Jump Potions - Several Months In. Opinions/Discussions

So we are several months into the era of FFXIV Jump Pots now, and I was curious of everyone's opinions on them. Do they still feel like a slap in the face? Do they have merit in some situations? Just a post in order to discuss your opinions of them, in an open forum for all to view.

My opinion? They are a mixed pot of good and bad. They let you catch up and play with your friends/family/loved ones quickly, for a one time fee, but they do not TEACH you the class you paid to level. If they gave a moderate level version of Hall of the Novice, to explain how different stacking/evasion markers work, instead of just throwing them into the fray, it could of been done a bit better. Am I going to say they're all bad? Not at all. It just takes people a chance, and time, to learn the class. Could it have been done better? Likely not, what they gave was a balanced point for it.

For me, personally, I kind of like the jump potions and would like to be able to use another. Leveling a dragoon, it feels so much like an absolute slog, but when I zone into PotD, it feels so fun, so active. I would actually pay to be able to skip that leveling process just to be able to get that fun part.

However, there are problems, and it would be stupid not to acknowledge that there are issues with the implementation. One thing I do appreciate that WoW does with its Level 100 boosts is that it gives you basic run down, a target dummy, and effortless spec switching that lets you try before you buy, or MAKE you know the absolute basics before you start playing with other people. I wish there was something like that in FF14, but then again, WoW took an expansion or two to get their boosts down.

Also, please dear god, do not have an unlimited amount of jump potions purchasable.

People keep going on about how jump potions mean unskilled players get to high end content, with no idea how to play their class.

These same people do Palace of the Dead runs.

How am I supposed to tell who has used a potion and who hasn't? Skill level inside an instance isn't going to give me any indication. I run a lot of 50+ content and I haven't noticed any difference in player skill. It's as random as it always was, and I am not going to use raids or EX primals as a means to differentiate either. For content below level 50, I expect players to still be learning their jobs and their roles whether they consumed a potion or not.

My opinion of them isn't any different than before they were implemented, and that is they are a necessary evil, and I wish there were another way, or another player mentality. What I have noticed is that there are still plenty of sprouts running ARR leveling content. While I don't know if they are actually new players or alts, I do know that I am happy to see the amount there is.

They're great for making an alt on another server to play with someone there.

They're potentially a waste of money when used on a previously unplayed class. I've known a few people opting to use such things in the past regretting their class choice and abandoning the character soon after.

From everything I've seen they don't matter. Players like to complain about the skill of players when using a job potion but that's a really weak argument. Players have always been complaining about the low level of skill of other players; at first it was they didn't learn in dungeons, then it was they did PoTD and didn't learn, now its they used the jump potion. But the fact is, those players will either get good practicing or they won't get good; how they leveled to 60 is largely irrelevant to that. Even with a jump potion players still need to level to 70 before they can hit end game content. If a player still sucks by then, then they weren't trying to get good and the other 60 levels wouldn't have made a difference.

So nothing has changed really.

I've noticed no notable skill difference, no increase in "bad" players, nor toxic players.

If anything, the only change is that Stormblood content, in general, is a little bit harder, and everyone is still dealing with the new abilities.

So, potions are fine. But! I do think expanding the hall of the novice for intermediate level content and forcing potion players to complete these would help shut-up naysayers.

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Originally Posted by Alien_Gamer

From everything I've seen they don't matter. Players like to complain about the skill of players when using a job potion but that's a really weak argument.

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There has been a very slight increase in a lack of player skill, but the blame isn't really on jump potions entirely. Maybe a very small fraction, but it's not completely due to the introduction of jump potions. As has been said, people leveling through fates or PotD have the potential of being just as unskilled. Stormblood brought in a fair amount of new blood, and it'll take some time for those players to settle into the game, and their respective jobs. No one's a pro straight from the get go. Anyway, my personal opinion is not much has really changed.

the people who want to learn will, those who don't won't.

for those that wanna learn, quick explanations go a long way. Should never expect a game to teach everything, more so in mmo.

im not fond of fresh players buying a lvl 60. but i rarely see fresh players buying a lvl 60. Heck a person who me and my gf met in copperbell just started and is leveling from the ground up. asks questions, and hasn't even asked about jump potions.

