Your Opinion - Questions to the Community

[WinterLuna]

Again, thanks very much everyone for taking your time to reply, much appreciated

[M0xie]

1. Sure, the 1 or 2 times I've been able to join it.
2. Male/female, though this doesn't seem to be done with any particular guidelines anyway. Example: all the exposed cleavage on men with law/lore gear.
3. Yep.
4. Midas is a lot of fun.
5. So far so good.
6. Orchestrion music shouldn't be directional. Ambient music has never been that way.
7. Midas is a lot of fun.

[Lan_Mantear]

1. Do you believe the NOVICE channel is working as intended in regards to general chat being allowed? It feels like it is being treated as a global chat room, with the occasional advice being thrown in.

2. Which would you rather have, unisex gear, or counterparts for each piece of gear released for both male and female? I'd rather have the same gear rendered differently depending on gender.

3. Did you enjoy the 3.2 storyline? Very much.

4. What is your favourite aspect of the patch and why? Paladin changes. It was needed.

5. What is your least favourite aspect of the patch and why? Overall Tank reduction in damage. I miss my Fell Cleave numbers.

6. What would you improve about patch 3.2? IDK, maybe more focus on making older content relevant?

7. What is your favourite 3.2 dungeon/raid? The nostalgic feels of familiar FFXI mobs.

[Cidel]

1. Do you believe the NOVICE channel is working as intended in regards to general chat being allowed?
I don't believe the mentor status is even being used correctly by (I dare say) half of the people who use it. To be completely honest it's probably more of a status symbol in many people's minds to inflate egos and just another means for achievement/rewards for others. The negatives have predictably outweighed the positives thus far from what I'm seeing.

2. Which would you rather have, unisex gear, or counterparts for each piece of gear released for both male and female?
Both are important. We've been getting a lot of unisex gear, but the problem lies in how the devs are releasing gender-locked gear in one-sided lop-sided ratio. I honestly think they were/are frightened of releasing male-specific outfits because while dresses, bustiers and wedding gowns are easily identified as female-centric, they hesitate to release male-only equivalents like shirts, gambler coats, and tuxedos because the argument that female characters could wear those too are much more convincing, so the devs have been backing-off prematurely and making whatever counterparts that could've been the male answer to female-only gear unisex.

3. Did you enjoy the 3.2 storyline?
It was alright I guess.

4. What is your favourite aspect of the patch and why?
There was a fairly large amount of new outfits and glamours released in this patch (crafted, dyeable starters, tome, raid, hairstyles), as well as a new trial and next tier of Alexander and several collectable things. Materia is serving a purpose again, but the market doesn't seem like its being cornered (yet). Overall, it had something for most types of players.

5. What is your least favourite aspect of the patch and why?
The fact that its more of the same. I get that the devs are reluctant to move away from familiarity when so many people are content playing the "Hall of Memory" (kudos if you get the Robot Chicken reference) game with the new trial and raid with their same groups of people or not wanting to PUG with people who aren't nearly as far in the "group-jumprope." Aside from that, I got a thinly-veiled "newb-friendly attempt" vibe from this patch with Mentors, SSS, and that Novice Hall; one of which is generally viewed with negative feedback, and another which many people seem generally indifferent about.

6. What would you improve about patch 3.2?
Obviously the Mentor system currently looks like "a waste of resources," while the other two aren't exactly getting raving reviews.

7. What is your favourite 3.2 dungeon/raid?
Alex 7 was fun. I'm hoping it ends up being much smoother to run in the coming weeks. Alex 8 is a close 2nd, but it's been spoiled by a few bad "mentors."

[Rakiria]

1. Do you believe the NOVICE channel is working as intended in regards to general chat being allowed?
Definitely not. But, just as many people said before, you can\\'t really do anything about that.

2. Which would you rather have, unisex gear, or counterparts for each piece of gear released for both male and female?
Counterparts, and for gear that\\'s hard to get (like the full gold saucer bunny sets) the option to exchange them just like event gear.

3. Did you enjoy the 3.2 storyline?
I spent little time improving my gear lately so I couldn\\'t even do the anitower yet...

4. What is your favourite aspect of the patch and why?
The hall of the novice, because it actually at least tries to teach the role to you before sending you into dungeons. Also no more unfitting red Miqo skirts.

5. What is your least favourite aspect of the patch and why?
The mentor chaos. I don\\'t think it\\'s SE\\'s fault, and it\\'ll probably get better over time, as the people who are actually interested in teaching new players will be the only ones to stay.

6. What would you improve about patch 3.2?
At least let the old stone equip stay available for a patch. Didn\\'t get to spend my stones, and not everybody is top equipped.

7. What is your favourite 3.2 dungeon/raid?
see 3

[Canadane]

1. On Hyperion, for the most part, yes. It's generally free of spam and advertising. No FC recruitment begging or RAF begging. I hear other servers aren't so lucky.
2. Counterparts, but that isn't to say they should look identical to each other. (looking at you, feather hat...)
3. Very much so
4. The Hall of the Novice has helped many people, I've seen.
5. They took away level 30 and 40 Wolves Den, and now only have level 50 The Fold.
6. Can't think of anything.
7. The Burden of the Son.

