How to Make The New Field Content Fun For All.

So atm I'm still not sure what new field content will really be, and how it will play out. But from whats been said it seems the new cosmic area will be our exploration(relics)/restoration/Lifestyle content. And Ofc we'll get more clarification later, and I can have misheard.

But I have had an idea for a while People have complained about instanced content and the tome stone grind for a while now, and I feel the best way to approach things is to kill two birds with one stone, but not in the traditional way.

There should be a new instanced area, but it should support more casual ways to contribute to a goal and the goal would be triggering a playable dungeon/raid and Rare hunts/duels for people who want PvE content, and more casual crafting and gathering for people who may be coming in from work who are tired and might not wanna get into anything major.

And ofc there would be more involved crafting and gathering as well as more relaxed PvE content. Imagine killing unique b ranks and doing smaller fate chains for the more casual PvE content, and having to sneak and make your way into enemy heavy territory to fish and gather rare items and huge fish.

This could also lead to seeing the area where people craft and do turn ins slowly change over time with each update and the instance expand for more content to be released within. People would feel rewarded for contributing and it would create a seemless way to transition from casual relaxed content to people going for more engaging group based content to earn our relics.

To add clarification this is due to relics most likely being attached to this and that I genuinely don't trust them to create an alternative that won't end up like Zadnor where you're better off farming CT and normal raids over doing Zadnor to complete your relic. And while I think just back loading the relic alternative for people who don't want to participate would be fine, I do think there are many other ways to approach it.


That also being said it is true that this most likely would then come at an over simplification of the content in question as they'd want to get people in fast and have a low gate to entry for it all. Relics in of themselves are decisive and This is so far one idea that did stick. I definitely don't want to see more things dumbed down but I also look at the fact that SE is liable to lump as much side content together as a means to *increasing multiplayer interaction* in the simplest ways possible.

As much as I don't like making massive assumptions, their track record for things point to them doing something that would in a basic sense, be multiplayer content, which would make the criteria to them, and possibly not us. Because I think what we want, multiple forms of unique and interesting multiplayer content, and what they'll offer, a hub that has multiple forms of multiplayer content, which will all blend together and not be unique, is the most likely case. Not trying to be cynical, but while they have acknowledged how things didn't pan out well with EW, they have said nothing of being better with giving us what we have asked for, and then them not really hitting the mark, see variant/criterion dungeons.

So my goal is to hopefully steer things in a better direction IF any of this were to be the case.

If they bring back essences I'm gonna rip my nose off.

You don't make it fun for all.

You make it fun for the people who actually enjoy grinding and field content.

I mean. I don't enjoy savage raids. Should they make them easier for me? I don't think so.

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Originally Posted by Dorito_Burrito

If they bring back essences I'm gonna rip my nose off.

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Essences are literally the best part of eureka and Bozja because they give infinite build variety

Do you really want to spend more content pressing your same rotation you do everywhere else when you could be doing 20 times your damage, have fun gap closers you don’t usually have, infinite life steal and the ability to run faster forever

Essences are the best thing field content has going for it

They could do it similar to the Raids that have a normal mode for story and a savage mode for the grind. Short easy quest for the story giving you the first weapon or even just an ilevel 1 replica, long long painful storyless grind for the real weapon and all additional weapons.

Essences in concept I have nothing against, but in eureka they were an absolute nightmare to get for a lot of them at release, and the scarcity felt like I had no choice but to spend millions on the marketboard to counter my bad luck at stupid bunny fates that only accepted 8 players out of the 150 in the instance at a time. I legit spent so much money in pyros that I still have nightmares about it. Everything legitimately felt like gacha mechanics to me.

Anyway, they can do whatever they want with field content, I never liked it even if eureka had a great vibe, because it is essentially designed to be a huge grind, and I hate grinding with a passion. I hate fates, I was bored of Eureka's NMs or Bozjas encounters after having done them once each, duels were so gated it was only realistically possible to get into them the first days when everybody was failing at CEs. It's the bottom of the barrel of game design and I'll die on that hill. On the other hand, if our reptilian brains like it, then great for them, and I won't argue against SE to invest resources into that part of the game.

The only thing I wanted out of those field operations were two things:
- story, because I like stories
- relics, because SE has so far never been able to come up with a fair system where you either can grind them inside those field operations, or casually outside with tomestones by doing roulettes and other types of content you actually enjoy.


In short, and while I don't dismiss the thin possibility to have fun gameplay in field operations that isn't boring fate grind or mob grind where the only joy I have is actually listening to the history of rome podcast in order to stay awake (praise be to that podcast when I went through pre nerf eureka in SB, you saved my sanity), all I'm asking is to have a story progression that's not longer than Bozja to go through (and it was already long enough, but compared to the literal months of eureka for almost no story whatsoever, I'll take it), and relics that I can realistically get from side content that I actually enjoy, I'll be fine I guess.

I think adding something for DoL/H to do inside Field Content is fine.

