What's the best way to experience Praetorium properly?

[LordLucavi]

It is unfortunate that when people see the tome bonus for new people, the all start shouting "zomg watch cs at inn because lolzorz cs is fer nubs". I actually just helped a linkshell mate run both Prae and CM in a "noob friendly" party. Granted, we had our own tanks and a healer, we were 5/8 before DF up. We explained to those who were put with us in the DF that we would be watching cutscenes, and several people split after joining, but those that stuck around go the full experience.

I've been playing since the ARR release, and I've never seen the cutscenes, while on the actual run, until yesterday. If you can get at least a tank and a healer, you can explain to people that it's a CS friendly party, and starting fights early will result in /votekick.

[Estellios]

I've been playing since the ARR release, and I've never seen the cutscenes, while on the actual run, until yesterday. If you can get at least a tank and a healer, you can explain to people that it's a CS friendly party, and starting fights early will result in /votekick.

I was just planning to gather up FC members and fill in spots using PF or asking around since people get no penalty for dropping a pre-made party and these dungeons are easily lowmanned. It would only take a moment of their time.

[Donjo]

The only way to experience Praetorium properly is to go do it 1.5 years ago, unfortunately.

[Iagainsti]

The only way to experience Praetorium properly is to go do it 1.5 years ago, unfortunately.

^^ IMO, just skip the cutscenes, get those dungeons done posthaste( like pulling a bandaid) and then sit back, relax, and watch the story unfold at your pace in your Inn room.

[Estellios]

^^ IMO, just skip the cutscenes, get those dungeons done posthaste( like pulling a bandaid) and then sit back, relax, and watch the story unfold at your pace in your Inn room.

This is especially true for people with limited playtime that need to focus more about getting things done before they gotta sleep/work over immersion. So much stuff unlocks from the story completion that it's a bad idea to put it off. However if someone needing these dungeons is in a FC that doesn't mind helping out with it it's good to take advantage of it - this kind of stuff does build camraderie.

[Donjo]

^^ IMO, just skip the cutscenes, get those dungeons done posthaste( like pulling a bandaid) and then sit back, relax, and watch the story unfold at your pace in your Inn room.

You lose so much of the experience if you watch those cutscenes without an entire party standing there with you

[PetiteMalFleur]

You lose so much of the experience if you watch those cutscenes without an entire party standing there with you

No you don't. Just watch them in your Inn and don't hold up a party for an extra 30-45 minutes in a dungeon that can be completed in 20. Or watch the cut scenes and let the party keep pulling, then run it again to experience the fights. I don't even bother running main scenario because even the soldiery bonus isn't worth it when a new person joins and expects 7 other people to spend over 30+ minutes doing nothing but stand around. This isn't solo content and the way they integrated the cut scenes is a major design flaw that's very difficult to deal with in a way that is fair to both veterans and new players. There's no resolution to this issue, which is why 1.5 years later there are still ongoing threads made about it.

[Donjo]

No you don't. Just watch them in your Inn and don't hold up a party for an extra 30-45 minutes in a dungeon that can be completed in 20. Or watch the cut scenes and let the party keep pulling, then run it again to experience the fights. I don't even bother running main scenario because even the soldiery bonus isn't worth it when a new person joins and expects 7 other people to spend over 30+ minutes doing nothing but stand around. This isn't solo content and the way they integrated the cut scenes is a major design flaw that's very difficult to deal with in a way that is fair to both veterans and new players. There's no resolution to this issue, which is why 1.5 years later there are still ongoing threads made about it.

Let me tell you a story.

One in a half years ago, I was a fresh Level 50 Monk trying to gather people to go run the Praetorium; the final story instance. I was just a lowly DPS, so the Duty Finder wouldn't do anything useful for me. I found a few other lowly DPS so we queued together and got in eventually. We pop in after the panoramic entrance and discover that there's one vet and seven newbies in the party. The vet has no issues with us watching the cutscenes. We were all quite okay with this. So, it was a bunch of us in our AF gear against the might of the Garlean army. Let's do this.