[Dualgunner]

1. Do you believe the NOVICE channel is working as intended in regards to general chat being allowed?

As for this, I have not seen the Novice Chat during peak hours; I work the day shift so I'm only home at night when only a few people are on anyway. I can see the problem with general chat at peak hours, and when newbies have questions, but I believe general chat is a good thing: at least on Coeurl, it gives novices the idea that the mentors are human too. Had a lot of fun just messing around with some of the sprouts and other mentors did too; all the while, we helped them out with things.

What gets me though is how mentors are decried for asking endgame questions on the mentor chat; mentorship does not mean mastership, and where better to ask questions than a channel dedicated to asking questions? Maybe it doesn't help the novices directly, but it does expose them to the endgame scene early, and being overly anal about mentors asking questions has led to some novices wanting out; my guess is that they perceive the mentor being attacked for their question, and that scares them, but that is just an uninformed guess.

2. Which would you rather have, unisex gear, or counterparts for each piece of gear released for both male and female?

All I really care about is being able to wear the baddest of ass coats as a female. The Daring Duelist Coat and the Field Commanders (I WILL HAVE YOU SOME DAY) coat are good enough for now :3

3. Did you enjoy the 3.2 storyline?

I did! It does feel weird to have Y'shtola and Krile with me everywhere I go now, though; Alexander? Hi there Y'shy! Sephirot? Shtola and Krile are both in attendance. MSQ? Yup! It just makes it feel weird that Alphinaud so far has had nothing to say about Alexander, despite his active involvement by this point in the Coil story; and where is Alisae? It'd also be spicy if the Warrior of Darkness had more to do with the side stories. Of course, the lack of Warrior of Darkness doing anything but stalking us made me cry more. Needs more WoD!

4. What is your favourite aspect of the patch and why?

My favorite part of this patch is definitely the Warring Triad Story coming to fruition; the idea of fighting Elder Primals left and right makes me happy, especially when they are all as (or more) powerful than Bahamut...individually.

5. What is your least favourite aspect of the patch and why?

If I gotta be honest, its that they reinforced the holy trinity. I am as happy as anyone that tanks have it a bit easier again, and as a dragoon I no longer have to give up gear for them, but...it just seems depressing that the only variation to the trinity, a variation I know a lot of people (especially friends of mine who played XI) wanted, but not the type of variation they wanted...is now gone.

Also everyone gets TP reductions but dragoon? Please! lmao But seriously nah, DRG is perfect as is.

6. What would you improve about patch 3.2?

I would make PVE sprint take no TP, give DRG a jump-forward, or reduce the DRG elusive jump recast time. As a melee dps I am constantly scratching my head that mages, who have no care for distance, can close distances faster than a melee who has to be on the boss' tail 24/7 but also need to dodge mechanics. Monk and ninja would have similar moves put into their gearset if DRG got jump-forward or elusive jump buff.

7. What is your favourite 3.2 dungeon/raid?

What is it like when you pull back the curtain?

Obviously it was Sephirot. I love the Phase 2 music, I love the mechanics and feel of fighting an ancient tree god, and most of all I love like, 80% of his gear. Monk guantlets! MONK GUANTLETS! That like stay on your hands after you sheathe them! Also auto sheathes on every weapon are amazing, with the exception of DRG and WAR...and BRD...

[Pompoen]

1. Do you believe the NOVICE channel is working as intended in regards to general chat being allowed?
I couldn't give a proper opinion as I don't meet the requirements for it (as a mentor)

2. Which would you rather have, unisex gear, or counterparts for each piece of gear released for both male and female?
Counterparts would be nice and much better than we have now; things like headgears (quiet stare at the bunny ears male chars where supposed to have... =_= ), gloves and the like should however be unisex. If everything were unisex though or if there were a combination of both, that'd be a good idea too.

3. Did you enjoy the 3.2 storyline?
Haven't gotten there yet

4. What is your favourite aspect of the patch and why?
Though I don't have it yet, the victory pose / battle stance, the new minions, mounts and the new dungeons that I'm really looking forward to getting to. I personally really like the Hall of Novice thus far (the music box was a great addition too)

5. What is your least favourite aspect of the patch and why?
Would have to experience it all to say

6. What would you improve about patch 3.2?
Same as above

7. What is your favourite 3.2 dungeon/raid?
Same as previous 2 answers

[Bloodb]

6. What would you improve about patch 3.2?

Roulette for Void Ark, World of Darkness, Crystal Tower, Labyrinth of the Ancients.

Duty finder for Lords of Verminion.

[Dualgunner]

Roulette for Void Ark, World of Darkness, Crystal Tower, Labyrinth of the Ancients.

Duty finder for Lords of Verminion.

THIS /10char