New Frontlines

[Februs]

Not sure how I feel about this... New maps are always welcome, but I'm really really really sick of them effectively replacing PvP content...

Kinda an odd move to put this in 3.3, too... Feast Season 1 will still be going on, wouldn't it make more sense to release this in 3.35 so it at least sees maximum activity during Feasts downtime between seasons?

I agree. At face value, this seems to be a bad call.

Firstly, by doing this during the active season, they're shooting Feast queue times in the foot. That's poor planning. Secondly, they're still ignoring the vast majority of us who have requested an increase in the level cap for old content (Secure, especially). This seems strange, because you'd think that bumping up and old game mode to 60 would be faster and easier than designing new stuff from the ground up (though, this is likely a disclaimer act, to save face for players who don't have Heavensward).

As for their abandonment of Feast. I wish I could say that I wasn't expecting it, but I was. The vast majority of western players are far too salty and immature to have kept it alive. Since it's release, players have done nothing but blame various aspects of the game mode for their losses instead of taking responsibility for their own poor performances. It's sad and pathetic, and this childish stupidity is what will guarantee the failure of all future PvP game modes in this game, regardless of how well they're designed.

[Spawnie]

Firstly, by doing this during the active season, they're shooting Feast queue times in the foot.

feast is a massive failure anyways lol they killed frontlines queues for that waste of time ._. SE really got no idea how to run and keep pvp active.. all they do is add a new mode every few patches n hope for the best ._.

[Elfidan]

feast is a massive failure anyways lol they killed frontlines queues for that waste of time ._. SE really got no idea how to run and keep pvp active.. all they do is add a new mode every few patches n hope for the best ._.

Dude, they never knew how to do pvp. It was a disaster in 11 as well.

[Isala]

Since it's release, players have done nothing but blame various aspects of the game mode for their losses instead of taking responsibility for their own poor performances.

I know you've seen the posts in here, where teams of silvers are matched against unranked and bronze. Don't pretend this is just an learn to play problem. Yes, there are a lot of learn to play problems, but the biggest issue is, and always has been the matchmaking. The second biggest issue is the match throwers who are still, as of yet, unbanned.

[Februs]

I know you've seen the posts in here, where teams of silvers are matched against unranked and bronze. Don't pretend this is just an learn to play problem. Yes, there are a lot of learn to play problems, but the biggest issue is, and always has been the matchmaking. The second biggest issue is the match throwers who are still, as of yet, unbanned.

I have seen the posts, but I don't buy that this makes the matchmaking somehow "broken" or "unfair." Matchmaking is not perfect, sure, but is that really surprising? The game tries to create even matches based on the ranks of available players, but unless the number of players active in each rank is completely even, then there is no way in hell that the teams would be perfectly balanced. Someone, somewhere, is bound to get the shaft and have an unbalanced set of ranks. That's a given, and there's not really a whole lot that SE can do about it.

Further, a player's ranking is not the be all end all of their skill. A bronze player does not, necessarily, suck. They might just not have time to play as frequently as a gold player. I'm not saying that losses don't happen because of bad teams. They do. It happens to everyone, but that's the point. It happens to everyone. We all have the same odds of getting a good or bad team. Which is the same in this game as it is in any competitive game. All you can do is play the hand you're dealt, especially because getting an unbalanced set or ranks across the two teams does not automatically equate a loss. Playing well can make all the difference. If you need proof of that, then you only need to look at the leader boards. I've seen the top solo-queued players range anywhere from 60-80% victory rates. You mean to tell me that they're all just super lucky? Somehow I doubt that.

Bottom line is that if people spent more time trying to improve and make the best of the matches they get rather than complaining about the system being somehow "unfair," then Feast wouldn't be nearly as toxic as it is now. Bad luck happens, sure, but it happens to us all. In any other game you are expected to roll with the punches. Why should this game be different?

[P4X0R10N]

Meh... Feast failed cuz it wasn't fun... For arena type pvp you need a more engaging, active combat system with a high skill cap where well timed, well thought out executions have a nearly game-finishing outcome. That way you get momentum and excitement. I think that's why MOBAs are somewhat fun to play (and watch)--the right move (or the wrong move by your opponent) will lead to big can of whoop-ass.

But I guess such a game wouldn't appeal to "casuals" (whatever that means...) cuz it would require such a huge upfront time cost to get decent at...

So we're left with this button-mashing, facerolling, snooze fest that is the feast...

No amount of rewards can make up for unfun gameplay.

[Cleanse]

Meh... Feast failed cuz it wasn't fun... For arena type pvp you need a more engaging, active combat system with a high skill cap where well timed, well thought out executions have a nearly game-finishing outcome. That way you get momentum and excitement. I think that's why MOBAs are somewhat fun to play (and watch)--the right move (or the wrong move by your opponent) will lead to big can of whoop-ass.

