Squadron Expanded?

I have been slowly sifting through threads, but does anyone have any direct information if squadrons would ever see an update?

Think about the possibilities: Up the squadron cap to something like 16, have additional special slots for your MSQ party per expansion, allow squad members to choose advanced jobs at level 60 (the current cap). I personally find squadron missions and the thrill of finding the right recruits or special recruits to be really fun.

It feels as the Grand Companies hold less and less weight as the story moves on. This could perhaps establish some additional questlines where you help the Grand Company with various elite tasks, seeing as you are capped on your rank eventually anyways.

The squadrons and Trust system could be combined even, and perhaps have more 8-person dungeons and the ability for you to run them with your squadron. This could even introduce the chance to bring back the Gambit system from XII, allowing players to fine-tune and learn new ways for their party's tactics in combat.

Please, if anyone has any relevant information or thoughts, share them below :)

Would anyone else have interest in the Gambit system making a return in XIV? I feel like it would really enhance the solo player experience

I definitely think that squadrons should be updated and they should be able to take on jobs. That said I don't think they should have access to all jobs abilities just key skills to help you get through content. Though the main issue I see with squadrons is AI especially tank AI. Healer AI is also pretty bad but not as bad a tanks imo.

The whole squadrons thing feels like they were kinda forgotten after that last little push and even that was "token" feeling.

I really REALLY would like more to do with my GC/squadrons. I spent a lot of time developing them and dressing them and stuff. Now I just go make them do squats occasionally for S&G.

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Originally Posted by AvenoMatt

I definitely think that squadrons should be updated and they should be able to take on jobs. That said I don't think they should have access to all jobs abilities just key skills to help you get through content. Though the main issue I see with squadrons is AI especially tank AI. Healer AI is also pretty bad but not as bad a tanks imo.

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The AI is not great, but combine the Squadron and Trust AI, and introduce more complex customizable tactics through Gambits and I think this would solve it!

Your healers would know to stop fighting and swiftcast > rez something, you can set your tank to care more for aggro vs damage, etc.

And since they already have "Tactics" for your squadron, perhaps Gambits would be unlocked in a similar, somewhat random fashion to keep players interested. Aside from Gambits, add new units for the Hrothgar and Viera, expand the job system, and perhaps let the PC create a massive Adventurer Grand Company, perhaps revive the Crystal Braves as a shared Grand Company and give Alphinaud a little redemption arc for it.

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Originally Posted by Krotoan

The whole squadrons thing feels like they were kinda forgotten after that last little push and even that was "token" feeling.

I really REALLY would like more to do with my GC/squadrons. I spent a lot of time developing them and dressing them and stuff. Now I just go make them do squats occasionally for S&G.

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Same! I'm currently working on getting my favorite units in each slot and getting their looks to feel unique

I would really like this. In particular, being allowed to have a second or thread Squadron depending on your rank.

Squadrons were probably always just a prototype for Trusts. I doubt we'll see command missions expanded in any meaningful way.

They're good enough for leveling at your own pace, and way faster/more efficient than trusts too. It would be nice if they went all the way to lv70 content but 61~70 feels like it goes way faster than 51~60 IMO that I don't miss them that much.

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Originally Posted by Brightamethyst

Squadrons were probably always just a prototype for Trusts. I doubt we'll see command missions expanded in any meaningful way.

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I can't believe the prototype is better designed than the complete product!

In general I think all the companion-like systems should receive a relook, ensuring each has a satisfyingly position. I would think it neat if you could for example bring your chocobo along in a dungeon (as a member if empowered to fit as such).

I do like that the trusts have banter, and would love to encourage deepening the player connection to npcs, could potentially do that with squadrons but because there are so many potential members that sounds quite daunting (meanwhile trusts are obviously more narrowed down). Was part of another thread but could be a fun time to add back your 1.0 companions, perhaps literally under the companion system, give the chocobo and companion different progression systems and some slightly different pros and cons (maybe companions are easier to quickly strengthen due to gear, meanwhile chocobos take more time and particularly mini games and such, though neither in the end designed to be useless over the other).

Might note though that I think trusts, strongly feel, need a new progression system, and hopefully also can capture some of that value at some point that squadrons had. Squadrons are way stronger than trusts lol. It's honestly weird to go from my OP squadrons that destroy things faster than most groups can, and then go to trusts, these epic heroes, who tickle the toes of monsters and do warm bath and massages before gently tucking the enemies to sleep. I think perhaps more of a merit system or something where you can unlock boosts in power (perhaps with limited amount of active nodes if SE wanted to add a level of customization, which could include nodes beyond new abilities and stat boosts to different AI patterns, yet they're always the level that they need to be for the content you're doing).

