1.17 NMs: Let's talk about them...

Well, ifter doing a few NM hunts i got a few feelings regarding them...

The good:

- They aren't easy deal. Its really good because force people to group for hunts. Also, the amount of HP they have prevent what we used to see in FFXI, where people placed high level characters in strategic spots and left them there with script bot because with his level the character was able to kill the NM with no risk.
- The fast respawn is excellent! it keeps people entertained since they offer a constant, fast battle instead of the long, boring 1hr respawn camping from other games.

The bad:

- The common drop is terribly annoying. Its just flooding the game with finished items, crushing any market value they would have.
-They aren't FFXIV content. About this, let me elaborate...

The way a NM should be in this game is like the first batch of them. In a game where crafters are a class, having NMs drop finished items is outraging. If the idea was to make them drop exclusive stuff to prevent RMT abuse, then allow them to drop craft material that are exclusive and that is crafted into a unique equipment (unique, so it can be sold at MW). Having the material exclusive would force the player who received it to have the required rank at that craft to make it, preventing RMT abuses since i doubt they would keep raising crafts with no fast profit just for farming NM later and heating the economy, that right now is saturated from common items.

Also, these equipments aren't content of this game either...you see...i'm not against class restriction on equipments...but that's when we have 1 class! In FFXIV, if you have multiple classes that can equip something, it will "favor" those classes...if you have an equipment that onlly one class can equip, it "requires" that specifc class...

When we start having equipments that require a bunch of classes we are just breaking the current system in 2...I know that some people don't like the idea of you being able to equip anything you want, but that's how the game is...and its one of the points that makes it unique! Discarding this idea to adopt a system that has been used since those 16bits generation games is just...sad.

Now, what you guys feel about these NMS...about the drops, the respawn...about it all? Anyone else think its just out of this game concepts?

Crafting is supposed to take a different direction from now on. It's really not a concern that these NM's drop finished items, as crafters have other uses in the game world in the future, making specialized equipment that does not conflict with the equipment gained from NM's and quests.

I was concerned about this too, but they already explained their mindset and I agree with it.

The thing is that this isn't adding nothing to the game...they are discarding what came before, putting an old system on the table and saying "Eat it!". I had similar experiences in some table games (like pokemon TCG or Mage Knight) where they used a similar approach and, while pokemon still kept some players due the collecting purposes, mage knight ended cancelled a bit after due massive ragequit.

Its like i said...i'm not against the idea...i just don't think the way they are using it is the correct for FFXIV. I think class restriction is nice since its focused on that specific class, i think race specific armor is nice, gender specific armor is nice...everything is perfectly usable...but not they way they did. If the game already offers the option of making armors usable by any class but adding penalty if you equip an armor that not favors your class, why not use it? I already suggested them to just remove any secundary effect and damage cut effect if the class isn't favored, making these armors just "common" except to favored classes...this would be a nice approach for these armors...you protect the unique system the game has and still restrict the equipment usage to the classes you want since no one would go for serious fight with not favored gear.

What they did, by restricting the equipments to certain classes, can be compared to surplus...Instead of letting the player decide what to equip they are forcing you to use a certain class for this...whoever, if you compare it to surplus it would be, when it triggers you just stop receiving SP/XP, being forced to change class right away.

About items being crafted, even if they gonna add more features involving DoH, i can't see why not letting them craft these items. If they want to keep things like this they could remove the common drops and make drop the item material instead...this way the player can obtain the NQ version of the item from NM or try his luck with material hoping for an HQ version of it.

But, of course, its my point of view.

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About items being crafted, even if they gonna add more features involving DoH, i can't see why not letting them craft these items. If they want to keep things like this they could remove the common drops and make drop the item material instead...this way the player can obtain the NQ version of the item from NM or try his luck with material hoping for an HQ version of it.

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They can simply make it so crafters, with the help of catalysts from gatherers, can enhance said equipment and tailor it for different purposes.

I simply find the common drops annoying. I just end up tossing them due to it filling up my inventory. I don't want to try to get a unique/untradable body piece and end up with 8 Leather Harnesses and 4 Velveteen Gowns. The drop needs to at least be made a little rarer.

Indeed. Seens like common drops are like 100% when no rare drops drop. I also happened to end dropping the rings from phaia when helped a friend farming the axe there. Would be mucho more interesting if they dropped stuff that stack, like leathers, ingots, etc.

They could even be tricky and make 3~4 pieces of armor which materials come from NM only...like if we have 20 NMs then we could have 4 recipes using 5 materials that could be obtained from 5 different NMs.

About the materia system, its just a new feature...i wouldn't mind having the NM drops also crafted...actually, i wouldn't mind having every single piece of equipment, if not a damaged version (the ones that can be upgraded to vintage version), being crafted. Its part of the game having stuff crafted...not being able to craft an item in this game is like having monsters that we are not able to kill with fighting classes (like Odin was for a long time in FFXI, while roaming in the map).

Well about the finished item they drop. They never drop colored versions of items that can come un-colored. so people will still buy the dyled versions. and I like how the unique equipment requires only a few classes. Its a good move towards players looking the right part instead of playing dress-up.

your way of thinking is very crafter heavy, I remember people saying this game was way to craft dominant.

Honestly i think its not a bad idea to have some cases where mobs drop items, not everyone is a crafter, and in all honesty, if you are not a crafter, getting an item that you would have to be a crafter to use would suck horribly.

There are other solutions to your prob but, it really doesnt matter because they have decided to change almost every aspect of this game. Any solutions we come up with at this point are based on the old systems, which they are throwing away. When people did that poll and said they wouldnt mind if they drastically changed the world, thats basically what they were asking.
from how it seems now, crafting will be able to enhance items, as well as make them, this opens up having more monster drops, while keeping crafters relevant.
The problem with your idea on wanting everything crafted, is you basically want nothing to drop case, because why would you craft it, if people can get the case version. Just think of it as an enhancement of the vintage system, basically un buffed gear will basically just be crafting item pieces.
As it is the gear isnt really better than what crafters can make at the same level, definately not better than the HQs its more for entertainment, and looks.

I pretty much agree with the opening post.. something felt very uncomfortable about leaving crafters out of this. Stated reasons aside, and while I'm sure there were a decent few craft-primaries who felt left out as a result, it's.. well I hate to bring in the realism debate but compared to previous NM craftable drops, it isn't very realistic.

And, in turn, yes, I was also upset by the class restriction. I understand the development team want to increase role distinction but arbitrarily locking people out of wearing certain gear is just stupid; stat penalties is much more appropriate barring very rare cases. If a person wants to choose a look they like over appropriate stats, then bully for them; I'm sure if it gets on hardcore players' nerves they can find people actually care more about stats or advise the people wearing the 'wrong' thing to use something else if they want to play with the 'big boys'. Besides, it cripples the armoury system if a person can't readily switch out to a different role..

It's.. it's not a nice precedent. And kinda makes me wonder if they don't intend to scrap the armoury system's flexibility after all, which would just be horrible.

And while we're at it, what the hell is wrong with playing dress up?

Fensfield said exactly what i think. What if the player just want to look nice? It should be up to players to decide what to wear.

And about what Physic said, those polls were just a unfortunate idea...Yoshida came to an already frustrated playerbase with the horribly launch and asked "Do you prefer this game or FFXI?" The answer was obvious. I did vote at both polls in favor of FFXIV uniqueness, but seens like the dev team prefered to hear the majority, which might not even be playing the game anymore AND might not even come back to try out the changes they asked so much.