I hate the idea of Echo Buff. It should be part of some easy server not whole game.

[Velo_Vandore]

I think there's a misconception that players who want to experience content at it's highest difficulty will always push on to end game quickly, and players who choose to take their time are not capable of, or interested in, clearing very difficult content.

I don't mind other players doing easy mode, and I don't want to play with "hardcore" players exclusively, so I think an easy mode server is not the answer. Most times I play real casual and take my time, but I am sad to know the price is that I'll always be playing a nerfed end game when it's ex-end game.

Square-enix could try to maintain both a 100% difficulty mode, and a relaxed mode. The players who play for the challenge itself wouldn't need any extra achievement or reward for the 100% difficulty mode. The fact is it's more work to maintain two difficulty modes, and we don't know if this would be well used or in high demand. Why should they bother if the 100% difficulty mode never gets used anyway and everyone just grinds for loot on easy mode? Would you use the mode knowing the rewards are no greater? Let Square-enix know!

edit: And guys - I'm talking 100% difficulty mode! Even if the buff is optional the "alleviated" ADS "High Voltage", even if only a minor amount will mean you can't ever prove to other, or more importantly, to yourself, you could have done it in it's original state.

Finally, I wonder, if the 100% difficulty mode option was maintained, would the sense motivation / urgency to progress be relaxed in many players, and how might that affect player distribution across low to high content, and could it ultimately affect subscriptions, whether positive or negative?

[PArcher]

Square-enix could try to maintain both a 100% difficulty mode, and a relaxed mode. The players who play for the challenge itself wouldn't need any extra achievement or reward for the 100% difficulty mode. The fact is it's more work to maintain two difficulty modes, and we don't know if this would be well used or in high demand. Why should they bother if the 100% difficulty mode never gets used anyway and everyone just grinds for loot on easy mode? Would you use the mode knowing the rewards are no greater? Let Square-enix know!

You do know that the difficulty is unchanged if you don't wipe, and even if you wipe you can remove the buff that lowers the difficulty?

[Velo_Vandore]

You do know that the difficulty is unchanged if you don't wipe, and even if you wipe you can remove the buff that lowers the difficulty?

for some content yes, but for coil (the hardest content):

2 weeks after the patch 2.2 release
　　　・The effect will automatically be activated upon entry of the instance.
　　　・Your HP, damage dealt, and cure potency will be increased by 10%.

- 8 weeks after the patch 2.2 release
　　　・The effect will automatically be activated upon entry of the instance.
　　　・Your HP, damage dealt, and cure potency will be increased by 30%.

- 2 weeks after the patch 2.2 release
　　　・You will be able to enter the dungeon through the Duty Finder (solo).
　　　・The reflection damage of the Clockwork Knights in Turn 4 will be alleviated.

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...-Updates/page4

Essentially this means that for coil, I can never have the opportunity to complete the content at the original maximum difficulty. This makes me sad. I'm not saying there will be no challenge, but the option to play the hardest version will not exist. You can rush through to the next end game content sure, but that's not what I'm after.

[PArcher]

Are you going to complete T1-5 with a maximum ilv of 90? Or are you going to overgear it as soon as you can?

[Velo_Vandore]

Are you going to complete T1-5 with a maximum ilv of 90? Or are you going to overgear it as soon as you can?

Who me? I mean realistically, when I get to it, I'll end up doing it the way everyone else in the group wants me to do it, because I'll be the minority. If I can get a group together to do content in a hard way, and self impose a max ilvl, I would love that. There's nothing stopping me doing that on the pre-endgame content now, and I'm trying to find other who are interested (it's harder than you think). But it's not OK for me to go into a group "undergeared" if it's going to put the others under stress and hinder their progress (which is what most players will want).

If the game can offer these challenges as separate modes but not make it so other players need to do it to progress, then it'll be easier for players like me to find each other.

[Sygmaelle]

Essentially this means that for coil, I can never have the opportunity to complete the content at the original maximum difficulty. This makes me sad. I'm not saying there will be no challenge, but the option to play the hardest version will not exist. You can rush through to the next end game content sure, but that's not what I'm after.

You got a 2 weeks window to make that happen buddy

[Onyxleo]

"If you don't like it, turn it off."

I genuinely don't understand this mentality. I can turn it off, but that doesn't stop the other seven people in the party from abusing it and damaging my experience. I just enjoy being challenged by my games, that's why I play this over any other MMO on the market. I enjoy having that feeling of accomplishment after overcoming a difficult challenge.

I'm not trying to be elitist, I'm trying to be 'hardcore', I don't care about gear being more common, I'm just in it for the fun of being challenged. I feel like I'm being robbed of that solely because I seem to belong to a minority, and that's just not fair. Some of you talk about options, but what about my options? None of you can honestly say that this won't be used by everyone because it's no risk with high reward, which is fundamentally appealing. I won't be able to do Coil or possibly Titan HM by the time this patch drops, so that original experience is just lost to me forever now? It's not fair.

[Galactimus]

I won't be able to do Coil or possibly Titan HM by the time this patch drops, so that original experience is just lost to me forever now? It's not fair.

The only instance in which your point is valid is with Coil. Every two weeks the Echo buff for that dungeon will increase. Convincing your other 7 members to turn this buff off so you can live out the original experience will be next to impossible. The only way this will happen is if they release a Party Leader "Echo Off" function that disables the buff for the entire party.

However, none of the other content is affected by your reasoning. Your very first attempt at Titan (Extreme) is ALWAYS at its original difficulty. The instance is repeatable thus you can try and try Titan as many times as you want at a 0% echo buff. Your entire party has 0% each time you re-enter the instance as well. No "original experience" is being lost.

[Scarletyoshi]

Let's be real, how many people choose to do the normal method for turn 2 rather than the enrage method? How likely is it for people not to take the route with the least amount of resistance which by the way people say they choose to do rather than "the archaic way of old school mmorpgs."

Which means the issue is people falsely claiming they like the difficulty in order to buff their image on the forums or in chat, as when given the choice they choose not to back it up.

"If you don't like it, turn it off."

I genuinely don't understand this mentality. I can turn it off, but that doesn't stop the other seven people in the party from abusing it and damaging my experience. I just enjoy being challenged by my games, that's why I play this over any other MMO on the market. I enjoy having that feeling of accomplishment after overcoming a difficult challenge.

I'm not trying to be elitist, I'm trying to be 'hardcore', I don't care about gear being more common, I'm just in it for the fun of being challenged. I feel like I'm being robbed of that solely because I seem to belong to a minority, and that's just not fair. Some of you talk about options, but what about my options? None of you can honestly say that this won't be used by everyone because it's no risk with high reward, which is fundamentally appealing. I won't be able to do Coil or possibly Titan HM by the time this patch drops, so that original experience is just lost to me forever now? It's not fair.

This is what party finder is for: when you have standards to which you expect the rest of your group to meet. If you can't find 7 other people on the entire server who think the same way as you do, how is it right or "fair" to limit the progress of everyone else to fit your individual fantasy of what makes an enjoyable experience?

[Erepio]

so you have a problem with the echo buff but not with the fact that new people will be doing the old content in full ilvl80 or ilvl90...huh...oohh wait there is even the chance to get in grp with ilvl110

the echo buff is just so *if* u need it its there for the HMs and EX...u be doing those in full ilvl90 sooooo they will be pretty rolfstomp anyways

the coil echo is to help ppl clear it faster and if u dont want it just remove...if u cant find ppl to do it without it aint the buffs fault