Patch 3.1 and the Problems with a Two Tier Model of Content

[SerCypher]

I think I'm being misinterpreted a bit.

2.0 Progression felt like a road from hitting 50 to finishing coil. The best gear could only be found in Coil, and you needed to beat coil to see the whole story.

There were things with a whole range of difficulties, but most things were at least semi challenging. Now everything other than the hardcore raid content is meant to be face roll easy.

Crystal Tower is a good example. Go back and look at Void Ark compared to crystal tower. Crystal tower was a fight that required coordination between the groups and within the groups. It was a dungeon where every team had to do their role, and even one person screwing up would wipe a fight. Even still, people got through it, and had fun.

Void Ark is just running through and DPSing things, and mistakes can be healed through. The challenge is gone, it's just 45 mindless minutes to complete for the week.

[ZanzhizExaverion]

Crystal Tower is a good example. Go back and look at Void Ark compared to crystal tower. Crystal tower was a fight that required coordination between the groups and within the groups. It was a dungeon where every team had to do their role, and even one person screwing up would wipe a fight. Even still, people got through it, and had fun.

Void ark has amazing examples of this; it's called the Poison Room and Cuchulain. They both can wipe your raid if nobody does what they're supposed to. CT wasn't hard... Ever. But I will say Labyrinth had the most bosses LIKE CUCHULAIN, that require people to work together.

Behe/Bone/Phlegethon everyone had to pull weight. Syrcus/WoD... Not so much.

[SerCypher]

Void ark has amazing examples of this; it's words

Really? The poison room has one mechanic with visual and text prompting. Stand on the pad or get off the pad. If there are others, they must not be important because we didn't do them and we were fine.

Compare that to a fight like Behemoth, where you have everyone running around like crazy people, dropping rocks, killing adds, pushing buttons, trying to keep everyone alive from the floor, and dodging meteors. It felt like a minor accomplishment. None of the new easy stuff feels like that now :C

Not to mention they've gone back to nerf all the 2.0 duties that were even a little challenging (such as Garuda Story). It's all just face roll or incredibly challenging. So sad that they're killing what made the game good.

[Vespar]

So sad that they're killing what made the game good.

No, actually, they aren't killing what made the game good. The content they have given us just isnt what YOU want, and therefore it is really only killing the game for YOU.
You and this forum, likely represent a fraction of the actual playerbase. If this game is not doing it for you, then move on to the next or take a break and wait for the next patch.

SE has always reduced the difficulty of OLD content so that NEW players can catch up and get into end game faster. Its also not limited to SE or this game. Many developers do this to promote new growth. Otherwise the playerbase stagnates and we dont get new players subbing to keep things fresh and allow for more new content.

[SerCypher]

No, actually, they aren't killing what made the game good. Words. damn this character limit.

The reason I liked leveling 1-50 was it was an extended tutorial. Players came out at 50 knowing how to play their class at least somewhat.

I am cool with the 2.1-2.5 Storyline quests being removed, for example, but nerfing something like copperbell mines or garuda story until it's not even challenging does a diservice to the new players. They were as hard as they needed to be so that people could learn their roles. I really think subscribers are going to start taking a dip. People like a challenge, and that content was just enough to give people a sense of accomplishment for beating it.

I could be wrong, but we shall see.

[Zojha]

People like a challenge[...]

Do they? Then why, with few exceptions, do they choose the least challenging way to get what they want? Why are so many people rather running Diadem than AS for i210 gear? Why did so many people drop Pharos Sirius when they got it on roulette?

I simply have a hard time believing people enjoy a challenge when they constantly avoid and reduce it where- and however possible.

[ZohnoReecho]

Do they? Then why, with few exceptions, do they choose the least challenging way to get what they want? Why are so many people rather running Diadem than AS for i210 gear? Why did so many people drop Pharos Sirius when they got it on roulette?

I simply have a hard time believing people enjoy a challenge when they constantly avoid and reduce it where- and however possible.

And that's the kind of people I don't understand.

A game should be something fun with which challenge yourself, instead those people play the same way they would do a job they can't stand… they try to finish it the easier and faster way and be done with it hoping to never being bothered in doing it again

Talking about the content, I would like something with some kind of progress that requires a minimum of players organizations…
like gathering some kind of triggers with no specific order required to summon some uber boss. This could let FCs organize in full partys that would gather the single triggers and then gather together in a full 24 raid to destroy the final boss summoned with the above triggers.

All we are getting are instances where you enter, tank and spank and you are done. Repeat until you are burned.

[Vespar]

snip.

If you are referring to unsync'd content, I actually feel like its necessary. Not so people can faceroll it, but so they can use fewer members to get a player through a dungeon atleast once so they can continue on and NOT get stuck there or have to wait hours on end for their que to pop (which is probably a larger reason why back in 2.4/2.5 more newer players were starting to unsub)

New people subbing, seriously? The story quest line is so stupid. When people sub they want to play with their friends, not wait 10 weeks while their friends complete all the story quests.

The story Questline is not stupid. Maybe it is to you, but not to everyone. I actually quite enjoy it and have played through it on a few different alts now. And truthfully it takes less than 2 weeks to reach 50 on a new character even if you are playing only a few hours a day. I know this because Ive played several alts over the course of 2.0/3.0. I wont say that EVERYONE joins this game to watch the story OR play with their friends. BOTH are equally true. So don't discount one just because of the other. There are many reasons people sub to this game. And there are many reasons they unsub too!

[Fersaken]

No, actually, they aren't killing what made the game good. The content they have given us just isnt what YOU want, and therefore it is really only killing the game for YOU.
You and this forum, likely represent a fraction of the actual playerbase. If this game is not doing it for you, then move on to the next or take a break and wait for the next patch.

SE has always reduced the difficulty of OLD content so that NEW players can catch up and get into end game faster. Its also not limited to SE or this game. Many developers do this to promote new growth. Otherwise the playerbase stagnates and we dont get new players subbing to keep things fresh and allow for more new content.

New people subbing, seriously? The story quest line is so stupid. When people sub they want to play with their friends, not wait 10 weeks while their friends complete all the story quests.

[Welsper59]

Crystal tower was a fight that required coordination between the groups and within the groups. It was a dungeon where every team had to do their role, and even one person screwing up would wipe a fight. Even still, people got through it, and had fun.

I would say that's not entirely true. Every group could have one or two people dicking around, even on the one fight where it sort of matters (Atomos), since other party members could pick up their slack and cover for them.