[dev1003] Abyssea Adjustments (more Empyrean whining, whaaaat??? /facepalm)

[Vold]

Since SE typically lacks in detailed information for the sake of the player base figuring things out for themselves, I thought it important to point out that while the measures taken are appreciated, I question the form it is going to take. Logic dictates that the new spots for Empyrean armor +2 item drops will be existing NMs that drop Empyrean weapon upgrades. I would like to remind the devs that the biggest reason for congestion is because of the Empyrean weapon farming that is taking place, and if your current plan is to unleash +2 armor upgrades on these NMs, you might want to reconsider that plan. Go with it sure, but consider that it's not going to help things very much at all. Congestion is still going to be there. People aren't even getting a chance to fight these NMs because of others spamming their pops to farm weapons. And if they do fight for pops, it does nothing but create more drama.

I really must insist that these +2 items be made available to all NMs. I suggest really low drop rates for them regardless of azure weakness procs as to not make them a complete joke to obtain but seriously anything more is better than just relying on other Empyrean weapon item dropping NMs to provide +2 upgrades. And I'm making a pretty big assumption here on all of this, but it's all I can do with so little detail provided. I rather point this out now for you to consider if you aren't already considering it instead of later, where we will surely bark up your tree when you do in fact add the drops to only the big gun NMs because it made sense that only top tiered NMs drop the best stuff, and it does make plenty of sense and is logical, until you factor in the core of the problems are in fact LSs spamming their Empyrean Weapon farming. All players want their +2 upgrades but it's impossible to get them when you never get a chance to fight the NM because of people spamming it for weapon drops.

If only it were as simple as going during off peak hours. With an entire server doing Abyssea that strategy doesn't work so well anymore.

To sum it up and for example:

Athamas now drops MNK/NIN/THF/DNC empyrean +2 armor items. Drops are incredibly rare even with azure weakness in effect. This example accomplishes 2 goals: 1)Doesn't take away from the big guns and their thunder, and remains a pretty modest restriction on the rate of obtaining upgrades. 2)Provides players with the rare bonus of +2 items when hunting +1 seals. Also allows them to target specific NMs for the +2 drops they want, instead of all out randomness. I'm sure players would love to see a higher than rare drop rate but I'm trying to work on a compromise here.

Really, I love the idea of restrictions on obtaining items, making them rare and all that jazz. I've spent 7 years chasing those items. My only complaint in all that time is the Octave club because it was implemented before I could go after LoO for the Kraken Club and now I may never obtain it without flat out buying it. I enjoy long hours of camping and obtaining things most players will never see. I have a ton of items that are nothing more than trophy items to me, from some crazy assed NMs like Taisai. I even have a rain hat. I'm a thief. I'm a hunter. I enjoy that I can target one specific NM for the drops I need instead of running around like a chicken with its head cut off because everything drops everything. I am the very last person on the face of this Earth to ask for higher drop rates. But in the interest of relieving congestion and drama amongst your player base inside Abyssea I implore you to take your counter measures to the next level if you are not already planning to do so. Every drop we can get no matter how rare it is outside of those big NMs helps with congestion problems.

I thank CRs for taking the time to read my post and for passing it on to the devs. Hopefully it was just a waste of my time but it's better to be safe than sorry. I respect that this is a SE game and that the devs have a right to want things a certain way or not a certain way. It's your sandbox. I'm just tired of pointless drama between players. I'm tired of watching people at each others throats. I'm tired of having to be at someone else's throat, as rare as that may be since I walk to the next camp when one is taken, but it does happen when people walk up on me without courtesy ever crossing their minds. I'm starting to wish Empyrean weapons and even Abyssea were never conceived and that's just kind of sad. Things were better when the drama was limited to the hardcore linkshells and their end game business. Now everyone has been dragged into Dramafest. I guess I'm asking the devs for a compromise here, to sacrifice their ideals yet again, so that your customers may play peacefully amongst each other for at least as long as Abyssea lasts.

A person stealing their LS bank or a drop... now that was drama worth getting worked up over. Not fighting over a bloody ??? or timed spawn in Abyssea. It's just stupid. It's as stupid as getting worked up over the octave clu... oooh, right... Nevermind.

{Help us out!}

[Crysten]

All I hope is that when they said "New Ways to gain Empyrean item upgrades" they meant weapon upgrades.

That is the single reason for the majority of congestion on NMs at the moment. Moving +2 drops to other NMs is a good way to solve the armour issue, but it doesn't really fix the cutthroat competition or congestion at mobs like Gakumatz, Heqet, Amun or Tunga, especially on merged servers.

I'd rather see alternative ways to get roaming mob KIs, say through gold chests or multiple spawns.

[Andylynn]

Bit of a wall o text there, only reading the first few... I would suggest waiting to see what they actually do before jumping to your conclusion you have made that empy bosses are going to have the new drops. It may not even be the route they take; let's just wait and see before presenting ideas.

[Orson]

As Andylynn said let's wait and see before you start complaining.

[Secondplanet]

I do agree its better to wait and see the outcome but fear always gets me when this game promises something and it back fires. I know the hardship of farming pop items for NM's to get my +2 gear and i've seen a LS take over almost a whole zone camping every big ticket NM and never letting anyone else get it, I even had one of their members stand by me with full +2 gear just to make sure i couldn't get it even if i wanted to.

SE should think about battlefields for the +2 items also, take away the total cutthroat known as abyssea and bring back some harmony.

[Greatguardian]

People calling Abyssea cutthroat have never been involved in Pre-80 FFXI Endgame. Period. It is infinitely nicer than anything the game has ever had before.

+2 is not hard to get, either. Adding them to Visions means people have some sort of incentive to help out with Empyrean Weapon first stage upgrades. It also increases availability. That's about it. More ways to get armor in case the primary NM was too tough / too overcamped. It sounds pretty damn awesome.

[Secondplanet]

People calling Abyssea cutthroat have never been involved in Pre-80 FFXI Endgame. Period. It is infinitely nicer than anything the game has ever had before..

I've been playing this game for about 7 years now and the game always has a cutthroat spin to it when something new comes out, everyone wants it and wants it before you. To say that cause i call it cutthroat means i'm not pre-80 why that number, makes me wonder about yourself.... I would have made a pre-75 comment.

[Greatguardian]

I've been playing this game for about 7 years now and the game always has a cutthroat spin to it when something new comes out, everyone wants it and wants it before you. To say that cause i call it cutthroat means i'm not pre-80 why that number, makes me wonder about yourself.... I would have made a pre-75 comment.

Because pre-75... excludes... 75. Pre-80 Endgame is ... 75 Endgame. It's not difficult.

Abyssea is also nowhere near as bad as HNM, old/middle-aged Dynamis, Sea, and Sky were. Hell, I would not even call Abyssea "bad". The only time you see NMs being "stolen" are when mentally handicapped morons manage to wipe to things and try to Apoc zombie them for an hour. People actually team up when they don't want X or Y seals. That shit would have never happened pre-Abyssea in any sort of Endgame environment (Read: shitty social shells and events don't count).

[blowfin]

Adding them to Visions means people have some sort of incentive to help out with Empyrean Weapon first stage upgrades.

Whichever way you looks at it this seems very likely.

[Starcade]

Vold:

You answered it in your sig.

One of the main hopes I had for this game at the VanaFest 2010 announcements was the implosion of the power structure and the bragging rights the elite players (largely read that as "cheaters") had over the game, which was their sole source of enjoyment in it.