Level 50 Dungeon Level Syncs

[Nyalia]

I didn't read the other posts in this thread, but wanted to post my feelings on the topic:

I really enjoy running old content while incredibly overgeared. There's just something satisfying about seeing how many groups you can pull and how far you can push it. If the bosses are too easy, you can treat them like any other trash mob - drag the trash from in front of the boss room into the boss and AoE them down together. It's all kinds of fun!

That said, I also really enjoy having a challenge. I don't really want to see the fun SR dungeons go away, but I totally get where the OP is coming from.

What if there was a new roulette, High Level Synced or something, where when you get into a dungeon, everyone is item-level-synced to the minimum ilvl for the dungeon + 10 (or other hardcoded number)? Then, add in the ability for a player queuing for a specific dungeon to choose between the level sync options. Double all non-loot rewards (tomes, gil) for the lowest sync option, or just give a flat bonus at the end. That both preserves the current dungeon setup and provides people who want a challenge with the ability to challenge themselves.

It would make old content interesting again to newer players like me who never got to run dungeons like AK or WP when they were current content.

[Kosmos992k]

What if there was a new roulette, High Level Synced or something, where when you get into a dungeon, everyone is item-level-synced to the minimum ilvl for the dungeon + 10 (or other hardcoded number)? Then, add in the ability for a player queuing for a specific dungeon to choose between the level sync options. Double all non-loot rewards (tomes, gil) for the lowest sync option, or just give a flat bonus at the end. That both preserves the current dungeon setup and provides people who want a challenge with the ability to challenge themselves..

How about leaving the default option as the level sync'd dungeon and the new option being the dungeons without level sync? I suggest it that way round since the default should - in my opinion - always be closer to the original intent of the designer, where running dungeons completely overpowered would be a new optional way to run.

[Tiggy]

How about leaving the default option as the level sync'd dungeon and the new option being the dungeons without level sync? I suggest it that way round since the default should - in my opinion - always be closer to the original intent of the designer, where running dungeons completely overpowered would be a new optional way to run.

I'd say the problem there is that the designers intend for the content to get easier over time. They've said so on numerous occasions that it is a design goal to do so. So chances are the default would be level sync off with the optional challenge of the level sync. In order to entice people into doing it is why I thought the extra loot thing might be nice. Give all those other players a reason to run the dungeon slower than normal. Most people aren't altruistic enough to just do it for funsies. Give them something to farm for. Crafting mats are a prime candidate here.

The soldiery bonus to me was a great expirement in trying different rewards for old content. Thousands of people have gotten wins due to the demands for soldiery. Adding crafting mats to turns 1-5 is another great example. Suddenly I was running coil 1 all over again helping people.
Make the level synced dungeons an optional challenge with unique loot rewards for that challenge. You'll get people flocking to the dungeons for that new gear, and because of the level sync only so much speed running would be possible getting the dungeons back in line with their original difficulty.

My only hope would be that the level-synced versions would be back at their old difficulties since many have been nerfed mechanically not just via ilevel. So even with the level sync applied we still won't see demon wall with hornets and that means we'd still be missing out on the original experience.

[Kosmos992k]

My only hope would be that the level-synced versions would be back at their old difficulties since many have been nerfed mechanically not just via ilevel. So even with the level sync applied we still won't see demon wall with hornets and that means we'd still be missing out on the original experience.

That'd be absolutely fine with me, ilvl sync AK at 90, and gnats or not, the wall is tumbling down. The thing is so many aspects of AK (and other content) that made it difficult the first time it was run had to do with how finely balanced the game was; and the gear we hit that content with was at the low end of what is needed to complete it. But armed with an understanding of the mechanics, you could complete AK in the ilvl 50-70 gear we originally had at that point.If it was sync'd to ilvl 90 even with the original difficulty, I can't imagine that veteran players with high ilvl gear would have serious difficulty completing AK quickly - but they would have a harder time simply ignoring things.

Haha. If this happened... we'd see forum posts "omg level synced AK is too hard, nerf pls"

To which I would hope someone would reply with something like "OMG, you have a problem doing that in ilvl 90 gear? Seriously?"

