SE Stop Using FATES for everything in FFXI Realm Reborn!

[Lemuria]

"It's when we are just forced to do ________ for hours on end because the development team couldn't think of anything original that people start to get frustrated." Add the words dungeon, daily roulette, PvP, CT, Coil, Primals, etc.... It's all the same wheel with just a different name.

Going to have to disagree here.

I doubt many players would be at all frustrated if the FATE system wasn't forced down your throat so much. As with any game mechanic, it's a tool to be used in moderation. If everything was gained by spamming the same dungeons ad infinity then people would be complaining about dungeons instead. The problem is that FATEs are overused, so instead of being merely a side-quest it becomes a chore.

FATEs suffer from several issues. They're short, repetitive and offer low rewards. There's no continuity between FATEs aside from a small handful of exceptions, no real consequences for failure and their openness makes it incredibly difficult to elicit any kind of strategy from the combatants. No strategy makes for even more dull and unentertaining fights, which just exaggerates the repetitive nature of an already repetitive quest.

If they want FATEs to be anything more than a throwaway, there needs to be some actual thought behind the structure. Guild Wars 2 is an example of things done right, with events leading off into other events, consequences for failure which can even include losing or gaining shortcuts through the area. Rewards for big events can even include large loot chests for the participants.

I really hope they re-evaluate the system, because it could be something far greater than it is currently. I won't admonish SE for adding them, quite the opposite, but they need to put stronger consideration into the overall impact they leave if they want them to remain an attractive option for future upgrades.