WoEs

[Ziyyigo-Tipyigo]

On a similar note, I dislike the loot pool system for campaign, but that's a topic for another thread.

Actually, the "success" of Unions is probably how we got into this mess to begin with. Nobody rationally goes into one expecting to get any Dynamis currency (let alone a meaningful amount), nobody really wanted Sidhe weapons even when they first came out, but everyone will sign up because free vendor trash with EXP is better than EXP alone. S-E looked at that how frequently people signed up for Unions, considered it a success, and implemented it as an endgame activity.

And then they were surprised when people left Campaign for greener EXP pastures. "Don't they know they can get Dynamis currency?" they're probably still asking themselves.

[Korpg]

2.

<insert PS2 bashing comment here>

[Tenshiangel]

1

(1)Original open-access system

Definitely has my vote, because I hate the idea of once per real-world day. And I can see people monopolizing an area if it is reserved.

[Seriha]

1.

(1)Original open-access system

•Proceed with adjustments based on the current system.

As you've no doubt seen, people will grumble about leeches. The main problem with the current system, however, is the encouragement for cooperation with anyone outside of your group is minimal. In fact, once get past 5 bodies, anyone else just plain becomes competition. Multiply with this how drops pan out, in either scarcity or randomness, and it's no surprise some would rather take the shut-in approach of reserved battlefields. Unfortunately, all this does is hurt players who are either not part of a large enough linkshell (interesting in even doing WoE) or can't align enough bodies from their friend's list of the proper jobs and times to make things work.

Overall, the most elegant solution I've seen regarding WoE is to make the event function more like Einherjar in having a specific currency everyone in the field earns with each mob defeat and clear of the chamber. From here, you can situate an NPC in the lobby who will take this currency in exchange for coins, equipment, and possibly future items. With the advent of Synergy upgrading old gear, being able to purchase abjurations is also something people out there would like to see, be it the Zilart or Einherjar equivalents.

Maintain the lock of entry when the field exceeds 50% clear status, yes, but ultimately the fear of leeching diminishes aside from the random oddball deliberately messing with another group. From there, scrap the chest ranking and instead make the win work more like Voidwatch in which everyone is entitled to loot, perhaps not so harshly scaled on a variety of parameters like now. Ideally those more active should get rewarded better, yes, but let's face it, not everyone is of equal skill or gear, and creating a system where only the haves can continue to have while the have-nots wallow in squalor isn't exactly the most enticing of systems.

Actual trial difficulty can pretty much remain as is as long as players feel they can make steady progress (points toward buying their wanted coins) with active participation granting further chances to faster progress (dropped coins/pouches). Changing the event to a one per RL day is not in its best interest, especially when it comes to soloists looking to chip away at a weapon here and there. It is also possible that future trials could involve NM kills in new confluxes, so being stuck at once per day will strike people as an artificial roadblock when they could otherwise kill said mob at their leisure as often as possible.

If I can only stress one thing to the devs despite all of the above, it is to expect people to greedy. With that comes all sorts of unbecoming behavior for those who feel they're more deserving and are willing to not play nice with others with a genuine lack of consequence. Whatever system they choose, minimizing grief tactics should be a priority.

[katz]

if your going with 2 make it 1 per week.

[Korpg]

if your going with 2 make it 1 per week.

Why? Wouldn't that make the situation worse if you can't enter in more than 1 time per week?

[SNK]

Just get rid of people who can leech. Peroid.

[Tsukino_Kaji]

Just get rid of people who can leech. Peroid.

But then I can't get more coins I'm not using for free during JP primetime. ; ;

[scaevola]

1

The only reason to go after the Emp-WS-only weapons rather than a full-on Empyrean is that you can make progress through the later stages solo. Close off solo access to WoE and there's really no point in even bothering with it. WoE attracts soloers because it is easy; there's no need for a reservation system because it's not hard enough to require anything close to a genuinely organized group. There may have been some traction to the idea of soloers "stealing" ranking at level 80, but now if a soloer beats one of your party members in ranking it's your own fault for thinking you needed more than 3 people to begin with.

I am currently 10-15 coins deep on four different weapons, and I have only once encountered a group larger than 2 people in WoE. That was 4. People who complain about "leeches" are really complaining about people like me: soloers perfectly capable of killing mobs for coins who would themselves would prefer that they could do so alone and in peace. All that's really going on here is that people want coins and see this as an opportunity to force out competition with every bit as much of a right to those coins as they have.

At any rate, I'm not going to stop working on my WoE weapons either way so everybody voting 2 can look forward to being locked out of WoE forever by a succession of me and all the soloing DNC and NIN friends I've made along the way~

[Vazerus]

What is stopping you from soloing an "assault-style reservation" battlefield, unless they make it a requirement to have 2+ people?