4 guildleves in less than 1 hour=1/3rd of the way from 49-50?

[NoctisUmbra]

Day and a half actually, to further press this point. One out of every three days doesn't have a reset.

Fixed. Thank you.

[Murugan]

Fixed. Thank you.

That's fine and great. Good for people who play casually and by themselves, I'm not against that (except that they are taking up a server spot in a multiplayer game that could otherwise be used by someone I can actually play with). But shouldn't there be a reward for grouping?

Not everyone who likes to group wants to play 8 hours a day just to see a benefit from it over playing solo... stop pigeonholing people.

[NoctisUmbra]

That's fine and great. Good for people who play casually and by themselves, I'm not against that (except that they are taking up a server spot in a multiplayer game that could otherwise be used by someone I can actually play with). But shouldn't there be a reward for grouping?

Not everyone who likes to group wants to play 8 hours a day just to see a benefit from it over playing solo... stop pigeonholing people.

Do your leves every reset at your leisure and find groups to party grind with for further sp when waiting for next reset.

The 8 hours was for a single grind from 46-49. Extreme amount of time for a very large gain in sp.

Nobody is pigeon-holed. It's called options.

You sound like you have something against solo-friendly content. In that case, given how SE has made it clear time and time again that this game will cater to casuals as well as hardcore players and will be solo-friendly, you may not enjoy your stay in this game.

[Arcell]

Once you're finished with leves that's it until the next reset. 2 hours tops out of 36. I'd say most people play more than 2 hours a day in which case they'd have to go find a party and grind in some manner to keep progressing.

[Volsung]

I have to agree with many of the posters here, I think this is on par for solo content. When you've got only a short time to play, blast through them to still feel like you're making progress even though its by yourself. If you've got a lot of time, do them and continue to do other stuff for further exp.

EDIT HERE -> we can't forget other content is still on the horizon to allow us to all exp not only at our own pace/leisure, but to earn it in our own enjoyable manners. Chocobo escorts and hamlet defense are two things I know they are aiming for. If hamlet defense is like campaign or besieged from XI, then I have found my choice lol

[Murugan]

Do your leves every reset at your leisure and find groups to party grind with for further sp when waiting for next reset.

The 8 hours was for a single grind from 46-49. Extreme amount of time for a very large gain in sp.

Nobody is pigeon-holed. It's called options.

You sound like you have something against solo-friendly content. In that case, given how SE has made it clear time and time again that this game will cater to casuals as well as hardcore players and will be solo-friendly, you may not enjoy your stay in this game.

They said the game will cater to a number of playstyles, and that grouping would be rewarded.

The Future of Ranking Up

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.

FFXIV is an MMORPG. But before the MMO-ness, it’s an RPG at its core. So it goes without saying that it should be fun to see your character develop and grow. There should be clear-cut goals, and a sense of accomplishment when you achieve them. No need for worries on that front!

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. 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.

Public Areas and Party Play

We’re hurrying to bring in adjustments to enemy distribution, respawn timers, linked-enemy bonuses, and party bonuses to make skill point awards in public areas even tastier when playing in a party. Regarding linking, the current specs for fixed “enemy groups” will see large-scale changes towards a system more capable of addressing the combat potential of parties.

In attempting to cover the expansiveness of some zones, the current distribution of enemies left some wide gaps between them. This is another area high on our list of priorities that will see heavy adjustments.

Putting together a party isn’t all ponies and rainbows—there’s the time and effort spent getting the setup right and traveling to a camp, the risks involved when battling strong enemies, and so on. It’s an investment on the part of players, and we’re going to make sure skill point awards reflect that.

That's what I'm referring to. Grouping should not be an option only there for hardcores who want to continue to level after they have exhausted all their guildleves, and sidequests. It should be beneficial from the onset. I'm not against solo rewards, I just want there to be actual rewards for grouping too.

[Arcell]

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. 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.

This sounds exactly like what the leve quests are now >.> He doesn't want to FORCE people to grind 5-6 hours a day for 8 months to get to high ranks, with how it is now you don't have to no matter how you do it. However if you CHOOSE to grind 5-6 hours a day you'll definitely hit those high ranks faster and the only way to do that is to party up and grind.

[NoctisUmbra]

They said the game will cater to a number of playstyles, and that grouping would be rewarded.





That's what I'm referring to. Grouping should not be an option only there for hardcores who want to continue to level after they have exhausted all their guildleves, and sidequests. It should be beneficial from the onset. I'm not against solo rewards, I just want there to be actual rewards for grouping too.

There is. It's the ability to grind against high rank mobs that give 300+ sp per kill as long as you want - stuff you cannot normally kill yourself at a half-decent rate, and sp you cannot get solo.

Comparing capped, limited content sp to grinding is silly.

Everyone can do their leves solo whenever they want. Someone who always does only that will always get smoked by someone who party grinds regularly.

All you're actually saying is "unless someone spends as much time partying and grinding as I do, they shouldn't even hope to be able to rank up at a decent rate."

[Murugan]

This sounds exactly like what the leve quests are now >.> He doesn't want to FORCE people to grind 5-6 hours a day for 8 months to get to high ranks, with how it is now you don't have to no matter how you do it.

Nor did you before 1.18a or at anytime in the history of FFXIV. What's your point?

However people who group now have to play significantly longer in order to get the same XP as those who only solo. So why should anyone start grouping until after they've exhausted solo content? If this is the direction of leveling balance, that isn't giving people real options.

I guess this whole thread is kind of jumping the gun though, since we are getting XP chains and party areas in 1.2. Just wanted to point out how ridiculously easy leveling solo is now, and how necessary it is for grouping to get a boost to keep up.

[Arcell]

However people who group now have to play significantly longer in order to get the same XP as those who only solo. So why should anyone start grouping until after they've exhausted solo content? If this is the direction of leveling balance, that isn't giving people real options.

What? Umm...you know you can do leves in groups right? You can do them as a group (faster I might add) and then go grind if you so choose. If I'm not mistaken at that point you're getting just as much as the solo player and then some.

I think your argument would only be valid if you could do leves non-stop which certainly isn't the case.