New Q/A: Potential changes to Castrum/Prae; stance on add-ons; Blitzball

https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comme...rivate_dev_qa/

Figured I would share this here. A subsequent concern is in a separate interview, the devs apparently mention gating Prae/Castrum. Please do not do this. It will only result in people kicking anyone who watches cut scenes or never queuing into Main Scenario, period. Just make it a solo-able instance.

Quote:

---

-> They're thinking about adding barriers that will open only when everyone's arrived. And since it will make the donjon longer, they may also increase the reward.

http://ffxiv.jeuxonline.info/actuali...shida-gamescom

---

All normal dungeons should let you solo or group up so you can soak in the story solo or with small group of friends.

Then for any Hard,Extreme,Savage, Super Savage, Ultimate, party only. I'd rather not have blitzball. It's either going to be exactly like X or a simulation game which I care for neither. Now if I get a multiplayer FF tactics with minion versions of myself and story characters or monsters, I would be ECSTATIC!

blitzball or snowboarding? I remember hearing stuff about snowboarding in the past but they actually are considering it? Hot damn, I'm all in for snow boarding. That may even include some awesome glams and boards, maybe even at some point hoverboards.

SE PLS...
http://es.web.img3.acsta.net/r_1280_...47/1817190.jpg

Edit: To be honest, I hardly ever mess around in the GS but snowboarding would actually get me to go there.

Come patch 4.1, players will be able to take squadrons in to duties with them so I think this whole idea of gating main scenario duties won't be relevant unless you choose to still run it with other players, and even then it's purely just theoretical.

As much as I'd enjoy Blitzball and Snowboarding, I wish they'd update the existing mini-games. It's been years since Chocobo Racing was introduced, and we still only have 3 tracks.

Gating Praetorium and Castrum instead of FIXING them will kill the roulette entirely

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kurando

Come patch 4.1, players will be able to take squadrons in to duties with them so I think this whole idea of gating main scenario duties won't be relevant unless you choose to still run it with other players, and even then it's purely just theoretical.

---

This wouldn't really apply to new players though since you don't unlock Squadrons for quite some time, you'd then need to level them.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bourne_Endeavor

This wouldn't really apply to new players though since you don't unlock Squadrons for quite some time, you'd then need to level them.

---

They could allow them to be unlockable about the same time as retainers in class versions. Level with them starting in Sastasha, they sync to whatever the dungeon level/your level is. Then at about where they unlock now have jobs unlockable and their own artifact armors. Just make the tombs give less tombs than a light party but everything else gives same rewards including xp. It would be like SE version of delves.

Quote:

---

blitzball or snowboarding? I remember hearing stuff about snowboarding in the past but they actually are considering it? Hot damn, I'm all in for snow boarding. That may even include some awesome glams and boards, maybe even at some point hoverboards.

SE PLS...

---

I'd prefer whatever interactions in snow be for exploration like Mounts are for flying except built for traversing snowy regions. Same for water stuff like submarine, deep caverns, scuba diving, etc,etc.

Quote:

---

As much as I'd enjoy Blitzball and Snowboarding, I wish they'd update the existing mini-games. It's been years since Chocobo Racing was introduced, and we still only have 3 tracks.

---

Sort of agree here. Most contents have an expansion upon the foundation. How about larger zones, less railroad cones, ability to take your own choco to the races, flying races, etc,etc.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kurando

Come patch 4.1, players will be able to take squadrons in to duties with them.

---

source? because I really doubt it since FF14 is still pretty much an alive-on going mmo.... only on the verge of dying mmo need to inject NPC for party.

For blitz ball, I'd want the option of team management and spectating. I absolutely despised that mini game in FFX and don't want anything to do with playing it.

But if I could just manage a team of players and find the right stats and send them out in a similar fashion to the squadrons, I would be ok with it.

Quote:

---

Q. Can we put weapons on display in our houses?
A. We'd like to put this feature in sometime, but it is not very high up in terms of priority.