We fight our way to the first boss and things are pretty uneventful along the way. Cid stays behind to be Mr. Hacker Supreme, which is definitely better than having to escort him through the dungeon. It was about this point that I noticed something quite special about the cutscenes, though. It wasn't just me who was standing around in them. I was flanked by my entire party! We were standing there in our AF gear, working together, and fighting through one of the most hostile locations we had ever been in. Looking at this, I realized that we were no longer just ragtag Adventurers getting by on whatever equipment we could get our grubby little hands on. In this, the climax of the 2.0 story, we all stood there, together, as heroes. Everyone else also came to realize just how awesome the cutscenes were... just because the entire party was present in them. A real sense of camaraderie was forming between myself and all of these perfect strangers. We were in this until the end.

We fought through the training area and heard Cid announce that we were going to be able to ride a Magitek Mount the rest of the way. He claimed that it would be a special one. We were all so happy when we discovered that it was the walker that we painstakingly worked to bring to life earlier in the story. We shared the glee of being able to two shot everything in our way... and then shared the sorrow of seeing our stalwart companions sacrifice themselves to open the door leading to Nero. Still, we pressed on and took that guy down.

But that was where the true greatness of the instance began.

I faced Gaius, flanked by my allies, as we all told him what was truly worth fighting for.

I felt the disappointment of my allies as he retreated just as we were about to defeat him.

We shared the adrenaline rush of approaching the Ultima Weapon together, fully confident that the bond we'd formed would let us defeat it.

We all felt the hopelessness of the situation when our attacks were barely scratching it, and the elation when Hydaelyn blessed us with the power to actually damage the beast. We all felt the relief each time her light filled the arena and gave us back the energy to keep fighting.

We were all scared for each other as we watched Ultima ravage the base, leaving naught but a flaming arena left to stand on. We renewed our vows to defeat this being and truly save Eorzea.

We all shared the panic of knowing that if it successfully cast Ultima one more time, all was lost.

Finally, we shared in the final blow, the Blade of Light, that cast Lahabrea out of our friend... flanked by not just the allies I'd met on this journey through the Praetorium, but everyone we had touched along the way.

There were cheers and happiness. We had won. We had come together as a true team and saved Eorzea. We were heroes.

The Praetorium was more than just a dungeon. It was more than just a series of fights. This wasn't just a matter of going in, doing the task, and never seeing each other again. I walked into that base with 7 complete strangers, and took out the last of the bosses with 7 comrades. 7 allies. 7 friends. Bonds were made that night that I have yet to replicate in the past year and a half. It still remains as one of the greatest experiences I have ever had in this game.

Every time someone is told to watch the cutscenes in the inn, they are being deprived of the chance of experiencing something like this. The inn is simply not the same. It is not even comparable. I know it seems like a small detail to have 7 additional people in the cutscenes, but it really makes all the difference in the world. They were the glue that tied all of this together. They brought us together to fight deeper and deeper into the base. The Praetorium would have just been another dungeon without those scenes. It wouldn't have had any punch; any urgency. It would have just been a series of bosses that made credits appear at the end.

I've been hoping this entire time that another instance of this scale and camaraderie would be released, but I realize now. SE hasn't done it because of attitudes like yours. People who cannot bear to give a mere half hour of their life in order to let one or more people experience this journey the way it was meant to be seen. The inn scenes are neutered and empty, both literally and figuratively.

I apologize to anyone who was unable to experience a journey through the Praetorium similar to mine, whether it be because someone pressured you into skipping the scenes or they just not having the same effect on you as they did me. However, as long as others still have the chance of experiencing something like this, I will never try to deprive others of the true Praetorium experience. Even the possibility of giving someone this experience is worth more than a half hour. It's probably worth more than an entire hour.

You say it's merely unfair for a cutscene watcher to make people wait. This is nothing compared to the travesty that is consciously denying someone the opportunity to experience what is still one of the greatest pieces of content in the entire game the way it is meant to be experienced.

[Andriel]

Let me tell you a story.

One in a half years ago, I was a fresh Level 50 Monk trying to gather people to go run the Praetorium; the final story instance. I was just a lowly DPS, so the Duty Finder wouldn't do anything useful for me. I found a few other lowly DPS so we queued together and got in eventually. We pop in after the panoramic entrance and discover that there's one vet and seven newbies in the party. The vet has no issues with us watching the cutscenes. We were all quite okay with this. So, it was a bunch of us in our AF gear against the might of the Garlean army. Let's do this.

