why am i so gimped now?

[NefGP]

Eh, I'm just coming back after a bit of a break and I'm finding it rather difficult to take on mobs even at around my own level or slightly higher.


So far, soloing in the new dungeon at 16 (it was MUCH harder at 15, one level made a much bigger difference than I'd anticipated) on the bats I can get chain 1~2, sometimes 3 solo IF I'm lucky with evade/shield blocks (I swear I almost never block now compared to pre-patch...). Now that I'm within 2 levels of the next big weapon, I should probably try to get that Brass Spatha but even so combat feels a lot slower than before.

It's probably the lack of physical levels though - before, I was physical level 40-something but only GLA 15 so I was mowing stuff down with impunity now it feels like much more of a struggle taking on an even match.

Weirder still is the enemies won't always chain... when I was taking on Dodo's out near skull valley, I attempted to chain some R15's (I was 15 at the time as well) but got no EXP chain bonus despite killing them quickly enough. These bats on the other hand chain no problem, so I'm wondering if there's a bug in that regard with certain enemies?

I'm just curious about how it's been for others. To me, at least, I seem to be much weaker than before (really, really hate the stupid-low block rates - I miss manual guard and just reducing damage straight up...) and I'm wondering if it's just that I don't have the right gear (wearing lv 12~15 gear mostly), if GLA got nerfed, if it's because I'm solo or what. (Speaking of which, why the hell is everyone on Figaro so damned anti-social?)

[Rowe]

I simply hate the fact that the gear I worked hard to get is now gimp and to re-gear my only option is to spend all my Gil on crafted gear thus making the players with the most Gil in game even richer. NM gear should be every bit as good as crafted gear.

Also the removal of action queueing has destroyed the rhythm of battle. As a 50 LNC or ARC I had a sequence to maximize my tp gain and damage output and even waiting for the previous out action to finish when I attempt to trigger my next action more often than not it does not go off, even though my previous action HAD completed!

[Lindwurm]

Weirder still is the enemies won't always chain... when I was taking on Dodo's out near skull valley, I attempted to chain some R15's (I was 15 at the time as well) but got no EXP chain bonus despite killing them quickly enough. These bats on the other hand chain no problem, so I'm wondering if there's a bug in that regard with certain enemies?

You know I have experienced problems with linking as well... the only time I have been able to "chain" has been when I was under orders. Orders such as behest, leves, or caravan security.

As far as the whole gimped thing goes I found everything thus far to be harder yet more rewarding and more fun. Leves especially Grand company leves seem more fun because of the challenge. I was taking a break on leveling my lancer until things felt better all the way around and let me tell you it has been a very good change for me. The leves are harder but I am able to get around 10-12k experience points in just 7 to 8 minutes (lancer only). It just feels like I am actually getting somewhere and achieving something again. GLA is still fun just harder to master and stand out.

[Agoven]

It's a new day a new game...learn to embrace it yo! And um...yeah I'm happy a level 1 character can no longer kill a level 10 enemy like seriously. I'm level 1 I should kill level one and maybe lucky level 2. Happy that enemies at my level are a challenge. Happy also that when I kill an enemy of my level that I get much greater XP then I ever did with an enemy 10 levels above me. So YAY!!!! Please no more trolling of this OMG it's so hard...it's really not...stop thinking in the past.

[Agoven]

You know I have experienced problems with linking as well... the only time I have been able to "chain" has been when I was under orders. Orders such as behest, leves, or caravan security.

As far as the whole gimped thing goes I found everything thus far to be harder yet more rewarding and more fun. Leves especially Grand company leves seem more fun because of the challenge. I was taking a break on leveling my lancer until things felt better all the way around and let me tell you it has been a very good change for me. The leves are harder but I am able to get around 10-12k experience points in just 7 to 8 minutes (lancer only). It just feels like I am actually getting somewhere and achieving something again. GLA is still fun just harder to master and stand out.

Not everything links or chains...and it also depends on the proximity of an enemy and type of enemy and how you engage them.

[Shosasosa]

It seems that SE decided that anything endgame requires a full pt (if not more) of 50s with all 50 gear with materia attached to every piece. Just tried to do Great Buffalo which could be done with like 5 50s before the patch, and now cant do it with a full pt of 50s with normal gear. This on top of all the problems people are having in the Darkhold, makes me think that no one except the very rich are gonna be able to do anything endgame for at least a month, when materia is plentiful and people reform strategies on endgame content

[Jennestia]

It seems that SE decided that anything endgame requires a full pt (if not more) of 50s with all 50 gear with materia attached to every piece. Just tried to do Great Buffalo which could be done with like 5 50s before the patch, and now cant do it with a full pt of 50s with normal gear. This on top of all the problems people are having in the Darkhold, makes me think that no one except the very rich are gonna be able to do anything endgame for at least a month, when materia is plentiful and people reform strategies on endgame content

I remember when people kept saying Great Buffalo was a push over, especially after all NMs were 'nerfed' in a previous patch. The "very rich" won't even be able to have the best materia slotted gear. It's not that cut and dry.

[heavenswrath]

Yep the dev pretty much summed up what I was thinking about the matter.

[JayvirDeforte]

It mostly depends on what enemies you're fighting. But there's one note I've got to make I think the devs should consider doing and that's reviewing the overall levels of mobs in the Grand Company leves. Since I'm capped at Rank 50 I don't dare go higher than 3 star, 4 star's pushing it and likely asking for failure. Since these can only be taken on solo it seems pointless they allow you to scale the difficulty of enemies up so high.

Company leves are crazy hard considering they are intended for solo. Either let us group up with them or scale the difficulty back. Even at level 50, I can't protect the npcs. Chocobo escorts are crazy difficult as well. Its outside of a level 20 camp and even 2 level 50s cant successfully protect them. Aside from that, I love the difficulty

[Solljak]

Decent Challenge is now a decent challenge.. and i accept that challenge! SquareEnix, you have made this game playable!

level 20-30 does seem rather tricky even in a party but why play a game that isnt? i only struggled because i took the same axe from level 20 to 30 anyway so its my own fault :P

Im happy with the direction the game is going in, i only wish that the power levelling exploit is fixed before the next patch..!