If trusts were to take over from the start, which may be cool in some ways, like if you got to do your MSQ level 50 dungeon with cid and other story npcs - that would probably offer a more narrative driven experience over some quiet squadrons. Which lead me to think perhaps squadrons should be moved then to ... well more squadron / military focused concepts, like you can go out to do expeditions to strengthen your garrison, add trading routes, chocobo caravan set up, outposts, perhaps in some ways grow a sense of army, one might build an outpost in a lava cave unlocking some unique crafting bonuses or opportunities (forged in the fires of mount doom! lol), squadrons trailing behind trusts on purpose but focused entirely on a different content concept. Maybe even add some Dynasty Warrior like vibe opportunities (like there are HUGE fields of enemies, and like dynasty warrior, you'd kind of get this swarm like mosh fighting vibe). Had mentioned for a different content these hamlet defense being brought in for FC content (make a hamlet, defend a hamelt, assault beastmen strongholds), and maybe use some of that here too taking your squadron to assault a stronghold maybe akin feeling to taking on a stronghold in Shadow Of War (lord of the rings game). Certainly some marrige could be done with FC and GC, in terms of systems as they're both companies - some of your assets earned from your conquests for your GC may add value to your FC (and I think adding relationship value to your FC would be a cool new progression opportunity, especially in context of building a hamlet- since currently that relationship info is kind of meaningless "yay Immortal Flames like us.. ya...y....? doesn't matter". Another thought was squadrons might open up into owning your own airship, and these members being part of your crew.

Again, though ensuring as much as possible that each piece feels like it's a piece that isn't awkwardly overlapping and stealing from another and should fit into that other.

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Originally Posted by ReynTime

I can't believe the prototype is better designed than the complete product!

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Trust AI is definitely superior to squadrons but they were intentionally detuned (no AoE) to make running instances with live humans more attractive.

Add Hroth and Viera squadron members, please and thank you uwu

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Originally Posted by ReynTime

They're good enough for leveling at your own pace, and way faster/more efficient than trusts too.

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Only sort of. There's a reason you can only use squadrons in specific dungeons. Trusts are hand crafted for each dungeon, which is why they can do mechanics and such. Squadrons are just generic NPCs. Some dungeons would be much harder, or even impossible with only the brain dead squadron AI. Can you imagine a squadron doing Qarn, or Cutter's Cry? How about the turtle boss in Stone Vigil hard? Even Brayflox is kind of terrible having to micromanage positioning on the last boss. Squadrons are great for the dungeons with no mechanics beyond "kill everything" but relatively few dungeons fall into that category.

This is where being a new player gets super confusing. You guys going on about squadrons and I have visions of buzzing the towers despite being denied a fly by and instead it's about some kinda AI thing....

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Originally Posted by GeminiReed

Trust AI is definitely superior to squadrons but they were intentionally detuned (no AoE) to make running instances with live humans more attractive.

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Trust AI stops doing absolutely anything to avoid AoEs and mechanics.
Squadron don't even need to dodge majority of the mechanics.

Trusts only have 1 glamour option, which isn't even great.
Squadron can glamour anything in your dresser.

Trusts take an eternity to kill trash and even with Y'shtola around they rarely AoE at all.
Squadron also don't aoe properly unless they're ACN, who contribute a lot more to AoEing trashes than any Trust, but not only kill faster by default but also let you configure their damage vs survivality output.

Trusts take no orders from you. You have to hope they don't let you take too much damage from the coming pack because "tank" sometimes reacts slowly. A certain trust is crazy about wasting LB.
Squadron will use LB, engage and disengage in advance/anytime you order them to. Also their LB increases the target's vulnerability for a short time afterwards.

Trusts can't be customized at all beyond the crappy 2 choices glamour, no matter how much you use them.
Squadron unlocks higher levels for their tactics so you can increase their resistance or damage even further.

The only things Trusts are efficient at:
-Help you learn boss mechanics... but it's only MSQ dungeons, which are the easiest duties of the game.
-Fanservice.
-Make dungeon design significantly more shallow.

Squadrons also introduced an exploit with people taking their LB into other content, where people got banned. Alas that alone made squadrons OP. Squads came before trusts, and so they can likely take what they learned from trusts into the next upgrades for squadrons.

Nonetheless, you know we'll get more to do with the squadrons over time as they continue to increase GC ranking. I too would like the cap raised soon too because come 6.0, those yellow scripts are going to be even more worthless. You can stock up on yellow script manuals now at-least so leveling your own crafters/gathers to 90 will be less painful.

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Originally Posted by XabyTimberwolf

This is where being a new player gets super confusing. You guys going on about squadrons and I have visions of buzzing the towers despite being denied a fly by and instead it's about some kinda AI thing....