That being said, at the risk of grossly oversimplifying of what OP meant: don't make it fun for -all-. That's just impossible. Make it fun for people who likes Field Content---design it for them. Don't like essences? Too bad for you (general you). Oh you also don't like the added DoL/H endeavors inside? Then maybe leave it to us who actually enjoy it and accept the fact you're not going to get your shinies until you make the effort. Thanks.

All fair responses honestly. To add clarification this is due to relics most likely being attached to this and that I genuinely don't trust them to create an alternative that won't end up like Zadnor where you're better off farming CT and normal raids over doing Zadnor to complete your relic. And while I think just back loading the relic alternative for people who don't want to participate would be fine, I do think there are many other ways to approach it.


That also being said it is true that this most likely would then come at an over simplification of the content in question as they'd want to get people in fast and have a low gate to entry for it all. Relics in of themselves are decisive and This is so far one idea that did stick. I definitely don't want to see more things dumbed down but I also look at the fact that SE is liable to lump as much side content together as a means to *increasing multiplayer interaction* in the simplest ways possible.

As much as I don't like making massive assumptions, their track record for things point to them doing something that would in a basic sense, be multiplayer content, which would make the criteria to them, and possibly not us. Because I think what we want, multiple forms of unique and interesting multiplayer content, and what they'll offer, a hub that has multiple forms of multiplayer content, which will all blend together and not be unique, is the most likely case. Not trying to be cynical, but while they have acknowledged how things didn't pan out well with EW, they have said nothing of being better with giving us what we have asked for, and then them not really hitting the mark, see variant/criterion dungeons.

So my goal is to hopefully steer things in a better direction IF any of this were to be the case.

I also don't like how they keep conflating relics with a gigantic crutch to help fill up queues on older specifically targeted content, especially since we have had mogtome events for a whole that does this very well now. I'd like to do the content I like to grind relics over time. That alone is incentive enough for me to play a lot of content to begin with. If they start gatekeeping everything behind the stuff that they know people don't do on their own like old fates, crystal tower (maybe people would do CT more if it was actually hardsynced and reworked a bit), or msq roulette, then I'm out.

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Originally Posted by Valence

I also don't like how they keep conflating relics with a gigantic crutch to help fill up queues on older specifically targeted content, especially since we have had mogtome events for a whole that does this very well now. I'd like to do the content I like to grind relics over time. That alone is incentive enough for me to play a lot of content to begin with. If they start gatekeeping everything behind the stuff that they know people don't do on their own like old fates, crystal tower (maybe people would do CT more if it was actually hardsynced and reworked a bit), or msq roulette, then I'm out.

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And thats what I don't wanna see them just throwing in as an alternative to relics again, but it's something I could see them doing again, over just creating fun ways to grind your relics over time.

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Originally Posted by Valence

- story, because I like stories
- relics, because SE has so far never been able to come up with a fair system where you either can grind them inside those field operations, or casually outside with tomestones by doing roulettes and other types of content you actually enjoy.

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If they were smart they would make it so it's an equal amount of time grinding content in and out of the instance and they would add the ability to get currency from savage and EX and not have it all on easier boring content. And this si my main issue with rouls, the odds of getting fun content is always a 50/50.

I think there can be different levels of completion. For example, you can do variant dungeon once, and get most of the story and you open the variant dungeon specific currency shop in Old Sharlayan. Clearing all 12 routes will be somewhat time consuming but you get an actually decent mount and rest of the story with it, and it's definitely locked behind a grind that a casual gamers can easily enjoy. Criterion is then for the midcore-hardcore crowd, and it's a bigger time investment with more rewards.

If we take Eureka (today) as an example, it's a considerable time investment JUST to get the basic story, and the time investment is basically all for naught as you've reached level 60, because there are really no rewards unless you plan on doing the relics, bunnies or BA. The lockboxes only drop anything worthwhile pretty rarely.

So I think they need to divorce the actual field content and the story it provides, at least a little bit. Kind of like you need to clear the Hildibrand questline to get to the relic weapon stuff, but if you for whatever reason don't want to do that, the Hildibrand questline itself will net you a minion and a mount, and depending on your humor, some fun times, and a trial to boot. So I feel like that's where they should guide the experience, without neglecting the actual field content of course.

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Originally Posted by Supersnow845

Essences are literally the best part of eureka and Bozja because they give infinite build variety

Do you really want to spend more content pressing your same rotation you do everywhere else when you could be doing 20 times your damage, have fun gap closers you don’t usually have, infinite life steal and the ability to run faster forever

Essences are the best thing field content has going for it

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Only essences. Everything else (actions, banners, items) is fine, though honestly it was a huge mistake enabling players to skip them altogether. Also it wasn't nearly as fun going ham with your holster loadout if there weren't many others doing it too.

I think it would be a neat idea if the essence was its own separate system with the rays from Zadnor baked in. You would start with the basic buffs (damage, healing, HP) but unlock more options as you progress though the zone.

