I miss party grinding (as a viable option)

[DNO]

So, you want to grind in a party for exp, but grinding in a party for exp on FATE mobs isn't good enough?

I don't understand this community one bit.

Well read my sig if you don't understand.

Its pretty simple. People want FF11 that's all.

I actually don't mind them adding this because I am ok with options but it is not even close to as much fun as traveling around the world doing quests and doing stuff in new areas and dungeons.

[Ron_Burgundy]

We were grinding IT++ all that time when it was better to fight slightly weaker ones without taking a break.

[DNO]

Never said i was happy about "FATE Trains", personally i would like FATE xp nerfed, dungeon and quest xp boosted slightly and party areas added into the game as well as xp from pvp (haven't don't any so i can't say weather or not there is)

The more options there is to level the less likely one is to burn out when leveling all different classes.

I am with you on this. All points you made are spot on IMO.

[Hachiko]

The interesting / fun thing about mob grinding in XI / 1.0 was that it was slower paced, it was more steady, and it still required you to know how to play your role, and decent party makeup.

FATE grinding is very different. The biggest difference is party makeup, as it doesn't matter one bit. The only time you even need a healer is for fates with a single large boss such as Cancer. Even then most of the single bosses don't do enough damage when it comes to the FATE trains. See things like Roc in coerthas who dies within 30 seconds of engagement.

IMO the answer should be not only slightly nerfing FATE exp (and seal rewards) but also making them more difficult / scaling them slightly with people in the zone or in the event. The biggest problem I have with them is that they're so faceroll. They can be actually fun when you have a good group setup to do them, and there aren't 3 other groups of 8 rolling over everything so that it dies instantly as well.

Unfortunately I don't think party grinding would fit well into the game. I mean adding a few zones would be one thing, but what level do you make the zones? Full zones to accomodate every level range would be a massive undertaking in the game. And a single zone with mobs from level 10 - 50 would just seem weird and stilted. I suppose having 5 or so open world dungeons would be awesome but, again, a huge undertaking.

[Seraphi]

If playing with other people becomes mandatory in a multiplayer game then.....

When you take it out of context like that, sure.

He doesn't want group exp grinding à la FFXI to become mandatory. Mandatory group exp grinding was not fun after your first 75, regardless of how much the FFXI purists want to believe. Meeting new people, and skill chains/magic bursts were cool, but that's about as far as the fun went. Grinding the same damn mob (usually easy shit like crabs) for hours on end wasn't exciting, engaging or even fun.

If they made group exp grinding areas a viable alternative for those that want to do it, I think that's awesome and I'd definitely partake in it once in a while. While I think SE has done an amazing job preserving the feeling FFXI had 10+ years ago, bringing back antiquated systems just to appease a few people wearing their rose coloured glasses a little too tight, is a bad move for the overall success of the game.

[Joshhoowah]

I agree that FATEs are boring and create don't help people learn their jobs. I don't see why you think dungeons aren't viable though. Just because you xp faster running fates doesn't mean you can't get a group of 4 and grind dungeons.

I mostly level up running dungeons. I craft/mine while waiting in the Duty Finder... unless I role GLD. Just last night I was in a pickup group that ran a few dungeons back to back. It's just how i decided to play the game. I'm glad there are options on how you can level up.

[Totorixiii]

I am all for party exp grinding as an option. Have not tried it but has anyone tried an exp pt so far with this new ARR 2.0 version since release?

If so, hows the exp gain? Same as 1.0?

[Hachiko]

I agree that FATEs are boring and create don't help people learn their jobs. I don't see why you think dungeons aren't viable though. Just because you xp faster running fates doesn't mean you can't get a group of 4 and grind dungeons.

I mostly level up running dungeons. I craft/mine while waiting in the Duty Finder... unless I role GLD. Just last night I was in a pickup group that ran a few dungeons back to back. It's just how i decided to play the game. I'm glad there are options on how you can level up.

Dungeon grinding is REALLY slow compared to either questing or fate grinding. IMO the rewards just aren't there considering not only is it slower, but it's more technically difficult and challenging.

It makes the game feel a little dirty when the easiest route is also the fastest.

In terms of speed it's FATE > Questing > Guildleves > Dungeons > Mob Grinding

[Crowley]

Whatever happened to static leve-linking lol

Obviously that only covered a short 'burst' of xp gain in 1.0

Loved the party grinds, for all the reasons mentioned in the thread. (makes player base much more social/skilled too)

[gorror]

If playing with other people becomes mandatory in a multiplayer game then.....

Grouping to level is great when there are groups. I remember the elite areas in wow that required a full groups, as well as the group areas in star wars. What i also remember is how hard it became to get into those areas because there simply put wasn't anyone around.

Now 3 years down the road groups would be a lot less common. How likely is a new player to stick around if they hit a brick wall that prevents them from leveling at any decent pace? If they need to be in a group and just simply put can't find one are they gonna stay?, are they gonna spam chat for 2-3 hr's? Probably not.

I enjoy grinding sometimes, its why i keep Lineage 2 installed, but it can not be THE way to level or else you just don't get very many new players.

TLDR: the more options to level there are the better the game will be, just as long as some of those options aren't TOO good.