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Once you get high enough rank with your grand company you can start recruiting NPCs into a squadron. You can send the squadron on missions, similar to retainers ventures, but you can also run dungeons using them as artificial party members.

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Originally Posted by Renmir

Would anyone else have interest in the Gambit system making a return in XIV? I feel like it would really enhance the solo player experience

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Yes. I loved that system in XII. People complained that it played the game for you, but all it really did was streamline random encounters and save your hands/wrists a bit on the harder fights that still required a lot of manual input. Plus they ignored the strategy required to figure out how to set things up to get that type of play experience. Most griping about that I later found out had just grabbed the "right" Gambit set-ups from some walkthrough, so of course you're going to feel like it's too easy and simplifying the game too much if you don't do any of that trial and error work.

They would have to give XIV a more intuitive interface, though. That was my one gripe with XII's system.

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Originally Posted by TaleraRistain

Yes. I loved that system in XII. People complained that it played the game for you, but all it really did was streamline random encounters and save your hands/wrists a bit on the harder fights that still required a lot of manual input. Plus they ignored the strategy required to figure out how to set things up to get that type of play experience. Most griping about that I later found out had just grabbed the "right" Gambit set-ups from some walkthrough, so of course you're going to feel like it's too easy and simplifying the game too much if you don't do any of that trial and error work.

They would have to give XIV a more intuitive interface, though. That was my one gripe with XII's system.

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It did play every encounter for you, aside from some optional bosses. However it would be very welcome in XIV given playing as a non tank with Squadrons you can basically clear dungeons while only using the controller to move and DPS with Trusts is the same thing. I'd very much prefer a customizable AI as complete as the gambit.

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Originally Posted by ReynTime

It did play every encounter for you, aside from some optional bosses. However it would be very welcome in XIV given playing as a non tank with Squadrons you can basically clear dungeons while only using the controller to move and DPS with Trusts is the same thing. I'd very much prefer a customizable AI as complete as the gambit.

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It did do the actions but people act like you just turned it on and off you went. You had to organize your Gambits in the right order under the right conditions. So it wasn't just like flip a switch and win. And there was strategy involved in figuring that out and trying out different combinations. I would welcome a system like that in XIV that had some flexibility and let me think outside the box.

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Originally Posted by Shougun

I do like that the trusts have banter, and would love to encourage deepening the player connection to npcs, could potentially do that with squadrons but because there are so many potential members that sounds quite daunting

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I actually think that would be amazing, if all of the Squadron member options had their own personality, adding to the banter mid-dungeon, maybe different combinations could react between each other. Yeah, it's a big scripting writing project, tho.

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Originally Posted by Raikai

I actually think that would be amazing, if all of the Squadron member options had their own personality, adding to the banter mid-dungeon, maybe different combinations could react between each other. Yeah, it's a big scripting writing project, tho.

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The most efficient thing would be to tie the banter to personality types, which have already been established through things like Retainers. My thought for a squadron would be basically to have customizable recruits for the first slots, a la FFTactics, and party and special recruits that maybe are available for certain missions or expansions.

I too, echo the sentiments of many on this post regarding squadrons. I wish SE would update them & increase their rank so we can upgrade them to level 70.

Don't get me wrong, I do like the Trust's AI & learning mechanics but I hate the fact that it seems like it takes forever to clear mobs & dungeons. They definitely don't do AOEs, which I think is dumb but that just my opinion. Even though I am not skilled in every job, it is great to use Trust from 71 - 80 to learn 71 - 80 job skills.

I enjoy Squadrons more. When you have an Arcanist is your party, the squadrons can mow down mobs with ease. Even though their AI is not too bright, I still love commanding them. Plus they are great to level up jobs to 60. This is great solo content, especially if you want to do some older dungeons on your own without a human party.

Even though the squadrons cannot be used in every level 60 & 70 dungeons, but there many they can do. SE should like at the ones that are not mechanic heavy & allow the squadrons to be used in those dungeons, they are OP anyway.

Also, you can obtain squadron buffs that are very useful when travelling to different worlds because yours FC buffs are disabled; use buffs to level jobs, cutting the cost in aetheryte travel, increase food time, etc. I have a stockpile of squadron buff for Reaper & Sage.

In conclusion, I always felt that SE should go back & revisit old content like the squadrons. I'm not against other content that are being updating content like mahjong, gold saucer, or whatever that musical instrumental content is BUT I don't play those contents. I always felt that squadrons would have been great to use in POTD. When Blu Mage came out & we were told that it was solo content, I felt SE missed that opportunity to use BLU in the squadron dungeons.