Deep Dungeon: Several suggestions for improvements.

<<Disclaimer: this is no rant, mere ideas which could make things even more fun >>
I will be using references to the current Palace of the Dead, unaware of any improvements comming for future itterations of the Deep Dungeon feature.

1. For the higher levels of Deep Dungeon, add the option of character customisation, with some form of progression to it. (lvl51+ or lvl101+, depending on where you want to draw the line)
Customisation options: Pick a handfull of abilities for every class and allow those abilities to be customised through some sort of legendary gem system, but said customisations only work within the Deep Dungeon. Said Legendary gems can be upgraded to increase the potency of their effect.

-- part 1 of 4 --

For Example: Take Flash for Paladins and add 3 different customisations for it.
Gem A: Increase the potency of your blind, but the blind can no longer be refreshed past its original 12 second duration. - Purpose: Short bursts of serious damage mittigation.
Gem B: Add a paralysis effect. - Purpose: Similar to Gem A, but focused on prolonged fights. Especially good versus casters.
Gem C: Remove any debuff caused by Flash, increase its manacost, but allow it to deal damage. - Purpose: For those who prefer straightforward damage.
Only 1 Legendary Gem can be equipped at any given time (for each modifiable skill)
Examples for other jobs: You can add a pin (bind) effect to Death Blossom (NIN), allow Empyreal Arrow (BRD) to apply both dots, add a ricochet effect to the Rook Autoturret (MCH), add a second strike effect to Rockbreaker (MNK) (after 1 second, the ability goes off again, without cost or cooldown), upgrade Low Blow (DRK) to not only stun, but also kick the target halfway accross the room.

2. Smaller fun additions:
-Rooms without enemies, but with icefloors and several obstacles placed in the room, so you have use your head a bit to make it to the exit. (Implement a handfull of different patterns as to where obstacles are placed, for any kind of room => referring to the setup of the entrances/exits)
-Optional objectives: For example: A device/item with a sealed entity or group of entitys is found within the Deep Dungeon. You can decide wether to leave it, without any harm done, or do the extra objective for some form of extra progression on your gear, something like the gems in suggestion 1 or something along those lines.

This were some fun ideas I came up with, which don't nescessarily have to be added to the game, I just think it would be fun if some of them would be.

I think this kind of change would be really fun, because it would, just inside Deep Dungeon, give us a way to play our jobs/classes, but with a different layer of paint on em, so to speak.

Have a fine day
- Akira Jolynn @ Odin, Formerly Fareeha Amari @ Shiva

PS: Regarding Deep Dungeon, I personally think it wouldn't hurt to look at something like the Rift and Greater Rift system in Diablo 3 and see what could work and would be fun in an mmo like FFXIV.

Another fun thingy could be some sort of rare superbuff that can be found with the following effects all at once:
While the buff is active you deal an extreme amount of damage, your movementrelated abilities have their cooldowns reduced to 2 seconds (if on cooldown before the superbuff is applied, the cooldown is refreshed), any form of resourcerequirements from spells (mana, tp, aetherflowstacks, ...) are removed for the duration of the buff, movementspeed is dramatically increased, spells have no more casttime and traps are destroyed, rather than triggered. Buff lasts 30 seconds and, when found, buffs one random partymember that can go completelly nuts.

Imagine a monk just dashing around, shouldertackling every mob, or a black mage that can just run around and instantcast fire 4s without limitations for 30 seconds.

(Breaks the normal pacing of the run a bit, adding this random bit of extra excitement to it)

Type post, ctrl+c/notepad save, post beta OP,edit, ctrl+v= neat single first post.

The ice floors seem neat, but I'd say save it for floors 70+ which is used less for leveling and more of the challenge. As for the sealed boss, that seems like something better for Aquapolis.