@dev team ->> Thanks for bringing back party grinding, -really-

[Rhomagus]

I prefer roaming parties actually, feels much more active

I'd agree here. While having the option to grind for the hardcore playerbase is great, and the casuals still have a lot to choose from. I think the fishing style camping system is boring and outdated. There are situations where it's best to have a ranged attacker pull a mob in this manner but that's usually in a dungeon or when the target is sandwiched between to enemies that are not necessary to pull but may aggro.

As it is now, you get a healthy mix. No sleepy mage time for me thank you.

[Rhomagus]

MMO gaming should be about the journey, not the destination. The current mentality in MMO world seems to be the game starts when you hit level cap and raid. I can't think of a more dreadful outcome.

To be honest, WoW devs agree with you. I've never played WoW nor do I have an urge to, but I remember "it's about the journey" in an interview with a WoW dev when he was questioned about the new content that quickly invalidates the old content. Everyone's journey is different. The only reason people feel they need to be at cap is because that's where all the strongest gear is, and I don't think it should be anywhere else.

Personally, I'm doing an NM tour to try to get all the NM drops. I've been having fun duoing this with a linkshell member, Chatting on vent while we get drops appropriate to our level. No need to rush to 50. The only rush people feel are from pressure from the community, because trust me, every MMO dev wants to give you reasons to keep playing. They don't ever want you to finish, and the majority of the player base wants this as well. That's one of the reasons they've agreed to pay a monthly fee to play in a persistent world. They want a familiar place to hang out while getting new content on a regular to semi-regular basis. If there's no new content, the experience falls into a lull, and the grind begins to feel to grindy.

[Galoot]

@OP I'm with you on the party situation. Once it becomes more productive with better camps and plenty of mobs with good respawn times it'll be streamlined.

And can I say that I'm tired of this whole troll notion that everyone throws at each other because people disagree or make an argument. By the looks of the forums...everyone is a troll considering how much the term gets thrown around. Stop with the troll remarks, they're not needed, we understand you roam the forums looking to call someone it...it's done with...and played out. Let me save the person who wants to throw it out there...I live in a cave or isolated mountain and I eat people.

[Kopuno]

I agree with a good bit of what the OP said, And I think the game has indeed gotten much better, but I feel too much damage is done. Which puts me on the edge if I really want to continue playing. Too many multi 50's players out there who abused broken mechanics to get cap in 1-3 weeks of playtime. Same thing in ffxi, Astral Burns made anyone who worked for a there 75's a joke. Although I quit ffxi because of that, and feel saddened that I may never see FFXIV turn into something nice as the damage has been done.

As for grind camp vs roaming vs quest hubs;

I love a good "camping", running around killing shit gets tiresome and just annoying. Quest hubs are nice, for the random moments although I could careless about exp from quest as I don't feel they should have exp tied with them. Quest are for lore, not some how making you stronger because you read a line "Thanks for milking my Rabbit" *You gain 2385 SP*. Reaaaallly now? I talked to this guy and I feel stronger, then again that's usually what happens when you get a hand job behind the barn.

[Coldfire]

Grinding? What's that? No grinding on Lindblum. Only a few R45 dungeon parties that take R50 cons and arcs xD
Seriously! With the broken leves we had a time we just got on and found a party almost right away. Now you basically gotta wait in town all day hoping that a eft-party forms -_-
/hyperbole off
Hopefully SE will help us a bit by pimping those leve rewards enough.

[Speeral]

I wouldn't be so hard on the op, they just prefer camping over the other options. Should those options be removed? No keep them. Should they be fleshed out? Yes.

Personally i like the hybrid camp/roaming sp parties. Now if there in the mix say some super hard mobs that once killed gave 3-5k sp on something of a 15 minute timer that would enhance the experience and bring some risk to the structure and lechanics of a party grind.

[Speeral]

@ Galoot don't forget you also have a neckbeard, to go with living in a mountain and eating people. Its a requirement.

[XooZQ]

Agree with OP and agree that roaming feels more free. ^^

[Sephrick]

Its starting to feel more like a game.

Now keep working on improving the classic camp and pull party setup.

And please delete/kill/eradicate the leve system, and the WoW quests, and the instanced dungeon crap.

Kthx.

No thanks.

Having variety is great. Quests, leves and raids make the grind feel less grindy.

Standing in place killing the same mob over and over to cap is archaic, dull and will seriously hurt this game if it becomes the only way to level.

Personally, I'd rather see a few more dungeons added as the intended group leveling method. It's more fun to work toward rewards and rare drops while leveling rather than to just mindlessly be unchallanged in a pull and kill style camp.

[Murugan]

Technically I would say the OP is trolling.

I myself am loving seeing people all over starting to party more... honestly it was my #1 complaint since this games release as it it the whole reason I play mmos over offline games. The group aspect is what makes a mmo for me, and it is finally starting to happen so I agree thank you devs for bringing that back and keep focusing in that direction finally a mmo that is not forgetting the multiplayer part of it.

Issues with the OPs post is he is bashing everything else, the stuff the opposing sides want. And without reason to back it up, even stated and that "WoW" stuff (direct blow to the mmo that probably at least 70% of the players enjoyed at one time). This is inciting anger of a portion of the playerbase without reason, which is the definition of a forum troll. So like it or not the post is a troll post. If the Op really didn't want it to be.... the op needs to choose their words much better and at least give reason for SE to trash the casual system not just say scrap the WoW system.

My Opinion is the Game needs both, the ff playerbase wants focus on group content, the mainstream mmo world wants the option to solo all day or group. The solution is to offer both, but keep grouping the focal point with the best benefits. (only way to keep partying happening). But you have to have fun stuff for the casuals who can only play 30mins-1hr a day to play.... but those casual also have to understand they will not advance anywhere near as fast as those playing in groups, and will not be able to get the same gear without making some time for the group content. In the end it must be a fair trade off. Ease of doing it VS Reward.

This^ there is no reason to remove guildleves completely for solo players, and I dont' get the OP's problem with instanced dungeons.

However the people who want to kill grouping by making WoW questing the most attractive option for leveling need to just go play WoW. Honestly you have ruined enough modern MMO's, no one but a very very tiny minority of people actually enjoys (not tolerates) that style of leveling.

You people (wolfie, dyne, neptune etc.) need to stop pretending like that is in anyway modern, and that grouping to level is an outdated idea. It's an MMO people play these games because they like being social, evidence of this is what most people do at endgame. There is no evidence the majority of people like to play solo up until then, most people just do this because it is fast and easy so they can get to the "real game".

I also disagree with the poster above me that instances should be a primary means of leveling. Content should be content, and during mid level content if you get some XP that's great but that shouldn't be people's goal going in. Leveling should be leveling. When you mix the two you make both lackluster.