We fight our way to the first boss and things are pretty uneventful along the way. Cid stays behind to be Mr. Hacker Supreme, which is definitely better than having to escort him through the dungeon. It was about this point that I noticed something quite special about the cutscenes, though. It wasn't just me who was standing around in them. I was flanked by my entire party! We were standing there in our AF gear, working together, and fighting through one of the most hostile locations we had ever been in. Looking at this, I realized that we were no longer just ragtag Adventurers getting by on whatever equipment we could get our grubby little hands on. In this, the climax of the 2.0 story, we all stood there, together, as heroes. Everyone else also came to realize just how awesome the cutscenes were... just because the entire party was present in them. A real sense of camaraderie was forming between myself and all of these perfect strangers. We were in this until the end.

We fought through the training area and heard Cid announce that we were going to be able to ride a Magitek Mount the rest of the way. He claimed that it would be a special one. We were all so happy when we discovered that it was the walker that we painstakingly worked to bring to life earlier in the story. We shared the glee of being able to two shot everything in our way... and then shared the sorrow of seeing our stalwart companions sacrifice themselves to open the door leading to Nero. Still, we pressed on and took that guy down.

But that was where the true greatness of the instance began.

I faced Gaius, flanked by my allies, as we all told him what was truly worth fighting for.

I felt the disappointment of my allies as he retreated just as we were about to defeat him.

We shared the adrenaline rush of approaching the Ultima Weapon together, fully confident that the bond we'd formed would let us defeat it.

We all felt the hopelessness of the situation when our attacks were barely scratching it, and the elation when Hydaelyn blessed us with the power to actually damage the beast. We all felt the relief each time her light filled the arena and gave us back the energy to keep fighting.

We were all scared for each other as we watched Ultima ravage the base, leaving naught but a flaming arena left to stand on. We renewed our vows to defeat this being and truly save Eorzea.

We all shared the panic of knowing that if it successfully cast Ultima one more time, all was lost.

Finally, we shared in the final blow, the Blade of Light, that cast Lahabrea out of our friend... flanked by not just the allies I'd met on this journey through the Praetorium, but everyone we had touched along the way.

There were cheers and happiness. We had won. We had come together as a true team and saved Eorzea. We were heroes.

The Praetorium was more than just a dungeon. It was more than just a series of fights. This wasn't just a matter of going in, doing the task, and never seeing each other again. I walked into that base with 7 complete strangers, and took out the last of the bosses with 7 comrades. 7 allies. 7 friends. Bonds were made that night that I have yet to replicate in the past year and a half. It still remains as one of the greatest experiences I have ever had in this game.

Every time someone is told to watch the cutscenes in the inn, they are being deprived of the chance of experiencing something like this. The inn is simply not the same. It is not even comparable. I know it seems like a small detail to have 7 additional people in the cutscenes, but it really makes all the difference in the world. They were the glue that tied all of this together. They brought us together to fight deeper and deeper into the base. The Praetorium would have just been another dungeon without those scenes. It wouldn't have had any punch; any urgency. It would have just been a series of bosses that made credits appear at the end.

I've been hoping this entire time that another instance of this scale and camaraderie would be released, but I realize now. SE hasn't done it because of attitudes like yours. People who cannot bear to give a mere half hour of their life in order to let one or more people experience this journey the way it was meant to be seen. The inn scenes are neutered and empty, both literally and figuratively.

I apologize to anyone who was unable to experience a journey through the Praetorium similar to mine, whether it be because someone pressured you into skipping the scenes or they just not having the same effect on you as they did me. However, as long as others still have the chance of experiencing something like this, I will never try to deprive others of the true Praetorium experience. Even the possibility of giving someone this experience is worth more than a half hour. It's probably worth more than an entire hour.

You say it's merely unfair for a cutscene watcher to make people wait. This is nothing compared to the travesty that is consciously denying someone the opportunity to experience what is still one of the greatest pieces of content in the entire game the way it is meant to be experienced.

A very nice read. Have a +1 and end up in my bookmark folder for future reference.

[MXMoondoggie]

However if someone needing these dungeons is in a FC that doesn't mind helping out with it it's good to take advantage of it - this kind of stuff does build camraderie.

That's the thing I'd do it for somebody in FC or a friend because that's how it goes. Maybe one day i need help and my FC will do something for me. Johnny Random in duty finder who i don't owe anything and will never meet again I'm not inclined to give an hour of my time when it doesn't benefit me in the slightest to do that. Rather run it in 15-20 minutes and move on to more important things.