Fully Customizable GC Platoon?

If by 3.4 GC platoons are released, will we have the option of being able to use character saved data in order to select what they look like? And if so will gear for them be glamorable?
I'd hate it if we can only choose from preset NPC's donned in full GC-specific uniform/regalia.

It's just that I have alt characters that i love, but don't have time to play. So i'd love it if the former was true and i could fight alongside them!

We will find out next week. I would assume it would be the same case as with retainers, in which case yes.

Hopefully we won't need a token system to send them on missions etc.

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Originally Posted by Jyan91

Hopefully we won't need a token system to send them on missions etc.

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With our luck it's going to be a new token that takes up inventory space, has no other uses, and can only be spent 1 or 2 times a day. Or, conversely, will need large amounts to do anything so you'll almost always have a pile or two sitting in your inventory until they can be used.

Hopefully we can add "player" exclusive cuts to them as well....I want them to have Snow Hair, Gold Saucer ...and so on...they should effect these things too.

Noob Moment!

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What's a platoon? =D I've looked on Google but all I'm finding are mentions to it, without a real detailed description of WHAT it is.

Platoon is a miltary organization made of multiple squads. Averaging around 30 soldiers. Multiple platoons comprise a regiment.

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Originally Posted by Tolmos

Noob Moment!

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What's a platoon? =D I've looked on Google but all I'm finding are mentions to it, without a real detailed description of WHAT it is.

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From what I have read online, its GC NPC that you train, which can be used instead of players when doing Duty Finder content. If you have played Guild Wars 1, think the Mercenary from that game.

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Originally Posted by Laerune

From what I have read online, its GC NPC that you train, which can be used instead of players when doing Duty Finder content. If you have played Guild Wars 1, think the Mercenary from that game.

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hsoiadhdfoshdgiluhdfghiusgfihdsgh

That... would... be... amazing. I still play Guild Wars 1 to this day just because of my love of that mechanic. I never in my wildest dreams imagined I'd see such a mechanic come to pretty much any other MMO, much less XIV.

I have become cynical after all these years MMOing, and feel like whenever I hear about something really cool that there must be a misunderstanding and the actual implementation is probably a lot more boring. =D That said, I am very hopeful that this is case because hooooooly crap that would be awesome.

Thanks!

I'd love it if we saw some form of FF12's gambit system. When you can program the AI like that, you end up with party members better than most you get in the duty finder.

So I found a video on it, and the guy is reading a live letter about Platoons. Something he said stood out to me: when they mention that they want to get it into patch 3.4, they said that they were not completely sure they would also be able to get dungeons in that the player would be able to bring their platoon to.

This implies, to me, that Platoons will not be used for Duty Finder but rather for platoon specific dungeons. Anyone else find info similar/different?

At 0:12 - 0:20 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBUAQh4NL70

I'm...rather wary. Dungeons will have to be designed to accommodate NPC's which...may make them rather simplistic moving forward especially where mechanics are concerned.

I doubt they'll let you bring a npc party to current dungeons since that would hurt queue times. Maybe ARR ones.

More likely I think they'll recycle old dungeons to create special GC Platoon instances similar to the Heavensward single player story instances that gave you a npc party.

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Originally Posted by Moomba33

I doubt they'll let you bring a npc party to current dungeons since that would hurt queue times. Maybe ARR ones.

More likely I think they'll recycle old dungeons to create special GC Platoon instances similar to the Heavensward single player story instances that gave you a npc party.

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If you can solo with npcs, would queue times really matter outside of raids?

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Originally Posted by Cakekizyy

If you can solo with npcs, would queue times really matter outside of raids?

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Wouldn't bother me.
But I doubt the developers want to make their MMO even more of a single player game.

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Originally Posted by Moomba33

Wouldn't bother me.
But I doubt the developers want to make their MMO even more of a single player game.

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I don't think that would be the case. I mean, the AI for these platoons will likely resemble what you've seen in NPC group content in the past. Can you imagine taking that kind of group into, say, the Aery? They would stand in EVERY ground target, miss pretty much EVERY mechanic. The only way you'd be able to pull it off is if the player went in as a healer, and was extremely overgeared and very dedicated to the task. And even then, most of the dungeons would be pretty iffy.