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Originally Posted by strawberrycake

And thats what I don't wanna see them just throwing in as an alternative to relics again, but it's something I could see them doing again, over just creating fun ways to grind your relics over time.

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I guess I'm probably out of the relic system then if the only way is through field operations again like eureka. Although I guess I can still get a single one if it just requires story completion. Really hinges on exactly what kind of effort it will be...

Fun for all? No. I'd rather have them be fun for the same reason Bozja and Eureka were for those who liked that kind of content and polished to deal with the caveats people that enjoyed those zones found. Trying to appeal to everyone with them is only going to take the enjoymentaway from those who already liked Field Operations while failing to draw in most other players. Let everyone enjoy their particular cup of tea.

And, as far as improvements on FO they should:
- Keep customizable duty actions and essence and balance them to make the choice more flexible. This goes specially for Lost Flare Star and Lost Cure IV.
- If they keep essences, make the off-role tanking option an actual option by improving the aggro generation.
- Increase the amount of interaction with the map. Bozja/zadnor had star ranked mobs that people hardly interacted with because they offered no substantial rewards and, other than Magitek npcs, you could ignore pretty much every normal mob, for example. To come up with a couple ideas:

• Create instance Hunts for elite mobs spawned through special triggers (aka not just kill X mobs until Y spawns) that reward better essences, parallel to critical engagements
• Create global instance events. Take a page off weather effects (and maybe from the Ishgardian Restoration too?) on NPCs spawn and develop it to a more interactive concept.

- While there is more community interaction in Eureka, I could never stand in the slightest spawning NM and then having to wait not just for those inside the instance but also for people from other instances to jump into that one because of Discord groups. Which is why I appreciated the Critical Engagements. Please keep them.
- I have no issue with the way Duels work. As long as they keep the RNG failsafe mechanic, they're fine with me.
- Make the instance raids either be only accesible with an organized group or make them not need organization at all. The middle point where random people get in and blatantly refuses to show any sign of cooperation or comunication in fights that need them some cooperation (looking at first fight in CLL, fpr example) took away any appeal the bozjan raids had for me.

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Originally Posted by BokoToloko

- Make the instance raids either be only accesible with an organized group or make them not need organization at all. The middle point where random people get in and blatantly refuses to show any sign of cooperation or comunication in fights that need them some cooperation (looking at first fight in CLL, fpr example) took away any appeal the bozjan raids had for me.

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I think they need to work on this the most out of everything. I want the content to not be a faceroll, but I don't want them to be based on only being organized. This will just cause people to push onto Discord again which, while I like using Discord to look for help to get Achievements, I kinda wish they'd use in game methods more often. I think there's a middle ground for being able to run difficult content with pugs, but it's a balancing act.

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Originally Posted by strawberrycake

How to Make The New Field Content Fun For All.

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You can't. This is a literal impossibility. Nothing is fun for everyone. And trying to please everyone ends up pleasing no one.

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Originally Posted by Valence

I guess I'm probably out of the relic system then if the only way is through field operations again like eureka. Although I guess I can still get a single one if it just requires story completion. Really hinges on exactly what kind of effort it will be...

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We don't know what the system is yet. Field content has been announced but nothing has been said about tying relics to it. I hope for their sake they don't and let field content stand on its own with the relic questline utilizing the content as one of the options. That will help the relics avoid the sort of FOMO Eureka especially promoted.

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Originally Posted by Dorito_Burrito

Only essences. Everything else (actions, banners, items) is fine, though honestly it was a huge mistake enabling players to skip them altogether. Also it wasn't nearly as fun going ham with your holster loadout if there weren't many others doing it too.

I think it would be a neat idea if the essence was its own separate system with the rays from Zadnor baked in. You would start with the basic buffs (damage, healing, HP) but unlock more options as you progress though the zone.

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Still what was wrong with essences, they were just as much the cornerstone of making the system work as the lost actions considering they generally held the primary effects that the lost actions built off

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Originally Posted by Supersnow845

Still what was wrong with essences, they were just as much the cornerstone of making the system work as the lost actions considering they generally held the primary effects that the lost actions built off

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What I disliked with essences is the fact you need to grind or buy more to continue using them.
The actions themselves are great.

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Originally Posted by Thurmnmurmn

What I disliked with essences is the fact you need to grind or buy more to continue using them.
The actions themselves are great.

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All but the rarest essences are incredibly simple to get as the game literally dumps them in your lap and they are cheap as hell, making limited essences encouraged people to go out and do activities that they normally wouldn’t do (like star mob farming, sprite farming and cluster farming), if essences were permanent unlocks everything besides CE’s would have died on day 1

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Originally Posted by Supersnow845

All but the rarest essences are incredibly simple to get as the game literally dumps them in your lap and they are cheap as hell, making limited essences encouraged people to go out and do activities that they normally wouldn’t do (like star mob farming, sprite farming and cluster farming), if essences were permanent unlocks everything besides CE’s would have died on day 1

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That's cool and all but I still don't like it. It could be the easiest thing in the game but I still dislike that part of the system.