Good day, everyone,
We have heard your feedback about certain Sortie notorious monster behavior changing once you have reached stage four of the Prime Weapon upgrade process.
Information about This Issue
Those of you who visit the forums are likely aware of the discussion, but for those who don’t, let me apprise you of how it works.
In the May version update, we posted the following in the version update notes:
- Certain Sortie notorious monsters now behave differently depending on the stage of the Prime Weapon you are carrying.
The feedback surrounding this started coming around this time from those who reached this step of the process. “Certain notorious monsters” in this instance refers to the Lower Sortie boss.
Prime Weapons are a type of end game content, and as such the final form of these weapons are intended to be stronger than other weapons found in the game. As such, we believe it is important that the risk be commensurate with the reward, and the changes made to the Lower Sortie boss were intended to ensure this was the case.
The main adjustment that we made, in concrete terms, was changing the timing as which a particular ability was used—no adjustment was made to how hard the ability hits or how it interacts with resistances. I would like to avail myself of the opportunity to tell you that the intended strategy is one in which players utilize a mechanic by which the damage of the ability can be reduced, and that the adjustment made was predicated on the assumption that players would utilize that mechanic.
Every boss in Lower Sortie—from the time of its implementation up through the present day—has a mechanic by which players can reduce the damage of their abilities, delay when their abilities are used, or cancel certain mode changes that make the bosses more threatening.
Players are intended to use these gimmicks to maintain their seals as they tackle the content, and failing to do so makes the bosses much more difficult to tackle than they otherwise would be.
What Effects These Changes Had
We are aware that some of you have expressed concerns that it is more difficult to simply collect spoils and gallimaufry in a “normal” Sortie run if someone with a stage four Prime Weapon is in the party.
The game automatically checks the stages of each player’s Prime Weapon, so if someone is in possession of a stage four Prime Weapon, this phenomenon is unavoidable.
As a result, the player in possession of a stage four Prime Weapon might feel responsible for causing other players to have a more difficult version of Sortie than intended, and may in fact feel some hesitation at joining a party that is simply there to farm resources, as they wish to not make things harder for others.
We did not intend for players to have their gameplay experience or ability to participate in Sortie adversely affected, but if this issue is causing consternation for players, then I feel it must be addressed.
How This Issue Effects Empyrean Armor
Some people have mentioned that they a frustrated by the effects that this has on reforging Empyrean armor, but as mentioned, the adjustments affected only the behavior of the Lower Sortie boss and thus has no effect on reforging Empyrean armor. Even though you have to go to Lower Sortie if you are reforging Empyrean Armor to +3, there is no need for you to attempt the Lower Sortie boss.
These are the two main points surrounding the changes to difficulty level and the effects they are having on farming parties. The latter is a system-based problem and we are currently discussing how to address it.
About the Mechanic
As I discussed earlier, the Lower Sortie Boss is tuned around the assumption that players are properly using the intended mechanic to mitigate damage taken. Although utilizing the mechanic will not make the boss a walk in the park, perhaps shedding a bit of light on it will make overcoming the challenges the boss poses a bit easier and well known amongst the community at large.
While the discussion below assumes one or more players has a Prime Weapon at stage four, these mechanics will work regardless of difficulty level.
The mechanic for handling the notorious monster properly revolves around the two temporary items Ra’Kaznar Seal and Ra’kaznar Metal.
Posessing these items allows you to mitigate the corresponding notorious monster’s special ability. However, these items degrade each time the NM uses its ability, and when their durability reaches zero they will cease functioning. However, they will slowly regain durability over time as long as they have at least some durability remaining.
Dhartok
Dhartok changes modes after a certain ability is used.
If you force him to absorb damage of a particular element, the durability of your seal will degrade, so be careful when dealing elemental damage.
One Dhartok’s behavior changes, he will use the ability at increasing frequency, so using the seal to mitigate the poison damage will prove critically important.
Gartell
Dealing damage under certain conditions while Gartell is in wind or lightning mode will causing two blue exclamation marks to appear, and doing that same kind of attack multiple times will cause him to switch modes from wind to lightning or vice versa.
Whenever Gartell switches modes, the next use of his special ability will be delayed. Properly managing how often you switch him between wind and lightning mode will prove critical.
Triboulex
It is possible to decrease the damage done by Setting the Stage by repeatedly dealing light-based damage. Note that autoattack-based damage does not count towards this amount.
He will use the ability at set intervals, but once his behavior changes he will also use it at certain HP thresholds, so be conscious of when you are bringing him down below those thresholds.
Aita
If you deal him damage with an elemental weakness that corresponds to his special attack (for example, by using a water attack if his special ability is fire), thn two blue exclamation marks will appear. Note that autoattack-based damage does not count.
Repeatedly causing the exclamation marks to appear in this manner will decrease the damage dealt by Vivisection. Not that if you cause him to absorb elemental damage, the potency of Vivisection will instead increase, so use caution when attacking.
When Vivisection’s damage is brought below a certain threshold, his wings will disappear and the rate at which your seal’s durability decreases will be slowed, so keeping him in this state will prove vital.
Aminon
Dealing damage multiple times with an elemental weakness that corresponding to his special attack when his earrings glow will cause a Zisurru to vanish.
If you are able to properly manage that number of Zisurru, you will be able to delay his use of Bane of Tartarus. Maintaining this state will prove key to victory.
While I do not believe we have fully solved how to handle this issue, I wanted to be able to share with what the intended behavior was and provide the relevant information in a clear way.
The other unintended side effects that these changes have had on gameplay are an issue that we are currently researching, and we are discussing potential measures that we may wish to take.
Thank you, and best of luck in Sortie!
Originally Posted by jasnekholin
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