I would say that, personally, I can't imagine queue times being in any danger no matter what restrictions they do or don't put on this.

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Originally Posted by Tolmos

I don't think that would be the case. I mean, the AI for these platoons will likely resemble what you've seen in NPC group content in the past. Can you imagine taking that kind of group into, say, the Aery? They would stand in EVERY ground target, miss pretty much EVERY mechanic. The only way you'd be able to pull it off is if the player went in as a healer, and was extremely overgeared and very dedicated to the task. And even then, most of the dungeons would be pretty iffy.

I would say that, personally, I can't imagine queue times being in any danger no matter what restrictions they do or don't put on this.

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Unless they were given lots of health or programmed AoEs to ignore them.

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Originally Posted by Cakekizyy

Unless they were given lots of health or programmed AoEs to ignore them.

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Or perhaps, treated them like pets where they take less aoe damage.

Didn't know pets took less.

The Gambit system was limited, what we really need is the:

Paradigm Shift system from Final Fantasy XIII

It's a fully optimized battle system that allows you to focus on your actions while the other party members will fight on their own in the best possible way, even better than some human players!...

I wish we can train them in such ways as to be able to enter Extreme trials and have perfect runs, of course, to prevent abusing of the system if the human player dies it will be an instant wipe!...

Using retainers as platoons would be an expected feature to me and even better would be if we could summon alternate characters and use them as well if they met the necessary requirements!...

I'm looking forward to the Troopers system!... :cool:

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Originally Posted by Theodric

I'm...rather wary. Dungeons will have to be designed to accommodate NPC's which...may make them rather simplistic moving forward especially where mechanics are concerned.

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I can't see them doing that as it would entirely absolve actually playing with real people. This is likely more an option for people who have odd hours to play or want to run old content. It won't be a focal point for them though.

What I imagined when SE announced platoons for 3.4

https://67.media.tumblr.com/a30fd98c...l1xro1_500.gif

The reality of my platoon

http://66.media.tumblr.com/9feeebb1d...zwveo1_500.gif

I cant wait I hope we can change their gear.

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Originally Posted by Theodric

Dungeons will have to be designed to accommodate NPC's which...may make them rather simplistic moving forward especially where mechanics are concerned.

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Um... I don't think they could make dungeons MORE simple at this point tbh. Everything is pretty straightforward.

Pretty sure it's solo dungeons with the platoons which is separate from the traditional 2 dungeons per big patch

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Originally Posted by Derio

Pretty sure it's solo dungeons with the platoons which is separate from the traditional 2 dungeons per big patch

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This is the impression that I am getting as well

Hope this never exists, or at least not for a very long time. :/ Said it before, I'll say it again, I don't play MMOs to play with NPCs.

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Originally Posted by FoxyAreku

Hope this never exists, or at least not for a very long time. :/ Said it before, I'll say it again, I don't play MMOs to play with NPCs.

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Is someone going to hold a gun to your head and demand you unlock and play the platoon content? If so, I question your current living arrangements.

It's silly to hope something doesn't happen when you aren't required to take part. Let them add it for the players that are interested, and don't get involved if you aren't.

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Originally Posted by Tolmos

The only way you'd be able to pull it off is if the player went in as a healer, and was extremely overgeared and very dedicated to the task. And even then, most of the dungeons would be pretty iffy.

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If they are programmed like NPCs and not like pets, being a healer would still be quite a challenge because NPCs are not affected by AoE heals or buffs lol. So us healers would essentially need to heal a group immune to protect, whom we could only heal by using single target heals. It would not be very fun. XD

ETA- I'm thinking this is going to be veeeery similar to Hall of the Novice. We're going to get short instances, in a "dungeon," to tick off of a list and once cleared, we probably won't have much motivation to do that dugeon/mission with our platoon again.

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Originally Posted by FoxyAreku

Hope this never exists, or at least not for a very long time. :/ Said it before, I'll say it again, I don't play MMOs to play with NPCs.

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I'm sorry to disappoint, as far as we are aware it's coming in 6-8 weeks ;)