---

BOOOOOOOOO.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Furiea

source? because I really doubt it since FF14 is still pretty much an alive-on going mmo.... only on the verge of dying mmo need to inject NPC for party.

---

Can't edit on mobile or link it but it was mentioned in the latest live letter discussing 4.1

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Furiea

source? because I really doubt it since FF14 is still pretty much an alive-on going mmo.... only on the verge of dying mmo need to inject NPC for party.

---

When Squadrons were introduced the plan was for them to be able to be used in certain dungeons. Aka it'll only be dungeon with easy mechanics and most likely limited to 1-59 dungeons, maybe 60 dungeons but you won't see them in the 61+ dungeons. On top of that, dungeons which certain mechanics like Diabolos, lifting stone statues, interacting with a cannon, target being immobilized and target needing to change will most like not be accessible dungeons. The concept will potentially be a way to have fun with your Squad while also getting xp for your jobs, but it will never be a concept you can use for the latest endgame content(at least for now.)

Quote:

---

Q. Dyeable Snowman set Yoshi plz?
A. Will be passed on to the team. Should not be difficult.

---

So whatever happened to making the Postmoogle Cap dyeable all those years ago?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Furiea

source? because I really doubt it since FF14 is still pretty much an alive-on going mmo.... only on the verge of dying mmo need to inject NPC for party.

---

Yes it was confirmed in the live letter. There are other links if you search Google, but the one below gives a run down on what to expect in 4.1.

http://www.dualshockers.com/final-fa...pdate-4-1/amp/

Please, please, please, please, please, please, don't touch Blitzball. I know there's a lot of people telling you to do it Yoshi, but don't do it. Please. It will not work, and you know it.

I think the gating is a good idea as it will give new players a chance to experience the dungeons without being left behind and without people yelling at them for watching the cut scenes.

Blitzball would be a great addition to the game...assuming it could be implemented in a way that honours the original implementation and has lasting relevance. It could even serve as an interesting PvP based mini-game with rankings and progression.

Though ideally they'd need to tackle the plague that is win trading before implementing more tournament based content.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Zarabeth

I think the gating is a good idea as it will give new players a chance to experience the dungeons without being left behind and without people yelling at them for watching the cut scenes.

---

No, it really isn't a good idea.

It won't stop people from yelling at others for watching cutscenes...if you think about it it will only make them yell more because now the cutscene watcher is holding up the whole party instead of the party being able to go on ahead without them and still play.

Then you know what happens when 1 or 2 new players are holding up 6-7 others? The vote kicks start. I wouldn't do it, but then again if they gate it like that I will never, ever, ever touch that roulette again. The length of some of those cutscenes and factoring in reading speed you are going to be in there for over an hour every time.

No reward would be worth that likely...except maybe a rainbow unicorn mount.....

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Zarabeth

I think the gating is a good idea as it will give new players a chance to experience the dungeons without being left behind and without people yelling at them for watching the cut scenes.

---

Great we have a roulette now that takes some dps 30 to 40 minutes queue time and you think it's a great idea for them to have to sit an additional 20 minutes more while people watch cutscenes? Really. That roulette will be dead in the water pretty quick.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ZhaneX

Quote:

---

Q. Can we put weapons on display in our houses?
A. We'd like to put this feature in sometime, but it is not very high up in terms of priority.

---

BOOOOOOOOO.

---

Yeah I'd like to see this get a higher priority.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Zarabeth

I think the gating is a good idea as it will give new players a chance to experience the dungeons without being left behind and without people yelling at them for watching the cut scenes.

---

Like Miste said, gates would only exasperate the problem. Back when a tank or healer could hold up an entire group, people fought constantly over it and many a kicks were had. I wouldn't do it myself either, however I'd never so much as look at the Main Scenario again unless I had friends asking me to help them. If the devs take this route, I guarantee you'll see it removed within a month or two when queue drop to a crawl.