But I guess such a game wouldn't appeal to "casuals" (whatever that means...) cuz it would require such a huge upfront time cost to get decent at...

So we're left with this button-mashing, facerolling, snooze fest that is the feast...

No amount of rewards can make up for unfun gameplay.

The Feast definitely has a lot higher skillcap than you're giving it credit for. There are _maybe_ a handful of people even close to that level and can write things off as a snoozefest.

[Februs]

Materia would be very nice, but completely irrelevant to PvP

You basically hit the nail on the head right here. The thing is, the selection supplied by Wolf Marks vendors doesn't have to be relevant to PvP. As long as it is encouraging people to queue for PvP to get more marks, it's already doing it's job. Getting people to queue for matches is what makes every item in the vendor selection relevant, and the best way to get it to do this is to broaden its selection to include a much wider market of interest.

Personally, what I would really, REALLY, like to see is a complete overhaul of the Wolf Marks vendors to include:

• Mounts:
  For multiple reasons. Mostly, I'd like to see new PvP mounts, but this could also be used to give people an alternative means of getting old mounts from outdated game modes (ie: the 3 GC specific horses ... assuming SE doesn't make the same GC restriction mistakes with Shatter that they did with all the other FL modes)
  
  
• Minions:
  Same concept as the Mounts. I'd like some new ones and an alternative method of getting old ones other than running the same dungeons 1 billion times and hoping for a drop.
  
  
• GC specific items from all 3 GC's:
  This would include every item that is provide in exchange for GC seals as well as the GC specific gear that is normally reserved for hunts marks. It would save people the trouble of having to swap GC's just to get an outfit they like.
  
  
• Materia:
  Because literally everyone can find a use for it, even non-crafters. We already get level IV materia for top end beast tribe quests and one level V materia a week for Void Arc. There's no reason we shouldn't get some for PvP.
  
  
• Crafting supplies:
  Besides the fact that these things are also used to craft the PvP gear sets, it would also be nice to give crafters an incentive to play an actual game mode rather than just spend their time grinding away for supplies. I don't craft, myself, but I know their are crafters out there who would love this alternative.
  
  
• Tomestone items:
  This would include almost all of the tomestone items provided at Rowena's house of splendors. Anything below the maximum leveled gear would be fair game. Relic items are a definite must have (especially at their ridiculous grind and cost). etc.

The list could go on and on, and with each item added, more people would have a reason to cap their Wolf Marks rather than just shrug it off. On top of Wolf Marks, what I would also like to see is a special token system implemented for items that are considered too special for simple purchase (such as level V materia, high capacity tomestones, top end Mounts, etc). I don't think it would be too much work for them to do, because they've already done it for practically every extreme Primal as well as various other weekly quests. Ideally, these tokens would work the same way (ie: the challenge log, a repeatable quest, or FL roulette once Shatter is implemented). After you attain a certain number of tokens, you can trade them in for the super special items, such as more exclusive mounts, level V materia, tomestone gear upgrades, etc.

If they had a vendor system like this, then people would have more than enough reason to keep queuing for PvP.

[Morningstar1337]

• Mounts:
  For multiple reasons. Mostly, I'd like to see new PvP mounts, but this could also be used to give people an alternative means of getting old mounts from outdated game modes (ie: the 3 GC specific horses ... assuming SE doesn't make the same GC restriction mistakes with Shatter that they did with all the other FL modes)
• Minions:
  Same concept as the Mounts. I'd like some new ones and an alternative method of getting old ones other than running the same dungeons 1 billion times and hoping for a drop.

Good idea, it would be interesting but I think i'd prefer new minions more

• Materia:
  Because literally everyone can find a use for it, even non-crafters. We already get level IV materia for top end beast tribe quests and one level V materia a week for Void Arc. There's no reason we shouldn't get some for PvP.

Also a great idea, albeit one that already there.

• Crafting supplies:
  Besides the fact that these things are also used to craft the PvP gear sets, it would also be nice to give crafters an incentive to play an actual game mode rather than just spend their time grinding away for supplies. I don't craft, myself, but I know their are crafters out there who would love this alternative.

Now that I think about it, it would be an interesting appotunity to introduce the animal liege models to other classes as new gear, like the Swan Model for Casters, the Dragon Model for Dragoons, the Snake Model for Ninjas, etc

• Tomestone items:
  This would include almost all of the tomestone items provided at Rowena's house of splendors. Anything below the maximum leveled gear would be fair game. Relic items are a definite must have (especially at their ridiculous grind and cost). etc.

Isn't it a little redundant withthe GC system, since there is some Overlap :P