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Originally Posted by DeaconMoore

They're potentially a waste of money when used on a previously unplayed class. I've known a few people opting to use such things in the past regretting their class choice and abandoning the character soon after.

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I decided to buy a boost for my AST, I thought I'd enjoy playing it... I was dead friggin wrong

A combination of Bardam's Mettle, and cards (I seriously hate playing with cards now) really turned me off from the job as a whole. I ended up using the gear I've earned through AST to take WHM to 70 instead. While still stressful I had way more fun and felt more "in control" on WHM

Do I regret wasting the money? A little yea, but no use crying over spilled milk. I wasn't going to use a boost on a job that was 50+ anyways, and AST was my only sub 50 job

I'm waffling on using one on PLD or WAR. I really want a max level tank again. But I just... Don't.... Have.... Time... Even with those snappy tank queues. Ahhh.

I've never minded them. You're going to meet veteran players who still suck balls at the game and can't seem to get the basics of their role or mechanics down or do them well. On the other end, I've met new players who boosted and even have a couple friends who boosted who picked things up near instantly and do very well.

People blow out of proportion what jump potions will do. If bad players use them, they were probably gonna be bad even if they leveled the class. If good players use them, they may be mediocre for a few days and will pick it up. So if SE opens it up I say let people buy however many boost they want.

Though they really could do some "play testing" to let you see if you like the class or not, even using potd it can be hard because some classes now get a nice handful of changes past 60.

While I agree that the leveling process doesn't make good players--I'm not good at playing monk for instance even though I've leveled it mostly through dungeons--prior to jump potions I had never had to explain what a tank buster and a defensive cool down were to a tank in a current Extreme trial. I have now. I'm not good at playing mnk because I still have to think about my next move--not because I don't know what my abilities do. It would be nice if you use a jump potion, especially if you don't have another job at cap, if it stuck you in some sort of advanced Hall of the Novice which made you go through all of your abilities so that you can see what the effects are before letting you loose in the general population.

It's a good excuse for me to wave over poor performing players I meet in dungeons sometimes.
"Oh they probably just bought a jump pot, nobody could be THAT bad!" etc...

Even though in my heart I know it's not true and people can indeed be upsettingly poor at their role for whatever reason.

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Originally Posted by Ametrine

I'm waffling on using one on PLD or WAR. I really want a max level tank again. But I just... Don't.... Have.... Time... Even with those snappy tank queues. Ahhh.

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Since I do not know your play style, or what you would intend to do with with a capped tank, I would suggest to look at the dollar value per level you get from using the potion. If you use a jump potion for Paladin, you will be getting an average of $3.57 per level. For Warrior, you will be getting an average of $1.25 per level.

Just based on that, I would use the potion on Warrior since you would get the most dollar wise per level.

I'm indifferent to the jump potions because SE hasn't done its share enough to wash its hands of whether or not a player's bad because of it. There's no upgraded hall of novice for lvl 60 gameplay and the last easily accessible training dummy in wolve's den pier is now for pvp skills only. Even if a brand new player goes out of his way to learn a job from guides and tooltips, his practical learning venues are lvl 60 dgns (much to the contention of the playerbase) and the lvl 60 open world maps.

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Originally Posted by SenorPatty

I'm indifferent to the jump potions because SE hasn't done its share enough to wash its hands of whether or not a player's bad because of it. There's no upgraded hall of novice for lvl 60 gameplay and the last easily accessible training dummy in wolve's den pier is now for pvp skills only. Even if a brand new player goes out of his way to learn a job from guides and tooltips, his practical learning venues are lvl 60 dgns (much to the contention of the playerbase) and the lvl 60 open world maps.

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They really do need to expand the Hall of Novice to be a decent tutorial. Maybe have a different tutorial for every job so people get at least an idea on how things work. Not just..."fight that, dodge that...now fight and dodge. Good? Ok, bye."

I admit, I bought a story jump potion for my alt. She was lvl 60 pld. But I never finished Heavensward on her. To be honest I hated every aspect of that expansion and just wanted it behind me so I could move on to Stormblood, an expansion that in my opinion had not only a better story but npc’s I enjoyed interacting with.

In terms of player skill, they don’t matter. Bad players have always been had, even before the potions—even before PotD. Those who care to learn their class—whether they jump or not—will do so. Those who do not, will not. While I wouldn’t purchase one because I enjoy the leveling aspect (even for alts), I see the value of them in making alts for raiding, or for jumping to play with friends.

