Too easy!

[rog]

Reread what I said; I believe I answer that.

You were inconsistent. You started out complaining about the increasing drop rates, then jumped over to harder fights.

I agree we need some more challenging fights, like rani/shinryu (except maybe outside abyssea, where brews are not available, or else maybe something in abyssea that would still be difficult even with everyone spamming brews). However i don't see a problem with higher drop rates.

[Nickdogg]

You were inconsistent. You started out complaining about the increasing drop rates, then jumped over to harder fights.

I agree we need some more challenging fights, like rani/shinryu (except maybe outside abyssea, where brews are not available, or else maybe something in abyssea that would still be difficult even with everyone spamming brews). However i don't see a problem with higher drop rates.

I didn't "jump" over to harder fights I merely gave another example of the ease at which the game is. I also do believe I state that we already have difficult mobs. No inconsistencies there.

You don't see a problem with higher drop rates but I do. We both have our opinion.

In regards to Sp1ce, you're right not everyone has time due to RL myself included. I however do not believe the goal of an mmorpg is to "have it now". Take the time, play 2hrs a day, get your gear over a slightly longer period but enjoy the challenges (yes I said challenges) and reap the rewards of something that has taken effort(time) to do.

[Revalus]

I didn't "jump" over to harder fights I merely gave another example of the ease at which the game is. I also do believe I state that we already have difficult mobs. No inconsistencies there.

You don't see a problem with higher drop rates but I do. We both have our opinion.

In regards to Sp1ce, you're right not everyone has time due to RL myself included. I however do not believe the goal of an mmorpg is to "have it now". Take the time, play 2hrs a day, get your gear over a slightly longer period but enjoy the challenges (yes I said challenges) and reap the rewards of something that has taken effort(time) to do.

I don't disagree with the need for challenge. That's one of the reasons I've come back to FFXI recently. However, I find your use of "effort" and "time" interchangeably has created a false equivalency. My first job to 30 was MNK, simply because to get my advanced jobs, it would be the one for which I only had to put in time. The effort, well, not so much. I popped some food and started wailing on stuff.

I appreciate the EXP increase, for instance, because I never found the traditional 6-person camping parties to be challenging; I found them to be incredibly time consuming and fairly uninteresting. Recently, I've found my game play enhanced by trio-ing with friends of mine, burning FoV pages, and getting better EXP than we once did in IT++ camps. The point is, though, that they're taking steps to make the low-end game play faster AND more enjoyable simultaneously. Perhaps they're realizing that time and effort are not equivalent. As far as endgame stuff is concerned, well, I'll probably be able to have that discussion in a month or so.

Drop rates in FFXI are a subject on which I don't have much of an opinion. But I'll not stray from my "time does not equal effort" philosophy.