[Alistaire]

To which I would hope someone would reply with something like "OMG, you have a problem doing that in ilvl 90 gear? Seriously?"

I don't have a problem doing it in ilvl 90 gear, or i110 gear. I just have more of a problem doing it in i110 sync when the other dps we get from df is wielding a lvl 40 weapon and full AF than when it was unsynched. We're not talking about absolutes here. The problem isn't what's needed to beat the dungeons, it's a matter of how easy it is to carry the derps you get from df.

[Kosmos992k]

I don't have a problem doing it in ilvl 90 gear, or i110 gear. I just have more of a problem doing it in i110 sync when the other dps we get from df is wielding a lvl 40 weapon and full AF than when it was unsynched. We're not talking about absolutes here. The problem isn't what's needed to beat the dungeons, it's a matter of how easy it is to carry the derps you get from df.

Well, some content has a minimum ilvl requirement on it already, the same could be done with these other dungeons to prevent that type of griefing tactic and/or accidents with gearing.

[Ashkendor]

Well, some content has a minimum ilvl requirement on it already, the same could be done with these other dungeons to prevent that type of griefing tactic and/or accidents with gearing.

Er. It's not a griefing tactic though. I've run into some players with extremely poor gear in AK in particular because it's the first real stepping stone to the relic quest. Level 40 weapon, AF gear, level 38 accessories. >.<

[Ophie-Mio]

It would make old content interesting again to newer players like me who never got to run dungeons like AK or WP when they were current content.

Except that in the case of AK (I can't remember WP atm), level syncing to a low level wasn't actually the hard part about that dungeon. If you talk to old school people about that dungeon, they won't say it's cause they were in garbage equipment compared to now. They'll say it was because the bees there just murdered them into oblivion WHILE trying to also dps in crap gear. Hell, the issue of that dungeon was so prevalent that the designers had to change it so that you could do it more easily for relic. Back when, you couldn't complete your grand company quests to get the nice weapons because of AK so they added AV to the GC quest and they got rid of the bees eventually for AK.

The point is, level syncing some of these dungeons won't restore their original challenge as their mechanics have been downgraded. Pharos Sirius for instance is a joke (tanks can pull entire floors) but while level sync may restore some of that balance, if people want some of these dungeons like when they were "current content" then that means restoring the bosses to the way they used to be. Bees intact, Siren needing to be silenced. Hell, half the time her tower was unclimbable.

[Nyalia]

Except that in the case of AK (I can't remember WP atm), ...

I think you totally misread my post... I was saying that adding in a synced option for those dungeons would provide newer players with a chance to go through those dungeons and have them be at least somewhat challenging when we never had a chance to do so before. I wasn't saying that it would be just like they were back when they were released, nor that I wanted it to be like they were when they were released. I know that dungeons were nerfed in ways that had nothing to do with ilvl. That's totally irrelevant to my point, which was that having a level sync option would make the dungeons interesting to go through for me, and that some of us aren't sick of the dungeons because we didn't run it a million times when it was current content because we didn't play when it was current content.

They don't need to unnerf the content or make any changes to the content itself for the content to be content again for newer players. They also don't have to make the dungeons hell for long-time players who just want to stomp them for their relics. They just have to allow a level sync option - best of both worlds.

[Ophie-Mio]

I think you totally misread my post...

Nah, I replied in regard to you asking for the dungeons like when they were current content. I think you worded your post in an unusual way if you meant level sync exclusively. Cause this:

It would make old content interesting again to newer players like me who never got to run dungeons like AK or WP when they were current content.

Has nothing to do with level sync. It may just be because you used AK in your example but even with level sync, some dungeons are never going to be played the way they were when they were "current content." In the case of AK, that dungeon is a memory.

However, I do agree with the sentiment of a level sync granting newer players the chance for some dungeons being content again and not passengers on a speedrun monkey. Though SE doesn't really give options in that regard. If they level sync, they will perform a hard one the way they did with the High level roulette or more extreme since we're using what this thread has suggested). That will undoubtedly keep a majority of the higher ilevel players out except for when they need to do their relic. By that nature, the majority of players through it won't even need the level sync.