

Gear is a concern only if you want to farm points quickly, what Rooj said is on point. You can do lower difficulty levels and that's what they're there for. The only problem comes when people who don't really want to give 100% and haven't spent the time on their gear or jobs to do VD or intense fights, want to do it anyway to farm points faster, essentially wanting the cake but to eat it too.

-This is stressfull.-
-This is comfy.-
It's exhausting and not fun unless that's the experience you want from the game.

To those that aren't just returning and don't want to give 100%, don't want to gear up, don't want to be attentive or focused, then the time it takes to farm is going to be very high anyway, and those sure as heck aren't focused on efficiency they value comfort and ease, the lower difficulties are there not only for returning players but people with those priorities toward the game, which there's nothing evil or rotten or bad about that but you also can't expect to farm tons of points an hour if that's how you feel and that's not what most people want (slow points that take hours and hours more to farm). If that's how you want to play just don't go into VD with others, go with like minded people on lower difficulties or solo slowly and increase wait times which also makes it go more slowly. It's hard to find people that are ok with -other- people randomly afking, though I find sooo many people are ok with it if it's them doing whatever they feel like and not having to respect others time. I feel that's why things like stompa's post about the joy of good groups are important. It's what makes the game fun for a lot of people. Taking 2 hours to do 2 runs isn't really anyones idea of a good time, and the more people that afk the longer it gets. It's pick and choose, not you get both. If you want lots of afk times, low gear requirements, being able to take a nap or walk the dog, then do lower difficulties and be prepared to spend a loooot of time grinding your points. You don't get to have that and also grind points quick nothing in life works like that except cheat codes (which at least for me feel hollow) and maybe winning the lottery (though studies show most people that won the lottery end up depressed, eventually burn through their money and their friends go figure).

Thank you for making this months Regular Ambuscade VERY melee friendly. Fights take less than 4 minutes on the highest difficulty. The only problem is waiting to actually do the fight. This game has been out for over a decade. Many in the player base just don't have time to be waiting around. Also, there have been some other players that wander in to solo and stay in there creating an even longer wait. Its like they going in and just stay in there disengaged from battle.

I agree it is a pretty straightforward and easy fight. I suggest killing the left add (your left) on entry, then the main NM, your kill speed will increase a lot. Last months was also very melee friendly, actually much quicker than this one if you had the setup for it but oh well (3 DNC or THF synchronized their stacked WS with a GEO it was a 30s fight and no adds spawned). Finding stuff like that out and doing it with friends is what is so fun about ambuscade to me I agree the KI's are a bit tedious to farm, but it's also been memory lane. Going to all these diff zones we haven't had reasons to revisit much reminds us all of the times we used to go there for old content and had some of us tearing up with nostalgia.

As far as the PUG discussion, my group has often picked up people with a party flag on, if we're not full. Might as well use them instead of a trust. Sometimes you get burned and wish you had the trust instead but it's rare, they have to be really bad to pull that off (like whm that don't cure for about 20s after you take dmg... yep they still exist).