The Fields of Glory (Shatter)

[PotatoTree]

I still think highlighting which crystals would trigger 30s-1m before they do would also improve the game mode, because it forces the teams to jostle for position and fight for bit. It also removes some RNG.

[Thekk]

I have to say that my first impression of Shatter was as bad as most people have reported in here. However, after having played more, I think some of the issues people have are overblown.

Yes, there are some RNG elements, but as the game progress, it becomes easier and easier to predict what will happen next and to plan accordingly. Given that the small crystals are spread evenly across the map, if you get behind early because everything spawns on the other side, you'll have an easier time near the end because everything will spawn close to you, so there is some kind of balance. You wont have the case where a S rank tomelith unexpectedly spawns behind enemy lines and you can't do anything about it.

There's also more fighting than people make it out to be. However, it happens mostly in 2 situations: right after a crystal gets destroyed or when most of the crystals are gone and teams try to catch up the lead, so it is right to say that crystals hinder actual fighting, but not to say no PvP happens in Shatter.

Now, even though I am saying that the RNG about crystals, especially of the small nature is overblown, I have to say that I feel like their impact on gameplay is hugely negative. The issue comes with their scattered positions and low HP. For many of them, there will be no contest and one company will get all the points. In the end, points even out, but while people are going for them they are in remote areas of the map where no action really happens. Since there are so many of them, that's a lot of time basically twiddling your thumbs.

Most of the more enjoyable matches I've had had one thing in common: small crystals were out of the portrait. They were either 72 man where all of them activated at the beginning and were quickly dispatched or 24 man of the big crystal variety. This had the effect of making the outer rim of the map irrelevant and forcing all three companies to stay in a smaller area, increasing the opportunities to fight. Also, in the 24 man version, big crystals take MUCH longer to destroy. This allows for strategies where you try to gain control of all outposts while trying to delay the destruction of the big crystal as long as possible to maximize your gain. It has proven quite effective in some of my matches (we came back several hundred points for the win), especially for the last crystal, but it would be very hard to transpose to 72 man with the current conditions.

To sum up, here would be my suggestions to improve the mode

• Remove all the small crystals on the map; however the downside of this would be that it would feel empty, but I think it is way too big (and confusing) to begin with
• Increase the health on big crystals by a lot on the 72 man version
• Increase the amount of points transferred from kills to encourage fighting around crystals (and make a disruption strategy more viable)
• Increase the number of outposts on the 72 man version as it can be hard to occupy one when a whole team is defending (each company could have 2 or 3). This would make it harder to ignore them and going all out for a crystal. It would also compensate for the points that originally came from small crystals. However, they should not be placed in a way that would make the outer rim too relevant again.

Another unrelated suggestion would be to let teams heal crystals, which would remove points earned by other companies. That way, you could wipe a team out, heal the crystal back up (though some kind of bonus might be needed to have some impact, especially for shield users) and "steal" the points.

I am aware that most of my suggestion would change drastically how the map is played and as such would require careful thinking before being implemented, but the consensus seems to be that Shatter could be so much more than it is right now with the right adjustments.

[Geologo]

I still think highlighting which crystals would trigger 30s-1m before they do would also improve the game mode, because it forces the teams to jostle for position and fight for bit. It also removes some RNG.

It seems a very good idea to me, but it has to be shown only on the battlefield not on the map, so if you see one of them you have to alert your alliance.
I think 20-30s would be enough.

Anyway after all those feedback I waiting for a queue time improvement in ANY on the way the people suggested.

[PotatoTree]

Does anyone feel that having 2 giant crystals spawn is a bad idea? It basically screws whichever team is in the middle of the 2 crystals, because both enemy teams would be going for a crystal on either side. The best the team in the middle can do is to focus one, but they'll get only 50% of that crystal's points ideally, another team would get 50%, and the third team would get 100%. If the team in the middle splits (which will 100% happen in pugs), they'll get roflstomped at both crystals. And to further hurt that team, they lose both their "close" crystals.

It basically just RNGs a loss to that team or at least deals them a very difficult hand.

[FunkYeahDragons]

So far Shatter is vey boring as a healer, because even when people are fighting they don't care as much to commit to taking you down.

I liked the CC of Seal Rock and Feast, kiting alliances, and denying melee LBs. So satisfying to shield + Bole the BLM through one, and then watch them LB the DRG back. Attune through melee LB, then laugh when another one comes up and LBs you while still attuned.

The Schadenfreude made it worth all the abuse.

[Geologo]

Does anyone feel that having 2 giant crystals spawn is a bad idea? It basically screws whichever team is in the middle of the 2 crystals...

I dont' find it so disappointing honestly, but right now I played no more than 20 matches there, and some were totally dumb, so actually I don't think to have enough experience to be very sure of what I'm saying xD
But if they put a 20% def buff on all the crystals for 10sec after their spawn, landing to a 10% def buff right after, and nullify it after again 10sec, it will "help" far people and mitigate a little the RNG, but right now when I see the last big crystal off, I try to stay "close" to it.

But even the suggestion that you previously said will fix it (make crystals flash few seconds before they go on)

[Geologo]

So far Shatter is vey boring as a healer, because even when people are fighting they don't care as much to commit to taking you down.

I liked the CC of Seal Rock and Feast, kiting alliances, and denying melee LBs. So satisfying to shield + Bole the BLM through one, and then watch them LB the DRG back. Attune through melee LB, then laugh when another one comes up and LBs you while still attuned.

The Schadenfreude made it worth all the abuse.

I actually "like" to heal there, even if I prefere to DPS, but...
you mentioned astro, GO WHM or SCH AND PUSH ALL THE ENEMIES DOWN
mwhahah XD

I did it so much as SCH and BRD like no other FLs xD

[Ultimatecalibur]

I believe a lot of the complaints are more due to people not yet full figuring out what they need to do in Shatter matches.

The variation in crystal compositions and spawn patterns keeps you on your toes and you and your GC need to be flexible. Groups that just try and Zerg everything seem to end up losing more often than not.

I had a crazy 72 match where all the small crystals activated at the same time and then we ended up battling the other two GCs waiting for the 4 large crystals in the center to activate.

[Februs]

I believe a lot of the complaints are more due to people not yet full figuring out what they need to do in Shatter matches. The variation in crystal compositions and spawn patterns keeps you on your toes and you and your GC need to be flexible. Groups that just try and Zerg everything seem to end up losing more often than not..

I'm not so sure that this is the case. There are only so many variations that can be applied to the simple objective of "kill the crystals," and killing crystals is pretty much the only viable way to win a match. RNG keeps things fresh, I suppose, but it doesn't surprise me to see players who shrug off the novelty of playing a 72/24-man game of whack-a-mole. By comparison, your story about a crystal free-for-all match sounds much more entertaining, especially near the end when you had to fight for the last four crystals. Even it it still just comes down to a Dps race, at least it would be a change of pace; so, it would be nice to see more matches like that.

[FunkYeahDragons]

I actually "like" to heal there, even if I prefere to DPS, but...
you mentioned astro, GO WHM or SCH AND PUSH ALL THE ENEMIES DOWN
mwhahah XD

I did it so much as SCH and BRD like no other FLs xD

Probably the only pleasure that remains for me in PVP, although I've unofficially quit FFXIV outside of Shatterdays and if people say they're queuing in Discord. I'll see how I feel about renewing my sub at the end of the month.