SP nerfed. We were lied to.

[alexi14]

700th post!

Edit: DOH!

[Coombah]

In Letter from the Producer XIV Yoshi dedicated a section of it to discuss ranking up. I will quote parts of it.

Ever since I posted on the forums, we’ve been receiving feedback from players worrying about whether or not we’re going to be nerfing the ranking up process. The simple and emphatic answer to this, just as I posted in the forums, is no.

Well Yoshi it was nerfed in every single way. Killing mobs gives less SP, Behest gives less SP and it can't be done back to back, guildleves give far less SP per kill and the final bonus is pathetic. What the heck is the use of Guardians Favor? I was getting 83 SP per kill and it increased to maybe 89 SP with favor and the final bonus was unaffected. I tried for a while with a party and the best we were getting was 340 SP with mobs 10 ranks higher than us, the problem was that every 3 kills our CON needed an MP break because of the outrageous MP cost increases.

I don’t want there to be a huge loss of skill points imposed for dying, or for players to have to grind 5–6 hours a day for 8 months to get to the high ranks.

Well, Yoshi, with the current state of SP gains it may not be for 8 months but it will certainly take 6+ hours a day of mindless grinding to make progress a decent pace now from 30s onward.

I do think ranking up should take longer in MMOs than in non-MMOs, but I plan to make the process both possible and enjoyable for players willing to invest the time, even if they’re solo, and even by doing quests and guildleves.

Are you serious? You just nerfed SP gains which you said you wouldn't do, we are now forced to grind to make decent progress for hours which you also said you wouldn't do and I already discussed leves' pathetic excuse of SP. As for quests they would have been viable if there were more than 5 and it would be more enjoyable if a quest in Gridania didn't sent me to Coerthas and back for a grand total of 1,700 Skill Points. I could get much more grinding in the same amount of time it takes to make that walk.

Why was this done? Are you really thinking that slowing ranking up to a crawl will retain population? Because this sort of thing is exactly what made everyone quit. Considering the state the game was slowly recovering from I would think this was the last thing they would consider doing.

I agree ! This patch has been the biggest pile of shit ever!

[Grimoire]

The real issue isn't the amount of SP. It's the lack of fun while you earn it. (Although.. SP did seem a bit too fast before imo)

[alexi14]

The real issue isn't the amount of SP. It's the lack of fun while you earn it. (Although.. SP did seem a bit too fast before imo)

Are you kidding mate? The SP is the ONLY reason people play this game right now. They certainly don't play it because its fun! They play it because they figure they can get some SP, and be ahead of the game in terms of progression, and enjoy end-game that much sooner when the game IS fixed. Now SE took away SP gains, now there is NO reason to play.

[Grimoire]

I don't play it because it isn't fun. Not because of the SP.

[alexi14]

That's what I'm saying. No-one plays because it's fun.. because it's not. Those that DO play, play it for the SP-- which has been nerfed, and as a result, less play.

[Xmbei]

That's what I'm saying. No-one plays because it's fun.. because it's not. Those that DO play, play it for the SP-- which has been nerfed, and as a result, less play.

Have to disagree I don't play it for the SP. I play it for the fun and friends I have made... I wasn't in a rush to get a 50 to much until a friend of mine put me in a Leve Static and drug me kicking to 50.... I enjoyed it though because I had fun with my friends, and watching the game turn for the better, which it has. There is so much fun things to do in this game, but people want to ignore it because apparently people don't play and RPG for the lore or experience anymore such as alexi wants us too.. MUST BE THE HORRID BECAUSE I CANTZ GITZ MY SPz!

[Kensei]

And a few posts later you admit that you didn't even know about leve linking / abandoning...
Fail. ^^/

So because I didn't abuse an exploit that I didn't even knew existed I fail? Even if I had known of its existence I would have never done something that was clearly not meant to happen by the dev team. If you do things that way that's your decision.

And try to read next time, that line you quoted was in reference to my OP as in my experience with every way of SP gain AFTER the patch.

[Grimoire]

All that I want is some heavy gear based content that gives SP as well. That way you can get SP while you have fun earning your next upgrade and it doesn't feel like a grind. oh.. wait a second.. they added dungeons in 1.18 too?! It's almost like they planned it. Weird.

[Kensei]

The issue with this thought is that we knew leves were getting fixed so the 100k an hour loophole is now closed, which might be considered a nerf but in a world in need of balance this needed to happen.

The statement that leves are not longer the central focus of the game needs to be remembered as players wanting to play the old way did get hit with a nerf, however there are lots of ways to make good sp with more on the way.

Try a grind party, or a dungeon. I find that I can make good sp and hour. Also note that camps that go a while without getting a behest run get a boost in sp as well.

Yoshi didn't lie he said that this update we would see a drop in sp, which was needed and that over the next several patches they would add in new ways, like sp chains etc.

That is all fine but it all contradicts him saying ranking up wouldn't be nerfed because by slowing it down you effectively nerf it.