Mob linking : Party Strength vs Size

The description of the monster linking system reads:


[dev1131] An enemy linking system has been implemented.
The system allows an enemy to call for help based on the strength of the party that engaged it. Enemies will link when:

Clearly this is NOT how it works. It's based of Party SIZE.

If you're in a party of 8/8 you can link up to 8 mobs, party of 4/8 only 4 will link.

At low levels where crowd control is an issue linking 8 mobs (without power level mind you) is nearly a suicide mission for the party. Especially when targeting mob up to +10 levels above the average PT members level.

I'm sure it's difficult to make an algorithm to calculates the strength of a party VS the difficulty of a player.

Maybe the game can calculate the average level of the players and link mobs based on that.

If average level is equal then the link is 1:1 (1 mob per 1 PT member)
If mob is 10+ above average PT member then only 1 monster is pulled regardless of PT size.
Max mobs pulled is reduced by 1 per 2 empty PT slots when mobs are 3+ levels higher.

-10/+2 above PT average level 8 mobs max
+3/4 above PT Average level 6 mobs max (4 mobs max in 4/4 size PT)
+5/6 above PT average level 4 mobs max (2 mobs max in 4/4 size PT)
+7/8 above PT average level 2 mobs max (1 mob max in 4/4 size PT)
+9/10+ above PT average level 1 mob.

(unless monsters are in a planned "group")

Currently even in high level areas pulling monsters is very chaotic (though easily defeated because most monsters are near or just above player level)

When starting to fight monsters of higher level it would make the pace of battle much more fluid if people weren't presented with too many targets to Tank, melee, and nuke on.

However I feel that getting away from amount of monster links based on party size, and base it more on strength (level/calculated attack power/calculated def ect ect) would benefit the EXP process greatly.

"Strength in Numbers" ...no? Don't know it?

-1

no thanks, it's basicly like gear check for exping.
I didn't like it in Wow (it had it's purposes there, but still...), i'll not like it here, nevertheless for exping

For me it make sense that the monster call for help to his friends when he is out number.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AndySolace

"Strength in Numbers" ...no? Don't know it?

-1

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PT buff has nothing to do with the link system. Having a +20% buff doesn't do jack shit when the link system has nothing to do with strength of the PT vs strength of the mob.

Gather a 8/8 PT lv 50 and run through a bunch of agro lv 45 mobs, you'll link up to 8.

Take that PT and run through a grp of lv 70 agro mobs, you'll link up to 8.

The lv 50 PT can defeat the lv 45 mobs no problem. But 8 lv 50's vs 8 lv 70 mobs, thats impossible. Hell make it 8 lv 60 mobs or even 8 level 55 mobs.

Thats how the monster "call for help" system works.

It's not based on PT strength

it's based on PT size.

I think linking definitely could use some tweaking. It gets a bit insane at the lower levels if you try to party and we don't really get decent crowd control tools until 40+. Gla doesn't get an aoe voke until... 36?

Either linking needs tweaking or we need the crowd control skills to be lower level because low level parties are kinda cluster...ducks.

Mobs don't link against me if they're more than 10 levels higher, i've never had this problem.

Was a turn of phrase. Thought the OP was so pointless that it didn't warrant serious discussion tbh.

Why would the Dev Team waste their time implementing pointless changes to things that aren't broken. You have this horrid habit of trolling old patch notes and poisoning these forums with every petty idea that comes to mind.

You want to be a designer, or a developer? Go build your own game. Meanwhile stop complaining about stuff from two patches ago that nobody else is worried about.

If you're honestly concered about training 8 mobs while heading through the mines, or Natalan etc., Then fair enough... But its not hard to figure out that you need only to disband to move locations... 8 people run past one mob in a party it links because it's outnumbered... Makes perfect sense. You have an issue with that then disband; 8 people can now run past the same mob and it won't link at all. Now add the fact that you can attack any claimed mobs and if required you get 8 people vs one mob with no links.

Ninja edit: I do agree that more AoE crowd control / hate skills would be nice. REALLY nice, actually. Perhaps one low level AoE enmity ability that doesn't inflict damage? And by extension doesn't break sleep/bind? That would allow for more crowd-control options to be implemented in a stacked fashion, increasing mob control and decreasing cluster...ducking?

Andy, Andy, Andy.....

My issue isn't linking similar level mobs while in a group.

My issue is you can have a lv 50 party with 8 members and walk into a room of lv 60 mobs and when you pull 1, it will C.F.H. 7 other mobs.

Now who's out numbered? So are 8 level 50 characters stronger than 8 lv 60 mobs?

My issue is the monster linking system is supposed to be based on party strength not party size. I'm curious if the devs have plans to adjust the system in the future to reflect the patch notes.

So next time understand what the topic is about, before you post some passive aggressive crap.

I have to agree here chief. More times than I care to remember a perfectly good xp grind was kicked in the teeth because let's face it, a "light-party" of 5 level 20's cannot take a "light-party" of 5 level 28 mobs. the first time your healer(or 2) tosses a cure it's lights out for them. The hate control and linking mechanics need some work.

If all they did was take the bit where "until the linked mobs actually been hit/claimed" it doesn't generate enmity against anyone other than the person that originally pulled the links. You'd have "super-tanking" tactics available which would at least keep that cnj/whm from getting your 1~7 adds and dying out of hand.

There's still alot of work to be done here, having been in and out of the game since beta I've seen a ton of progress and know that they won't stop making things better until we're all "mostly" happy. That makes me content to continue to pay/play ^^

The maximum link is a group of four (4) mobs. The exp bonus from links also caps at +100% (4*25%).

I'd have to agree with Cheif. My friends and I love a good challenge when leveling. Currently, the linking system creates a difficult scenario for those who desire to exp on higher level enemies (10+) in compairison to "blink-burning" of several lower level monsters (1-5+). I wouldn't mind a typical link system similar to other mmos (and FFXI) where, through skill and timing, a puller can control the number of links (at least for typical exp party content).

I think one of the biggest weaknesses in FF Online games is the "Puller," since archer can't pull without Lock-On; either make it so we can hit without Lock-On, or increase range for archer types, in such a way they can pull safely from greater distances, or even make it an ability "Harass" which is a range attack with horrible accuracy, but farther distance.

Or bring back the distance affects r.acc/r.attk and let people shoot from say 100' if they feel like it even if they won't hit the thing they'll get aggro.

But since links would still happen this isn't really a solution for the crazy linking issue so much as being able to have a "camp" where everyone hangs while they wait on pulls. But for this to work the range that mobs can/will follow a player from thier spawn point would need to be adjusted. I'm sure at some point or another we've all had the "Wtf does it keep taking 1 step and healing to full?" moment because of the rather short "chase" range.