re: Known Issues After Patch 4.5 (Jan. 17, 18)

From post http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...66#post4861766

Regarding this in particular,

"As a result, using this method for leveling would normally be classified as an exploit, but since we were not able to address this promptly despite it being a known issue, we will not be issuing any penalties for players who are leveling in this way. However, since this was not the intended design, we do not recommend engaging in this behavior, and exhort players to level in the normal manner as was intended. "

I would like to ask the developers to re-think this. You're not seeming to grasp the actual problem this exploit causes, which is that the players using the exploit are annihilating entire maps of enemies as soon as they spawn and kill stealing from other players. Now that you won't punish for it, the kill stealing and harassment will get worse.

With how Blue mage is designed to play, the ideal method to level is to cast thousand needles on a mob at least 10 levels above your own that is passive, like a crystal type enemy or something, to one shot it. These exploiters are going around on lv70 archers and red mages and nuking enemies they know other players are trying to kill, and when the player who is trying to level in a legit way asks them to stop kill stealing from them the exploiters laugh and declare SE won't do anything to them, which you've now proven the cheaters to be correct on by refusing to punish for these exploiters who gained at the expense of other players.

This the wrong precedent and message to be sending, because you're telling all the legit players that it's totally okay for these exploiters to have went around kill stealing from us and used an exploit to achieve in a couple hours what normally takes a couple days.

Your job is to ensure a fair rule set and ensure the rules are enforced. It's not harmless behavior, as their actions are impacting other players.

The maps could normally be done with groups of players farming the mobs, but instead it became a free for all and frustrating situation because of these exploiters nuking entire maps while solo.

All you need to do is tell people they will get bans if they keep using the behavior, and issue a blue mage job level and spellbook reset to those who engaged in it already.

By not doing this you're setting a precedent that it's okay for people to engage in an exploit just because it would take you a lot of work to fix it. People will use this situation as an excuse to engage in other exploits they find, and tell others it will be okay because SE will blame themselves so it's fine if they find a glitch that lets people spam LB3 dps limit breaks or whatever because they won't be punished. It's going to happen, because it's already happened with this exploit regarding blue mages. People have been claiming because you didnt fix the level sync bug in Euroka that this exploit will also be okay. You need to take this stuff more seriously.

Also the honest truth is the devs can fix this problem in 5 minutes of coding. All they have to do is make it so you can't switch classes within 5 minutes of killing an enemy. It's not complicated to hotfix. You're not supposed to be able to switch classes while in combat and this exploit bypasses that rule, and everyone who did the exploit knew they were cheating. They should get a softban, they deserve it.

You're really trying to over exagurate the situation.Most players have been either job switching or useing lvl 70 characters from fc to oneshot mobs from them.
Im sure one or 2 players have been griefing mobs but for the most part they havent.
Anway the ones deliberatly going and killing bees and bombs so people cant learn spells on purpose are much bigger offenders of griefing in my opinion.

Honestly its not having a big affect on the gameplay and learning to play blue mage is not based on the same as other classes because you dont just obtain skills through level progression.

I prefer SE spend their time working on making sure the new expansion goes well rather than have them dealing with something as harmless as this.It's a waste of their time and effort at this point so close to the expansion and it doesnt affect the rest of the jobs the same way.

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Originally Posted by therpgfanatic

With how Blue mage is designed to play, the ideal method to level is to

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tag a bunch of mobs and have a lvl 70 kill them for you.

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Originally Posted by therpgfanatic

cast thousand needles on a mob at least 10 levels above your own that is passive, like a crystal type enemy or something, to one shot it.

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BLU has access to a sleep spell (Acorn Bomb), an instant spell (Flying Sardine) and a spell that stuns and pulls mobs to you (Sticky Tongue). All three are easy to get.

The activity will die down as more and more players reach 50. You can either wait it out or learn how the game systems like tagging work.

You're overestimating.

Together with a lvl 70 friend you clear 3x as many mobs in a specific time than those slow solo exploit users, while acting completly withing the rules, and because of chain bonus you come out ahead even if you take turns with your friend.

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Originally Posted by Neophyte

You're overestimating.

Together with a lvl 70 friend you clear 3x as many mobs in a specific time than those slow solo exploit users, while acting completly withing the rules, and because of chain bonus you come out ahead even if you take turns with your friend.

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It doesn't matter if the people exploiting aren't being the most efficient. An exploit is an exploit.

Holy shit, it boggles the mind that anyone is actually upset about this.

The core of the BLU job is getting spells, not exping to 50. Even if you cheese your way to 50, you still have to put in the work to get spells. Stop making such a fuss about this.

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Originally Posted by Vnolan

tag a bunch of mobs and have a lvl 70 kill them for you.


BLU has access to a sleep spell (Acorn Bomb), an instant spell (Flying Sardine) and a spell that stuns and pulls mobs to you (Sticky Tongue). All three are easy to get.

The activity will die down as more and more players reach 50. You can either wait it out or learn how the game systems like tagging work.

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You're the one that doesn't seem to understand how lv70 characters with instant cast one shot abilities can annhilate maps before a blue mage can even get a single water cannon cast off, let alone these debuffs you're talking about.

To be clear here: I already leveled blue mage to 50, which I did legitimately. I have almost my entire spellbook complete, too including 2 primal spells completed.

This isn't about me angry I can't level due to exploiters. This is about what I had to go through (12+ hours of grinding looking for areas where these exploiters were not at, which was hard to find), and the the other players in the zones still trying to level who will be dealing with this for months since the game has over a million players, and now most anyone with a 70 is going to use this exploit.

It doesn't just affect blue mages. It also impacts other newbie players, too who need to kill x enemies for a quest which these guys are annihilating in North Than and Mor Dhona, and other areas in North Shroud.

It's a very entitled and selfish attitude of people who use this exploit and its impact on other players needs to be considered by SE.

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Originally Posted by Fawkes

It doesn't matter if the people exploiting aren't being the most efficient. An exploit is an exploit.

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It does matter, regarding the concerns about a doom scenario with maps barren of mobs.

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You're the one that doesn't seem to understand how lv70 characters with instant cast one shot abilities can annhilate maps before a blue mage can even get a single water cannon cast off, let alone these debuffs you're talking about.

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Like I said: They annihilate maps as half as fast as someone teaming up with another player. They just don't have friends.

Get addlo/regen -> spam fish insta cast on all mobs in area -> Miasma2/Assize or Wind2/Ruin2 right after pull -> repeat.

You're absolutely right but so many of the players are perfectly fine with what is essentially cheating.

This is most evident by many players defending doing the exact same thing to gain light in pagos.

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Originally Posted by therpgfanatic

You're the one that doesn't seem to understand how lv70 characters with instant cast one shot abilities can annhilate maps before a blue mage can even get a single water cannon cast off, let alone these debuffs you're talking about.

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Originally Posted by Vnolan

BLU has access to ... an instant spell (Flying Sardine)

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Players should be tagging mobs with the instant spell.