More FF-esque Mob Special Characteristics

[Aegis]

Forgive the slightly confusing title, I couldn't think of an easier way to summarise this.

During Beta it was asked that mobs be given back their little quirks and idiosyncracies that were either removed in the crossover from Version 1 to Version 2 or were never included.

Examples of these Final Fantasy features are:

- Casting Fire damage on a Fire elemental would either not damage it or actively heal it (and similarly for thunder on a lightning elemental etc)
- Casting Cures on the Undead would damage them.
- Undead aggro low-hp
- Weather effects on magic damage/resistance
- Special mob behaviours (Aldgoats would follow you as you walked by, Crabs would get in a defensive posture if you got too close and would only aggro if you got closer, Squirrels would run away if you used an ability).
- Mob weaknesses to different damage types: eg flying enemies take more piercing damage, skeletons take more piercing damage, ghosts are more resistant to all physical damage.

There are, I am sure, many other examples that more obsessed FF fans than I will remember.

SE actually gave a response to this during Beta to the effect that a lot of these features will make one job more popular than another for certain content so they would not be reintroducing those. Their aim was to make all jobs equally viable for all content.

A laudable goal, but I think we can all agree that they have, to some extent not met this goal. Garuda Ex parties are increasingly common in PF requiring one or fewer melee. Double bards are held as a requirement for Turns 1 and 2 (though they aren't), if you don't have an AOE LB in Ifrit HM people leave.

My argument is that they shouldn't try to make all content beatable by all combinations of parties because that's a pipe dream they'll never realise. My argument is that they should introduce these special characteristics but try to balance out where they feature so that no classes are excluded from end-game as a whole, but that individual events give different jobs a chance to shine.

[yukikaze_yanagi]

i say NO to any form of class segregation in a MMO. Leave your elemental immunity (or elemental weakness) out of my mmorpgs

[Aegis]

i say NO to any form of class segregation in a MMO. Leave your elemental immunity out of my mmorpgs, and i say this even if i don't play blm.

Any form? Presumably you still run with at least one tank and one healer per run? Any MMO set up around the trinity is going to have some form of segregation otherwise content would be laughably easy.

[yukikaze_yanagi]

But you are still getting that approac,your example of Garuda Ex is a good one. Wouldn't it be better if one of Garuda's mobs or the Spiny Plume were susceptible to melee damage but resistant to ranged/magic? The other mob visa versa? That would mean you couldn't roll manaburn or arrowburn strat.

Also, I assume the word you were searching for was 'Pinko', meaning socialist, though I have no idea how that relates to this discussion in any way.

no, i mean pinco, in america they call it "Ordinary Joe" if you understand better.
However, garuda extreme don't promote ranged stacking to win, that's something the lazy community came up with to win brainlessy. But when the game itself promote class stacking with elemental-damage type immunity-weakness it's an entirely different problem. I like it in single player, but in MMO where i am forced to deal with other people i don't want this kind of roadblocks. I already got burned once
mind, on the other point you bring out (mob behavior, undead aggro) i can be cool, but not weakness resistance. Not anymore. Not in a mmorpg

[Cubester]

And why exactly is what the OP proposes stupid? I mean, I wouldn't mind seeing elemental defences and weaknesses in the game. It would just mean you'd have to actually use your brain in combat, rather than mashing one button all the time.
I was thinking that perhaps it would be cool to introduce the possibility (through a spell or item, I don't know what would be best) of having melee change the elemental damage type of their weapons in combat.

It'd take a good while to think these things through to properly balance them, I am sure. But then again, nothing is ever properly balanced in any MMO, which makes this point somewhat moot.

[Argurios]

I would like to see a move towards this, a prime example of mob weakness in a FF game is FF10 - where Auron was the main man for dragons or anything that needed pierce damage, Tidus dealt with the high agility monsters, Wakka with the fliers, Lulu was your elemental damage dealer, Kimahri also had pierce damage, Yuna was your healer and Riku was similar to Tidus but mainly used to destroy machines in 1 hit.

Honestly this is a sound idea and would probably change a lot of the game in regards to groups and how parties would deal with bosses and dungeons, but somehow i dont think they would make these changes as it would be a massive overhaul of what we currently have.

[Argurios]

I would draw your attention to the combos of Vivi And Steiner in FF9 - could be implemented to this game...

[tymora]

I actually like the idea of using specific jobs for specific dungeons.
Gives purpose to being able to level up all jobs on 1 character....but that's just me.

[Cubester]

I would draw your attention to the combos of Vivi And Steiner in FF9 - could be implemented to this game...

That would be super cool, and also kind of supports what I said about adding elemental damage to melee weapons.
However, people would just complain how they wouldn't be able to play solo anymore.

[Argurios]

It would be awesome my friend, but alas as you say people - as they always seem to do will complain about anything and everything instead of embracing changes and new challenges.