Heavensward raids will have a normal and hard mode

[Ultimatecalibur]

I'm fairly certain that this feature is being designed in response to all the feedback saying that casuals can't see the coil story because the content is too hard for them.

So it's likely that it will be changed to be like the primals where you must first clear the normal mode or "story mode" version which will be fairly easy and drop no loot in order to gain access to the hard mode which will be the level of difficulty that we're used to in coil and will have all your loot.

Reading the Live-letter translation makes me think that NM will be for Mid-Tier players and HM will be for Hardcore players and that there will be more content developed for the Mid-Tier from ow on.

[mdha02]

I forgot to mention I think this would probably make the end game players happy since they won't have to put up with the people who are just there for the story and aren't really cut out for end gaming.

[cookiecutter]

I'm most interested in how these are going to be tuned, not just the rewards/lockout. Are we going to see, for instance, "Normal" tuned in the way Second Coil currently is? In the way Second Coil was pre-nerf? Will that be where Hard is, or will Hard be full on Savage tier for better gear?

Normal mode will probably be on the same difficulty level as CT/ST. The hard mode will probably similar to the pre nerfed difficulty.

[cookiecutter]

Reading the Live-letter translation makes me think that NM will be for Mid-Tier players and HM will be for Hardcore players and that there will be more content developed for the Mid-Tier from ow on.

They're incorporating something different for mid tier raiders and maybe the new raid mode:

Q8: Currently, there are a lot of content for the hardcore users and the casual users, but not many for the mid-tier users. Are there any plans to implement additional content for the mid-tier users that are able to beat Crystal Tower, but not the Coil of Bahamut?

A8: In the upcoming expansion, we will be introducing a new content for the mid-tier users which is currently referred to as “free company craft” (final name TBD). Additionally, we are planning to implement normal modes and hard modes for the raid dungeons. Please look forward to it!

On another note what exactly is a mid-tier raider?

[Ultimatecalibur]

They're incorporating something different for mid tier raiders and maybe the new raid mode:

Q8: Currently, there are a lot of content for the hardcore users and the casual users, but not many for the mid-tier users. Are there any plans to implement additional content for the mid-tier users that are able to beat Crystal Tower, but not the Coil of Bahamut?

A8: In the upcoming expansion, we will be introducing a new content for the mid-tier users which is currently referred to as “free company craft” (final name TBD). Additionally, we are planning to implement normal modes and hard modes for the raid dungeons. Please look forward to it!

That reads as the "Free company craft" will be in addition to the NM raid dungeons for Mid Tier players.

[Alexander_Dragonfang]

Will also have a paid mode, where for only 60 USD you will play the same raids but with an exclusive color scheme.

[TheCurls]

I think the NM raid will drop the same gear, but the HM gear will be able to be dyed.

[HakuroDK]

Honestly? I like this very much and I hope they do this retroactively with Coil.

Story Mode, Echo-tastic run through the whole thing, loot with 80% of the power of their standard equivalents (effectively making them approx. 20-30 ilvls lower than the standard drops)

Actually, you want to know what would be fantastic? If they made a Binding Coil of Bahamut Story-Mode with "Classic" low-tier armor drops.

First Coil: Darklight Armor
Second Coil: Vintage Armor (i90 Artifact Armor)
Third Coil: Gerolt's Masterworks

[Deadwing]

Iunno. I think having the normal mode be story-only would be a waste. The game needs more mid-tier content, imo, and having normal drop loot would be a good way to do it.

Normal could be of a difficulty similar to EX Primals- not too hard, and pretty doable once everyone has the hang of things. Still requiring cohesion and teamwork, but not to the extent that FCoB currently demands. It would drop lower item level equipment (probably the same level as currency gear, if that system is kept) and said items would probably look different compared to HM drops, similar to the visual differences between i100 and i110 PvP gear. (yay, glamour options!) A lockout would still be in place, of course.

Hard mode difficulty would be akin to the current raid, or tuned slightly higher (due to the availability of NM gear.) It would feature new and deeper mechanics than normal, some of which are entirely different, to keep things exciting and surprising.

[HakuroDK]

snip

I respect what you're saying. I just find difficulty to scale more like this (or, at least, it should scale more like this):

Normal: Casual/Story Difficulty
Hard: Mid-Tier Difficulty
Extreme/Savage: Hardcore Difficulty

That difficulty signifier makes it easier to determine which content is best suited to which kind of player. I am a very solid mid-tier player. I can usually clear Normal difficulty content without breaking a sweat and Hard Content gives me just enough of a challenge where it's testing me (in a good way), but it's not wipe-tastic. I have cleared SOME extreme content, but Twintania is still a serious issue for me.

...and honestly? Hard content should stay out of the story. Seems silly to have HM Primals in the story as it stops casuals in their tracks. Fine for separate content, but not the main storyline.