A bold, perhaps unreasonable request: Shared exp

I've been thinking about this for a while now. And I understand it would likely be a nightmare to implement, bugs abound, likely never to be considered. Kill off sales of job boosts, on top of declarations of "leveling every job isn't required." So on and so on.

But I'm pitching it anyway.

In the days of ARR, there were 9 combat jobs to level (we're not going to talk about hand/land, cuz those haven't changed/expanded). Shortly after, NIN was added, bringing 2.x up to 10 (but it's really 9 anyway because of Arcanist). I would argue that, at the time, leveling all the available jobs was not a terribly onerous chore, largely due to a lack of fuckall else to be doing with your time.

But, despite complaints to the contrary, there's kinda a lot more to do in the game now. Sure, maybe not all of it is forever long term investment content. But it remains, there's plenty of busy work.

And now, leading into DT, we're coming up on 23 combat jobs. If you consolidate Arcanist jobs, and if you really want to leave out the limited jobs, that's still 20 jobs to keep leveling. We're literally at twice the combat leveling from where we started with. And yeah, there's a lot of "all the new ones start at higher levels, that's less actual leveling" etc. But it remains, anyone interested in keeping up with all the jobs is continually expected to invest more and more time into the process. (see previous acknowledgement that this is in no way a requirement, but you gotta admit it still stands out in a game where "you can do everything on one character")

The only way I can really see to lighten this load is to start a bit more shared exp distribution. And the best way I could think of doing so is going by role. Shared tank, shared healer, shared caster, etc.

Now, I know that's honestly trimming it down maybe a bit too far, only, what, 5 or 6 roles to share between. And I agree. And, frankly, the continued existence of Arcanist just wrecks the whole suggestion (gotta somehow now separate caster and healer exp, otherwise Arcanist jobs could share exp among no less than 8 jobs..).

To make things worse, I'd really say that limited jobs should be excluded from the shared exp as well, as their whole leveling is kinda part of the job's minigame to begin with.

Maybe it's just me not having as much time to play as I used to.. but I still kinda think there should be something to address how much more time a player needs to invest to experience all the jobs compared to where we started.

Or maybe that's why they created the job boosts, to milk all the players that just want numbers to go up without actually understanding the jobs..

One problem. Think of the SCH/SMN sharing with ACN. If a player personally played ACN to SCH exclusively, it will still show in their profile that they have SMN leveled. That means they will have a grater issue learning the job since they have instant gratification to it.

I know you mentioned that it is based per role but the same issue will happen... just a different job.

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Originally Posted by rawker

One problem.... That means they will have a grater issue learning the job since they have instant gratification to it.

I know you mentioned that it is based per role but the same issue will happen... just a different job.

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This honestly doesn't matter anymore since they added leveling potions. Which are the single reason they will never add shared exp. Just like we will never get a crafting bag due to retainers being sub based. Can't upset your investors like that.

Anyway, since you can just skip the entire leveling process for a few dollars and the new jobs already start 20 lvls below the max level, this is a moot issue. It's not like any of the jobs take a whole lot of skill anyway and if a player is not willing to learn then after a skip, they are not willing to learn them as they level anyway.

And you can clearly tell a player who potion'ed their jobs vs someone who endured the leveling grind and learned the intricacies of said job.

Indeed you can. But if the tens of thousands of sages running around can jump onto their job at lvl 70 and be completely competent, they can on any other job too. Cause like I said,

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Originally Posted by AnimaAnimus

if a player is not willing to learn then after a skip, they are not willing to learn them as they level anyway.

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Let's just not assume everyone to be completely inept just because a few ppl are and have no intention on trying to improve. We already have a really low skill ceiling to compensate for them, let's not inconvenience the ppl who want to actually play the game even more because of a handful of ppl who do not want to try.

Don't get me wrong. A few days ago, when I was still leveling my DNC, trying to learn it from unlock, I came to party with a PUG via daily roulette (Tower of Zot). He admitted that he pot'ed. Our healer quit and we had to wait for a replacement. The tank and I were friendly and warm to him... even offered advice.

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Originally Posted by rawker

One problem. Think of the SCH/SMN sharing with ACN. If a player personally played ACN to SCH exclusively, it will still show in their profile that they have SMN leveled. That means they will have a grater issue learning the job since they have instant gratification to it.

I know you mentioned that it is based per role but the same issue will happen... just a different job.

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Counter-point: This actually alleviates this particular problem.

Example: Player is a SMN main, actually understands how to play SMN well, struggles with other casters. Current system, if Player wishes to level other casters, must struggle and limp along, often causing other players to, in effect, carry Player along until they achieve their goal and put the other casters down, never to be touched again until next level cap.
With shared role exp: Player can stay on main job, making fewer mistakes in general content, all without dragging group performance down with jobs they don't understand.

Players spend more time on jobs they're good at (or at least think they are), less time on jobs they struggle with, in theory, less time spent all around on folks being carried.

I mean, I haven't touched SCH in years, never did totally click with me. In a pinch I could maybe use it if I absolutely had to, maybe in like Eureka/Bozja or something. But, knowing I'm not a good SCH, that I'm a better SMN, means I just don't have to drag anyone down with my bad SCH plays. I can use it in solo things, unsynced things, whatever, without being a bother.
And extrapolating that out to a shared role exp system just sounds like an improvement overall. Who cares what profiles show, if players "appear" to have leveled jobs they don't actually know, as long as they're not making it everyone's problem?

And, final point, beast tribes make it pretty dang easy (if exceedingly slow) to level all the jobs anyway, in a way that requires little to no understanding of the job as is.
In years past, I may have taken the time, weeks upon months, slowly leveling jobs I would never be comfortable taking into actual group content. Most of them I sorta know ok, but maybe not great. But that process is just getting longer and longer with each new job.

Almost every single expansion I've had every job leveled before x.1 patch comes around.
Having something to level is fun. I have very little reason to run roulettes and such these days. Shared experience like you describe would only give me less to do.

Congrats on your free time?

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Originally Posted by Hasrat

Counter-point: This actually alleviates this particular problem.

Example: Player is a SMN main, actually understands how to play SMN well, struggles with other casters. Current system, if Player wishes to level other casters, must struggle and limp along, often causing other players to, in effect, carry Player along until they achieve their goal and put the other casters down, never to be touched again until next level cap.
With shared role exp: Player can stay on main job, making fewer mistakes in general content, all without dragging group performance down with jobs they don't understand.

Players spend more time on jobs they're good at (or at least think they are), less time on jobs they struggle with, in theory, less time spent all around on folks being carried.

I mean, I haven't touched SCH in years, never did totally click with me. In a pinch I could maybe use it if I absolutely had to, maybe in like Eureka/Bozja or something. But, knowing I'm not a good SCH, that I'm a better SMN, means I just don't have to drag anyone down with my bad SCH plays. I can use it in solo things, unsynced things, whatever, without being a bother.
And extrapolating that out to a shared role exp system just sounds like an improvement overall. Who cares what profiles show, if players "appear" to have leveled jobs they don't actually know, as long as they're not making it everyone's problem?

And, final point, beast tribes make it pretty dang easy (if exceedingly slow) to level all the jobs anyway, in a way that requires little to no understanding of the job as is.
In years past, I may have taken the time, weeks upon months, slowly leveling jobs I would never be comfortable taking into actual group content. Most of them I sorta know ok, but maybe not great. But that process is just getting longer and longer with each new job.

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I'm going to counter your counter. Using your same logic, since you're already proficient with one tool, I will just hand you over another tool and a manual, then I will expect you to perform like the rest.