What happened to Incapacitation?

As much fun as I'm having with 2.0 I'm kind of disappointed to see the Incapacitation system apparently completely gone from the game.

Really would love to get an updated response on this as it seems that this was something a lot of people were looking forward to for 2.0. I think it'd certainly add a lot of depth to some of the fights, something a few of the dungeons really could use.

Aside from my general request for an updated response, I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts and ideas for Incapacitation should they ever decide to bring it back. That or mention what you loved about it in 1.0, I'm sure I left out a large number of instances/uses for the system.

Here's what the reps had to say way back when asked if this system would make it into 2.0:

Quote:

---

Good evening!

We checked in with the monster team and they let us in on some interesting incapacitation details!

In A Realm Reborn it will be possible to incapacitate some bosses and this will play a role in the overall battle strategy. As an example, we are currently looking into features where if you break off a monster's horn, their attack pattern will change, etc.

We are also reviewing options that allow users to target parts of the monster that can be incapacitated and make it so the graphics will change if you successfully incapacitate that part.

Finally, incapacitation can be accomplished through both physical attacks and magic attacks.

---

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...l=1#post899336

I would wait and see if they add anything like this in 2.1, if they don't then they likely decided it wasn't worth the time invested.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Arcell

Here's what the reps had to say way back when asked if this system would make it into 2.0:



http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...l=1#post899336

---

This occurs in the final boss of Thousand Maws of Toto-Rak. He spawns his tail part way through the battle which lays down large poison AoEs every so often. You can a) ignore it and focus down the boss while avoiding the additional poison pools every so often, or b) take it out which stuns the boss for a few seconds and you only have to deal with the one or two poison pools that have already been created at that point. The graphics of the tail match its current state depending on your choice.

The second boss of the Sunken Temple of Qarn also has a similar type of incapacitation mechanic, although it is not optional in this case.

So far, that appears to be the extent of that feature in game.

I liked Toto-Rak's system, though I'd like to see more of this. (Killing the tail also gave the boss a massive Vulnerability Up debuff, btw.)

Something tells me we will in Crystal Tower, where the large groups will have to focus on multiple segments of a gigantic boss in order to prevent attacks and eventually win the fight.

I'd be more interested in seeing some kind of "Stagger" mechanic on bosses similar to how XIII works. It would be a powerful tool for people who could manage to stagger a boss.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by RowanLauron

I'd be more interested in seeing some kind of "Stagger" mechanic on bosses similar to how XIII works. It would be a powerful tool for people who could manage to stagger a boss.

---

Right though Incapacitation had far more uses than just doing more damage or stunning the enemy. It could disable moves the enemy had, it could stun them or knock them over entirely, it even changed drop rates and added items to the drop list in the case of Aldgoats, Wights and Great Buffalo.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mhaeric

This occurs in the final boss of Thousand Maws of Toto-Rak. He spawns his tail part way through the battle which lays down large poison AoEs every so often. You can a) ignore it and focus down the boss while avoiding the additional poison pools every so often, or b) take it out which stuns the boss for a few seconds and you only have to deal with the one or two poison pools that have already been created at that point. The graphics of the tail match its current state depending on your choice.

The second boss of the Sunken Temple of Qarn also has a similar type of incapacitation mechanic, although it is not optional in this case.

So far, that appears to be the extent of that feature in game.

---

Titan also uses incapacitation (The heart), however you can't attack his main body during this time. When you break the heart you can see the "INCAPACITATED!" message in the floating battle text.

Wow I had forgotten about this.
This feature really should be in. You don't see it in many (if any?) other MMOs really. Added uniqueness to XIV.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Alhanelem

Titan also uses incapacitation (The heart), however you can't attack his main body during this time. When you break the heart you can see the "INCAPACITATED!" message in the floating battle text.

---

I thought about that battle and if it fit the described mechanics, but had decided it didn't. I've never noticed the 'incapacitated!' text on him, so I stand corrected!

Now that I think about it, I think there's a story mission that uses incapacitation as well. The one where you have to kill the big magitek, but it's invulnerable until you locate the 3 shield generators.

There's probably a few more that I'm completely forgetting about too.

Not to be a downer. But i highly doubt this is going to be implemented. The way the game seems to have already been made, structure wise.. i just dont see it happening.

I mean i cant prove it or anything other than the fact that the 2.1 patch seems to be more housing oriented than anything.. soo.....

*shrugs* I think this is in the past.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by RowanLauron

I'd be more interested in seeing some kind of "Stagger" mechanic on bosses similar to how XIII works. It would be a powerful tool for people who could manage to stagger a boss.

---

Turn 4....kinda

I would like to see rotations broken by giving each ability its own damage type such as slashing, piercing, blunt, astral, umbral, etc.

Allow mobs to be weakened by one or more damage types (i.e vulnerability / staggering) to encourage use outside of rotations

Allow abilities to incapacitate based on position (Punch an Aldgoat in the face and its horn breaks off and guarantee a horn drop too...) (Punch it in the back and it becomes stunned/bound) (Punch it in the side and it falls over leading to even more vulnerability / staggering)

@OP the same thing that happened to cool action bonus effects on gear, + and - enmity gear, multiple effects from stats and all the other cool stuff from 1.0.