Honestly I wouldn't mind. On the JP data centers we often wait for the first-timer to watch all the cut-scenes anyway, although recently there are indeed more and more tanks who just try to rush it by charging into everything. Gating may kill the roulette in non-JP data centers, but it probably wouldn't affect the JP data centers too much.

As long as we're all not forced to watch it, I don't mind waiting as I've always being doing. Even better now that I would get extra rewards for doing the same thing I've always done.

Oh, can't wait for people to try and kick new players wanting to watch the cut scenes cause its slowing them down.

they are better off just letting them watch all the cutscenes in order after exiting the dungeon. It will be a bit weird but at least its not going to be nearly as much of a problem or time sink for anyone.

I don't know what they plan on doing to Castrum/Prae to fix it. The only thing I can think of is turning it into a solo instance, but there is also a trial in there so not really sure.

I have no interest in the RNG clusterfock that was Blitzball from FFX. Naturally, SE will put very desirable rewards in there to make it appealing to players, but they need to find a way to make it repeatably fun or it may very well be dead on arrival.

Squadron instances is definitely interesting, but I frown at the notion that players can do normal duties with them. I would much rather prefer they have separate instances, even if using remodels of current dungeons. If they function like the Trust NPCs from FFXI, I fear it would jeopardize DF.

I'm accustomed to hanging back with newbs to lead them through the mess of those two dungeons, but I've never seen a newbie kicked. Somehow.

I don't think gating will help, either, as it would instead result in mass leaves at the start of the instance. At this point I feel like they'd be best suited to take that time they want to set aside for side activities in the game to instead do some redesigning for these two instances. If all the mid-dungeon cutscenes could be cut or consolidated to the same format as every other instance, and/or be tweaked to a 4-man, they could be rolled into the regular leveling content and newbies would get their content done in less toxicity.

It might be frustrating for oldbie players to lose something on a patch, but it could help with long term QoL so much for everyone playing.

I agree that gating will just make things worse. If they go through with gating I suspect what will happen is people will either stop doing the roulettes or will either leave or try to kick or bully the new players which will make the experience with those two dungeons even worse. The only real solutions are to either put the cutsceens before they go in or after they leave or make a solo duty version with the cutsceens. I know when I talked to my friends that they said the reward would have to be something on the order of a full level before they would touch that roulette again if gating goes through.

Agree on gating making everything worse especially with the amount of cutscenes in those dungeons. I think a better way for them to do it is to trim out the cutscenes and move the dialogue over as just dialogue boxes like how they do it in job quests or when Cid's running around in a magitek in Castrum. They could keep the cutscenes at the start and before + after last boss just like how dungeons are now.

Honestly, Castrum and Prae are pretty great dungeons if not for the constant cutscenes.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Pinkie_Pie

Oh, can't wait for people to try and kick new players wanting to watch the cut scenes cause its slowing them down.

---

Do you...Think that isn't happening already?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Vshunyi

Honestly, Castrum and Prae are pretty great dungeons if not for the constant cutscenes.

---

Praetorium is cool *because* of the cutscenes.

No one should miss Gaius' cutscene before the platform battle.

"Why do you fight?"

:::tribute:::

That would be insane. They need to listen to what everyone has been saying and make solo instances for story. Even trimming the cutscenes won't help because people won't wait the thirty seconds for someone new to a dungeon to watch the small boss intro.

If people such in a hurry maybe they rethink why they are playing a FF title.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by LalaRu

If people such in a hurry maybe they rethink why they are playing a FF title.

---

New player or no, there's a limit to how long the group should expect to wait around for cutscenes. Before SE added auto-advance text boxes and back when Prae was still current, I once had a run that took over 45 minutes because one guy was watching cutscenes at an absolute snail's pace. We had two other new players with us at the time too and even they started to grow frustrated waiting for that sandbag. There's a line and people like that haven't just crossed it, they took a running leap.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by LalaRu

If people such in a hurry maybe they rethink why they are playing a FF title.

---

^ Basically this. Wtg SE for -finally- realizing just why people are bad at this game.
Maybe they will pay more attention this time instead of relying on breaking the game.