While I do like the transition phases the first time, they get awfully annoying if you're farming an EX version of the fight. I'd much rather they change it so that the EX versions have no intermission phase entirely, in order to make farming them go faster.
Why....? Just, why?
https://i.imgur.com/GfFVGQe.jpg
If you're doing them unsynced, intermission phases go quickly. The fact that you can straight up burn most Ex trials unsynced sorta makes up for that. Overall I think it's a non issue. Even while they're current and synced it's really not a huge deal.
Agree. Most of these transition phases have no execution and don't positively affect kill times outside of just wasting players time. They're cool the first time you see them in normal mode, but have no place in high-end versions of fights unless they plan to work them into something significantly challenging or rewarding.
inb4 the thread gets bombed by a bunch of people that don't even raid or do exes giving their opinion on content they don't participate in.
See, I thought it'd be like with O3, where the normal version had the gimicky sand bit which was pretty cool, then in savage it just wasn't there. Stuff like Byakko and Suzaku would be so much more tolerable to farm if the middle bit wasn't there.
...can I say that I kinda like them, even after a couple (or way to many...) runs?
They can get slightly annoying, yes, but to me they always served several purposes (besides being awesome to look at, specially the first time):
- TP/MP regeneration
- providing a certain "structure" to the fight
- time to take a sip of water (or something similar - open a bag of crisps, that sort of stuff)
...and I like what they did with the phases in SB - aka introducing little things that mix the fight up a bit.
While I can totally see the downsides, I still dont mind or even like those phases and dont want to see them gone, not even in an attempt to streamline fights that are gonna be farmed. And I'm saying this after I had to run both Lakshmi and Tsuyu the 99 times to just buy the mount...
Here I am just wishing "farming" didn't involve spamming the content over and over while not moving from your usual AFK spot... I'd much rather have a higher drop rate and see a return to 1.x Trial access mechanics, where you have some buildup to even entering the content to begin with... Duty/Party Finder is nice and convenient and all, but I really think it has bred one of the most impatient and entitled playerbases around... I like to think if we had some build up to entering the content, like in 1.x, players would be much more incline to put effort in; Not going to look for an easy carry when failure means you have to go back out and refarm the entry requirement, less likely to abandon a group for the same reason, too.
Somewhat off topic, but eh, it would make intermission phases somewhat less obnoxious. In theory I like the spectacle of it all, but yeah... When you're doing dozens of runs in one sitting? Gets annoying... I take more issue with content being designed to be spammed like that, though... I'd rather Trials be the event instead of the grind. Move the grind back to the "farming pop item" aspect we had in 1.x, have us do the Trial itself less as a result and buff the drop rates accordingly. I think that would both feel more rewarding and foster a better community over all. Never been a fan of how Trials are designed to be spammed ad nauseum to get any kind of reward out of it, never will be.
What I would prefer in a situation like Byakko or Suzaku is like a variation.
So imagine Byakko HM is like the regular fight. you get sucked into the tornado and have to dodge the orbs. It's simple and it's a faceroll for the majority of it. Imagine instead in a EX that during that phase you can stand on a platform as the tornado keeps you in there. You fight adds on the platform as Byakko still shoots the orbs up and slowly destroys the platform you're on. He'll then fly up to the middle to perform a swipe and you can damage him for the brief while he does that(being near him to avoid the donut aoe), and when Hyakutei does the big charge move you can damage him during that for some extra damage on Byakko(or reduce the amount of damage he does for his raidwide when you land).
Suzaku could be a same idea. Have the DDR section like normal and then during the EX have an add spawn in the direction you're pointed which you have to quickly kill on top of keeping your position. You can get the damage up buff from the arrow but also give a damage down to reduce the raidwide that comes when she transforms.
Doesn't have to be anything like that and I appreciate the ideas they do for the cinematics. But we need something more past moving around during those phases as the danger that's presented is a non issue. Killing adds or doing mechs for extra damage would be a great way of adding something to the fight instead of having us watch a cutscene the entire way through. Doesn't have to make a HUGE impact on the fight but it would def make farming parties more bearable as it's something we are in control of and don't have to afk our brains during that.
I don't like the intermissions either. If they have to stay, lets us have the option to keep control of our characters instead of breaking away to a cinematic. O11's Level Checker phase is a more interesting transition than the typical EX trial where you do nothing. If the intermissions moved to be more like that it would be a big plus.
I enjoy them. I'd prefer to see them remain intact moving forward.