Bad players will be bad, potion or no potion. That has always been the case, and it has not really changed much since they were introduced.

I admit to having six characters total. YES, I know I don't HAVE to. But I'm used to it and I want to. I leveled three of them through the entire MSQ up to Stormblood, and one through Stormblood. So I admit to using MSQ jump potions for the last three. Half and half isn't bad. ;) Leveled them through dungeons to 60 so I'd like to think I'm not THAT bad. :P

Disagree. Marked increase in Ice-only Mages, Faceplant ninjas that think it's cool to quote whole episodes of Naruto in their LB macros, and WMs that only heal with Cure 3 then qq "Oom". Don't get me started on sch/smn sprouts. I just can't.

Yes, yes, anecdotal, coincidental, luck of rng, etc etc. Whatever. Worst part is the typical bonus of nubs - that of getting to actually make money off of them buying 1-50 gear off of MB - is surpassed.

Jump potions don't kill people. Annoyed veterans that have to spend 30 minutes and 3 wipes in Primal battles from 3+ years ago cuz you're a nub that couldn't be bothered to read about a boss before queuing for them, do.

I honestly don't mind them, but I think its dumb to use them still cause you're cheating yourself out of content you paid for.

Things like PotD and jump potions just take a lot of the fun out of progression imo. There's so much content to explore. So many dungeons and trials to see and people just wanna skip it all so they can get to the end faster. I just don't get it. Like once you get to endgame, there really isn't that much aside from a few trials(deltascape) that are called raids for some reason. I will never understand the modern MMO community. It's like nobody cares about the journey anymore.

This is a direct reply/answer to the OP (aka: a blind post).

I've been playing since the very beginning and with life getting in the way sometimes and having to go through hiatus' for a while, the catching up is nice. I didn't buy the pots because I didn't need them, but my husband did and he was able to catch up to me for Stormblood. Because Paladin has been nerfed, he's also thinking about buying a pot for another main. He can practice his new class in several ways:

- Low level dungeons
- Hall of Novice
- Soloing dungeons
- Class quests (if the Pots don't go through them automatically)
- PoTD
- Trials

I like the quick acess because of all the main scenarios one would have to get through (there are SO many!). Why should any be left out? There's plenty of FC's that will help those who don't want to buy the pots. As for the journey, it's not lost if one buys the Pot-advance. It's all added in the Journal anyway. So nothing is lost.

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Originally Posted by Xtrasweettea

Since I do not know your play style, or what you would intend to do with with a capped tank, I would suggest to look at the dollar value per level you get from using the potion. If you use a jump potion for Paladin, you will be getting an average of $3.57 per level. For Warrior, you will be getting an average of $1.25 per level.

Just based on that, I would use the potion on Warrior since you would get the most dollar wise per level.

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Wow, thank you for doing all the math for me.

I think I'm going to keep holding off as 4.1's lack of Eureka means I may have time to set aside for grinding a tank, after all.

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Originally Posted by Aleya

Because Paladin has been nerfed, he's also thinking about buying a pot for another main.

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Bit of advice (not coming from any sort of anti-jump potion POV either), but what level is your husband’s PLD? PLD is actually very, very good since Stormblood was released. It received major buffs compared to the Heavensward version, so if he isn’t level 70 yet, I would definitely encourage him to tough it out, because the job itself is in a very good spot right now.

In terms of the specific class/job quests, when you buy a specific job jump potion, it does mark all the quests up to level 60 as complete, so you cannot go back and do them. All the other options are still available though. :3

People using jump potions are more often than not either alt characters, or would be considered a 'veteran' with MMOs and combat system with a bit of a mechanical mindset.

That being said, I can fairly comfortably say that running your class to 60, or playing the story through til 60 will teach you much that wouldn't already be derived from common sense. Anything they need to learn, and should learn will be on the road from 60-70. I don't mind it, nor have I noticed any difference in player skill levels, I still however wish they would have just condensed the ARR Level 50 quests, and buffed exp on all quests. But that's far too much resource dedication, in comparison to this which is relatively simple, and a nice profit on the side.

Just remember, it's a casual MMO so this was pretty much inevitable.